Which place is cheaper, New Orleans or Phnom Penh?
These are the overall average travel costs for the two destinations. These travel costs come from the actual spending of real travelers.
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Should you visit Phnom Penh or New Orleans?
Which is cheaper to visit? Which is more expensive for vacation?
Which city should you visit? Read on to compare the activities as well as the prices of travel for Phnom Penh and New Orleans. We'll break down costs for accommodation, food, transportation and more to help you learn more about these two destinations. Then, you can figure out if either of these two places are accessible based on your travel budget, schedule, and interests. So, let's dig into it.
Where Should I go: Phnom Penh or New Orleans?
Phnom Penh
Phnom Penh is the capital and largest city in the country of Cambodia. It is located at the edge of the Mekong and the Tonle Sap rivers and is the nation's center of economics and industry. The metropolitan area has a population of about 2.2 million.
Phnom Penh was once called the "Pearl of Asia." In the 1920s it was one of the most impressive French built cities in the region and was an important tourist destination. During the Vietnam War, refugees fled to the city and by 1975 the city's population was between 2 and 3 million, most of them being refugees. The city fell to the Khmer Rouge in 1975 and they cut off supplies to the population for over a year. Journalists reported torture and mutilation of the trapped civilians and the Khmer Rouge forcibly evacuated the city in what is known as the death march. The Khmer Rouge was driven from the city by the Vietnamese in 1979 and reconstruction began.
Today, tourism continues to grow in the city and those who visit are greeted by a welcoming and friendly population, a rich culture, and truly rewarding travel experience.
Phnom Penh has a tropical wet and dry climate. It is hot year around with very little temperature variation. Lows are usually in the low 70s Fahrenheit and highs are in the mid to high 90s Fahrenheit. The southwest monsoon brings rains between May and October and the northeast monsoon brings the dry season from November to March.
New Orleans
New Orleans is the largest city in the state of Louisiana, and it is a cultural city that is the home of jazz, unique cuisine, and Mardi Gras in the U.S. It was established in 1718 and is one of the oldest cities in the country. The culture of the city has a mix of French, Creole, African American, Caribbean, Irish, Haitian, German and Vietnamese. There's an energy and atmosphere that is unlike any place else.
For some great organized tour ideas, see The Best One Week (7-Day) Tours in Cambodia, The Best 2-Week Tours in Cambodia, The Best Cultural Tours in United States of America, and The Best Photography Tours in United States of America.
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Phnom Penh Prices
Cambodia PricesNew Orleans Prices
USA Prices -
Average Daily Cost Per person, per dayPhnom Penh $50New Orleans $271
The average daily cost (per person) in Phnom Penh is $50, while the average daily cost in New Orleans is $271. These costs include accommodation (assuming double occupancy, so the traveler is sharing the room), food, transportation, and entertainment. While every person is different, these costs are an average of past travelers in each destination. What follows is a categorical breakdown of travel costs for Phnom Penh and New Orleans in more detail.
Accommodation
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Accommodation Hotel or hostel for one personPhnom Penh $12New Orleans $125
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Accommodation Typical double-occupancy roomPhnom Penh $24New Orleans $250
Compare Hotels in Phnom Penh and New Orleans
Looking for a hotel in Phnom Penh or New Orleans? Prices vary by location, date, season, and the level of luxury. See below for options and compare which is best for your budget and travel style.
Kayak helps you find the best prices for hotels, flights, and rental cars for destinations around the world. Compare prices for multiple destinations when planning your next trip.
Our Analysis
We've analyzed the average and typical hotel prices based on guest reviews, star ratings, and hotel amenities here: Phnom Penh Hotel Prices and New Orleans Hotel Prices.
