Which place is cheaper, Varanasi or Krabi?
These are the overall average travel costs for the two destinations. These travel costs come from the actual spending of real travelers.
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Should you visit Krabi or Varanasi?
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 Krabi and Varanasi can help you decide which place is right for you.
Where Should I go: Krabi or Varanasi?
Krabi
Krabi is both a large town and region in southern Thailand. While the region is covered in beaches, if you're more interested in immersion in Thai culture than the salty ocean, consider a trip to "Krabi Town". Pronounced "Grabee," this small, but bustling city is just up the river from the coast, and is the gateway to the beaches in the surrounding Province of Krabi (where you'll find famous places such as Railay, Ao Nang, Haad Yao, and plenty of others). Krabi Town is full of hotels, agencies, and western restaurants, but if you look hard enough, you'll easily see the energy and life of Thailand. While there are no beaches in the town itself, there is plenty of Thai culture to experience. There's a good chance you'll be passing through on your way to one of the famous beaches, so take advantage of your brief time here.
Varanasi
Known to be one of India's holiest cities, many come to Varanasi on a spiritual pilgrimage looking to bathe in the sacred waters of the Ganges River. Dating back to the 11th Century BC, it is also one of the oldest continuously inhabited cities in the world. Centuries old temples make up the backdrop, as many come and come again to perform their holy rights at the edge of the historic river.
For some great organized tour ideas, see The Best 10-Day Tours in Thailand, The Best One Week (7-Day) Tours in Thailand, The Best Bicycle Tours in India, and Tours for Outdoor and Nature Lovers in India.
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Krabi Prices
Thailand PricesVaranasi Prices
India Prices -
Average Daily Cost Per person, per dayKrabi $70Varanasi $31
The average daily cost (per person) in Krabi is $70, while the average daily cost in Varanasi is $31. 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 Krabi and Varanasi in more detail.
Accommodation
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Accommodation Hotel or hostel for one personKrabi $40Varanasi $14
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Accommodation Typical double-occupancy roomKrabi $80Varanasi $28
Compare Hotels in Krabi and Varanasi
Looking for a hotel in Krabi or Varanasi? 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: Krabi Hotel Prices and Varanasi Hotel Prices.
Local Transportation
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Local Transportation Taxis, local buses, subway, etc.Krabi $4.15Varanasi $4.29
Typical Local Transportation Prices in Krabi
Some typical examples of transportation costs in Krabi are as follows:
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Scooter Rental$8.95
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Short Tuk-Tuk Ride$2.98
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2 Bottles of Gasoline$2.39
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Longboat Taxi from Town$5.97
Hired Cars and Shuttles in Krabi
Also for Krabi, here are a few examples of actual transportation services:
- Van Phuket Airport Transfer to Patong Beach Area (SHA Plus): $41
- VAN PHUKET AIRPORT Transfer to PHUKET TOWN (SHA Plus): $43
- VAN PHUKET AIRPORT TRANSFER to TRI TRANG BEACH: $37
- VAN PHUKET AIRPORT TRANSFER to SIRAY BAY: $43
- VAN PHUKET AIRPORT TRANSFER to ROYAL PHUKET MARINA: $31
- VAN PHUKET AIRPORT TRANSFER to RAWAI BEACH: $46
- VAN PHUKET AIRPORT TRANSFER to RASSADA PIER: $61
- VAN PHUKET AIRPORT TRANSFER to PHUKET TOWN: $34
- VAN PHUKET AIRPORT TRANSFER to NAIYANG BEACH: $29
- VAN PHUKET AIRPORT TRANSFER to NAITHON BEACH: $29
- VAN PHUKET AIRPORT TRANSFER to NAIHARN BEACH: $43
- VAN PHUKET AIRPORT TRANSFER to LAYAN BEACH: $26
Typical Local Transportation Prices in Varanasi
Here are some examples of typical transportation prices from actual travelers in Varanasi:
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Tuk Tuk Through Town$0.83
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Rickshaw Ride$0.52
Hired Cars and Shuttles in Varanasi
Also for Varanasi, here are a few examples of actual transportation services:
- Sunrise Boat Tour and Heritage Walk with transfers: $79
- Sarnath Tour with Guide & Car Including transfers: $77
- Sarnath Tour with Guide & Car Including Hotel transfers: $69
- Airport Pickup/Drop Transfer Service: $53
- Varanasi Hotels to Varanasi Airport drop: Private Transfers: $11
- Varanasi Airport to Varanasi Hotels drop: Private Transfers: $11
- Varanasi Airport to Varanasi Hotels drop: Private Transfers: $11
- Varanasi Airport Transfer: $14
- Varanasi Airport : Transfer to Hotel / To Airport: $13
- Varanasi Airport : Transfer To Hotel / To Airport: $21
- Varanasi - Arrival transfer from airport to hotel: $32
- Private Transfer: Varanasi Station to Hotel: $10
Is it cheaper to fly into Krabi or Varanasi?
