Which place is cheaper, Hualien or Da Nang?
These are the overall average travel costs for the two destinations.
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Should you visit Da Nang or Hualien?
Which is cheaper to visit? Which is more expensive for vacation?
Should I visit Da Nang or Hualien? 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: Da Nang or Hualien?
Da Nang
Halfway between Ho Chi Minh City in the south and Hanoi in the North is the easy-going beach city of Da Nang (or Danang, for some). The third most populated city in Vietnam, Da Nang draws in crowds with its beautiful and calm beaches as well as its history as a French colonial port.
With beaches, mountains, and cityscape, there's bound to be a point of interest for all travelers. Da Nang is also a transit hub to get to the four Vietnamese UNESCO World heritage sites: Phong Nha Ke Bang National Park, Hue, Hoi An, and My Son.
Da Nang experiences wet season from September through March and dry season from April through August with average temperatures of around 80℉.
Da Nang is also known to have some of the friendliest locals, probably due to the peace and quiet and lack of heavy traffic, even in the city.
Hualien
If you're looking for hustle and bustle, head to Taipei. If you're looking for fresh air and the prettiest town by the sea, Hualien is the place to be. With many national parks to explore, cliffs and mountains to climb and beaches to get some rest and relaxation, there's plenty to do, especially for nature lovers and those who crave peace and quiet, away from the bigger cities in Taiwan.
For some great organized tour ideas, see The Best One-Week (7-Day) Tours from Hanoi, The Best One-Week (7-Day) Tours from Ho Chi Minh City, The Best One-Week (7-Day) Tours from Taipei, and The Best Family-Friendly Tours to Taiwan.
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Average Daily Cost Per person, per dayDa Nang $47Hualien $107
The average daily cost (per person) in Da Nang is $47, while the average daily cost in Hualien is $107. 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 Da Nang and Hualien in more detail.
Accommodation
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Accommodation Hotel or hostel for one personDa Nang $20Hualien $57
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Accommodation Typical double-occupancy roomDa Nang $40Hualien $114
Compare Hotels in Da Nang and Hualien
Looking for a hotel in Da Nang or Hualien? 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: Da Nang Hotel Prices.
Local Transportation
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Local Transportation Taxis, local buses, subway, etc.Da Nang $12Hualien $27
Hired Cars and Shuttles in Da Nang
Some specific examples of transportation prices in Da Nang:
- Exclusive Private Transfer: Da Nang Airport to Da Nang & Hoi An: $5.95
- Da Nang International Airport Private Transfer: $6.01
- Transfer Airport & Train Stations to Hue, Da Nang and Hoi An: $6.05
- Da Nang Airport transfer to/from hotel Da Nang or Hoi An: $6.42
- Private car transfer from Airport to Hoi An hotel: $6.72
- Hoi An: Transfer from Hoi An/ Da Nang hotel to DaNangAirport: $6.80
- From One-Way Shared Bus Transfer to Hoi An: $7.22
- From Hoi an: Transfer Hoi an to/from Da Nang: $7.56
- Car Transfer Between Da Nang and Hoi An: $7.56
- Da Nang Airport Arrival Or Departure Luxury Car Transfers: $7.56
- Round Trip Shared Bus Transfer from Da Nang to Ba Na Hills: $7.62
- Da Nang International Airport Transfer To Da Nang/Hoi An Hotel: $8.00
Hired Cars and Shuttles in Hualien
Some specific examples of transportation prices in Hualien:
- Private Transfer from Hualien Port to Taipei Taoyuan Airport: $95
- Private Transfer from Hualien Cruise Port to Taipei city hotels: $95
- Private Transfer from Hualien Port to Taipei Taoyuan Airport(TPE): $105
Is it cheaper to fly into Da Nang or Hualien?
Prices for flights to both Hualien and Da 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
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Food Meals for one dayDa Nang $17Hualien $31
Food Tours and Cooking Classes in Da Nang
Also, here are some specific examples of food and dining related activities in Da Nang.
