Siem Reap is one of the best-value destinations in Southeast Asia — until you hit the one cost that doesn't negotiate: the Angkor Pass. Here is what a day actually costs at three budgets, the pass math that catches people out, and the money rules that will save you real friction at every counter in town.
Three Budgets, Honestly
Shoestring: roughly $25–35 a day (plus your pass)
A clean dorm bed or fan room, street food and market meals at $1–3 a plate, draft beer for under a dollar, and a shared tuk-tuk or bicycle to the temples. This is a genuinely comfortable shoestring — Siem Reap's backpacker infrastructure is excellent, and the food at this price level is some of the best eating in town, not a sacrifice.
Midrange: roughly $50–90 a day
A private air-conditioned room with a pool (Siem Reap pools are nearly universal above $25 a night), sit-down Khmer restaurants at $4–8 a main, a private tuk-tuk for temple days, a massage every other day, and a Phare circus ticket without thinking twice. This is the sweet spot where most of the city's value lives.
Comfortable: $150+ a day
Boutique hotels, a car with driver and a licensed guide, tasting menus at places like Cuisine Wat Damnak, and zero logistics stress. Even at this level, Siem Reap costs a fraction of comparable trips elsewhere. Where you sleep matters more than what you spend — our where to stay guide breaks down the neighborhoods.
Accommodation is where green-season travelers win biggest: June through October, rates across every tier drop hard, and midrange money buys boutique rooms. Compare current prices across the whole town here:
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The Angkor Pass Math
The pass is the budget's fixed cost: $37 for one day, $62 for three days (use within 10 days), $72 for seven days (use within a month). Kids under 12 are free with a passport. The math most people get wrong: the three-day pass costs only $25 more than one day — barely half a day's price for two extra days — so almost everyone should buy it. The seven-day pass is just $10 over the three-day, an easy call for slow travelers. Buy at the official ticket center or online; cards are accepted, and the pass is checked at every temple, so don't even think about the moat-jumping folklore. Full details, including the photo-at-purchase process, in our Angkor Pass guide.
Getting Around: The $20–35 Rule
A tuk-tuk and driver for a full temple day runs $20–35 depending on circuit and season — the Grand Circuit and sunrise starts cost more than a short small-circuit day. Split between two or three people, it is the best transport value in Asia. A car with driver runs $40–60 and earns its premium in April heat or for far-flung trips like the ones in our day trips guide. In-town hops should be $1–2. Agree every fare before you get in, and if a driver is good, book him for tomorrow — continuity beats renegotiation.
The cheapest organized way to do the classic temples is a shared-minibus sunrise tour — group transport plus a guide for less than many travelers pay for a private tuk-tuk alone:
More group and budget options in our tours directory; for what the splurge tiers buy you, see our tour comparison.
Eating Well for $1–3
Street food and market stalls are the budget traveler's superpower here: num banh chok rice noodles for a dollar at morning markets, grilled skewers and noodle soups for $1.50–2, a proper plate of fish amok or beef lok lak at a simple local restaurant for $2.50–3. The rule of thumb: eat where the food is cooked in front of you and the turnover is fast. The training restaurants — Marum above all — are the worthy midrange upgrade, feeding you well while funding vocational programs.
Money Rules That Actually Matter
- USD is the currency. Prices are quoted in dollars everywhere tourists go, and ATMs dispense USD. Cambodian riel exists alongside it at roughly 4,000 to the dollar.
- Small bills are everything. Nobody can break a fifty at a noodle stall. Hoard ones and fives like treasure; break big bills at hotels and supermarkets.
- Your change comes in riel. Anything under a dollar is returned in riel notes. This is normal. Spend them on water and snacks; they are hard to exchange once you leave.
- Torn bills get refused. A ripped, taped, or heavily marked dollar bill is effectively worthless here. Inspect every bill you accept, because you will not be able to pass it on.
- ATM fees are per-withdrawal, so make fewer, larger withdrawals — then immediately break the big bills.
The Bottom Line
Budget $25–35 a day plus the pass and you will travel well; budget $60 and you will travel very well. The pass is the splurge, the food is the bargain, and the tuk-tuk drivers are the best money you'll spend.