A Travel Price Comparison for Families, Couples, and Backpackers Surabaya vs. Sihanoukville for Vacations, Tours, and Honeymoons

Should you visit Surabaya or Sihanoukville?

Which is cheaper to visit? Which is more expensive for vacation?

Should I visit Surabaya or Sihanoukville? 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: Surabaya or Sihanoukville?

Surabaya

Surabaya, also known as the "city of heroes," is the capital of East Java and the second largest city in Indonesia, following Jakarta. While it doesn't highlight as many typical tourist monuments as other cities, Surabaya serves as a takeoff point or a landing base for travelers visiting Mount Bromo and Bali.

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.

For some great organized tour ideas, see The Best Hiking & Trekking Tours in Indonesia, The Best 10-Day Tours in Indonesia, The Best Bicycle Tours in Cambodia, and The Best Adventure Tours to Cambodia.


Which place is cheaper, Sihanoukville or Surabaya?

These are the overall average travel costs for the two destinations. These travel costs come from the actual spending of real travelers.

The average daily cost (per person) in Surabaya is $76, while the average daily cost in Sihanoukville is $65. 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 Surabaya and Sihanoukville in more detail.



Accommodation
  • Accommodation Hotel or hostel for one person
    Surabaya $36
    Sihanoukville $23
  • Accommodation Typical double-occupancy room
    Surabaya $72
    Sihanoukville $46
Compare Hotels in Surabaya and Sihanoukville

Looking for a hotel in Surabaya or Sihanoukville? 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.

Hotels in Surabaya


Hotels in Sihanoukville


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: Surabaya Hotel Prices.

Local Transportation
  • Local Transportation Taxis, local buses, subway, etc.
    Surabaya $2.66
    Sihanoukville $14

Hired Cars and Shuttles in Surabaya

Some specific examples of transportation prices in Surabaya:

  • From Private Transfer To or From Mount Bromo: $34
  • Private Airport Transfer Surabaya: $21
  • Private Transfer International Jendaral Ahmad (SRG) to City Semarang: $13
  • Private Transfer International Jendaral Ahmad (SRG) to City centre Seamarang: $13
  • Private Transfer from Bangkalan to Surabaya Airport (SUB): $142
  • Private Transfer from Batu to Surabaya Airport (SUB): $178
  • Private Transfer from Berbek Industri to Surabaya Airport (SUB): $33
  • Private Transfer from Buduran to Surabaya Airport (SUB): $33
  • Private Transfer from Bungurasih to Surabaya Airport (SUB): $33
  • Private Transfer from Gempol to Surabaya Airport (SUB): $54
  • Private Transfer from Gresik to Surabaya Airport (SUB): $52
  • Private Transfer from Kota Surabaya to Surabaya Airport (SUB): $33

Hired Cars and Shuttles in Sihanoukville

Some specific examples of transportation prices in Sihanoukville:

  • Convenient Taxi Transfers from Sihanoukville to Kampot: $36
  • Private Shuttle Transfer From Sihanoukville - Phnom Penh: $57
  • Private Taxi Transfer From Kampot - Phnom Penh City: $46
  • Private Taxi Transfer Sihanoukville - Battambang Car - Mini-Van: $107
  • Private Transfer From Sihanoukville to Phnom Penh: $35
  • Private Transfer in Sihanoukville to Phnom Penh by Alphard 2010: $180
  • Private Transfer to/from Battambang - Sihanoukville: $115
  • Private taxi transfer from Sihanoukville to Battambang: $290
  • Sihanoukville Airport Transfers: $25
  • Sihanoukville International Airport Transfers: $23
  • Sihanoukville To Phnom Penh Private Transfer Mini-Van-Car: $65
  • Private Taxi Transfer to Kampot: $224

Is it cheaper to fly into Surabaya or Sihanoukville?

Prices for flights to both Sihanoukville and Surabaya 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
  • Food Meals for one day
    Surabaya $37
    Sihanoukville $32

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

Entertainment
  • Entertainment Entrance tickets, shows, etc.
    Surabaya $4.56
    Sihanoukville $5.37

Tours and Activities in Surabaya

Here are a few actual costs in Surabaya for available activities, ticket prices, and tours:

  • From Mount Bromo Sunrise Guided Group Tour: $46
  • Epic Mount Bromo Sunrise Tour from Surabaya & Malang: $52
  • From Malang: Tumpak Sewu Waterfall Private Tour: $68
  • Private Day Tour Surabaya Historiculture : $70
  • Mount Bromo Sunrise Shared Guided Tour from Surabaya : $71
  • Day Tour - Surabaya Heritage Colonial Tour: $73
  • Bromo Sunrise Tour: $76
  • Surabaya Private Tour: $78
  • Probolinggo City Tour For Cruise Passengers: $78
  • Bromo Tour Package: Midnight Bromo Open Trip from Batu: $79
  • Start From Mount Bromo Sunrise Shared Guided Tour : $79
  • Half-Day Private Majapahit Historical Tour from Surabaya: $80

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

Alcohol
  • Alcohol Drinks for one day
    Surabaya -
    Sihanoukville $4.42


When we compare the travel costs of actual travelers between Surabaya and Sihanoukville, we can see that Surabaya is more expensive. And not only is Sihanoukville much less expensive, but it is actually a significantly cheaper destination. 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 Surabaya would naturally cost you much more money, so you would probably want to keep your budget a little tighter in Surabaya 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 Surabaya Expensive? and Is Sihanoukville Expensive?.


Which is Bigger, Surabaya or Sihanoukville?

Surabaya has a larger population, and is about 20 times larger than the population of Sihanoukville. When comparing the sizes of Surabaya and Sihanoukville, 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.