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

Should you visit Koh Lipe or Whitsundays?

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

Which city is more affordable and which is best for your travel style? If you're trying to figure out where to go next, comparing the travel costs between Koh Lipe and Whitsundays can help you decide which place is right for you.

Where Should I go: Koh Lipe or Whitsundays?

Koh Lipe

Ko Lipe used to be one of Thailand's most gorgeous hidden treasures. While it's still breathtaking, it's certainly not hidden anymore. With a small community of approximately 700 chow lair, or sea gypsies, this region is doing its best to maintain the beauty of its culture and beaches despite the influx of tourism. The rapid development has seen additions of concrete cafes and travel agencies. There are still rich, cultural gems to find in Ko Lipe - you just have to be willing to wander.

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 Budget Tours to Thailand, The Best Tours for Seniors to Thailand, The Best One-Week (7-Day) Tours from Melbourne, and The Best One Week (7-Day) Tours in Australia.

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

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

When is the best time to visit Koh Lipe or Whitsundays?

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

Should I visit Koh Lipe or Whitsundays in the Summer?

Both Whitsundays and Koh Lipe during the summer are popular places to visit. Plenty of visitors come to Koh Lipe because of the warm climate and sunshine that lasts throughout the year.

Koh Lipe is around the same temperature as Whitsundays in the summer. The daily temperature in Koh Lipe averages around 27°C (81°F) in July, and Whitsundays fluctuates around 26°C (79°F)in January.

Whitsundays gets a good bit of rain this time of year. It rains a lot this time of the year in Koh Lipe. Koh Lipe usually gets less rain in July than Whitsundaysin January. Koh Lipe gets 269 mm (10.6 in) of rain, while Whitsundays receives 331 mm (13 in) of rain this time of the year.

Should I visit Koh Lipe or Whitsundays in the Autumn?

The autumn attracts plenty of travelers to both Koh Lipe and Whitsundays. Warm weather and sunshine bring visitors to Koh Lipe year-round.

In the autumn, Koh Lipe is a little warmer than Whitsundays. Typically, the autumn temperatures in Koh Lipe in October average around 27°C (81°F), and Whitsundays averages at about 23°C (73°F)in April.

Whitsundays receives a lot of rain in the autumn. Koh Lipe gets a good bit of rain this time of year. In October, Koh Lipe usually receives more rain than Whitsundaysin April. Koh Lipe gets 281 mm (11.1 in) of rain, while Whitsundays receives 143 mm (5.6 in) of rain each month for the autumn. December to April in Koh Lipe is the dry season. Also, May to October is the rainy season in Koh Lipe.

Should I visit Koh Lipe or Whitsundays in the Winter?

The winter brings many poeple to Koh Lipe as well as Whitsundays. Koh Lipe attracts visitors year-round for its warm weather and sunny climate.

In January, Koh Lipe is generally much warmer than Whitsundaysin July. Daily temperatures in Koh Lipe average around 27°C (80°F), and Whitsundays fluctuates around 16°C (62°F).

Koh Lipe usually gets more rain in January than Whitsundaysin July. Koh Lipe gets 50 mm (2 in) of rain, while Whitsundays receives 40 mm (1.6 in) of rain this time of the year.

Should I visit Koh Lipe or Whitsundays in the Spring?

Both Whitsundays and Koh Lipe are popular destinations to visit in the spring with plenty of activities. The warm climate attracts visitors to Koh Lipe throughout the year.

Koh Lipe is a little warmer than Whitsundays in the spring. The daily temperature in Koh Lipe averages around 29°C (85°F) in April, and Whitsundays fluctuates around 23°C (73°F)in October.

It's quite rainy in Koh Lipe. In April, Koh Lipe usually receives more rain than Whitsundaysin October. Koh Lipe gets 124 mm (4.9 in) of rain, while Whitsundays receives 48 mm (1.9 in) of rain each month for the spring. The dry season in Koh Lipe is December to April. The rainy season in Koh Lipe is May to October.

Typical Weather for Whitsundays and Koh Lipe