A Travel Price Comparison for Thailand Ao Nang vs. Koh Tao for Vacations, Tours, and Honeymoons

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Should you visit Ao Nang or Koh Tao?

Which is cheaper to visit? Which is more expensive for vacation?

Should I visit Ao Nang or Koh Tao? This is a common question asked by many travelers. By figuring out which city has activities that align with your interests along with knowing which is more affordable, you'll understand where you can get more bang for your buck. So, let's dive into the details and the data, which all comes from actual travelers.

Ao Nang

If you're looking for a relaxing beach on the coast of Thailand, it might be time to make a trip to Ao Nang. This developed and "westernized" beach was once the place to be for backpackers, but is now quite popular with package tourist crowds, too, as prices have risen in recent decades. Here you'll find nice hotels, restaurants, and plenty of fun activities at the beach and nearby, too.

Koh Tao

With a name that literally means, "Turtle Island," Koh Tao, Thailand is the type of vacation spot divers dream of. There is the faintest current and a buffet of dive sites and shops.

This tiny island hosts hundreds of thousands of visitors a year, but take not that there are no garbage disposal facilities. Everything that can't be burnt needs to be taken from the island. Avoid plastic bags, and don't dump your trash in the open landscape (then again, why would you?) because there are no departments for road clean up. Water and electricity on the island are scarce, so use them wisely.

Keep in mind that monsoon season from November to January so you may be faced with constant rain for days at a time in those months.

Which city is cheaper, Koh Tao or Ao Nang?

These are the overall average travel costs for the two destinations.

The average daily cost (per person) in Ao Nang is $90, while the average daily cost in Koh Tao is $31. 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 city. What follows is a categorical breakdown of travel costs for Ao Nang and Koh Tao in more detail.



Accommodation
  • Accommodation Hotel or hostel for one person
    Ao Nang $44
    Koh Tao $12
  • Accommodation Typical double-occupancy room
    Ao Nang $88
    Koh Tao $24

Local Transportation
  • Local Transportation Taxis, local buses, subway, etc.
    Ao Nang $47
    Koh Tao $7.33

Hired Cars and Shuttles in Ao Nang

Also for Ao Nang, here are a few examples of actual transportation services:

  • Phuket Airport to Krabi City or Hotel Private Transfer: $119
  • Krabi Transfer to Khao Lak: $117
  • Ao Nang Krabi Thai Boxing Stadium Admission Ticket with Return Transfer: $111
  • Aonang any hotel to Khao Lak Private transfer: $110
  • Krabi to Phuket: Private City Transfer: $107
  • Aonang any hotel to Koh Lanta any hotel Private transfer: $107
  • Ao Nang Krabi Thai Boxing Stadium Admission Ticket with Return Transfer: $99
  • Ao Nang Krabi Thai Boxing Stadium Admission Ticket with Return Transfer: $99
  • Private Transfer Ao Nang Beach Krabi To Phuket Airport: $90
  • Full Day Jungle Tour With Elephan Trekking 30 Minutes + Tiger Cave + Transfers: $73
  • Private Transfer to Phuket with Jimmy Phuket Taxi: $68
  • Private Round Trip Transfer between Ao Nang and KBV Krabi Airport: $44

Typical Local Transportation prices in Koh Tao

Below are a few samples from actual travelers for transportation costs in Koh Tao:


  • Motorbike Rental
    $5.47
  • Chumpon to Koh Tao Ferry
    $19

Is it cheaper to fly into Ao Nang or Koh Tao?

Prices for flights to both Koh Tao and Ao Nang 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
  • Food Meals for one day
    Ao Nang $21
    Koh Tao $7.83

Food Tours and Cooking Classes in Ao Nang

For Ao Nang, here are some samples of tours and activities related to meals and dining experiences:

  • Evening Couse Thai Cooking Class in Ao Nang, Krabi: $39
  • Krabi 7 Islands Sunset with Luminescent Plankton Swim & BBQ Dinner: $41
  • Half Day Thai Cooking Class in Ao Nang, Krabi: $43
  • Krabi 4 Island & Sunset Tour By Long Tail Boat + Dinner: $49
  • Krabi 4 Islands Sunset Cruise Dinner: $70
  • Romantic Sunset Cruise from Ao Nang with BBQ Seafood Dinner: $100

Typical Food prices in Koh Tao

Here are some examples of typical meal expenses from previous travelers to Koh Tao:


  • Sit Down Lunch (for One)
    $5.76
  • Breakfast
    $4.32
  • Casual Breakfast (for Two)
    $3.46
  • Fancy Dinner (for Two)
    $14
  • Pancake
    $2.02
  • American Breakfast (for Two)
    $8.07
  • Dinner at Bam Bam (for Two)
    $7.78

Entertainment
  • Entertainment Entrance tickets, shows, etc.
    Ao Nang $9.22
    Koh Tao $22

Tours and Activities in Ao Nang

For Ao Nang, here are a few prices for actual activities, tours, and tickets provided by various companies:

  • 2 Days 1 Night Khao Sok National Park Tour from Krabi: $285
  • 2D1N Khao Sok National Park Tour from Krabi: $285
  • 2D1N Khao Sok National Park Tour from Krabi: $285
  • 2D1N Khao Sok National Park Tour from Krabi: $285
  • All day Krabi Jungle Tour (Hot Spring Water, Emerald Pool, Tiger Cave Temple): $61
  • Aonang wonder Cocktail testing tour: $41
  • Ban Bor Thor Kayaking Full-Day Tour from Krabi with Lunch: $87
  • Ban Bor Thor Kayaking Full-Day Tour from Krabi with Lunch: $87
  • Deep mangrove and canyon Kayak Tour in Krabi: $36
  • Four Island Half Day Tour From Krabi By SpeedBoat: $75
  • Full Day Rock Climbing Tour Railay Beach, Krabi: $93
  • Full day Rock Climbing Experience @ Railay, Krabi: $109

Typical Entertainment prices in Koh Tao

For Koh Tao, here are some examples of average entertainment and activity prices from previous travelers:


  • Kayak Rental (One Hour)
    $7.20
  • Snorkel Rental
    $2.88
  • Kayak and Snorkel (2)
    $2.88

Alcohol
  • Alcohol Drinks for one day
    Ao Nang $13
    Koh Tao $6.03

Typical Alcohol prices in Koh Tao

Here are a few samples of the prices for alcohol and nightlife in Koh Tao from other travelers:


  • Beer
    $1.87
  • Bottle of Wine
    $11

About these numbers

When we compare the travel costs of actual travelers between Ao Nang and Koh Tao, we can see that Ao Nang is more expensive. And not only is Koh Tao much less expensive, but it is actually a significantly cheaper destination. So, traveling to Koh Tao would let you spend less money overall. Or, you could decide to spend more money in Koh Tao 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 Ao Nang would naturally cost you much more money, so you would probably want to keep your budget a little tighter in Ao Nang than you might in Koh Tao.

Budget Your Trip

Budget Your Trip has average travel costs for thousands of cities around the world, all provided by other travelers. You can also register to organize your spending by category and location with graphs, maps, charts, and tables.
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Ao Nang vs. Koh Tao Travel Comparison

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