Cambodia Trip Cost Calculator
Estimate what a Cambodia trip costs from Australia in 2026, including flights via a regional hub, the visa on arrival fee, the Angkor Archaeological Park pass prices, and why the country runs largely on US dollars.
Mid-range daily spend: good hotel, restaurant meals, tuk-tuk driver, guides and entries.
Angkor passes are sold only at the official ticket centre or through the official online portal, and the price is fixed at roughly USD 37 for one day, USD 62 for three days and USD 72 for seven days. The three-day pass is valid across a ten-day window and the seven-day across a month, so you do not have to use consecutive days. Your photo is taken at purchase and printed on the pass, and it is checked at every temple.
Cambodia runs largely on US dollars in practice, with the Cambodian riel used mainly as small change below one dollar, typically at around 4,000 riel to the dollar. ATMs dispense US dollars, prices are quoted in dollars, and you will receive change in a mix of both. Bring clean, undamaged notes, because torn or heavily marked US bills are frequently refused.
Siem Reap and Phnom Penh are only about five to six hours apart by road, with comfortable express bus and minivan services running $12 to $25, and there is a slow train alternative. Domestic flights exist but the time saved rarely justifies the cost on a route that short.
💰 Ways to save
- Buy the three-day Angkor pass rather than three single-day tickets. A one-day pass is USD 37 and a three-day is USD 62, so the three-day option costs less than two single days while giving you three, and it is valid across a ten-day window so the days do not need to be consecutive. That flexibility lets you break up temple visits with a rest day, which matters enormously in the heat.
- Hire the same tuk-tuk driver for your whole Siem Reap stay. A full day covering the small circuit typically costs USD 18 to USD 25 and the grand circuit slightly more, and a driver who knows you will time your arrivals to avoid the tour bus waves, wait with cold water, and generally give you a far better day than a series of one-off negotiations. Agree the daily rate and the circuit in advance.
- Visit the main temples against the crowd rather than with it. Almost every tour group does sunrise at Angkor Wat then Ta Prohm mid-morning and Bayon after that. Reversing the order, or starting at Bayon at opening time, gives you the same temples in a fraction of the crowd for exactly the same ticket price. Sunrise at Srah Srang or Pre Rup is a genuine alternative to the Angkor Wat reflecting pool scrum.
- Carry clean, undamaged US dollar notes and small denominations. Cambodia's dollarised economy means torn, taped or heavily marked bills are routinely rejected, and vendors frequently cannot break a fifty or hundred. Withdraw from ATMs in Phnom Penh or Siem Reap where dollar denominations are more manageable, and keep riel for anything under a dollar since change below that comes in local currency.
How we estimate this
## What a Cambodia trip costs from Australia in 2026
Pricing reviewed: June 2026.
Pricing reviewed June 2026. Indicative Australian costs, not a quote.
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Understanding cambodia trip costs in Australia
What a Cambodia trip costs from Australia in 2026
Cambodia is one of the least expensive countries in the region on the ground, offset by an unavoidable fixed cost in the Angkor pass and the fact that there is no direct flight from Australia. A backpacker in hostels eating at markets and using shared transport manages on around $45 a day. A mid-range traveller in good hotels with a tuk-tuk driver, restaurant meals and guides spends about $95 a day. A comfortable trip through boutique properties with a private car and licensed guide sits near $200 a day. For a ten night trip, totals typically fall between $1,900 and $5,500 including the flight and the temple pass.
Flights from Australia
There are no direct services from Australia to Cambodia, so every itinerary routes through a regional hub, most commonly Singapore, Kuala Lumpur, Bangkok or Ho Chi Minh City. Return economy fares typically run $750 to $1,050 in quieter months and $1,300 to $1,750 across the December to January peak and the July school holidays. Perth generally prices lowest given its proximity to the Singapore and Kuala Lumpur hubs. A useful structure is flying into Siem Reap and out of Phnom Penh, or combining Cambodia with a Vietnam or Thailand leg, since the connecting hubs make multi-country routings cheap. Siem Reap's newer international airport sits further from town than the old one, so allow for a longer and slightly costlier transfer.
Visa requirements for Australian passport holders
Australian passport holders need a visa for Cambodia. The tourist visa is available on arrival at the main airports and land borders, or in advance as an e-visa through the Cambodian government's official portal. At time of writing the tourist visa fee is around USD 30, with the e-visa adding a small processing charge on top, and it grants 30 days. You will need a passport valid at least six months beyond arrival and a passport photograph for the on-arrival option. As elsewhere in the region, there are commercial lookalike sites charging well above the official rate, so use the government portal. Confirm the current fee and process with Smartraveller and the Cambodian embassy before booking.
