Which place is cheaper, Tainan City or Cairns?
These are the overall average travel costs for the two destinations.
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Should you visit Cairns or Tainan City?
Which is cheaper to visit? Which is more expensive for vacation?
Should I visit Cairns or Tainan City? 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.
Where Should I go: Cairns or Tainan City?
Cairns
Most travelers go to Cairns specifically to visit Great Barrier Reef. The city itself is surprisingly large and cosmopolitan with a population of approximately 140,000. The city's economy is almost exclusively based on tourism, although you will find some jobs centered around agriculture, or more specifically sugar cane, bananas, coffee, tea, wine, and some tropical fruits. The city itself is surrounded by rainforest and makes a great base for exploring Kuranda, with the Barron Gorge National Park and the Daintree offering a quieter tropical getaway than Cairns.
Tainan City
The oldest city in Taiwan, Tainan was once the nation's capital during imperial times and is today famous for its temples and historic buildings which speak to this distant past. Additionally Tainan has become known for its lively night markets and fantastic snack foods available from a large concentrate of street vendors located throughout the city.
For some great organized tour ideas, see The Best Contiki Tours to Australia, The Best G Adventures Tours to Australia, The Best Tours for Seniors to Taiwan, and The Best Sightseeing Tours in Taiwan.
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Average Daily Cost Per person, per dayCairns $94Tainan City $111
The average daily cost (per person) in Cairns is $94, while the average daily cost in Tainan City is $111. 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 Cairns and Tainan City in more detail.
Accommodation
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Accommodation Hotel or hostel for one personCairns $43Tainan City $59
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Accommodation Typical double-occupancy roomCairns $86Tainan City $118
Compare Hotels in Cairns and Tainan City
Looking for a hotel in Cairns or Tainan City? 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: Cairns Hotel Prices and Tainan City Hotel Prices.
Local Transportation
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Local Transportation Taxis, local buses, subway, etc.Cairns $12Tainan City $19
Hired Cars and Shuttles in Cairns
Also for Cairns, here are a few examples of actual transportation services:
- Cairns airport to cairns city private Transfers: $13
- Shared Airport Transfer to/from City and Beaches: $14
- Cairns Airport/City Transfers: $14
- Airport Transfers between Cairns Airport and Cairns City: $14
- Airport Transfers between Cairns Airport and Palm Cove: $20
- Private Transfer from Cairns City Hotels to Cairns Cruise Port: $21
- Private Transfer From Cairns Cruise Port to Cairns City Hotels: $21
- Shared Shuttle Transfer - Cairns Airport to Port Douglas: $40
- Private Transfer from Cairns Airport (CNS) to Cairns Cruise Port: $45
- Private Transfer from Cairns Cruise Port to Cairns Airport (CNS): $45
- Shuttle Bus Shared Transfer Cairns City to Port Douglas: $49
- Shuttle Bus Shared Transfer Cairns Airport to Port Douglas: $50
Is it cheaper to fly into Cairns or Tainan City?
Prices for flights to both Tainan City and Cairns 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 dayCairns $28Tainan City $39
Food Tours and Cooking Classes in Cairns
For Cairns, here are some samples of tours and activities related to meals and dining experiences:
- Cairns Luxury Catamaran Harbor and Dinner Cruise: $85
- Night at the Aquarium Guided Tour & 2 Course Dinner: $91
- Guided Twilight Tour with 3-Course Dinner: $117
- City Sights Tour with Evening Dinner Cruise: $149
Entertainment
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Entertainment Entrance tickets, shows, etc.Cairns $37Tainan City $11
Typical Entertainment Prices in Cairns
Below are a few sample prices from actual travelers for Cairns's activities, tours, and tickets:
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Scuba Diving$36
Tours and Activities in Cairns
For Cairns, here are a few prices for actual activities, tours, and tickets provided by various companies:
- Skip the Line: Cairns Museum Single Admission Ticket: $9.91
- Cairns Pub & Club Tour: $26
- Entry Ticket at Historic Village Herberton: $28
- Hartley's Crocodile Adventures General Entry Ticket: $30
- Cairns Aquarium General Admission Ticket: $34
- Sightseeing River Boat Safari with Soft Drinks: $36
- Sunset River Cruise with Snack and Drinks: $42
- Rusty's Market Foodlovers Tour: $43
- Kuranda Rainforestation Nature Park Ticket (BNP): $43
- Cairns Botanic Gardens: Mushroom Photography Tour: $44
- Full Day Tour by Myroo X Deluxe Coach to Mission Beach: $46
- Aquarium Entry Ticket and Turtle Rehabilitation Tour: $47
Alcohol
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Alcohol Drinks for one dayCairns $13Tainan City $5.75
Sample the Local Flavors in Cairns
Here are a few nightlife and alcohol tours and activities from local tour providers in Cairns:
- Cairns Brewery Tours: $139
- From Atherton Tablelands Food and Wine Tasting Tour: $160
When we compare the travel costs of actual travelers between Cairns and Tainan City, we can see that Tainan City is more expensive. And not only is Cairns much less expensive, but it is actually a significantly cheaper destination. Since Cairns is in Pacific and Tainan City 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 Cairns would let you spend less money overall. Or, you could decide to spend more money in Cairns 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 Tainan City would naturally cost you much more money, so you would probably want to keep your budget a little tighter in Tainan City than you might in Cairns.
If you're trying to decide if either of these two destinations are within your price range, also see Is Cairns Expensive? and Is Tainan City Expensive?.
Which is Bigger, Cairns or Tainan City?
Tainan City has a larger population, and is about 5 times larger than the population of Cairns. When comparing the sizes of Cairns and Tainan City, 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.