Which place is cheaper, Chiang Rai or Amman?
These are the overall average travel costs for the two destinations. These travel costs come from the actual spending of real travelers.
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Should you visit Amman or Chiang Rai?
Which is cheaper to visit? Which is more expensive for vacation?
Which city should you visit? Read on to compare the activities as well as the prices of travel for Amman and Chiang Rai. We'll break down costs for accommodation, food, transportation and more to help you learn more about these two destinations. Then, you can figure out if either of these two places are accessible based on your travel budget, schedule, and interests. So, let's dig into it.
Where Should I go: Amman or Chiang Rai?
Amman
Amman is the largest city in of the Hashemite Kingdom of the country of Jordan. It is also the capital city of Jordan and has a population of over four million people. Many people use Amman as a base for venturing out into the rest of Jordan and other surrounding countries. There are many things to see and do in Amman.
Chiang Rai
If you find yourself dreaming of a vacation in Northern Thailand, consider the metropolitan city of Chiang Rai. This centrally located capital of the Chiang Rai province provides an excellent home base for exploring the surrounding areas. While it serves well as a home base, it has its own charms worth wandering.
For some great organized tour ideas, see The Best Luxury Tours to Jordan, The Best Budget Tours to Jordan, The Best Tours for Seniors to Thailand, and The Best Contiki Tours to Thailand.
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Amman Prices
Jordan PricesChiang Rai Prices
Thailand Prices -
Average Daily Cost Per person, per dayAmman $135Chiang Rai $52
The average daily cost (per person) in Amman is $135, while the average daily cost in Chiang Rai is $52. These costs include accommodation (assuming double occupancy, so the traveler is sharing the room), food, transportation, and entertainment. While every person is different, these costs are an average of past travelers in each destination. What follows is a categorical breakdown of travel costs for Amman and Chiang Rai in more detail.
Accommodation
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Accommodation Hotel or hostel for one personAmman $49Chiang Rai $19
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Accommodation Typical double-occupancy roomAmman $98Chiang Rai $38
Compare Hotels in Amman and Chiang Rai
Looking for a hotel in Amman or Chiang Rai? Prices vary by location, date, season, and the level of luxury. See below for options and compare which is best for your budget and travel style.
Kayak helps you find the best prices for hotels, flights, and rental cars for destinations around the world. Compare prices for multiple destinations when planning your next trip.
Our Analysis
We've analyzed the average and typical hotel prices based on guest reviews, star ratings, and hotel amenities here: Amman Hotel Prices and Chiang Rai Hotel Prices.
Local Transportation
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Local Transportation Taxis, local buses, subway, etc.Amman $24Chiang Rai $3.55
Typical Local Transportation Prices in Amman
Below are a few samples from actual travelers for transportation costs in Amman:
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Bus Ride (for Two)$0.71
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RIde to Airport$28
Hired Cars and Shuttles in Amman
Also for Amman, here are a few examples of actual transportation services:
- Stress-Free Airport Transfers: Queen Alia to Anywhere in Jordan: $26
- Reliable Door-to-Door Private Transfer Amman ⇆ Dead Sea ⇆ Airport: $40
- Queen Alia International Airport Transfers To Amman, Petra.: $235
- Queen Alia Airport Transfers From / To Amman, Petra, Dead Sea.: $45
- Queen Alia Airport Transfer Pick-Up and Drop-Off Service: $50
- Private Transfer: From Amman City to Airport: $40
- Private Transfer: Amman Airport to Wadi Rum: $133
- Private Transfer: Amman Airport to Aqaba Airport: $153
- Private Transfer from Madaba Hotel to Amman Airport: $47
- Private Transfer from Amman to the Dead Sea: $48
- Private Transfer from Amman Airport to Dead sea: $95
- Private Transfer from Amman Airport to Araba Border: $153
Typical Local Transportation Prices in Chiang Rai
Below are a few samples from actual travelers for transportation costs in Chiang Rai:
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Bus to White Temple$1.22
Hired Cars and Shuttles in Chiang Rai
Also for Chiang Rai, here are a few examples of actual transportation services:
- Private Transfer Chiang Rai Airport to and from Mueang Chiang Rai: $41
- Private Chiang Rai Airport Transfer to City Hotels: $31
- Chiang Rai:Private Transfer to Chiang Mai & Temples Visit: $265
- 2 Days 1 Night Slow Boat Transfer to Luang Prabang: $83
- Chiang Rai Airport to Chiang Khong & Golden Triangle Transfer: $56
- 2 days tour in Chiang rai, included hotel, lunch,pick up&transfer: $140
Is it cheaper to fly into Amman or Chiang Rai?
Prices for flights to both Chiang Rai and Amman change regularly based on dates and travel demand. We suggest you find the best prices for your next trip on Kayak, because you can compare the cost of flights across multiple airlines for your prefered dates.
