Which place is cheaper, Seattle 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 Seattle?
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 Seattle. 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 Seattle?
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.
Seattle
Situated on the Puget Sound in the state of Washington, Seattle is the largest city in the United States Pacific Northwest. It's a beautiful city surrounded by the water and mountains and filled with evergreen trees. It's also the home of some famous American institutions including Starbucks Coffee, Amazon, and Microsoft. The population of almost 700,000 continues to grow. As of 2014, the city was considered the fastest growing major city in the United States. The entire metropolitan area has about 3.6 million residents, making it the 15th largest metro area in the US. The natural beauty, growing economy, and educational base give Seattle a youthful vibe that keep the city young and energetic.
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 Polar Tours & Cruises in United States of America, and The Best Walking Tours in United States of America.
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Phnom Penh Prices
Cambodia PricesSeattle Prices
USA Prices -
Average Daily Cost Per person, per dayPhnom Penh $50Seattle $242
The average daily cost (per person) in Phnom Penh is $50, while the average daily cost in Seattle is $242. 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 Seattle in more detail.
Accommodation
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Accommodation Hotel or hostel for one personPhnom Penh $12Seattle $120
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Accommodation Typical double-occupancy roomPhnom Penh $24Seattle $240
Compare Hotels in Phnom Penh and Seattle
Looking for a hotel in Phnom Penh or Seattle? 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 Seattle Hotel Prices.
Local Transportation
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Local Transportation Taxis, local buses, subway, etc.Phnom Penh $7.87Seattle $30
Hired Cars and Shuttles in Phnom Penh
Some specific examples of transportation prices in Phnom Penh:
- PNH Airport to City Centre Private Transfer: $7.00
- Techo Airport (KTI) Pickup/Transfer Private Car: $16
- Private Phnom Penh Airport Transfers to your hotel in town: $20
- Private Taxi transfer from Siem Reap to Phnom Penh: $20
- Phnom Penh Airport Private Taxi Transfer - Hotels: $21
- Private Taxi transfer from Phnom Penh to Siem Reap: $21
- Private Airport ↔ City Center Transfer: $24
- Private Airport Transfer From/To Hotels: $24
- Techo International Airport Private Transfer: $25
- PrivateTransfer: PhnomPenh Airport(PNH/KTI) to Hotel in PhnomPenh: $27
- Private Transfer: PhnomPenh's Hotel to PhnomPenh Airport(PNH/KTI): $27
- Techo International Airport Transfer to Hotel or vice versa: $30
Typical Local Transportation Prices in Seattle
Here are some examples of typical transportation prices from actual travelers in Seattle:
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Lightrail from Airport (for 2)$5.50
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Roundtrip Ferry to Bainbridge Island (for 2)$15
Hired Cars and Shuttles in Seattle
Some specific examples of transportation prices in Seattle:
- Private Transfer from Seattle Airport SEA to Smith Cove Terminal: $38
- Seattle-Tacoma International Airport private transfer. Pick up: $47
- Arrival Private Transfer: Seattle Airport SEA to Seattle in Luxury SUV: $130
- Chauffeur Transfer Services: $120
- Departure Private Transfer: Seattle to Seattle Airport SEA in Luxury Car: $159
- From Seattle Airport - Transfer to Hotel & Homes: $265
- From Seattle Hotels - Hotel Transfer to Airport: $175
- From Seattle Hotels - Hotel Transfer to Airport: $265
- From Snoqualmie Falls and Wineries Tour w/ Transfer: $145
- One - Way Transfer from Pier 66 to SeaTac international Airport : $27
- One-Way Seattle Airport Transfer Service: $27
- One-Way Transfer: Pier 91 to Airport : $28
Is it cheaper to fly into Phnom Penh or Seattle?
Prices for flights to both Seattle 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 $23Seattle $88
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
Typical Food Prices in Seattle
Some typical examples of dining costs in Seattle are as follows:
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Expresso & cookie at Pier 70$7.00
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Cashews at Pike Place Market$6.00
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6 Mini Donuts at Pike Place Market$3.25
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Chinese Lunch in International District (for 2)$21
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Breakfast at Lowel's in Pike Place Market (for 2)$32
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Breakfast at French Cafe (for 2)$37
Food Tours and Cooking Classes in Seattle
Also, here are some specific examples of food and dining related activities in Seattle.
