Phnom Penh, The Cheapest Destination In Asia? Budget Friendly And Utterly Beautiful!

I was utterly shocked when I visited Phnom Penh by how amazing the city is and how underrated it is. Everyone talks about Bangkok and cities in Vietnam, but PP is on par with them for an incredible experience but so much cheaper!

⭐️ The airport is quite close to the city and there is a train, but it’s quite infrequent so the best option is GRAB app. Book a transfer in advance on trip or use grab as when you arrive the terminal is quite chaotic and it’s hard to trust the drivers trying to shout fares at you.

⭐️ Accommodation - This is where Phnom Penh can save you money, even with inbound travel booming there is a still so much choice and prices have stayed low. The amazing think about this city is how many independent boutique hotels there are, I stayed in the Aquarius and it was one of the nicest hotels I’ve ever stayed in and one of the cheapest. Most hotels here have breakfast, rooftop pool and offer food options through the day at a price.

⭐️ Currency - This is a big thing here in Cambodia as they use two currencies. They use the US dollar and the local currency of Cambodian Riel, the dollar is the more stable and used but they will try and give you chance in Riel. So be careful when buying stuff to see if the change works out well, i usually update the rates daily when I leave the hotel. It’s mainly at street vendors and markets, restaurants and malls have fixed exchange rates and refund rates

⭐️ Transport - Phnom Penh has a long way to go in terms of infrastructure development so here you do need to rely on bike riders, taxis and tuk tuks. grab is good here especially to guarantee a taxi with good air conditioning!

⭐️ attractions - museums, galleries and restaurants here are very cheap and I saw so much of the city for less than $10 a day for entry fees. The only exception being the killing field tours but there are deals on booking sites.

⭐️ card / cash - I used a lot of cash in Phnom Penh compared to other cities in Asia as some places still don’t take card. So try and keep low value dollar bills at all times and some notes and Change in rails for small purchases

I think Phnom Penh was my travel highlight for last year and I really hope more people come to discover this incredible place ❤️

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Post by Jamie Daniel Ali | Jun 10, 2025