Which place is cheaper, Royal Chitwan National Park or Chiang Mai?
These are the overall average travel costs for the two destinations.
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Should you visit Chiang Mai or Royal Chitwan National Park?
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 Chiang Mai and Royal Chitwan National Park. 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: Chiang Mai or Royal Chitwan National Park?
Chiang Mai
Chiang Mai is both the cultural center of northern Thailand and a launching point for trips into the rural areas, small towns, and lush jungles of the country's northern regions. Known for great food, historic temples, arts and crafts, and a lively night market, Chiang Mai is a very popular destination for travelers. In some areas, tourists and ex-pats dominate, but it's quite easy to get away from the tourist scene and into the real culture of Thailand, as Chiang Mai (and the surrounding countryside) is quite large.
Royal Chitwan National Park
The majestic elephant, the silly monkey and dozens of soaring birds call the Royal Chitwan National Park home. At the foot of the Himalayas, this UNESCO World Heritage Site is 932 square kilometers of animal and plant life preservation in Nepal.
Once the favorite hunting ground for Nepal's ruling class, the area began seeing the endangerment of all the area animals. So in 1957, Nepal passed its first conservation law to protect the rhinos and their habitat. At the end of the 1960s, however, DDT had cleared 70% of Royal Chitwan National Park jungles, thousands of people had created moved in on the land and only 95 rhinos were left. By 1977 the park was under complete protection, enlarged to the present-day size and is one of the last refuges of the Bengal tiger.
This park, also known as "the heart of the jungle," provides over 70,000 annual visitors with opportunities to get close and personal with animals they've only seen in movies. Fair warning, however, the weather is quite hot and humid for most of the year.
For some great organized tour ideas, see The Best G Adventures Tours to Thailand, The Best 3-Day Tours from Phuket, The Best One-Week (7-Day) Tours from Pokhara, and The Best Family-Friendly Tours to Nepal.
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Average Daily Cost Per person, per dayChiang Mai $45Royal Chitwan National Park $35
The average daily cost (per person) in Chiang Mai is $45, while the average daily cost in Royal Chitwan National Park is $35. 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 Chiang Mai and Royal Chitwan National Park in more detail.
Accommodation
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Accommodation Hotel or hostel for one personChiang Mai $26Royal Chitwan National Park $11
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Accommodation Typical double-occupancy roomChiang Mai $52Royal Chitwan National Park $22
Compare Hotels in Chiang Mai and Royal Chitwan National Park
Looking for a hotel in Chiang Mai or Royal Chitwan National Park? 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: Chiang Mai Hotel Prices and Royal Chitwan National Park Hotel Prices.
Local Transportation
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Local Transportation Taxis, local buses, subway, etc.Chiang Mai $3.63Royal Chitwan National Park $22
Typical Local Transportation Prices in Chiang Mai
Some typical examples of transportation costs in Chiang Mai are as follows:
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Tuk Tuk Ride$1.09
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Moped Rental$4.91
Hired Cars and Shuttles in Chiang Mai
Also for Chiang Mai, here are a few examples of actual transportation services:
- Zipline Adventure at Chiang Mai with Return Transfer: $191
- Try find your better than us!Airport transfer service in Chiang Mai APT-HTL(CNX): $5.30
- Try find your better than us ! Airport transfer service Chiang Mai HTL-APT(CNX): $5.30
- Skyline Jungle Luge Ticket + Share Transfer: $85
- Skyline Jungle Luge Ticket + Lunch with Private Transfer: $250
- Private Vehicle: Transfer from Airport in Chiang Mai: $21
- Private Transfer: Four Seasons Hotel to Chiang Mai Airport: $24
- Private Transfer: Chiang Mai to Chiang Mai International Airport (CNX): $26
- Private Transfer: Chiang Mai Airport Arrival or Departure ride: $155
- Private Transfer from Chiang Mai to Chiang Rai: $152
- Private Transfer Chiang Mai Airport to Hotel in Chiang Mai by Car and Van: $37
- Private Departure Transfer: Hotel to Chiang Mai International Airport (CNX): $11
Hired Cars and Shuttles in Royal Chitwan National Park
Also for Royal Chitwan National Park, here are a few examples of actual transportation services:
- Chitwan to Kathmandu One Way Transfer by Private AC Car : $75
Is it cheaper to fly into Chiang Mai or Royal Chitwan National Park?