- Meet Me at the Market Food Tour: $44
- Meet Me at the Market Food Tour: $44
- Seattle Holiday Donut Adventure & Walking Food Tour: $65
- Pike Place Market Chef-Guided Food Tour: $71
- Chef Guided Food Tour of Pike Place Market: $72
- Secret Food Tours: Seattle Pike Place Market: $73
- Traditional Japanese Ramen Cooking Class in Seattle: $75
- Japanese Ramen Cooking Class With Local Chef: $75
- Street Food Tour of South Lake Union- Area of Amazon Spheres : $77
- Festive Flavors of Pike Place Market Holiday Food Tour: $110
- Pike Place Market Gourmet Food Tour: $115
- Authentic Italian Cooking Class in Seattle (5-Course Meal): $129
Entertainment
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Entertainment Entrance tickets, shows, etc.Phnom Penh $7.65Seattle $16
Tours and Activities in Phnom Penh
Here are a few actual costs in Phnom Penh for available activities, ticket prices, and tours:
- Riverside Walking Tour with Snack, Drinks & Local Ferry Ride: $7.20
- Phnom Penh Private Tour with Luggage Storage: $7.92
- Sunset Cruise on Kanika Boat: $8.60
- Sunset Cruise-Freeflow Beers,Soft Drinks & BBQ Buffet: $9.00
- NEW Sunset Cruise! "Your cruise U Choose "-Unlimited BBQ & Drinks: $9.00
- Sunset Cruise with Unlimited Beers & BBQ Buffet: $9.16
- Sunset Cruise: Your Cruise You Choose, 3 wonderful options: $9.16
- Sunset Cruise with freeflow beers & BBQ buffet: $9.16
- Sunset Cruise with Unlimited Beer &Fruit platter: $9.35
- Hop-On Hop-Off Bus Ticket Free Mekong Cruise: $12
- Audio Guide Tour by Tuk-Tuk to Killing Field and Genocide Museum : $12
- Killing Fields and Prison S21 Bus Tour: $15
Tours and Activities in Seattle
Some specific costs of activities, tours, and entrance tickets for Seattle are as follows:
- Experience Mining For Genuine Montana Sapphires in Seattle: $5.00
- Seattle Downtown Quest: Self-Guided History Adventure: $7.16
- Unique Scavenger Hunt Experience in Seattle by Crazy Dash: $10
- Scavenger Hunt Adventure in Everett by Operation City Quest: $10
- Seattle Audio Tour on Capital Hill Adventure: $15
- Seattle Kraken Ice Hockey Game Ticket: $19
- National Nordic Museum Entry Ticket: $20
- Skip the Line: Daily Admission at Woodland Park Zoo Ticket: $20
- Seattle City Walking Tour: Along the Waterfront: $22
- Seattle Scavenger Hunt Walking Tour and Game: $25
- Smith Tower Observatory Access Ticket: $25
- Sky View Observatory at the Columbia Center Admission Tickets : $25
Alcohol
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Alcohol Drinks for one dayPhnom Penh $4.33Seattle $16
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 Seattle
Here are a few nightlife and alcohol tours and activities from local tour providers in Seattle:
- Seattle Terrors Spirits & Spirits Haunted Pub Crawl: $29
- Seattle Terrors Spirits & Spirits Haunted Pub Crawl: $30
- Woodinville's Downtown Wine Tasting Pass: $65
- Diverse Wine Tasting Experience with Bites: $75
- Woodinville Guided Wine Tour with Optional Tastings: $109
- Hollywood Artisan Wine Tasting Experience: $249
- All-inclusive Wine Tasting and Lunch Experience: $249
- From Snoqualmie Falls & Woodinville Wine Tasting: $344
When we compare the travel costs of actual travelers between Phnom Penh and Seattle, we can see that Seattle 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 Seattle 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 Seattle would naturally cost you much more money, so you would probably want to keep your budget a little tighter in Seattle 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 Seattle Expensive?.
Which is Bigger, Phnom Penh or Seattle?
Phnom Penh has a larger population, and is about 3 times larger than the population of Seattle. When comparing the sizes of Phnom Penh and Seattle, 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.