The Angkor pass, which is a budget item in its own right
Angkor Archaeological Park charges a fixed, non-negotiable entry fee that is unrelated to how you otherwise travel. A one-day pass is roughly USD 37, a three-day USD 62 and a seven-day USD 72. Passes are sold only at the official ticket centre outside Siem Reap or through the official online portal, your photograph is taken and printed on the pass, and it is checked at the entrance to each temple. Importantly, the three-day pass is valid across a ten-day window and the seven-day across a month, so the days do not need to be consecutive, which lets you build in rest days. Given the three-day pass costs less than two single-day tickets, it is almost always the right purchase for anyone staying more than a night.
Wet season, dry season and the April heat
Cambodia has a dry season from roughly November to April and a wet season from May to October. The best conditions and highest prices come between December and January, when it is dry and comparatively cool. April is the difficult month, with temperatures regularly exceeding 38 degrees and the Khmer New Year in mid April closing many businesses and emptying Phnom Penh as people return to their home provinces. The wet season is genuinely underrated: rain typically falls as a heavy late-afternoon burst rather than all day, the Angkor moats fill, the foliage is at its greenest, visitor numbers drop sharply and hotel rates fall 30 to 40 per cent. For photography and for avoiding crowds, September and October are excellent value.
Getting around and the dollar economy
Cambodia is compact and its main circuit is easy. Siem Reap to Phnom Penh takes five to six hours by comfortable express bus or minivan for $12 to $25, and the southern coast at Sihanoukville, Kampot and Kep is a further few hours on. Within Siem Reap, a tuk-tuk driver for a full temple day costs USD 18 to USD 25 and is the standard arrangement. What surprises most visitors is the currency situation: the economy runs largely on US dollars, with the riel used as small change below a dollar at roughly 4,000 to the dollar. ATMs dispense dollars, prices are quoted in dollars, and damaged or torn US notes are routinely refused, so the condition of your cash genuinely matters.
Putting your estimate together
Start with the flight, remembering it will involve a connection and that Perth departures usually price best. Add the visa and the Angkor pass as fixed costs, since together they are around $150 per person regardless of travel style. Budget accommodation at $30 to $80 a night for mid-range, which buys well in both Siem Reap and Phnom Penh, and food at $20 to $35 a day. Add a tuk-tuk driver for your temple days and a licensed guide for at least one day, which transforms Angkor from impressive ruins into a coherent story for around $50 to $70 a day. Then decide whether you are adding the coast or the islands, which extends the trip by three to five nights and $250 to $500. Cambodia works well as a ten night trip and pairs naturally with Vietnam or Thailand for a longer one.
Frequently asked questions
How much spending money do I need for ten days in Cambodia?
Excluding flights and accommodation, budget around $350 for ten days as a backpacker, about $800 to $950 mid-range including a tuk-tuk driver, guides, restaurant meals and entries, and $1,800 or more for a comfortable trip with a private car and guide. Add the Angkor pass separately at roughly $96 for the three-day option, since it is a fixed cost regardless of travel style.
Do Australians need a visa for Cambodia?
Yes. Australian passport holders can obtain a tourist visa on arrival at the main airports and land borders, or in advance through the official Cambodian e-visa portal. At time of writing the fee is around USD 30 plus a small processing charge for the e-visa, granting 30 days, and you need a passport valid at least six months beyond arrival plus a photograph for the on-arrival option. Use the government portal rather than commercial resellers, and confirm current details with Smartraveller.
How much is the Angkor Wat ticket?
Passes are fixed at roughly USD 37 for one day, USD 62 for three days and USD 72 for seven days, sold only at the official ticket centre or through the official online portal. The three-day pass costs less than two single days and is valid across a ten-day window, so the days need not be consecutive. Your photo is printed on the pass and it is checked at each temple entrance.
Is Cambodia worth visiting in the wet season?
Yes, and it is arguably the better time to see Angkor. Rain from May to October typically falls as a heavy late-afternoon downpour rather than all day, the temple moats fill, the landscape is green, crowds thin considerably and hotel rates drop 30 to 40 per cent. The month to be more careful about is April, when temperatures regularly exceed 38 degrees and Khmer New Year closes many businesses.
Should I use US dollars or riel in Cambodia?
Both, but mostly dollars. The economy runs largely on US dollars, with prices quoted in dollars and ATMs dispensing them, while the riel functions as small change below one dollar at around 4,000 to the dollar. Bring clean, undamaged notes in small denominations, because torn or marked US bills are frequently refused and many vendors cannot break a fifty or hundred dollar note.
How do you get from Siem Reap to Phnom Penh?
Express bus or minivan is the standard option, taking five to six hours for $12 to $25 on a good sealed road, with several comfortable operators running daily. A slower train service also links the two. Domestic flights exist but the time saved rarely justifies the additional cost on a route this short once you account for airport transfers at both ends.
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