Which place is cheaper, Quepos or Siem Reap?
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 Siem Reap or Quepos?
Which is cheaper to visit? Which is more expensive for vacation?
If you're trying to decide where to visit between Siem Reap or Quepos, this travel comparison, which includes costs, can help. The overall cost of travel is usually a consideration when deciding where to go next, and the cost comparison down below can help you decide based on the average prices from other travelers along with your own travel budget.
Where Should I go: Siem Reap or Quepos?
Siem Reap
Located in northern Cambodia, Siem Reap is the closest town to Cambodia's famous Angkor Wat. It is a comfortable and laid back town and most visitors use it as a base to explore the country's most visited destination. Although Siem Reap was once a quaint village, it has continued to grow and change to meet the needs of the many tourists who visit every year. Siem Reap has become a very touristy town with easy access to restaurants, hotels, and shops. It also has a large expatriate community and the western influences are unavoidable. Although prices remain quite low, they are higher than you might find elsewhere in Cambodia.
Quepos
Quepos is both a district and the capital of Aguirre canton in the Puntareanas Province of Costa Rica. The town is quite small, and the district has a population of about 22,000 people. Quepos is a popular tourist destination in Costa Rica due to its close proximity to Manuel Antonio National Park on the Pacific Coast. The town's economy is centered around tourism and there is no shortage of bars and restaurants in the area. The town also has a lively nightlife for such a small community.
For some great organized tour ideas, see The Best One-Week (7-Day) Tours from Phnom Penh, The Best One-Week (7-Day) Tours from Siem Reap, The Best Wildlife Tours to Costa Rica, and The Best Hiking & Trekking Tours in Costa Rica.
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Siem Reap Prices
Cambodia PricesQuepos Prices
Costa Rica Prices -
Average Daily Cost Per person, per daySiem Reap $94Quepos $139
The average daily cost (per person) in Siem Reap is $94, while the average daily cost in Quepos is $139. 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 Siem Reap and Quepos in more detail.
Accommodation
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Accommodation Hotel or hostel for one personSiem Reap $51Quepos $76
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Accommodation Typical double-occupancy roomSiem Reap $102Quepos $152
Compare Hotels in Siem Reap and Quepos
Looking for a hotel in Siem Reap or Quepos? 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: Siem Reap Hotel Prices and Quepos Hotel Prices.
Local Transportation
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Local Transportation Taxis, local buses, subway, etc.Siem Reap $8.79Quepos $9.55
Typical Local Transportation Prices in Siem Reap
Here are some examples of typical transportation prices from actual travelers in Siem Reap:
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Tuk Tuk Ride$13
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Bike Rentals$1.93
Hired Cars and Shuttles in Siem Reap
Some specific examples of transportation prices in Siem Reap:
- Transfer Siem Reap to Sihanoukville Safe Private Taxi Driver: $224
- Taxi Transfer Siem Reap to Kratie - English Speaking Driver: $360
- Taxi Phnom Penh to Kampot, Safe Transfer Private Car Driver: $90
- Private Transfers Siem Reap City to Airport: $20
- Private Transfer to/from Sihanoukville: $137
- Private Transfer to/from Battambang: $63
- Private Taxi Transfer to/from Poipet: $63
- Private Taxi Transfer to/from Battambang: $190
- Phare, Cambodian Circus with Tuk-Tuk Transfers: $27
- Phare Circus Ticket with Tuk Tuk Transfer: $32
- Kompong Phluk Floating Village with Transfers: $20
- Angkor National Museum Ticket with Transfer: $24
Hired Cars and Shuttles in Quepos
Also for Quepos, here are a few examples of actual transportation services:
- Manuel Antonio & Quepos one way transfer to SJO hotels - Airport up to 5 people.: $274
- One-Way Private Transfer from Quepos - Manuel Antonio to Monteverde: $276
- One-Way Private Transfer from Quepos - Manuel Antonio to the Sierpe: $213
- Private One Way Transfer from Manuel Antonio to San José (Airport SJO): $220
- Private Transfer - San Jose Airport & Manuel Antonio/Quepos : $289
- Private Transfer from Manuel Antonio to Nauyaca Waterfalls (Round Trip): $209
- Private Transfer from Quepos Port to Liberia Int Airport (LIR): $259
- Private Transfer: Manuel Antonio Beach: $300
- Private Transfer: SJO Airport to Manuel Antonio with Scenic Stop.: $203
- Private Transfer: SJO Airport to/from Manuel Antonio (One Way): $99
- Private transfer from Manuel Antonio Quepos to Hotels in San Jose or the Airport: $269
- Puntarenas city to Juan Santamaria Intl Airport(SJO)-Departure Private Transfer : $105
Is it cheaper to fly into Siem Reap or Quepos?
Prices for flights to both Quepos and Siem Reap 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 daySiem Reap $28Quepos $51
Typical Food Prices in Siem Reap
Below are a few samples from actual travelers for food and meal costs in Siem Reap:
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Breakfast for Two$5.59
Food Tours and Cooking Classes in Siem Reap
Also, here are some specific examples of food and dining related activities in Siem Reap.
