Which place is cheaper, Santiago or Sihanoukville?
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 Sihanoukville or Santiago?
Which is cheaper to visit? Which is more expensive for vacation?
Should I visit Sihanoukville or Santiago? This is a common question asked by many travelers. By figuring out which city has activities that align with your interests along with knowing which is more affordable, you'll understand where you can get more bang for your buck. So, let's dive into the details and the data, which all comes from actual travelers.
Where Should I go: Sihanoukville or Santiago?
Sihanoukville
Sihanoukville, also known by locals as Kompong Som, was named after King Sihanouk. Also Cambodia's youngest city, construction started in 1955 to build Cambodia's first and only deep water port so that ships would no longer have to go through the Mekong Delta in order to trade with Cambodia. Today, many visit Sihanoukville as a hub to visit Cambodia's islands.
Santiago
Santiago is the capital city of Chile. It is centrally located in the long and narrow country, making it a good jumping off point to explore everywhere else. It's convenient location means that you can go skiing in the Andes one day, and hang out at the beach the next.
Santiago has a cool semi-arid climate that is similar to Mediterranean climates. The summers, which are between November and March, are warm and dry. The temperatures climb to around 95 degrees Fahrenheit. The winters, between June and August, are humid with cold mornings. The daily highs are around 55 degrees Fahrenheit and the lows stay a few degrees above freezing. Rain is more common in the winter months and the dry season is between December and March.
For some great organized tour ideas, see The Best Bicycle Tours in Cambodia, The Best Adventure Tours to Cambodia, The Best Romantic Tours for Couples in Chile, and The Best Luxury Tours to Chile.
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Sihanoukville Prices
Cambodia PricesSantiago Prices
Chile Prices -
Average Daily Cost Per person, per daySihanoukville $65Santiago $150
The average daily cost (per person) in Sihanoukville is $65, while the average daily cost in Santiago is $150. 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 Sihanoukville and Santiago in more detail.
Accommodation
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Accommodation Hotel or hostel for one personSihanoukville $23Santiago $109
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Accommodation Typical double-occupancy roomSihanoukville $46Santiago $218
Compare Hotels in Sihanoukville and Santiago
Looking for a hotel in Sihanoukville or Santiago? 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: Santiago Hotel Prices.
Local Transportation
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Local Transportation Taxis, local buses, subway, etc.Sihanoukville $14Santiago $5.41
Hired Cars and Shuttles in Sihanoukville
Some specific examples of transportation prices in Sihanoukville:
- Transfer: Between Airport and Shihanouk ville: $20
- Sihanoukville International Airport Transfers: $23
- Sihanoukville Airport Transfers: $25
- Private Transfer From Sihanoukville to Phnom Penh: $35
- Convenient Taxi Transfers from Sihanoukville to Kampot: $36
- Private Taxi Transfer From Kampot - Phnom Penh City: $46
- Private Shuttle Transfer From Sihanoukville - Phnom Penh: $57
- Sihanoukville To Phnom Penh Private Transfer Mini-Van-Car: $65
- Private Taxi Transfer Sihanoukville - Battambang Car - Mini-Van: $107
- Private Transfer to/from Battambang - Sihanoukville: $115
- Private Transfer in Sihanoukville to Phnom Penh by Alphard 2010: $180
- Private Taxi Transfer to Kampot: $224
Typical Local Transportation Prices in Santiago
Below are a few samples from actual travelers for transportation costs in Santiago:
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Metro Ride$1.13
Hired Cars and Shuttles in Santiago
Some specific examples of transportation prices in Santiago:
- Airport Transfer and Halfday City tour Santiago de Chile: $362
- Airport Transfer: Santiago to Airport SCL by Business Car: $87
- Airport transfer between Santiago city center and Arturo Merino Benítez Airport: $51
- Arrival Transfer from Santiago Airport SCL to Santiago de Chile: $80
- City tour santiago with excursion to valparaiso and airport transfer: $150
- Departure Transfer: Santiago to Airport SCL by Business Car: $87
- From Viña Santa Rita Tour w/Transfer: $120
- Luxury Airport Private Transfer SCL: $90
- Maipo Valley Wine Tour, Concha y Toro, Private Transfer from Santiago: $262
- Private Round Trip Transfer from Santiago Airport SCL to Santiago: $96
- Private Round Trip Transfer on Santiago Of Chile City: $68
- Private Santiago Visit Haras de Pirque Winery & Transfer Hotel: $300
Is it cheaper to fly into Sihanoukville or Santiago?
Prices for flights to both Santiago and Sihanoukville 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 daySihanoukville $32Santiago $23
Food Tours and Cooking Classes in Sihanoukville
Also, here are some specific examples of food and dining related activities in Sihanoukville.
- Cooking class in Kampot: $20
- Sihanoukville - Khmer Traditional Cooking Class: $110
Typical Food Prices in Santiago
Some typical examples of dining costs in Santiago are as follows:
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Empanada$1.88
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Hamburger$2.50
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Dinner$26
Food Tours and Cooking Classes in Santiago
Also, here are some specific examples of food and dining related activities in Santiago.
