A Travel Price Comparison for Families, Couples, and Backpackers Hat Yai vs. Taipei for Vacations, Tours, and Honeymoons

Should you visit Hat Yai or Taipei?

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

Trying to figure out where to travel next? This travel comparison between Hat Yai and Taipei can help. It includes a travel cost comparison in addition to other factors. For many travelers, the cost of a destination is a primary consideration when choosing where to go.

Where Should I go: Hat Yai or Taipei?

Hat Yai

The fourth largest city of Thailand, Hat Yai is a popular tourist destination, especially on weekends and holidays for people in neighboring Malaysia and Singapore. It is best known as a commercial hub and shopping destination, and for its floating market and Buddhist temple.

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 Contiki Tours to Thailand, The Best G Adventures Tours to Thailand, The Best Cultural Tours in Taiwan, and The Best Tours for Seniors to Taiwan.


Which place is cheaper, Taipei or Hat Yai?

These are the overall average travel costs for the two destinations.

The average daily cost (per person) in Hat Yai is $16, while the average daily cost in Taipei is $182. 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 Hat Yai and Taipei in more detail.



Accommodation
  • Accommodation Hotel or hostel for one person
    Hat Yai $5.11
    Taipei $145
  • Accommodation Typical double-occupancy room
    Hat Yai $10
    Taipei $290
Compare Hotels in Hat Yai and Taipei

Looking for a hotel in Hat Yai 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.

Hotels in Hat Yai


Hotels in Taipei


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: Hat Yai Hotel Prices and Taipei Hotel Prices.

Local Transportation
  • Local Transportation Taxis, local buses, subway, etc.
    Hat Yai $0.63
    Taipei $10

Hired Cars and Shuttles in Hat Yai

Some specific examples of transportation prices in Hat Yai:

  • private van transfer from Hatyai Airport to Pabara Pier: $68
  • Transfer from Hatyai Airport to Koh Lipe: $25
  • Private Van transfer from Hatyai City to Pak Bara Pier: $73
  • Private Van transfer from Hatyai Airport to Pak Bara Pier: $73
  • Private Hatyai Airport Transfer to Pak Bara Pier by Van: $69

Typical Local Transportation Prices in Taipei

Here are some examples of typical transportation prices from actual travelers in Taipei:


  • Easycard
    $2.01
  • Easycard
    $9.29

Hired Cars and Shuttles in Taipei

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

  • Taoyuan Airport (TPE) Return Bus Transfer: $8.59
  • Try find your better than us ! Airport transfer service in Taipei APT-HTL (TSA): $28
  • Try find your better than us ! Airport transfer service in Taipei HTL-APT (TSA): $28
  • Private Transfer from Taipei city to Keelung (Taipei) Cruise Port: $38
  • Taiwan Taoyuan Airport (TPE) to Taoyuan/Taipei hotels - Arrival Private Transfer: $38
  • Bicycle transfer (Taipei - Hualien) 4 persons: $40
  • Private Transfer:Taoyuan International Airport to Hotel: $40
  • Try find your better than us ! Airport transfer in Taipei APT- HTL (TPE): $41
  • Try find your better than us ! Airport transfer in Taipei HTL- APT (TPE): $41
  • Private Transfer from Taoyuan airport Taiwan to Taipei: $52
  • [Chinese driver charter sedan] 1 to 4 people ☆ Taoyuan Airport ⇔ Taipei City Hotel Airport Transfer [one way]: $53
  • Taipei Arrival Private Transfer: Taoyuan International Airport to Hotel: $55

Is it cheaper to fly into Hat Yai or Taipei?

Prices for flights to both Taipei and Hat Yai 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
    Hat Yai $10
    Taipei $16
Typical Food Prices in Hat Yai

Some typical examples of dining costs in Hat Yai are as follows:


  • Roti Snack
    $0.55

Typical Food Prices in Taipei

For Taipei, here are some examples of average food and meal prices for travelers:


  • EasyCard
    $15
  • Lunch at The Can
    $6.81
  • EasyCard
    $31
  • Lunch
    $2.94
  • Lunch
    $1.86
  • Dinner
    $6.19
  • Lunch
    $3.56
  • Lunch
    $4.64
  • Louisa coffee
    $2.94

Food Tours and Cooking Classes in Taipei

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

  • Historic Night Market Food Tour with Tastings: $45
  • Ximending Vegan Food Tour Snack, Dessert & Main!: $46
  • Taipei Food Tour: Yongkang Street for Foodies: $58
  • Yansan Night Market Food Tour: $62
  • Turnip cake, Pork thick soup, Tofu pudding. Taiwan Traditional Light Meals Experience-C (Taipei Cooking Class): $65
  • Taipei Food Tour and Colorful Bubble Tea Making: $65
  • Taipei Food Tour and Colorful Bubble Tea Making: $70
  • Private Food Tour – 10 Tastings with Locals: $74
  • 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
  • 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

Entertainment
  • Entertainment Entrance tickets, shows, etc.
    Hat Yai -
    Taipei $17

Tours and Activities in Hat Yai

Some specific costs of activities, tours, and entrance tickets for Hat Yai are as follows:

  • One Way Speedboat and Van Ticket Koh Lipe to Hat Yai Airport: $30
  • One Way Van and Speedboat Ticket Hat Yai Airport to Koh Lipe: $30

Tours and Activities in Taipei

For Taipei, here are a few prices for actual activities, tours, and tickets provided by various companies:

  • Old Town Walking Tour: $1.00
  • Taipei's Origin & Longshan Temple - Taiwan Cultural Walking Tour: $1.00
  • Taipei Old Town - Taiwan Introduction Walking Tour: $1.00
  • Taipei's Origin & Longshan Temple - Taiwan Cultural Tour: $1.00
  • Chiang Kai-Shek Shilin Residence Ticket: $3.07
  • Miramar Ferris Wheel Ticket: $6.14
  • Scavenger Hunt and City Exploration Self-Guided Tour: $8.75
  • Taipei Scavenger Hunt and Sights Self-Guided Tour: $8.95
  • Taipei Self-Guided Audio Tour: $9.00
  • Taipei Makong Cable Car: Ticket & Combos: $10
  • National Palace Museum E-Ticket: $11
  • Self-Guided Audio Tour: $11

Alcohol
  • Alcohol Drinks for one day
    Hat Yai $2.52
    Taipei $18
Typical Alcohol Prices in Hat Yai

Below are a few samples from actual travelers for alcohol and nightlife costs in Hat Yai:


  • Beer
    $1.64

Sample the Local Flavors in Taipei

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

  • Taipei Nightlife: Taipei Pub Crawls (2 Different Routes): $28
  • Taipei Nightlife: Taipei Pub Crawls (2 Different Routes): $30
  • Private Tour Yilan Kavalan Whisky Distillery from Taipei : $207


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

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


Which is Bigger, Hat Yai or Taipei?

Taipei has a larger population, and is about 40 times larger than the population of Hat Yai. When comparing the sizes of Hat Yai 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.