The compressibility of the vapour-liquid phase is indispensable in simulating liquid hydrogen or liquid nitrogen cavitating flow. In this paper, a numerical simulation method considering compressibility and combining the thermal effects of cryogenic fluids was developed. The method consisted of the compressible thermal cavitation model and RNG k - epsilon turbulence model with modified turbulent eddy viscosity. The cavitation model was based on the Zwart-Gerber-Belamri (ZGB) model and coupled the heat transfer and vapour-liquid two-phase state equations. The model was validated on cavitating hydrofoil and ogive, and the results agreed well with the experimental data of Hord in NASA. The compressibility and thermal effects were correlated during the phase change process and compressibility improved the accuracy of the numerical simulation of cryogenic cavitating flow based on thermal effects. Moreover, the thermal effects delayed or suppressed the occurrence and development of cavitation behaviour. The proposed modified compressible ZGB (MCZGB) model can predict compressible cryogenic cavitating flow at various conditions. (C) 2020 Hydrogen Energy Publications LLC. Published by Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.