- Legacy Family Tour Lunch or Dinner Pairing 4 Strokes: $40
- Best Street Food Tour With A Local Guide: $82
- 4-Hour Boozy Chilean Cooking Class in Santiago: $85
- Bali Hai Dinner & Show, Transport and Wine refill: $106
- Dinner Show in Bali Hai with Wine refill and transportation: $114
- Private Dinner & Chilean Folk Show with Transfers: $116
- Alyan Winery Sunset with Wine Tastings and Dinner: $117
- Private Market Tour and Traditional Chilean Cooking Class in a Local Home: $122
- San Cristobal Hill Night Tour with Dinner Show: $129
- Bali Hai Polynesian Dinner Show with Transfer: $130
- Private Night City Tour with San Cristobal Hill And Dinner Show: $181
- Santiago Chilean and Peruvian Cooking Class with a Local Carol: $184
Entertainment
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Entertainment Entrance tickets, shows, etc.Sihanoukville $5.37Santiago $47
Tours and Activities in Sihanoukville
Here are a few actual costs in Sihanoukville for available activities, ticket prices, and tours:
- Tuktuk Countryside tour: Pepper farm, Salt field & Secret lake: $18
- Kampot Tour Pepper Plantation, Salt Field, Cave, Secret Lake: $21
- La Plantation tour (discovering Kampot Pepper) + Lunch: $21
- Half day tour with countryside include Pepper farm Kampot : $22
- Kampot Countryside Tour - Pepper Farm, Salt Lake, Caves, and more: $25
- Full day Tour, Countryside, Pepper farm & Kep, crab market...: $25
- SUP Tour in Mangrove Forest of Koh Rong Sanloem: $28
- Bokor Mountain Adventure - History, Sights and Waterfalls: $29
- Kampot Day Tour "Bokor National Park": $29
- Half-Day Adventure to the Pepper Farm by Scooter: $30
- Full Day Pepper Farm Adventure by Scooter: $45
- Kampot Countryside & Kayak Tour, Pepper Farm include lunch : $46
Tours and Activities in Santiago
Some specific costs of activities, tours, and entrance tickets for Santiago are as follows:
- Official Tour of the Metropolitan Cathedral of Santiago: $9.00
- Santiago Cathedral's Bell Tower Official Tour: $9.00
- Museo Chileno de Arte Precolombino Admission Ticket: $17
- A historical tour of Santiago, Chile: $18
- Cable Car Admission Ticket: $18
- Santiago City Tour: Living History and Local Food Tasting: $20
- Guided City Tour through the historic center of Santiago: $23
- Private Guided Walking Tour of the City Center: $24
- Yungay, Memory, Art, and Neighborhood Walking Tour: $25
- Guided Walking Tour of the Historical Old Town: $25
- A Fabulous Walking tour by the Old Santiago of Chile -small group: $25
- Santiago : Highlights Walking Tour With A Guide: $26
Alcohol
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Alcohol Drinks for one daySihanoukville $4.42Santiago $8.40
Sample the Local Flavors in Santiago
Also in Santiago, these are the prices for nightlife and alcohol related activities from various tour providers:
- Ludwig's Original Pub Crawl with VIP Club Entry: $34
- Viña del Mar, Valparaiso, with Wine Tasting: $60
- Undurraga Winery Tour with Entry and Wine Tasting: $63
- Undurraga Wine tour: $70
- Half Day Trip to Undurraga Vineyard from Santiago - Wine Tasting Included: $70
- Valparaiso Port and Viña del Mar with Casablanca Wine Tasting: $79
- Valparaiso Port and Viña del Mar with wine tasting in Casablanca: $79
- Inca Lagoon and Vineyard Visit with Wine Tasting: $80
- Half Day Trip to Cousiño Macul Vineyard from Santiago - Wine Tasting Included: $87
- Half Day Trip to Concha y Toro Vineyard from Santiago - Wine Tasting Included: $87
- Maipo Valley Wine Tour with 4 vineyards from Santiago.: $89
- Kross Brewery Tour: A Craft Beer Tasting Experience: $93
When we compare the travel costs of actual travelers between Sihanoukville and Santiago, we can see that Santiago is more expensive. And not only is Sihanoukville much less expensive, but it is actually a significantly cheaper destination. Since Sihanoukville is in Asia and Santiago is in South 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 Sihanoukville would let you spend less money overall. Or, you could decide to spend more money in Sihanoukville 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 Santiago would naturally cost you much more money, so you would probably want to keep your budget a little tighter in Santiago than you might in Sihanoukville.
If you're trying to decide if either of these two destinations are within your price range, also see Is Sihanoukville Expensive? and Is Santiago Expensive?.
Which is Bigger, Sihanoukville or Santiago?
Santiago has a larger population, and is about 30 times larger than the population of Sihanoukville. When comparing the sizes of Sihanoukville and Santiago, 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.