Should you visit Chiang Rai or Ayutthaya?
If you're trying to decide where to visit between Chiang Rai or Ayutthaya, this travel cost comparison can help. The overall cost of travel is usually a consideration when deciding where to go next, and the cost comparison below can help you decide based on the average prices from other travelers along with your own travel budget.
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.
Ayutthaya
Once the largest city in the world, Ayutthaya, is the example of an ancient capital within a modern city. Located in the central plains of Thailand, this spot is ideally located between China, India and the Malay Archipelago creating the perfect place for trade in Asia. Eighteenth century maps from Holland and France show golden palaces, large ceremony spots and trading vessels from all over the world. Suddenly, in 1767, Ayutthaya experienced a tragic fall from grace with a Burmese invasion burning much of the city to the ground.
Which city is cheaper, Ayutthaya or Chiang Rai?
These are the overall average travel costs for the two destinations.
The average daily cost (per person) in Chiang Rai is $34, while the average daily cost in Ayutthaya is $55. 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. Below is a breakdown of travel costs for Chiang Rai and Ayutthaya in more detail.
Accommodation
The prices for places to stay in Chiang Rai can vary by date, location, and type. Generally, the average cost for accommodation per person is $15, while a typical double-occupancy hotel room for two people will cost around $30.
If you're traveling alone, you may be able to find a budget hotel or hostel for around $18. But for two people in a standard two-person hotel room in Ayutthaya the cost is $36 on average.
Food
On average, meal and food prices in Chiang Rai cost around $10 per person, per day. While this price can vary widely by location, the type of restaurant, and the amount of food ordered, a typical meal often costs around $4.00.
Ayutthaya food costs typically run travelers around $18 per day. Eating every meal in a nicer restaurant will drive the cost up, and grabbing fast food or casual meals will help you save money.
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Food
Meals for one day
Chiang Rai $10
Ayutthaya $18
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:
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Thai Cooking Class:
$51
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Chiang Rai Private Cooking Class - Cooking With Ann:
$52
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1 Day Trekking Group Tour With Bamboo Cooking / Chiang Rai:
$60
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Chiang Rai by Night with Show, Dinner and Trishaw Ride:
$73
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Chiang Rai City Tour with Dinner and Show:
$73
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Thai Lanna Cooking Class:
$87
Typical Food prices in Ayutthaya
Some typical examples of dining costs in Ayutthaya are as follows:
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Lunch for 2
$4.19
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Ice Cream
$0.90
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Breakfast for 2
$4.19
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Breakfast for 2
$10
Local Transportation
Public transportation tends to be much less expensive in Chiang Rai than paying for a taxi or private car service, as is expected. Typically, people spend $2.79 on transportation in Chiang Rai on average per day.
The cost of a taxi ride in Ayutthaya is significantly more than public transportation. On average, past travelers have spent $24 per person, per day, on local transportation in Ayutthaya.
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
$1.20
Hired Cars and Shuttles in Chiang Rai
Also for Chiang Rai, here are a few examples of actual transportation services:
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Chiang Rai Airport Shared Arrival Transfer:
$17
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Chiang Rai Airport Shared Departure Transfer:
$17
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Private Arrival Transfer: Chiang Rai International Airport to Hotel:
$19
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Transfer in Chiang Rai:
$34
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Private Transfer from Chiang Rai to Chiang Mai:
$75
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Arrival Chiangmai Airport Private Transfer to Chiangrai Hotels:
$145
Typical Local Transportation prices in Ayutthaya
Some typical examples of transportation costs in Ayutthaya are as follows:
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River Ferry Crossing
$0.60
Is it cheaper to fly into Chiang Rai or Ayutthaya?
Prices for flights to both Ayutthaya and Chiang Rai 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.
Entertainment
Sightseeing expenses in Chiang Rai, including the cost of admission tickets for day tours, museums, and attractions, usually cost an average of $6.48 per day, per person.
Entertainment and activities in Ayutthaya typically cost an average of $23 per person, per day. This includes fees paid for admission tickets to museums and attractions, day tours, and other sightseeing expenses.
Tours and Activities in Chiang Rai
For Chiang Rai, here are a few prices for actual activities, tours, and tickets provided by various companies:
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Sightseeing Join Tour Chiang Rai / Pick up only in Chiang Rai:
$37
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Join Tour One Day Chiang Rai , White Temple& Blue temple & Black House:
$41
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Half Day Cycling Tour to the White temple:
$51
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Private Temple Tour Chiang Rai Include Entry Fees / Pick Up Only In Chiang Rai:
$56
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Half-Day Tour Highlights of Chiang Rai:
$59
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Chiang Rai City and Temples Tour:
$61
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Chiang Rai Food & Night Market Walking Tour with Local Host:
$68
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Chaing Rai food & night market walking tour with local host:
$69
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Chaing Rai food & night market walking tour with local host:
$69
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Half Day Chiang Rai City Tour including White Temple & Wat Phra Kaew:
$70
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Chiang Rai Under the Moonlight Tour by TUK TUK:
$70
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Half Day Chiang Rai City Tour with White Temple & Wat Phra Kaew:
$70
Typical Entertainment prices in Ayutthaya
Some typical examples of activities, tours, and entrance ticket prices in Ayutthaya are as follows:
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Temple Entrances (2)
$5.98
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Wat Entrance
$1.50
Tours and Activities in Ayutthaya
Some specific costs of activities, tours, and entrance tickets for Ayutthaya are as follows:
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Ayutthaya Day Tour:
$57
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Ayutthaya Day Tour By Car:
$157
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Ayutthaya Temples & Eco-Farm Private Tour from Bangkok:
$175
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Ayutthaya and Bang Pa-In with minivan and come back with cruise:
$96
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Bangkok Ayutthaya Private Sunset Boat Tour:
$82
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Colors of UNESCO Heritage 6 hour Bicycle Tour:
$56
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Private : Ayutthaya Ancient Temples Day Tour:
$112
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Private : Ayutthaya Temples & Floating Market Day Tour:
$119
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Shore Excursion from Laem Cha Bang Port to Ayutthaya (Private tour):
$262
Alcohol
Typically, people visiting Chiang Rai spend on average $7.30 on alcoholic beverages per person, per day.
The average person spends about $16 on alcoholic beverages in Ayutthaya per day. The more you spend on alcohol, the more fun you might be having despite your higher budget.
When we compare the travel costs of actual travelers between Chiang Rai and Ayutthaya, we can see that Ayutthaya is more expensive. And not only is Chiang Rai much less expensive, but it is actually a significantly cheaper destination. 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 Ayutthaya would naturally cost you much more money, so you would probably want to keep your budget a little tighter in Ayutthaya than you might in Chiang Rai.
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