A Travel Price Comparison for Families, Couples, and Backpackers Haifa vs. Yaeyama Islands for Vacations, Tours, and Honeymoons

Should you visit Haifa or Yaeyama Islands?

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 Haifa and Yaeyama Islands. 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: Haifa or Yaeyama Islands?

Haifa

Located on the northern Mediterranean coast of Israel, Haifa is Israel's third largest city. It is also a beautiful and strategically located city near the border with Lebanon. The population of Haifa, which is approximately 300,000, is surprisingly diverse. There are Jews, Muslim, and Christian Arabs throughout the city. While Haifa is an industrial city with a strong work ethic and a good job base, it is also a beautiful city with many gardens and a stunning coastline. Today the job base has increasingly become technology based with some large companies such as Google and Microsoft offering employment in the area. Haifa University is also the country's top technology university.

Yaeyama Islands

The Yaeyama Islands is a cluster of islands located in the southwestern part of Japan, close to Taiwan. There are nine different islands, varying from small islets to large holiday resort islands. The Yaeyama Islands are one of the most popular destination in Japan due to their beautiful beaches and underwater ruins. Yaeyama is also known for having their own language and writing system. For the most part, everyone on the Islands speak Japanese, but you'll often find the Yaeyama writing on T-shirts in souvenir shops or scattered around Yaeyama.

For some great organized tour ideas, see The Best Sightseeing Tours in Israel, The Best Cultural Tours in Israel, The Best One-Week (7-Day) Tours from Tokyo, and The Best 10-Day Tours from Tokyo.

When we compare the travel costs of actual travelers between Haifa and Yaeyama Islands, we can see that Haifa is more expensive. And not only is Yaeyama Islands much less expensive, but it is actually a significantly cheaper destination. Since Haifa is in Middle East and Yaeyama Islands 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 Yaeyama Islands would let you spend less money overall. Or, you could decide to spend more money in Yaeyama Islands 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 Haifa would naturally cost you much more money, so you would probably want to keep your budget a little tighter in Haifa than you might in Yaeyama Islands.

If you're trying to decide if either of these two destinations are within your price range, also see Is Haifa Expensive? and Is Yaeyama Islands Expensive?.

When is the best time to visit Haifa or Yaeyama Islands?

Yaeyama Islands has a temperate climate with four distinct seasons, but Haifa experiences a warm climate with fairly sunny weather most of the year.

Should I visit Haifa or Yaeyama Islands in the Summer?

The summer brings many poeple to Haifa as well as Yaeyama Islands. Haifa attracts visitors year-round for its warm weather and sunny climate. Additionally, the beaches, snorkeling, the hiking, and the family-friendly experiences are the main draw to Yaeyama Islands this time of year.

Haifa is around the same temperature as Yaeyama Islands in the summer. The daily temperature in Haifa averages around 27°C (81°F) in July, and Yaeyama Islands fluctuates around 29°C (85°F).

The sun comes out a lot this time of the year in Yaeyama Islands. People are often attracted to the plentiful sunshine in Haifa this time of the year. In the summer, Haifa often gets more sunshine than Yaeyama Islands. Haifa gets 364 hours of sunny skies this time of year, while Yaeyama Islands receives 279 hours of full sun.

It's quite rainy in Yaeyama Islands. Haifa usually gets less rain in July than Yaeyama Islands. Haifa gets 20 mm (0.8 in) of rain, while Yaeyama Islands receives 179 mm (7 in) of rain this time of the year.

Should I visit Haifa or Yaeyama Islands in the Autumn?

Both Yaeyama Islands and Haifa are popular destinations to visit in the autumn with plenty of activities. The warm climate attracts visitors to Haifa throughout the year. Also, many travelers come to Yaeyama Islands for the hiking trails and the natural beauty of the area.

In the autumn, Haifa is around the same temperature as Yaeyama Islands. Typically, the autumn temperatures in Haifa in October average around 24°C (75°F), and Yaeyama Islands averages at about 26°C (78°F).

The sun comes out a lot this time of the year in Haifa. Haifa usually receives more sunshine than Yaeyama Islands during autumn. Haifa gets 274 hours of sunny skies, while Yaeyama Islands receives 177 hours of full sun in the autumn.

It rains a lot this time of the year in Yaeyama Islands. In October, Haifa usually receives less rain than Yaeyama Islands. Haifa gets 20 mm (0.8 in) of rain, while Yaeyama Islands receives 173 mm (6.8 in) of rain each month for the autumn.

Should I visit Haifa or Yaeyama Islands in the Winter?

Both Yaeyama Islands and Haifa during the winter are popular places to visit. Plenty of visitors come to Haifa because of the warm climate and sunshine that lasts throughout the year. Also, many visitors come to Yaeyama Islands in the winter for the museums and the cuisine.

In January, Haifa is generally cooler than Yaeyama Islands. Daily temperatures in Haifa average around 14°C (57°F), and Yaeyama Islands fluctuates around 18°C (64°F).

In the winter, Haifa often gets more sunshine than Yaeyama Islands. Haifa gets 184 hours of sunny skies this time of year, while Yaeyama Islands receives 97 hours of full sun.

Yaeyama Islands gets a good bit of rain this time of year. It rains a lot this time of the year in Haifa. Haifa usually gets less rain in January than Yaeyama Islands. Haifa gets 100 mm (3.9 in) of rain, while Yaeyama Islands receives 120 mm (4.7 in) of rain this time of the year.

Should I visit Haifa or Yaeyama Islands in the Spring?

The spring attracts plenty of travelers to both Haifa and Yaeyama Islands. Warm weather and sunshine bring visitors to Haifa year-round. Also, most visitors come to Yaeyama Islands for the beaches and the natural beauty during these months.

Haifa is cooler than Yaeyama Islands in the spring. The daily temperature in Haifa averages around 19°C (66°F) in April, and Yaeyama Islands fluctuates around 23°C (74°F).

In Haifa, it's very sunny this time of the year. Haifa usually receives more sunshine than Yaeyama Islands during spring. Haifa gets 269 hours of sunny skies, while Yaeyama Islands receives 154 hours of full sun in the spring.

Yaeyama Islands receives a lot of rain in the spring. In April, Haifa usually receives less rain than Yaeyama Islands. Haifa gets 30 mm (1.2 in) of rain, while Yaeyama Islands receives 147 mm (5.8 in) of rain each month for the spring. Also, May to June is the rainy season in Yaeyama Islands.

Typical Weather for Yaeyama Islands and Haifa