A Travel Price Comparison for Families, Couples, and Backpackers Gold Coast vs. Tainan City for Vacations, Tours, and Honeymoons

Should you visit Gold Coast or Tainan City?

Which is cheaper to visit? Which is more expensive for vacation?

Should I visit Gold Coast 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: Gold Coast or Tainan City?

Gold Coast

The Gold Coast is one of Australia's premier destinations. Famous for gorgeous beaches, warm weather, watersports, and plenty of activities for all ages, millions of tourists from Australia as well as everywhere in the world flock to this region every year. With beaches, national parks, theme parks, shopping and dining, nice resorts, boating, fishing, diving, theme parks and more, the Gold Coast offers something for everyone.

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 Honeymoon Tours in Australia, The Best Photography Tours in Australia, The Best Tours for Seniors to Taiwan, and The Best Sightseeing Tours in Taiwan.


Which place is cheaper, Tainan City or Gold Coast?

These are the overall average travel costs for the two destinations. These travel costs come from the actual spending of real travelers.

The average daily cost (per person) in Gold Coast is $119, while the average daily cost in Tainan City is $149. 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 Gold Coast and Tainan City in more detail.



Accommodation
  • Accommodation Hotel or hostel for one person
    Gold Coast $55
    Tainan City $64
  • Accommodation Typical double-occupancy room
    Gold Coast $110
    Tainan City $128
Compare Hotels in Gold Coast and Tainan City

Looking for a hotel in Gold Coast 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.

Hotels in Gold Coast


Hotels in Tainan City


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: Tainan City Hotel Prices.

Local Transportation
  • Local Transportation Taxis, local buses, subway, etc.
    Gold Coast $23
    Tainan City $20

Hired Cars and Shuttles in Gold Coast

Also for Gold Coast, here are a few examples of actual transportation services:

  • Gold Coast Airport: Shared Transfer to Gold Coast: $21
  • Sydney Kingsford Smith Airport: Shared Transfer Sydney CBD: $22
  • OOL Airport to City Centre Private Transfer: $42
  • Private Transfer Gold Coast Airport OOL to City Centre/Brisbane: $48
  • Private Transfer from Gold Coast Airport - Surfers Paradise: $50
  • Chill Out at Byron Bay Bus Transfer: $72
  • Private Gold Coast Airport Arrival Transfer: $74
  • Gold Coast to Byron Bay scenic One Way Transfer: $81
  • Gold Coast Airport Transfer: Gold Coast to Airport OOL in Business Car: $108
  • Departure Private Transfer: Gold Coast to Airport OOL in Business Car: $108
  • Arrival Transfer: Airport OOL to Gold Coast by Business Car: $112
  • Brisbane and Gold Coast Personal Airport Private Transfer: $121

Is it cheaper to fly into Gold Coast or Tainan City?

Prices for flights to both Tainan City and Gold Coast 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 day
    Gold Coast $47
    Tainan City $72

Food Tours and Cooking Classes in Gold Coast

For Gold Coast, here are some samples of tours and activities related to meals and dining experiences:

  • Australian Outback Spectacular Dinner & Show: $79
  • Gold Coast Buffet Dinner Sightseeing Cruise: $87
  • Gold Coast Private Sunset Sailing Charter w/ dinner & drinks: $310

Entertainment
  • Entertainment Entrance tickets, shows, etc.
    Gold Coast $19
    Tainan City $11

Tours and Activities in Gold Coast

Also, here are some specific examples of entertainment, tickets, and activities for Gold Coast.

  • Spring Brook National Park Driving Tour with an APP: $15
  • Spring Brook National Park Self Guided Driving Tour: $15
  • Surfers Paradise: Sightseeing Midday River and Canal Cruise: $15
  • Surfers Paradise Sightseeing City Lights Cruise: $21
  • Surfers Paradise: Sightseeing Morning River and Canal Cruise: $21
  • SkyPoint Observation Deck Ticket: $22
  • SkyPoint Observation Deck Ticket: $23
  • Surfers Paradise: Cruise, HOTA Gallery Entry, & Dining Pass: $26
  • Surfers Paradise: Sightseeing Sunset River Cruise: $29
  • Sightseeing Hop-on Hop-off Cruise: $30
  • Surfers Paradise: IceBar Entry Ticket and Drink: $32
  • Aquaduck City Tour and River Cruise: $38

Alcohol
  • Alcohol Drinks for one day
    Gold Coast $5.23
    Tainan City $6.14

Sample the Local Flavors in Gold Coast

Here are a few nightlife and alcohol tours and activities from local tour providers in Gold Coast:

  • Tamborine Mountain Distillery Tour & Tasting: $17
  • Granddad Jack's Distillery Gin Tasting & Talk: $43
  • Queensland Distillery Tour: $76
  • Craft Distillery and Brewery Tour on Gold Coast: $77
  • Sirromet Wine Tasting and Blending Workshop for 2: $84
  • Craft Your Own Spirit at Tamborine Mountain Distillery: $124
  • Wine, Distillery & Rainforest Day Tour: $151
  • Private Bespoke Hinterland Heritage Wine Tour: $161
  • Tamborine Mountain Wine Tour with 2-Course Lunch: $165
  • Full-Day Guided Wine Tour in Mt Tamborine From Gold Coast : $168
  • Luxury Wine Tour with Gourmet Lunch & Distillery: $198
  • Gold Coast and Craft Brewery VIP Tour from Brisbane: $959


When we compare the travel costs of actual travelers between Gold Coast and Tainan City, we can see that Tainan City is more expensive. And not only is Gold Coast much less expensive, but it is actually a significantly cheaper destination. Since Gold Coast 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 Gold Coast would let you spend less money overall. Or, you could decide to spend more money in Gold Coast 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 Gold Coast.

If you're trying to decide if either of these two destinations are within your price range, also see Is Gold Coast Expensive? and Is Tainan City Expensive?.


Which is Bigger, Gold Coast or Tainan City?

Tainan City has a larger population, and is about 45% larger than the population of Gold Coast. When comparing the sizes of Gold Coast 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.