How I Did Cambodia on $25 a Day (And Didn't Miss a Thing)

I arrived in Cambodia with exactly $600 for three weeks. My friends in Prague thought I was insane — how can you travel anywhere for three weeks on that? But I'd done my research, and Cambodia is genuinely one of the cheapest countries on earth for backpackers. In the end, I spent $525 in 21 days, or exactly $25/day, and I had one of the best trips of my life.

Accommodation: I averaged $4/night by staying exclusively in hostel dorms. In Siem Reap, I found a 6-bed dorm at a clean hostel near Pub Street for $3.50/night. It had air conditioning, lockers, and a swimming pool. Phnom Penh was slightly more at $5/night. Kampot had a riverside hostel for $4. The trick is booking direct or walking in rather than using apps.

Food was the biggest surprise. I ate like an absolute king for $4-5/day. Breakfast was always a num pang (Cambodian baguette) from a street cart for $0.50 — stuffed with pate, pickled vegetables, and chili. Lunch was rice with grilled meat from a market stall for $1.50. Dinner was my "splurge" — a proper restaurant meal of lok lak or fish amok for $2-3. Fresh fruit shakes from any market cost $0.50-0.75.

Transport was cheap if you avoid tourist buses. I took local minivans between cities: Phnom Penh to Siem Reap was $7 (tourist bus: $15). Siem Reap to Battambang was $4 by shared taxi. Battambang to Phnom Penh was $6. Within cities, I walked everywhere possible and used Grab for longer distances ($0.50-1 per ride).

Angkor Wat was my biggest single expense: the 1-day pass is $37. But I made it count — arrived at 5 AM, visited five temples in one marathon day, and packed my own water and snacks (saved at least $10 vs buying inside). Was it as relaxed as a 3-day pass? No. But I saw the highlights and my budget survived.

Battambang was the budget traveler's dream. The bamboo train costs $5. Hilltop temples are free. The countryside is stunning and bikeable (bike rental: $1/day). I spent three days there for a total of $60.

Kampot was even cheaper. I rented a bicycle for $1/day and explored pepper plantations (free tastings everywhere), the river road, and countryside villages. Fresh crab in Kep was my one splurge — $5 for a plate of pepper crab that's worth ten times that.

Koh Rong was my only "expensive" segment. The boat is $12 return and island prices are higher — dorms were $7-8 and meals $3-5. But three days of crystal-clear water and white sand beaches for $75 total? That's insane value.

My daily breakdown: $4 accommodation, $5 food, $3 transport, $8 activities/entrance fees, $5 miscellaneous. Some days I spent $15 (transport days), others $40 (Angkor day). It balanced perfectly over three weeks.