Prices for flights to both Varanasi and Krabi 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 dayKrabi $24Varanasi $11
Typical Food Prices in Krabi
For Krabi, here are some examples of average food and meal prices for travelers:
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Casual Lunch (for Two)$7.46
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Drinks on the Beach$7.16
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Sit Down Dinner (for Two)$19
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Nice Dinner (for Two)$33
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Mango Shake$1.49
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Pad Thai$2.98
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Fruit from the Market$1.79
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Pancakes$2.98
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Coffee & Cake$2.24
Food Tours and Cooking Classes in Krabi
For Krabi, here are some samples of tours and activities related to meals and dining experiences:
- Krabi 7 Islands Sunset Island Hopping with BBQ Dinner by Big Boat: $32
- 7 Islands Sunset Tour with Buffet Dinner & Snorkeling: $33
- Snorkeling and Sunset to Krabi 7 Islands by Longtail Boat + Buffet BBQ Dinner: $35
- 7 Islands Sunset & Plankton Swim with BBQ Dinner: $35
- Krabi 7 Islands Sunset Cruise with Buffet Dinner: $36
- 7 Islands Sunset Tour with Buffet Dinner, Night Snorkeling: $39
- Krabi Best of 7 islands Adventure Tour with Beachside BBQ Dinner: $42
- Krabi Thai Cooking School Small-Group Class with Hotel Transfer: $42
- Ya Thai Cooking Class with Hotel Transfer in Ao Nang: $43
- Krabi 7 Island Sunset & BBQ Dinner (Join Tour): $43
- Krabi Thai Cooking Class: $43
- 7 Island Sunset Long-Tail Boat Tour With Barbecue Dinner: $43
Typical Food Prices in Varanasi
For Varanasi, here are some examples of average food and meal prices for travelers:
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Dinner In Town$3.58
Food Tours and Cooking Classes in Varanasi
For Varanasi, here are some samples of tours and activities related to meals and dining experiences:
- Food Tour: Highlights Tour with Tasting &Sunset in Varanasi: $14
- Cooking Class with Sona: $29
- Night Boat Ride, Aarti Ceremony and Dinner: $29
- 3-hour street food tour: $33
- Ganga Aarti with Street Food Tour of Varanasi: $40
- Varanasi Cooking Classes with Shobha: $40
- Private Food Tour with Ganga Aarti Ceremony: $42
- Traditional Indian Cooking Class with Dinner: $42
- Private Street Food Tour with 8+ Tastings & Pickup: $44
- Private Food Tour with Ganga Aarti Ceremony: $44
- Dashashwamedh Ganga Arati from balcony with Street Food Tour: $50
- Indian Cooking Class with Hotel Pickup: $52
Entertainment
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Entertainment Entrance tickets, shows, etc.Krabi $11Varanasi $9.11
Typical Entertainment Prices in Krabi
Below are a few sample prices from actual travelers for Krabi's activities, tours, and tickets:
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Thai-English Book$9.85
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Thai Massages (for Two)$24
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Bikini & Sarong$18
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Yoga Class (1 Hour)$13
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Backgammon Set (travel size)$7.46
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Kayak Trip (for Two)$57