Local Transportation
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Local Transportation Taxis, local buses, subway, etc.Phnom Penh $7.87New Orleans $51
Hired Cars and Shuttles in Phnom Penh
Some specific examples of transportation prices in Phnom Penh:
- Try find your better than us ! Airport transfer service Phnom Penh HTL-APT (PNH): $200
- Transfer Phnom Penh to Battambang, Private Taxi Driver: $125
- Techo Phnom Penh Airport KTI to Kampot Private Transfer: $75
- Techo International Airport Transfer to Hotel or vice versa: $30
- Techo International Airport Private Transfer: $25
- Taxi Transfer Phnom Penh To Siem Reap, Friendly Taxi Driver: $135
- Taxi Transfer From Phnom Penh to Siem Reap: $90
- Siem Reap: Private Transfer to or from Phnom Penh: $239
- Siem Reap: Private Transfer to Phnom Penh: $115
- Siem Reap: Private Transfer From/to Siem Reap - Phnom Penh: $71
- Siem Reap or Private One-Way Transfer: $158
- Scenic Phnom Penh to Siem Reap Transfer with Sightseeing: $119
Typical Local Transportation Prices in New Orleans
Some typical examples of transportation costs in New Orleans are as follows:
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Taxi Ride$10
Hired Cars and Shuttles in New Orleans
Also for New Orleans, here are a few examples of actual transportation services:
- Airport Transfer in New Orleans: $175
- Airport and City Transfers in New Orleans : $135
- Boss Nola : Luxury Private Airport Transfer: $90
- Cruise Port Transfer New Orleans and Louis Armstrong Intl MSY: $40
- Handicap New Orleans Airport or Hotel Transfer: $260
- NOLA Cruise Port to New Orleans hotels - Arrival Private Transfer: $105
- NOLA Cruise Port to New Orleans hotels - Round-Trip Private Transfer: $209
- New Orleans Airport (MSY) to New Orleans - Round-Trip Transfer : $129
- New Orleans Airport (MSY) to New Orleans Port Private Transfer: $64
- New Orleans Airport One way Transfer to Baton Rouge or Slidell: $250
- New Orleans Airport(MSY) to Port of New Orleans- Private Transfer: $48
- New Orleans Departure Transfers: $135
Is it cheaper to fly into Phnom Penh or New Orleans?
Prices for flights to both New Orleans and Phnom Penh change regularly based on dates and travel demand. We suggest you find the best prices for your next trip on Kayak, because you can compare the cost of flights across multiple airlines for your prefered dates.
Food
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Food Meals for one dayPhnom Penh $23New Orleans $78
Typical Food Prices in Phnom Penh
Below are a few samples from actual travelers for food and meal costs in Phnom Penh:
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Dinner for Two$10
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Breakfast for Two$4.84
Food Tours and Cooking Classes in Phnom Penh
Also, here are some specific examples of food and dining related activities in Phnom Penh.
- Mekong Sunset Dinner Cruise with Live Music: $9.90
- Sunset Dinner Cruise with English Speaking Guide: $10
- Buffet Dinner Cruise Experience with Live Music: $12
- Nightlife three hours food tours: $27
- Evening City Tour by Tuk Tuk with 1 Dinner: $29
- Cooking Class in Phnom Penh: $31
- Phnom Penh’s Hands-On Khmer Cooking Class in the Countryside: $35
- Street Art & Food Tour by Tuk-Tuk: $35
- Street Art and Food Tour with Pickup and Beer: $39
- Phnom Penh Morning Market & Food Tour by Tuktuk - Includes All Food & Drinks!: $45
- Half Day - Phnom Penh Food Tour: $45
- Evening Food Tour with Drinks & Tuk Tuk Included: $49
Food Tours and Cooking Classes in New Orleans
For New Orleans, here are some samples of tours and activities related to meals and dining experiences:
- New Orleans Demonstration Cooking Class with Meal: $42
- Steamboat Natchez Evening Jazz Cruise with Dinner Option: $58
- Paddlewheeler Creole Queen Jazz Dinner Cruise in New Orleans: $60
- French Quarter Food Tour: Signature Tastes of New Orleans: $75
- New Orleans Sunset Food Tour Experience: $85
- Private New Orleans Food Tour of the French Quarter : $85
- Lower Garden District Food Tour: $89
- NOLA Carte Food Tours: $96
- Voodoo, Vampires and Delicious Bites Food Tour: $97
- New Orleans Cooking Class and Cocktail Walking Tour: $106
- New Orleans Small-Group Food Walking Tour and Cooking Class: $109
- Food Tour of New Orleans Garden District: Group of Nine or Less: $129
Entertainment
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Entertainment Entrance tickets, shows, etc.Phnom Penh $7.65New Orleans $55
Tours and Activities in Phnom Penh
Here are a few actual costs in Phnom Penh for available activities, ticket prices, and tours:
- Killing field and Toul Sleng genocide museum Tour: $19
- Phnom Penh Full Day Private Tours: $155
- Phnom Penh Private Tour with Luggage Storage: $7.92
- ( Free eSim) Classic Phnom Penh Full Day Tour : $45