Prices for flights to both Royal Chitwan National Park and Chiang Mai 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 dayChiang Mai $10Royal Chitwan National Park $9.44
Typical Food Prices in Chiang Mai
Here are some examples of typical meal expenses from previous travelers to Chiang Mai:
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Sit Down Dinner (for One)$5.32
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Roti Snack (Bread)$0.65
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Casual Breakfast$1.09
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Casual Lunch (for Two)$5.46
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Mangoes$0.82
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Coffee$1.36
Food Tours and Cooking Classes in Chiang Mai
For Chiang Mai, here are some samples of tours and activities related to meals and dining experiences:
- Cooking Evening Class Chiang Mai Visit Organic Garden and Market: $11
- Cooking Morning Class Chiang Mai Visit Organic Garden and Market : $11
- Traditional Khantoke Dinner and Show from Chiang Mai: $19
- Khantoke Dinner with Traditional Performance: $22
- Morning Cooking Class in Organic Garden | Chiang Mai: $22
- Afternoon Cooking Class in Organic Garden in Chiang Mai: $22
- Half-Day Thai Cooking Class at Organic Farm in Chiang Mai: $22
- Evening Cooking Class and Local Market Visit: $24
- Cooking Class, Market and Thai Herbs Garden Tour: $24
- Private Virtual Thai Cooking Class: $25
- Half Day Morning Cooking Class with Yummy Tasty Thai Cooking School: $25
- Authentic Easy Thai Recipes for Home-Style Cooking Half Day AM: $25
Entertainment
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Entertainment Entrance tickets, shows, etc.Chiang Mai $13Royal Chitwan National Park $9.63
Typical Entertainment Prices in Chiang Mai
For Chiang Mai, here are some examples of average entertainment and activity prices from previous travelers:
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Thai Cooking Class$35
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Doi Suthep Entrance Ticket$1.64
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Kratong Lessons$2.73
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Pedicure$4.09
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Chiang Mai Museum (for Two)$4.91
Tours and Activities in Chiang Mai
Also, here are some specific examples of entertainment, tickets, and activities for Chiang Mai.
- Chiang Mai Thapae Muay Thai Boxing Stadium Ticket: $27
- One Day Doi Inthanon National Park Small Group Guided Tour: $39
- Private Tour of Sacred Sakyant Tattoo in Lamphun Province.: $79
- 1 Day Doi Inthanon Private tour ( Hiking and Sightseeing ): $96
- 1 Day Private Tour Doi Inthanon And Phachor Canyon: $128
- 1 Day Private Tour White Temple and Renewed Doichang Coffee: $188
- 1 Hr Chiang Mai Buggy Tour (Off-Road): $149
- 1-Day Bike and River Kayak Adventure from Chiang Mai: $64
- 10KM Inflatable Kayaking Adventure: $81
- 10km Rafting with 8Adventures from Chiang Mai Include Pickup & Lunch : $102
- 2 Days 1 Night Non Tourist Trek: $122
- 2 Days Hiking Tour in Chiang Mai: $111
Tours and Activities in Royal Chitwan National Park
For Royal Chitwan National Park, here are a few prices for actual activities, tours, and tickets provided by various companies:
- 1 Night 2 Days Chitwan Safari Tour: $118
- 2 Nights 3 Days Chitwan Jungle Safari Tour : $154
- 3 Nights 4 Days Comfortable Chitwan Safari Tour: $195
- Chitwan Jungle Safari Tour: $140
- Chitwan Safari Tour : $160
- Chitwan Tour Packages: $200
- Experience the ride in Lowlands of Nepal: $62
Alcohol
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Alcohol Drinks for one dayChiang Mai $6.76Royal Chitwan National Park $6.49
Typical Alcohol Prices in Chiang Mai
Some typical examples of the costs for nightlife and alcohol in Chiang Mai are as follows:
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Wine$2.73
Sample the Local Flavors in Chiang Mai
Some specific costs for nightlife related activities in Chiang Mai:
- Chiang Mai Pub Crawl: The Best Bars & Pubs in Chiang Mai!: $9.46
When we compare the travel costs of actual travelers between Chiang Mai and Royal Chitwan National Park, we can see that Chiang Mai is more expensive. And not only is Royal Chitwan National Park much less expensive, but it is actually a significantly cheaper destination. So, traveling to Royal Chitwan National Park would let you spend less money overall. Or, you could decide to spend more money in Royal Chitwan National Park 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 Chiang Mai would naturally cost you much more money, so you would probably want to keep your budget a little tighter in Chiang Mai than you might in Royal Chitwan National Park.
If you're trying to decide if either of these two destinations are within your price range, also see Is Chiang Mai Expensive? and Is Royal Chitwan National Park Expensive?.
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.