Cambodia uses a local currency (Rials - KHR) as well as the US Dollar, which is strangely what you will get if you take money out of an ATM. Having two currencies can make things confusing, as change from dollars is often given in Rial. You should always try to get dollars back if you pay in dollars, as the rate they currently work on is 4100 Rials = 1 USD which will mean you’re getting slightly shortchanged if you accept Rials.

At first Cambodia seems extremely cheap - the prices are all in dollars, and everything costs about 1 USD. But it’s a bit like being in a pound shop ("todoauneuro") - you feel like buying everything because “it’s only 1 quid”, but then you stop and think, well actually, cotton wool or an apple doesn’t cost 1 euro or 1 pound - it costs half of that even in Europe!

 

Visas

You can get a Visa on arrival in Cambodia by filling out some forms in the airport and paying 40 USD per person. Make sure you have dollars!

 

Accommodation

Accommodation costs around €11 / night (note: Euros, not Dollars) for a very good double room with a private bathroom and air conditioning. In Siem Reap we even had a swimming pool for this amount - and it was necessary - so look out for this or even access to a pool when booking in Siem Reap or Phnom Penh. There are of course much cheaper options that are comfirtable if you prefer to spend less or don’t think air conditioning is needed for the time of year you’re travelling.
 

Food and Drink

I wasn’t particularly fond of the food in Cambodia, as it’s rather bland and generally a bit boring, especially when compared to Thai food. Other travellers I spoke to tend to agree, but there are still restaurants with local dishes such as the 'Khmer Amok' that are different and quite tasty. Don’t expect chicken dishes to have any chicken on them (see Nepal) - pork tends to be better quality, but the amount of it on your plate is still fairly scarce and it's often very chewy. 2.50 - 3USD per dish is about normal. Nice looking restaurants will charge around 4 - 5USD. 

The one place we went back to in Siem Reap was the “Golden Coconut” very near the night market. There were always more Westerners there than locals, but this was probably to do with the place looking more hygienic than the surrounding restaurants. The food is cheap (2USD for most mains) and of a better standard than a lot of the more expensive places we tried. The portion sizes are normal and the beer is 50 cents, which is what you should expect to pay for draught beer around Cambodia. The best thing was definitely the service!

Do everything you can to avoid eating around temples - the prices are more expensive than Europe! Unless you are okay with paying 6USD for plain fried rice or a pot noodle that’s been boiled and put in a plate for you take a packed lunch (some restaurants can prepare boxes for you). The tuk tuk drivers that you hire to visit Angkor make you stop in the expensive places and it takes a lot of effort to make them go somewhere that’s slightly more affordable.

 

Buy mangoes! You can get 3 very big mangoes for 1.50USD if you haggle and these can get you out of a pickle when you're hungry and can't see anywhere decent to eat. Isma's swiss army knife came in handy.

 

Excursions

Siem Reap

A three day temple pass cost us 40USD each, whereas a one day pass costs 25USD. You can sort this out on your way to the first temple.

The guest house you stay in can usually arrange a moto tuk tuk to take you around. Prices vary according to which route you chose to go on, as there are temples that are a lot further away, but we stayed in the centre of Siem Reap and paid 15 USD for the route that took us to Angkor Wat and 2 other important temples nearby.

Phnom Penh

Killing Fields: 6USD pp

S21 Prison: 2USD pp

+ Tuk tuk to visit them from the centre of Phnom Penh: 15USD (total for 2 people, in low season, haggling required - 20USD if you can't be bothered).

Royal Palace in Phnom Penh: 6USD entrance + 10USD for a guide which you should share with other Westerners in the queue!

 

Transport

There are lots of buses connecting the cities in Cambodia and the standard is generally okay. They are a lot more comfortable than mini vans, as Cambodian drivers like to play human tetris with you and cram as many people as possible into one van. Do not expect fellow Cambodian passengers to give you any personal space, cross your legs and you’ll be stuck like that, scratch your head and you can forget about putting your arm back down (unless you want to rest it on the lap of the person next to). Buses take longer but are far more comfortable.

Always ask to choose your seat number, especially if you have long legs, and avoid sitting in the back as the seats don’t recline and have the least amount of space. And when you’re on an 8 hour journey being in a yoga position can get quite horrendous.

Siem Reap to Phnom Penh (minivan or bus): 10USD pp
Phnom Penh to Laos (Don Det, aka '4000 islands'): 28USD pp

 

Money makes the world go round...

If you go to Camboida as part of a RTW trip that later involves going to Vietnam, Laos or even Latin America, this is a good place to stock up on USD if you don't already have enough - they often come in handy when crossing borders between countries.

 

So how much?!
Visa: €28 per person (real price is 40USD standard amount)
Accommodation based on 2 people sharing: €11 per night in total
Excursions: €42 per person (includes 3 day temple pass).
Food and beers: €9 a day (total for 2 people sharing, mixture of more "expensive" and normal places)
All transport within Cambodia €52 (including drivers for sightseeing and Siem Reap to Phnom Penh)