Which place is cheaper, Taipei or Chiang Mai?
These are the overall average travel costs for the two destinations. These travel costs come from the actual spending of real travelers.
Jump to 
Should you visit Chiang Mai or Taipei?
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 Taipei. 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 Taipei?
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.
Taipei
Few cities in the world are full of more diverse opportunities than the cultural crosshairs city of Taipei. As the capital of Taiwan, this 300-year-old city is the financial, cultural and governmental center of Taiwan. Located in the northern part of the island between the Yangming Mountains and Central Mountains, this city of 2.6 million people is always ready to welcome more visitors.
For some great organized tour ideas, see The Best G Adventures Tours to Thailand, The Best 3-Day Tours from Phuket, The Best Cultural Tours in Taiwan, and The Best Tours for Seniors to Taiwan.
-
Chiang Mai Prices
Thailand PricesTaipei Prices
Taiwan Prices -
Average Daily Cost Per person, per dayChiang Mai $59Taipei $199
The average daily cost (per person) in Chiang Mai is $59, while the average daily cost in Taipei is $199. 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 Taipei in more detail.
Accommodation
-
Accommodation Hotel or hostel for one personChiang Mai $30Taipei $150
-
Accommodation Typical double-occupancy roomChiang Mai $60Taipei $300
Compare Hotels in Chiang Mai and Taipei
Looking for a hotel in Chiang Mai or Taipei? 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 Taipei Hotel Prices.
Local Transportation
-
Local Transportation Taxis, local buses, subway, etc.Chiang Mai $4.08Taipei $10
Typical Local Transportation Prices in Chiang Mai
Some typical examples of transportation costs in Chiang Mai are as follows:
-
Tuk Tuk Ride$1.23
-
Moped Rental$5.53
Hired Cars and Shuttles in Chiang Mai
Also for Chiang Mai, here are a few examples of actual transportation services:
- Sticky Waterfall Retreat and Chet Si Fountain Transfer: $24
- Siam Dragon cabaret show : Ticket & Optional Transfer: $25
- Siam Dragon Cabaret Show Ticket with Transfer in Chiang Mai: $27
- Shared Minivan Transfer to Chiang Mai and Mae Kampong Village: $13
- Private Transfer from Chiang Mai to Pai Or Pai to Chiang Mai: $175
- Private Transfer from Chiang Mai to Chiang Rai (one way only): $175
- Private Departure Transfer: Hotel to Chiang Mai International Airport (CNX): $11
- Private Chiang Mai Airport Transfer to or from Mae Rim Hotels: $17
- Private Car Transfer – Chiang Mai Airport: $35
- Private Arrival Transfer from Chiang Mai International Airport: $21
- Private Airport Transfer: Chiang Mai (CNX) ⇆ Chiang Mai Hotels: $15
- Hassle-Free Private Arrival Transfer from Chiang Mai Airport: $20
Typical Local Transportation Prices in Taipei
Here are some examples of typical transportation prices from actual travelers in Taipei:
-
Easycard$2.07
-
Easycard$9.55
-
Train$1.11
Hired Cars and Shuttles in Taipei
Also for Taipei, here are a few examples of actual transportation services:
- Private Transfer from Taipei city hotels to Hualien Cruise Port: $277
- Private Transfer from Taipei Taoyuan Airport TPE to Hualien Port: $277
- Taipei Taoyuan Airport TPE to Beitou New Taipei Arrival Transfer: $189
- Luxury Chartered Private Transfer Taoyuan Airport to Taipei City: $140
- Private Transfer from Taoyuan Intl Airport to Taoyuan or Taipei city: $136
- Taiwan Airport Private Transfer: $119
- Taoyuan airport to Yilan Private Transfer: $105
- Taipei City to Keelung (Taipei) Cruise Port - Departure Private Transfer: $103
- Private Transfer from Taoyuan Airport to Taichung City downtown: $90
- Taoyuan Airport to Keelung port Private Transfer: $79
- Private Transfer from Keelung (Taipei) Cruise Port to Taipei City: $76
- Taipei Arrival Private Transfer: Taiwan Taoyuan (TPE) to Hotel: $65
Is it cheaper to fly into Chiang Mai or Taipei?