- A Spectacular Show with Optional Dinner: $18
- Apsara Dance Show with Dinner by Tuk-Tuk Roundtrip Transfer: $19
- Apsara Performance with Dinner include Pick up & Drop off: $22
- Apsara Performance Including Buffet Dinner & Hotel Pick up: $22
- Buffet Dinner Apsara Show with hotel transfers: $22
- Apsara Dance Show and Dinner with Hotel Pickup: $22
- Apsara Show Including Dinner & Hotel Pickup: $23
- Dinner and Traditional Show with Hotel Transfer: $24
- Apsara Dance Show with Buffet Dinner & Tuk-Tuk...: $26
- A Night To Remember: Apsara Dance Show with Buffet Dinner: $27
- Dinner Show Apsara Dance, Pickup round trip included: $27
- Apsara Theatre Performance include Dinner & hotel pick up: $29
Typical Food Prices in Quepos
For Quepos, here are some examples of average food and meal prices for travelers:
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Lunch$15
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Seafood Dinner (for 1)$20
Food Tours and Cooking Classes in Quepos
For Quepos, here are some samples of tours and activities related to meals and dining experiences:
- Cooking Class in Manuel Antonio with Medicinal Plants Garden Visit: $77
- Cooking Class & Medicinal Plants Garden Manuel Antonio: $77
- Night Mangrove Safari Boat Tour with Dinner | Manuel Antonio: $79
- Local Flavor Cooking Experience: $81
Entertainment
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Entertainment Entrance tickets, shows, etc.Siem Reap $30Quepos $17
Typical Entertainment Prices in Siem Reap
Here are a few typical costs in Siem Reap for activities, ticket prices, and tours that come from previous visitors:
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Angkor Tour Guide$8.24
Tours and Activities in Siem Reap
Here are a few actual costs in Siem Reap for available activities, ticket prices, and tours:
- 03 Hours Countryside tours: $88
- 1 Day Private of Angkor Wat Tour with Tuk Tuk: $15
- 1-Day Angkor Wat Private Tour with Spanish Tour Guide.: $125
- 1-Day private Angkor Temple Tour from Siem Reap: $27
- 2 Day Angkor Wat Private Tour: $245
- 2 Day Cambodia Private Guided Tour in Angkor Temples: $119
- 2-Day Angkor Tour with Sunrise, Sunset & Banteay Srei temple: $160
- 2-Day Angkor Wat With Small, Big Circuit & Banteay Srei Tour: $123
- 2-Days Angkor & Banteay Srei & Kulen Mountian Waterfall Tour: $126
- 2-Days Angkor Sunrise & Banteay Srei Tour: $105
- 2-Days Angkor Wat with Sunrise and Sunset-Siem Reap Tour: $46
- 3 Day Siem Reap Tour Phnom Penh Shooting Experience Video: $128
Tours and Activities in Quepos
For Quepos, here are a few prices for actual activities, tours, and tickets provided by various companies:
- Manuel Antonio National Park Guided Tour: $25
- Quepos Manuel Antonio Park Nature Guided Tour: $26
- Manuel Antonio National Park Guided Tour: $27
- Manuel Antonio Park: Manuel Antonio Park Nature Guided Tour: $27
- 2-3-Hour Manuel Antonio Park Nature Guided Tour: $28
- Manuel Antonio National Park Guided Tour: $29
- Manuel Antonio National Park guided tour : $29
- Guided tour of Manuel Antonio National Park: $29
- Manuel Antonio Park Tour and its Amazing Wildlife and Beaches: $30
- Manuel Antonio with Mauro / Tickets not Included! : $30
- Manuel Antonio National Park Group Guided Tour: $30
- Manuel Antonio National Park Tour for 8 People: $30
Alcohol
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Alcohol Drinks for one daySiem Reap $11Quepos $15
Sample the Local Flavors in Siem Reap
Here are a few nightlife and alcohol tours and activities from local tour providers in Siem Reap:
- Mad Monkey Siem Reap Pub Crawl: $12
When we compare the travel costs of actual travelers between Siem Reap and Quepos, we can see that Quepos is more expensive. And not only is Siem Reap much less expensive, but it is actually a significantly cheaper destination. Since Siem Reap is in Asia and Quepos is in Central 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 Siem Reap would let you spend less money overall. Or, you could decide to spend more money in Siem Reap 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 Quepos would naturally cost you much more money, so you would probably want to keep your budget a little tighter in Quepos than you might in Siem Reap.
If you're trying to decide if either of these two destinations are within your price range, also see Is Siem Reap Expensive? and Is Quepos Expensive?.
Which is Bigger, Siem Reap or Quepos?
Siem Reap has a larger population, and is about 10 times larger than the population of Quepos. When comparing the sizes of Siem Reap and Quepos, 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.