- 2 Day SUV and Minivan Tour Phnom Penh and Siem Reap: $145
- 2 Days Phnom Penh Cyclo and Cycling Tour: $128
- 2 Days Private Guide Tour Phnom Penh Heritage: $282
- 5-Hour Biking Tour in Mekong Island: $49
- 6-8 Hours Phnom Penh Private Guided Tour : $15
- A Day Trip Sightseeing of Phnom Penh With Private Tour Guide : $65
- A Full Day Tour for Royal Palace, S21, Killing Fields & More : $35
- A day Trip Sightseeing Phnom Penh - Siem Reap - Private English Speaking Driver : $105
Typical Entertainment Prices in New Orleans
Below are a few sample prices from actual travelers for New Orleans's activities, tours, and tickets:
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Zoo & Aquarium Tickets (2)$75
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Riverboat Cruise$70
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French Quarter City Tour$100
Tours and Activities in New Orleans
For New Orleans, here are a few prices for actual activities, tours, and tickets provided by various companies:
- Ghosts of Self-Guided Haunted Audio Walking Tour: $6.75
- Ghost Hunt in Quest Experience: $7.13
- City Park Exploration Game and Tour: $7.13
- New Orleans French Quarter Audio Tour: Iconic Sites & Hidden Gems: $7.99
- New Orleans Self Guided Audio Experience: $9.00
- New Orleans Scavenger Hunt and Highlights Self-Guided Tour: $9.51
- Self-Guided Walking Tour French Quarter In New Orleans: $9.75
- Self Guided Walking Tour of New Orleans' Historic Garden District: $9.99
- A Walk in the Park: City Park New Orleans Audio Tour: $9.99
- Self-Guided Tour of New Orleans’ Historic French Quarter: $9.99
- Walking the Tremé: A Self-guided Audio Tour of New Orleans: $9.99
- Old Ursuline Convent Museum Ticket: New Pope Leo XIV Exhibit: $10
Alcohol
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Alcohol Drinks for one dayPhnom Penh $4.33New Orleans $60
Sample the Local Flavors in Phnom Penh
Some specific costs for nightlife related activities in Phnom Penh:
- Phnom Penh Pub Crawl with Free Mad Monkey Singlet: $12
Sample the Local Flavors in New Orleans
Some specific costs for nightlife related activities in New Orleans:
- Ghost Tour and Haunted Pub Crawl Party with Free Shot!: $24
- New Orleans Small-Group History Tour Pub Crawl of The Irish Channel: $25
- NOLA Distillery Tour: $30
- New Orleans Spooky Spirits Haunted Pub Crawl and Ghost Tour: $30
- Vixens and Villains Haunted Pub Crawl: $30
- New Orleans Happy Hour Ghost Walking Tour Pub Crawl: $33
- New Orleans Haunted Pub Crawl: $35
- Till Death Do Us Part: Haunted Pub Crawl Where Love Meets Death: $35
- Sin and Tonic Pub Crawl in New Orleans: $35
- New Orleans Ghosts Boos and Booze Haunted Pub Crawl: $36
- Adults Only Haunted Pub Crawl in New Orleans: $37
- New Orleans' Finest Haunted Pub Tour: $40
When we compare the travel costs of actual travelers between Phnom Penh and New Orleans, we can see that New Orleans is more expensive. And not only is Phnom Penh much less expensive, but it is actually a significantly cheaper destination. Since Phnom Penh is in Asia and New Orleans is in North America, this is one of the main reasons why the costs are so different, as different regions of the world tend to have overall different travel costs. So, traveling to Phnom Penh would let you spend less money overall. Or, you could decide to spend more money in Phnom Penh and be able to afford a more luxurious travel style by staying in nicer hotels, eating at more expensive restaurants, taking tours, and experiencing more activities. The same level of travel in New Orleans would naturally cost you much more money, so you would probably want to keep your budget a little tighter in New Orleans than you might in Phnom Penh.
If you're trying to decide if either of these two destinations are within your price range, also see Is Phnom Penh Expensive? and Is New Orleans Expensive?.
Which is Bigger, Phnom Penh or New Orleans?
Phnom Penh has a larger population, and is about 3 times larger than the population of New Orleans. When comparing the sizes of Phnom Penh and New Orleans, keep in mind that a larger population does not always imply the destination has more attractions or better activities. So, always research the type of place that you want to visit along with the activities and attractions that interest you.
Budget Your Trip is all about finding out how much everything costs so that you can travel cheaper and longer. Created by avid travelers Laurie and Bryan, our goal is to help you plan your next trip on the right budget. With average daily travel costs that are calculated from the budgets of real travelers, plus an analysis of hotel and tour prices, you can find out how much money you need to plan your next adventure. We also have plenty of travel advice, accommodation reviews, and activity suggestions.