- Dragon bridge show and Da Nang local food tour: $4.20
- Explore Ba Na Hill, Golden Bridge in the sunset with dinner: $9.24
- Coffee Making and Cooking Class: $17
- Da Nang free motorbike and food tour: $20
- Half Day Ba Na Hills – Golden bridge with Vietnamese Dinner: $21
- Da Nang Family Cooking Class - with Local Family in Da Nang: $23
- Da Nang Cooking: Market tour, farming, cooking and foot bath: $25
- Vegetarian Cooking class and Basket Boat Riding: $25
- Experience Vegan/Vegetarian Cooking Class in Da Nang : $25
- Happy Cooking Class in Danang : $26
- Experience Vegan/Vegetarian Cooking Class in Da Nang : $27
- Private Traditional Cooking Class and Pho with Local Girl : $29
Food Tours and Cooking Classes in Hualien
Also, here are some specific examples of food and dining related activities in Hualien.
- Aboriginal Cooking Class in Hualien: $100
Entertainment
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Entertainment Entrance tickets, shows, etc.Da Nang $14Hualien $20
Tours and Activities in Da Nang
Some specific costs of activities, tours, and entrance tickets for Da Nang are as follows:
- Vietnamese Tradition Combo Ao dai Coffee and Banh mi Private Tour: $2.90
- Da Nang Scavenger Hunt and Sights Self-Guided Tour: $4.19
- Hoi An: Marble Mountain & Monkey Mountain in Afternoon Tour: $4.20
- Da Nang/Hoi An: My Son Sanctuary & Marble Mountain Tour: $4.20
- Sun World Asia Park Ticket: $5.75
- Super cheap and distinguished Ao Dai Experience in 2 hours - Ao dai retal: $6.16
- Han River Local Cruise by Night: $6.29
- Han River Cruise & Cham Dancing by Phu Quy Cruise: $6.30
- Scenic Han River Night Cruise On My Xuan Cruise.: $6.30
- Han River Cruise by Night with Dance Performance: $8.00
- Han River Tour - Da Nang Dragon Cruise: $8.40
- Bus to Ba Na, Golden Bridge with Cable Car ticket: $12
Tours and Activities in Hualien
Some specific costs of activities, tours, and entrance tickets for Hualien are as follows:
- Qixingtan Fish Fishing Chihsingtan Classic Fishing Tour: $23
- Wild ATV Self-driving Experience: $42
- Hualien Light Mountain & Sea One Day Tour | Hualien: $53
- Hualien Day Tour: Qixingtan Beach, Liyu Lake, Lintianshan Park: $68
- Hualien Changhong Bridge SUP Day tour: $85
- Shuimutin Exclusive SUP Day tour(Hualien to Taitung): $89
- Private Full Day Tour to East Coast and East Valley from Hualien : $107
- Full-Day Taroko National Park Tour from Hualien City: $115
- One-Day Private Guided Tour in Taroko Gorge from Hualien: $117
- Full-Day Tour About Taroko Culture Excellent Stories , 8 Hours: $120
- Full-Day Private Taroko National Park Tour from Hualien City: $139
- Taroko, Qingshui Cliffs & Qixingtan Day Tour | From Hualien: $156
Alcohol
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Alcohol Drinks for one dayDa Nang $9.55Hualien $14
When we compare the travel costs of actual travelers between Da Nang and Hualien, we can see that Hualien is more expensive. And not only is Da Nang much less expensive, but it is actually a significantly cheaper destination. So, traveling to Da Nang would let you spend less money overall. Or, you could decide to spend more money in Da Nang 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 Hualien would naturally cost you much more money, so you would probably want to keep your budget a little tighter in Hualien than you might in Da Nang.
If you're trying to decide if either of these two destinations are within your price range, also see Is Da Nang Expensive? and Is Hualien Expensive?.
Which is Bigger, Da Nang or Hualien?
Da Nang has a larger population, and is about 2 times larger than the population of Hualien. When comparing the sizes of Da Nang and Hualien, 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.