Prices for flights to both Taipei 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
-
Food Meals for one dayChiang Mai $20Taipei $28
Typical Food Prices in Chiang Mai
Here are some examples of typical meal expenses from previous travelers to Chiang Mai:
-
Sit Down Dinner (for One)$5.99
-
Roti Snack (Bread)$0.74
-
Casual Breakfast$1.23
-
Casual Lunch (for Two)$6.14
-
Mangoes$0.92
-
Coffee$1.53
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 Morning Class Chiang Mai Visit Organic Garden and Market: $13
- Evening Thai cooking class: $27
- Morning Thai cooking class: $28
- Half-Day Thai Cooking Class at Organic Farm in Chiang Mai: $28
- Khantoke Dinner at Old Chiang Mai Cultural Center: $29
- Half Day Evening Cooking Class with Market Tour in Chiang Mai: $30
- Half Day Morning Cooking Class with Market Tour in Chiang Mai: $30
- Half-Day Thai Cuisine Cooking Experience in Chiang Mai: $30
- Baan Farm Thai Cooking School Chiangmai: $30
- Tomyumthai Cooking Class in Chiang Mai: $30
- Khantoke Dinner and Cultural Show at Chiang Mai Admission Ticket: $30
- Chiang Mai Thai Cooking Class at Grand Canyon and Market Tour: $31
Typical Food Prices in Taipei
For Taipei, here are some examples of average food and meal prices for travelers:
-
EasyCard$16
-
Lunch at The Can$7.00
-
EasyCard$32
-
Lunch$3.02
-
Lunch$1.91
-
Dinner$6.36
-
Lunch$3.66
-
Lunch$4.77
-
Louisa coffee$3.02
-
Lunch$6.05
-
Lunch$3.66
Food Tours and Cooking Classes in Taipei
For Taipei, here are some samples of tours and activities related to meals and dining experiences:
- Food Tours w/ Top 10 Taiwan Food (Breakfast/Dinner): $45
- Taipei Food Tour: Night Market & Convenience Store(Food Included): $45
- After Dusk Food Tours with Drinks & Night Market Flavors: $50
- Street Food & Hidden Eats Night Market Food Tour: $55
- Taipei Hidden Eats, Market & Street Food Tour with 8+ Tastings: $55
- Taipei Food Tours Local Market with 12+ tasters & Drinks Included: $57
- Turnip cake, Pork thick soup, Tofu pudding. Taiwan Traditional Light Meals Experience-C (Taipei Cooking Class): $65
- Backstreet Food Tour: Food, Culture, and Fun: $75
- Xiao Long Bao, Chicken vermicelli with mushroom and sesame oil, Tofu strips salad, Bubble milk tea. Taiwan Traditional Delicacies Experience-A (Taipei Cooking Class): $77
- Xiao Long Bao, Chicken vermicelli with mushroom and sesame oil, Tofu strips salad, Bubble milk tea. Taiwan Traditional Delicacies Experience-A (Taipei Cooking Class): $77
- Street Food Cooking Class in Taipei : Gua Bao/Lu Rou Fan/Boba Tea: $79
- Taiwanese Breakfast Cooking Class in Taipei: $79
Entertainment
-
Entertainment Entrance tickets, shows, etc.Chiang Mai $14Taipei $18
Typical Entertainment Prices in Chiang Mai
For Chiang Mai, here are some examples of average entertainment and activity prices from previous travelers:
-
Thai Cooking Class$40
-
Doi Suthep Entrance Ticket$1.84
-
Kratong Lessons$3.07
-
Pedicure$4.60
-
Chiang Mai Museum (for Two)$5.53
Tours and Activities in Chiang Mai
Also, here are some specific examples of entertainment, tickets, and activities for Chiang Mai.
- 1 Day Private Tour Doi Inthanon And Phachor Canyon: $163
- 1 Day Private Tour Unseen in Lamphun Province: $119
- 1 Day Private Tour White Temple and Renewed Doichang Coffee: $188
- 1 Day Sukhothai Historical Park from Chiang Mai Private Tour: $204
- 1 Day Trek and Bamboo Rafting Tour in Chiang Mai: $84
- 1 Day Trek and Sticky Waterfall Tour in Chiang Mai: $84
- 1 Hr Chiang Mai Buggy Tour (Off-Road): $169
- 1 day Private Tour to Unseen Temple in Lampang: $144
- 10KM Inflatable Kayaking Adventure: $94
- 10KM Inflatable Kayaking and 3HR Trekking Adventure: $110
- 2 DAYS MOTORCYCLE ADVENTURE Chiang Mai Chiang Dao Route: $238
- 2 Days 1 Night Rem Village and Mountain Tour with Scooter: $260
Tours and Activities in Taipei
For Taipei, here are a few prices for actual activities, tours, and tickets provided by various companies:
- 101 Skyline 460 Observatory Ticket | Taipei: $125
- 12hrs - Chiayi Meteor Garden Classic Tour From Taipei: $72
- 2-Hour Private Longshan Temple Walking Tour: $35
- 2-Hour Private Ximending Area Walking Tour: $35
- 2-Hour Vegetarian Private Walking Tour - S.Y.S. Memorial Hall & 44 South Village: $58
- 2-Hour Vegetarian Private Walking Tour - Xingtian Temple: $55
- 2-hr Ningxia Night Market Walking Private Tour with a Tour Guide: $35
- 3-hour Vegetarian Private Walking Tour - Songshan distric & taste lotus hot pot: $77
- 3.5 hours Taipei City Tour (morning or afternoon ): $44
- 4 Days Private Tour Taipei, Jiufen, Sun Moon Lake & Taichung: $1,079
- 4 Hour Afternoon Cycling City Tour North with Snack: $83
- 4-Hour Morning Cycling City Tour (incl. breakfast): $83
Alcohol
-
Alcohol Drinks for one dayChiang Mai $7.60Taipei $18
Typical Alcohol Prices in Chiang Mai
Some typical examples of the costs for nightlife and alcohol in Chiang Mai are as follows:
-
Wine$3.07
Sample the Local Flavors in Taipei
Here are a few nightlife and alcohol tours and activities from local tour providers in Taipei:
- Taipei Authentic Night Sober-Friendly Pub Crawl: $20
- Taipei Nightlife: Taipei Pub Crawls (2 Different Routes): $27
- Taiwan Brewery Tour Taiwan’s First National Beer with Tastings: $50
- Yilan Kavalan Whisky Distillery,Jim&Dad's Brewing, Shenkeng Tour: $95
When we compare the travel costs of actual travelers between Chiang Mai and Taipei, we can see that Taipei is more expensive. And not only is Chiang Mai much less expensive, but it is actually a significantly cheaper destination. So, traveling to Chiang Mai would let you spend less money overall. Or, you could decide to spend more money in Chiang Mai 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 Taipei would naturally cost you much more money, so you would probably want to keep your budget a little tighter in Taipei than you might in Chiang Mai.
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 Taipei Expensive?.
Which is Bigger, Chiang Mai or Taipei?
Taipei has a larger population, and is about 8 times larger than the population of Chiang Mai. When comparing the sizes of Chiang Mai and Taipei, 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.