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 $51
The average daily cost (per person) in Amman is $135, while the average daily cost in Chiang Rai is $51. 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 $3.48
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:
- Transfer to Petra from Amman /Amman Airport: $250
- Transfer from Queen Alia Airport to Amman Hotels or visa versa: $29
- Queen Alia International Airport Transfers To Amman, Petra.: $235
- Queen Alia Airport Transfers From / To Amman, Petra, Dead Sea.: $45
- Private Transfers from Amman City Inside Jordan and Vice Versa: $77
- Private Transfer: Amman Airport to Wadi Rum: $133
- Private Transfer: Airport or Amman to Petra Vice Versa: $96
- Private Transfer from Madaba Hotel to Amman Airport: $47
- Private Transfer from Amman Airport to Dead sea: $95
- Private Transfer from Amman Airport to Amman Hotel: $20
- Private Transfer from Amman Airport QAIA to Your Hotel in Amman: $65
- Private Transfer from Allenby King Hussein Bridge to Aqaba Airport: $173
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$1.19
Hired Cars and Shuttles in Chiang Rai
Also for Chiang Rai, here are a few examples of actual transportation services:
- Private Chiang Rai Airport Transfer to City Hotels: $30
- Chiang Rai:Private Transfer to Chiang Mai & Temples Visit: $261
- 2 Days 1 Night Slow Boat Transfer to Luang Prabang: $81
- Chiang Rai to Chiang Mai Private Scenic Transfer Tour: $150
- Chiang Rai Airport to Chiang Khong & Golden Triangle Transfer: $55
- Chiang Rai 4 Temples and Lalitta Cafe Full Day Tour with Transfer: $54
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 $21
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:
- private cooking with local chef: $40
- Private Lunch or Dinner at a Local Traditional Restaurant in Amman: $80
- Amman Food Tours: 3-Hours Guided Walking Food Tour in Amman: $107
- Traditional Cooking Class in Amman with Return Hotel Transfers: $118
- Private Jordan Heritage Restaurant Lunch or Dinner with Arak Experience: $140
- Private Jordan Heritage Restaurant Lunch or Dinner with Wine Experience: $147
- Private Food Tour in Amman by Day (inc Citadel & Roman Theatre): $199
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
- Chiang Rai Private Thai and Akha Cooking Class with Market Visit: $49
- Private Cooking Class in Chiang Rai: $52
- Lanna Home Cooking Class at Give Green Farm House: $54
- Thai Cooking Class in Chiangrai with The Market Tour: $55
- Half-Day Thai Cooking Class with organic ingredients: $55
- 1 Day Trekking Group Tour With Bamboo Cooking / Chiang Rai: $55
- Jungle Trek and Bamboo Cooking in Chiang Rai: $55
- Chiang Rai Jungle Trekking with Bamboo Cooking and Hot Springs: $57
- Trekking & bamboo cooking Tour: $57
- Private Local Food Cooking Class in Chiang Rai: $59
- Jungle Trekking with Waterfall and Bamboo Cooking in Chiang Rai: $61
Entertainment
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Entertainment Entrance tickets, shows, etc.Amman $32Chiang Rai $8.07
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 Dead Sea Independent Tour from Amman: $145
- 1-Night Private Overnight Madaba Independent Tour from Amman: $170
- 1Day Private spiritual Tour to Amman Madaba Baptism site Dead Sea: $100
- 2 Day Petra Private Guided Tour All Inclusive: $195
- 2 Day Petra Shobak Wadi Rum and Dead Sea Private Guided Tour: $195
- 2 Day Petra Wadi Rum Aqaba and Dead Sea Private Guided Tour: $195
- 2 Day Petra Wadi Rum Madaba Mount Nebo and Dead Sea Privet Tour: $195
- 2 Day Petra Wadi Rum Madaba and Dead Sea Private Guided Tour: $195
- 2 Day Petra Wadi Rum Mount Nebo and Dead Sea Private Tour: $195
- 2 Day Petra Wadi Rum and Baptism Private Guided Tour: $195
- 2 Day Petra Wadi Rum and Dead Sea Bubble Experience: $195
- 2 Day Petra Wadi Rum and Dead Sea Private Guided Tour: $185
Tours and Activities in Chiang Rai
For Chiang Rai, here are a few prices for actual activities, tours, and tickets provided by various companies:
- 2 Day Jungle Trekking Adventure from Chiang Rai: $107
- Akha Hill Tribes, Chiang Saen, Mae Sai & Golden Triangle Day Tour: $110
- Ancient City Tour from Chiang Rai including Golden Triangle and Royal Villa: $199
- CEI. to Phayao Prov. A day Tour : Temples- Hot Spring- Lake view: $92
- Chiang Mai - Full Day Chiang Rai &Golden Triangle Tour with Lunch: $199
- Chiang Rai 7 Incredible Highlights Tour Lunch Included: $55
- Chiang Rai Akha Culture Waterfall and Big Buddha Tour: $88
- Chiang Rai All Inclusive Day Tour: $70
- Chiang Rai Discovery Full Day Guided Tour and Free Lunch Buffet: $41
- Chiang Rai Food & Night Market Walking Tour with Local Host: $140
- Chiang Rai Food & Night Market Walking Tour with Local Host: $98
- Chiang Rai Food & Night Market Walking Tour with Local Host: $140
Alcohol
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Alcohol Drinks for one dayAmman $14Chiang Rai $8.92
Sample the Local Flavors in Amman
Also in Amman, these are the prices for nightlife and alcohol related activities from various tour providers:
- Private Wine Tasting Tour in Amman and Boulevard Walking Tour: $93
- Full Day Tour of Ajloun Castle with Cable Car and Wine Tasting: $127
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.