Food
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Food Meals for one dayAmman $58Chiang Rai $22
Typical Food Prices in Amman
For Amman, here are some examples of average food and meal prices for travelers:
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Pastries$4.23
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Tea$5.64
Food Tours and Cooking Classes in Amman
For Amman, here are some samples of tours and activities related to meals and dining experiences:
- Amman by Night Tour with Local Dinner: $35
- private cooking with local chef: $40
- Private 2 Hour Cooking Class with the Locals in Amman: $50
- Guided Food Tour in Downtown: $70
- Private Jordan Heritage Restaurant Lunch or Dinner Experience: $80
- Private Lunch or Dinner at a Local Traditional Restaurant in Amman: $80
- Women-Led Food Tour Through Amman’s Culinary Scene: $80
- The Best Culture&Food Tour With Majd The Local Guide: $81
- Private Madaba Haret Jdoudna Restaurant Lunch or Dinner from Amman: $100
- Amman Food Tours: 3-Hours Guided Walking Food Tour in Amman: $119
- Half Day Cooking Class Experience with Amman Panoramic Tour: $127
- Private Jordan Heritage Restaurant Lunch or Dinner with Arak Experience: $140
Food Tours and Cooking Classes in Chiang Rai
For Chiang Rai, here are some samples of tours and activities related to meals and dining experiences:
- Authentic Private Thai Cooking Class in Chiang Rai: $37
- Lanna Home Cooking Class at Give Green Farm House: $55
- Half-Day Thai Cooking Class with organic ingredients: $56
- 1 Day Trekking Group Tour With Bamboo Cooking / Chiang Rai: $56
- One Day Trekking Chiang Rai Jungle Adventure and Bamboo Cooking: $56
- Jungle Trek and Bamboo Cooking in Chiang Rai: $56
- Trekking & bamboo cooking Tour: $57
- Private Local Food Cooking Class in Chiang Rai: $59
- Chiang Rai by Night: Incredible Temples, Market and Northern Dinner: $132
Entertainment
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Entertainment Entrance tickets, shows, etc.Amman $32Chiang Rai $8.23
Tours and Activities in Amman
For Amman, here are a few prices for actual activities, tours, and tickets provided by various companies:
- 1-Night Private Overnight Madaba Independent Tour from Amman: $170
- 1Day Private spiritual Tour to Amman Madaba Baptism site Dead Sea: $100
- 2 Day Group Tour from Amman to Petra Wadi Rum Aqaba Dead Sea: $250
- 2 Day Madaba Mount Nebo Mujib Kerak Dana Shobak and Petra Tour: $195
- 2 Day Petra Wadi Rum Aqaba and Dead Sea Private Guided Tour: $195
- 2 Day Petra Wadi Rum Madaba and Mount Nebo Private Guided Tour: $195
- 2 Day Petra Wadi Rum Mount Nebo and Dead Sea Private Tour: $195
- 2 Day Petra Wadi Rum Shobak Castle and Kerak Castle Private Tour: $195
- 2 Day Petra Wadi Rum and Dead Sea Private Guided Tour: $185
- 2 Day Petra Wadi Rum and Dead Sea Private Guided Tour: $175
- 2 Day Petra Wadi Rum and Dead Sea Private Tour: $175
- 2 Day Petra and Dead Sea Private Guided Tour All Inclusive: $195
Tours and Activities in Chiang Rai
For Chiang Rai, here are a few prices for actual activities, tours, and tickets provided by various companies:
- Akha Hill Tribes, Chiang Saen, Mae Sai & Golden Triangle Day Tour: $110
- All stunning tour : Khun Korn waterfall-White Temple-Red Temple: $47
- Ancient City Tour from Chiang Rai including Golden Triangle and Royal Villa: $203
- Border-Crossing Tour to Myanmar & Scenic Mae Khong River Cruise: $197
- CEI. to Phayao Prov. A day Tour : Temples- Hot Spring- Lake view: $80
- Chiang Mai - Full Day Chiang Rai &Golden Triangle Tour with Lunch: $199
- Chiang Rai 7 Incredible Highlights Tour Lunch Included: $51
- Chiang Rai Akha Culture Waterfall and Big Buddha Tour: $90
- Chiang Rai All Inclusive Day Tour: $70
- Chiang Rai All-in-One Daily Tour: $156
- Chiang Rai Discovery: Full‑Day Guided Tour & Free Lunch Buffet: $42
- Chiang Rai Food & Night Market Walking Tour with Local Host: $142
Alcohol
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Alcohol Drinks for one dayAmman $14Chiang Rai $9.09
When we compare the travel costs of actual travelers between Amman and Chiang Rai, we can see that Amman is more expensive. And not only is Chiang Rai much less expensive, but it is actually a significantly cheaper destination. Since Amman is in Middle East and Chiang Rai is in Asia, this is one of the main reasons why the costs are so different, as different regions of the world tend to have overall different travel costs. So, traveling to Chiang Rai would let you spend less money overall. Or, you could decide to spend more money in Chiang Rai and be able to afford a more luxurious travel style by staying in nicer hotels, eating at more expensive restaurants, taking tours, and experiencing more activities. The same level of travel in Amman would naturally cost you much more money, so you would probably want to keep your budget a little tighter in Amman than you might in Chiang Rai.
If you're trying to decide if either of these two destinations are within your price range, also see Is Amman Expensive? and Is Chiang Rai Expensive?.
Which is Bigger, Amman or Chiang Rai?
Amman has a larger population, and is about 20 times larger than the population of Chiang Rai. When comparing the sizes of Amman and Chiang Rai, keep in mind that a larger population does not always imply the destination has more attractions or better activities. So, always research the type of place that you want to visit along with the activities and attractions that interest you.
Budget Your Trip is all about finding out how much everything costs so that you can travel cheaper and longer. Created by avid travelers Laurie and Bryan, our goal is to help you plan your next trip on the right budget. With average daily travel costs that are calculated from the budgets of real travelers, plus an analysis of hotel and tour prices, you can find out how much money you need to plan your next adventure. We also have plenty of travel advice, accommodation reviews, and activity suggestions.