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

Should you visit Hat Yai or Whitsundays?

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 Whitsundays 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 Whitsundays?

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.

Whitsundays

Just off the coast of Queensland, Australia is a cluster of 74 different islands. These islands, the Whitsunday Islands, welcome over a half a million visitors every year to see one of the Seven Wonders of the World - the Great Barrier Reef.

As one of the most famous destinations in the world, it's not uncommon to see expensive yachts sailing around among the private ferries. Most of the islands are designated as national parks with access to snorkeling and diving in the coral reefs, or just to lay in the sand on the famous Whitehaven Beach.

For some great organized tour ideas, see The Best Contiki Tours to Thailand, The Best G Adventures Tours to Thailand, The Best One Week (7-Day) Tours in Australia, and The Best 10-Day Tours in Australia.

When we compare the travel costs of actual travelers between Hat Yai and Whitsundays, we can see that Whitsundays is more expensive. And not only is Hat Yai much less expensive, but it is actually a significantly cheaper destination. Since Hat Yai is in Asia and Whitsundays is in Pacific, 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 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 Whitsundays would naturally cost you much more money, so you would probably want to keep your budget a little tighter in Whitsundays 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 Whitsundays Expensive?.

When is the best time to visit Hat Yai or Whitsundays?

Whitsundays has a temperate climate with four distinct seasons, but Hat Yai experiences a warm climate with fairly sunny weather most of the year.

Should I visit Hat Yai or Whitsundays in the Summer?

The summer brings many poeple to Hat Yai as well as Whitsundays. Hat Yai attracts visitors year-round for its warm weather and sunny climate.

In the summer, Hat Yai is around the same temperature as Whitsundays. Typically, the summer temperatures in Hat Yai in July average around 29°C (83°F), and Whitsundays averages at about 26°C (79°F)in January.

The sun comes out a lot this time of the year in Whitsundays. People are often attracted to the plentiful sunshine in Hat Yai this time of the year. In the summer, Hat Yai often gets less sunshine than Whitsundaysin January. Hat Yai gets 206 hours of sunny skies this time of year, while Whitsundays receives 285 hours of full sun.

It's quite rainy in Whitsundays. Hat Yai receives a lot of rain in the summer. Hat Yai usually gets less rain in July than Whitsundaysin January. Hat Yai gets 101 mm (4 in) of rain, while Whitsundays receives 331 mm (13 in) of rain this time of the year.

Should I visit Hat Yai or Whitsundays in the Autumn?

Both Whitsundays and Hat Yai are popular destinations to visit in the autumn with plenty of activities. The warm climate attracts visitors to Hat Yai throughout the year.

In October, Hat Yai is generally a little warmer than Whitsundaysin April. Daily temperatures in Hat Yai average around 28°C (82°F), and Whitsundays fluctuates around 23°C (73°F).

It's quite sunny in Whitsundays. Hat Yai usually receives less sunshine than Whitsundays during autumn. Hat Yai gets 182 hours of sunny skies, while Whitsundays receives 207 hours of full sun in the autumn.

It rains a lot this time of the year in Whitsundays. It's quite rainy in Hat Yai. In October, Hat Yai usually receives more rain than Whitsundaysin April. Hat Yai gets 284 mm (11.2 in) of rain, while Whitsundays receives 143 mm (5.6 in) of rain each month for the autumn. The rainy season in Hat Yai is May to December.

Should I visit Hat Yai or Whitsundays in the Winter?

Both Whitsundays and Hat Yai during the winter are popular places to visit. Plenty of visitors come to Hat Yai because of the warm climate and sunshine that lasts throughout the year.

Hat Yai is much warmer than Whitsundays in the winter. The daily temperature in Hat Yai averages around 28°C (82°F) in January, and Whitsundays fluctuates around 16°C (62°F)in July.

In Whitsundays, it's very sunny this time of the year. It's quite sunny in Hat Yai. In the winter, Hat Yai often gets around the same amount of sunshine as Whitsundaysin July. Hat Yai gets 221 hours of sunny skies this time of year, while Whitsundays receives 226 hours of full sun.

It rains a lot this time of the year in Hat Yai. Hat Yai usually gets more rain in January than Whitsundaysin July. Hat Yai gets 100 mm (3.9 in) of rain, while Whitsundays receives 40 mm (1.6 in) of rain this time of the year. January to April is the dry season in Hat Yai.

Should I visit Hat Yai or Whitsundays in the Spring?

The spring attracts plenty of travelers to both Hat Yai and Whitsundays. Warm weather and sunshine bring visitors to Hat Yai year-round.

In the spring, Hat Yai is a little warmer than Whitsundays. Typically, the spring temperatures in Hat Yai in April average around 30°C (85°F), and Whitsundays averages at about 23°C (73°F)in October.

People are often attracted to the plentiful sunshine in Whitsundays this time of the year. In Hat Yai, it's very sunny this time of the year. Hat Yai usually receives less sunshine than Whitsundays during spring. Hat Yai gets 265 hours of sunny skies, while Whitsundays receives 298 hours of full sun in the spring.

In April, Hat Yai usually receives more rain than Whitsundaysin October. Hat Yai gets 70 mm (2.8 in) of rain, while Whitsundays receives 48 mm (1.9 in) of rain each month for the spring. January to April in Hat Yai is the dry season. Also, May to December is the rainy season in Hat Yai.

Typical Weather for Whitsundays and Hat Yai