Which place is cheaper, Cairns or Hualien?
These are the overall average travel costs for the two destinations.
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Should you visit Hualien or Cairns?
Which is cheaper to visit? Which is more expensive for vacation?
If you're trying to decide where to visit between Hualien or Cairns, this travel comparison, which includes costs, can help. The overall cost of travel is usually a consideration when deciding where to go next, and the cost comparison down below can help you decide based on the average prices from other travelers along with your own travel budget.
Where Should I go: Hualien or Cairns?
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.
Cairns
Most travelers go to Cairns specifically to visit Great Barrier Reef. The city itself is surprisingly large and cosmopolitan with a population of approximately 140,000. The city's economy is almost exclusively based on tourism, although you will find some jobs centered around agriculture, or more specifically sugar cane, bananas, coffee, tea, wine, and some tropical fruits. The city itself is surrounded by rainforest and makes a great base for exploring Kuranda, with the Barron Gorge National Park and the Daintree offering a quieter tropical getaway than Cairns.
For some great organized tour ideas, see The Best One-Week (7-Day) Tours from Taipei, The Best Family-Friendly Tours to Taiwan, The Best Contiki Tours to Australia, and The Best G Adventures Tours to Australia.
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Average Daily Cost Per person, per dayHualien $105Cairns $94
The average daily cost (per person) in Hualien is $105, while the average daily cost in Cairns is $94. 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 Hualien and Cairns in more detail.
Accommodation
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Accommodation Hotel or hostel for one personHualien $56Cairns $43
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Accommodation Typical double-occupancy roomHualien $112Cairns $86
Compare Hotels in Hualien and Cairns
Looking for a hotel in Hualien or Cairns? 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: Cairns Hotel Prices.
Local Transportation
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Local Transportation Taxis, local buses, subway, etc.Hualien $27Cairns $12
Hired Cars and Shuttles in Hualien
Some specific examples of transportation prices in Hualien:
- Private Transfer from Hualien Port to Taipei Taoyuan Airport(TPE): $103
- Private Transfer from Hualien Port to Taipei Taoyuan Airport: $93
- Private Transfer from Hualien Cruise Port to Taipei city hotels: $93
Hired Cars and Shuttles in Cairns
Also for Cairns, here are a few examples of actual transportation services:
- Cairns airport to cairns city private Transfers: $13
- Cairns Airport/City Transfers: $14
- Shared Airport Transfer to/from City and Beaches: $14
- Airport Transfers between Cairns Airport and Cairns City: $14
- Airport Transfers between Cairns Airport and Palm Cove: $21
- Private Transfer from Cairns City Hotels to Cairns Cruise Port: $21
- Private Transfer From Cairns Cruise Port to Cairns City Hotels: $21
- Shared Shuttle Transfer - Cairns Airport to Port Douglas: $40
- Private Transfer from Cairns Cruise Port to Cairns Airport (CNS): $45
- Private Transfer from Cairns Airport (CNS) to Cairns Cruise Port: $45
- Shuttle Bus Shared Transfer Cairns Airport to Port Douglas: $50
- Palm Cove to Cairns Airport (CNS) - Departure Private Transfer: $50
Is it cheaper to fly into Hualien or Cairns?
Prices for flights to both Cairns and Hualien 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 dayHualien $30Cairns $28
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
Food Tours and Cooking Classes in Cairns
For Cairns, here are some samples of tours and activities related to meals and dining experiences:
- Cairns Luxury Catamaran Harbor and Dinner Cruise: $85
- Night at the Aquarium Guided Tour & 2 Course Dinner: $91
- Guided Twilight Tour with 3-Course Dinner: $117
- City Sights Tour with Evening Dinner Cruise: $149
- Small-Group Afternoon Cairns City Tour with Harbour Dinner Cruise: $156
Entertainment
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Entertainment Entrance tickets, shows, etc.Hualien $20Cairns $37
Tours and Activities in Hualien
Some specific costs of activities, tours, and entrance tickets for Hualien are as follows:
- Full Day Tour in Taroko National Park from Hualien: $199
- Full-Day Private Taroko National Park Tour from Hualien City: $139
- Full-Day Taroko National Park Tour from Hualien City: $115
- Hualien Changhong Bridge SUP Day tour: $85
- One-Day Private Guided Tour in Taroko Gorge from Hualien: $117
- Qixingtan Fish Fishing Chihsingtan Classic Fishing Tour: $23
- Shuimutin Exclusive SUP Day tour(Hualien to Taitung): $89
- Taroko, Qingshui Cliffs and Qixingtan Chartered Tour from Hualien: $156
- Wild ATV Self-driving Experience: $42
Typical Entertainment Prices in Cairns
Below are a few sample prices from actual travelers for Cairns's activities, tours, and tickets:
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Scuba Diving$36
Tours and Activities in Cairns
For Cairns, here are a few prices for actual activities, tours, and tickets provided by various companies:
- Skip the Line: Cairns Museum Single Admission Ticket: $9.93
- Cairns Pub & Club Tour: $26
- Entry Ticket at Historic Village Herberton: $28
- Cairns History Walking Tour: $28
- Hartley's Crocodile Adventures General Entry Ticket: $30
- Cairns Aquarium General Admission Ticket: $34
- Sightseeing River Boat Safari with Soft Drinks: $36
- Sunset River Cruise with Snack and Drinks: $42
- Rusty's Market Foodlovers Tour: $43
- Cairns Botanic Gardens: Mushroom Photography Tour: $44
- Full Day Tour by Myroo X Deluxe Coach to Mission Beach: $46
- Aquarium Entry Ticket and Turtle Rehabilitation Tour: $47
Alcohol
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Alcohol Drinks for one dayHualien $14Cairns $13
Sample the Local Flavors in Cairns
Here are a few nightlife and alcohol tours and activities from local tour providers in Cairns:
- From Atherton Tablelands Food and Wine Tasting Tour: $160
When comparing the travel costs between Hualien and Cairns, we can see that Hualien is more expensive. However, the two cities are actually relatively comparable in price, as the difference is somewhat minimal. Generally, this means that you could travel with generally the same travel style and level of luxury in each place. Even though Hualien is in Asia and Cairns is in Pacific, both of these destinations have relatively similar prices of travel. Generally, the levels of luxury and expenses are the same for these cities even though they are geographically far apart.
If you're trying to decide if either of these two destinations are within your price range, also see Is Hualien Expensive? and Is Cairns Expensive?.
Which is Bigger, Hualien or Cairns?
Hualien has a larger population, and is about 2 times larger than the population of Cairns. When comparing the sizes of Hualien and Cairns, 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.