Tours and Activities in Krabi
For Krabi, here are a few prices for actual activities, tours, and tickets provided by various companies:
- 2-Hour Clear Kayak Illuminated Night Tour in Krabi: $70
- 2-Hour The best of Krabi Private Walking Tour: $275
- 2D1N Khao Sok National Park Tour from Krabi: $262
- 4 Island Full Day Krabi Tour: Longtail Boat & Lunch: $39
- 4 Island Group Tour by Traditional Long Tail Boat in Ao Nang: $46
- 4 Island Joint Tour by Speed Boat from Krabi: $50
- 4 Island Snorkeling Tour on a LongTail Boat from Krabi: $37
- 4 Island Tour by Longtail Boat Krabi + Lunch + Pick Up + Drop Off: $18
- 4 Island tour by SPEEDBOAT from Krabi + Lunch + Hotel Pick Up and Drop Off: $27
- 4 Islands Day Tour by Speed Boat from Ao Nang, Krabi: $40
- 4 Islands Day Tour from Krabi: $23
- 4 Islands Full-day Tour from Krabi with Tub, Chicken, Poda Island & Phra Nang: $60
Typical Entertainment Prices in Varanasi
Below are a few sample prices from actual travelers for Varanasi's activities, tours, and tickets:
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Boat Ride$0.73
Tours and Activities in Varanasi
For Varanasi, here are a few prices for actual activities, tours, and tickets provided by various companies:
- 03 Day Spiritual Tour: Kashi Vishwanath,Ganga Aarti Sarnath”: $266
- 08 Hours : Private - Full Day City Tour Of Delhi: $53
- 08 Hours : Private Full Day City Tour of Jaipur: $90
- 2 Days Enlightening Bodhgaya Tour from Varanasi: $189
- 2 Days Varanasi City Tour with Evening Aarti and Boat Ride: $100
- 2 Days Varanasi tour package for first timers: $135
- 2 Night 3 Days Spiritual Varanasi with Cruise Ride: $233
- 2-Day Varanasi Experience – Temples, Ghats & Ganga Aarti: $140
- 2-Day Varanasi Heritage & Tradition Guided Tour: $156
- 2-Day Experience Sunrise Boat Ride & Evening Aarti: $317
- 3 Day Varanasi Ganga Aarti Tour with Sarnath Buddhist Temple: $144
- 3 Days Admirable Tour in Varanasi with private tour guided: $118
Alcohol
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Alcohol Drinks for one dayKrabi $4.75Varanasi $6.81
Typical Alcohol Prices in Krabi
Some typical examples of the costs for nightlife and alcohol in Krabi are as follows:
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Beer$2.69
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Cocktails (for Two)$8.95
Sample the Local Flavors in Krabi
Some specific costs for nightlife related activities in Krabi:
- Krabi Pub Crawl - The Best Nightlife Tour in Ao Nang!: $15
- Krabi Pub Crawl: $15
When we compare the travel costs of actual travelers between Krabi and Varanasi, we can see that Krabi is more expensive. And not only is Varanasi much less expensive, but it is actually a significantly cheaper destination. So, traveling to Varanasi would let you spend less money overall. Or, you could decide to spend more money in Varanasi 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 Krabi would naturally cost you much more money, so you would probably want to keep your budget a little tighter in Krabi than you might in Varanasi.
If you're trying to decide if either of these two destinations are within your price range, also see Is Krabi Expensive? and Is Varanasi Expensive?.
Which is Bigger, Krabi or Varanasi?
Varanasi has a larger population, and is about 40 times larger than the population of Krabi. When comparing the sizes of Krabi and Varanasi, 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.