Which place is cheaper, Royal Chitwan National Park or Koh Tao?
These are the overall average travel costs for the two destinations.
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Should you visit Koh Tao or Royal Chitwan National Park?
Which is cheaper to visit? Which is more expensive for vacation?
If you're trying to decide where to visit between Koh Tao or Royal Chitwan National Park, 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: Koh Tao or Royal Chitwan National Park?
Koh Tao
With a name that literally means, "Turtle Island," Koh Tao, Thailand is the type of vacation spot divers dream of. There is the faintest current and a buffet of dive sites and shops.
This tiny island hosts hundreds of thousands of visitors a year, but take not that there are no garbage disposal facilities. Everything that can't be burnt needs to be taken from the island. Avoid plastic bags, and don't dump your trash in the open landscape (then again, why would you?) because there are no departments for road clean up. Water and electricity on the island are scarce, so use them wisely.
Keep in mind that monsoon season from November to January so you may be faced with constant rain for days at a time in those months.
Royal Chitwan National Park
The majestic elephant, the silly monkey and dozens of soaring birds call the Royal Chitwan National Park home. At the foot of the Himalayas, this UNESCO World Heritage Site is 932 square kilometers of animal and plant life preservation in Nepal.
Once the favorite hunting ground for Nepal's ruling class, the area began seeing the endangerment of all the area animals. So in 1957, Nepal passed its first conservation law to protect the rhinos and their habitat. At the end of the 1960s, however, DDT had cleared 70% of Royal Chitwan National Park jungles, thousands of people had created moved in on the land and only 95 rhinos were left. By 1977 the park was under complete protection, enlarged to the present-day size and is one of the last refuges of the Bengal tiger.
This park, also known as "the heart of the jungle," provides over 70,000 annual visitors with opportunities to get close and personal with animals they've only seen in movies. Fair warning, however, the weather is quite hot and humid for most of the year.
For some great organized tour ideas, see The Best Tours for Seniors to Thailand, The Best Contiki Tours to Thailand, The Best One-Week (7-Day) Tours from Pokhara, and The Best Family-Friendly Tours to Nepal.
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Average Daily Cost Per person, per dayKoh Tao $37Royal Chitwan National Park $35
The average daily cost (per person) in Koh Tao is $37, while the average daily cost in Royal Chitwan National Park is $35. 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 Koh Tao and Royal Chitwan National Park in more detail.
Accommodation
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Accommodation Hotel or hostel for one personKoh Tao $14Royal Chitwan National Park $11
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Accommodation Typical double-occupancy roomKoh Tao $28Royal Chitwan National Park $22
Compare Hotels in Koh Tao and Royal Chitwan National Park
Looking for a hotel in Koh Tao or Royal Chitwan National Park? 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: Koh Tao Hotel Prices and Royal Chitwan National Park Hotel Prices.
Local Transportation
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Local Transportation Taxis, local buses, subway, etc.Koh Tao $8.67Royal Chitwan National Park $22
Typical Local Transportation Prices in Koh Tao
Below are a few samples from actual travelers for transportation costs in Koh Tao:
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Motorbike Rental$5.18
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Chumpon to Koh Tao Ferry$18
Hired Cars and Shuttles in Royal Chitwan National Park
Also for Royal Chitwan National Park, here are a few examples of actual transportation services:
- Chitwan to Kathmandu One Way Transfer by Private AC Car : $75
Is it cheaper to fly into Koh Tao or Royal Chitwan National Park?
Prices for flights to both Royal Chitwan National Park and Koh Tao 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 dayKoh Tao $9.21Royal Chitwan National Park $9.44
Typical Food Prices in Koh Tao
Here are some examples of typical meal expenses from previous travelers to Koh Tao:
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Sit Down Lunch (for One)$5.46
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Breakfast$4.09
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Casual Breakfast (for Two)$3.27
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Fancy Dinner (for Two)$13
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Pancake$1.91
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American Breakfast (for Two)$7.64
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Dinner at Bam Bam (for Two)$7.36
Entertainment
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Entertainment Entrance tickets, shows, etc.Koh Tao $26Royal Chitwan National Park $9.63
Typical Entertainment Prices in Koh Tao
For Koh Tao, here are some examples of average entertainment and activity prices from previous travelers:
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Kayak Rental (One Hour)$6.82
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Snorkel Rental$2.73
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Kayak and Snorkel (2)$2.73
Tours and Activities in Koh Tao
Also, here are some specific examples of entertainment, tickets, and activities for Koh Tao.
- 5 Islands Full-Day Tour Around Koh Tao and Koh Nangyuan: $24
- Advanced Adventurer - 2 days ( Advanced Open Water): $277
- Basic Diver ( One Day Experience): $124
- Full day snorkeling adventure around Koh Tao: $22
- Koh Nang Yuan and Koh Tao 5 Point Snorkeling Tour: $23
- Koh Tao Cliff Jumping Snorkeling Experience: $135
- Koh Tao Snorkeling Tour to Hidden Bays and Koh Nang Yuan : $28
- Koh Tao Snorkeling and Island Hopping Tour (Private) : $175
- Koh Tao Viewpoint and Snorkeling Tour: $55
- Premium Snorkel Tour to the Bays of Koh Tao onboard the Oxygen: $33
- Snorkel Tour to Koh Nangyuan and the hidden bays of Koh Tao onboard the Oxygen: $22
Tours and Activities in Royal Chitwan National Park
For Royal Chitwan National Park, here are a few prices for actual activities, tours, and tickets provided by various companies:
- 1 Night 2 Days Chitwan Safari Tour: $118
- 2 Nights 3 Days Chitwan Jungle Safari Tour : $154
- 3 Nights 4 Days Comfortable Chitwan Safari Tour: $195
- Chitwan Jungle Safari Tour: $140
- Chitwan Safari Tour : $160
- Chitwan Tour Packages: $200
- Experience the ride in Lowlands of Nepal: $62
Alcohol
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Alcohol Drinks for one dayKoh Tao $7.14Royal Chitwan National Park $6.49
Typical Alcohol Prices in Koh Tao
Here are a few samples of the prices for alcohol and nightlife in Koh Tao from other travelers:
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Beer$1.77
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Bottle of Wine$10
When comparing the travel costs between Koh Tao and Royal Chitwan National Park, we can see that Koh Tao 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. Since both cities are in Asia, it's no surprise that their costs are relatively close, as many destinations here have somewhat similar travel prices overall.
If you're trying to decide if either of these two destinations are within your price range, also see Is Koh Tao Expensive? and Is Royal Chitwan National Park Expensive?.
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.