Should you visit Luang Prabang or Taipei?
Which is cheaper to visit? Which is more expensive for vacation?
If you're trying to decide where to visit between Luang Prabang or Taipei, 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: Luang Prabang or Taipei?
Luang Prabang
Southeast Asia is a region full of mystical wonders and cultural charm, but nowhere is as charming as the city of Luang Prabang. As the former capital of Laos, Luang Prabang was reopened to tourism in 1989. With that move the city experienced an upswing in revenue and was able to restore and rebuild the beautiful colonial mansions to serve as guesthouses and hotels for the new swarm of tourists.
Taipei
Few cities in the world are full of more diverse opportunities than the cultural crosshairs city of Taipei. As the capital of Taiwan, this 300-year-old city is the financial, cultural and governmental center of Taiwan. Located in the northern part of the island between the Yangming Mountains and Central Mountains, this city of 2.6 million people is always ready to welcome more visitors.
For some great organized tour ideas, see The Best Hiking & Trekking Tours in Laos, The Best One Week (7-Day) Tours in Laos, The Best Cultural Tours in Taiwan, and The Best Tours for Seniors to Taiwan.
Which place is cheaper, Taipei or Luang Prabang?
These are the overall average travel costs for the two destinations. These travel costs come from the actual spending of real travelers.
The average daily cost (per person) in Luang Prabang is $18, while the average daily cost in Taipei is $206. 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 Luang Prabang and Taipei in more detail.
Accommodation
Looking for a hotel in Luang Prabang or Taipei? 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:
Luang Prabang Hotel Prices and
Taipei Hotel Prices.
Local Transportation
Typical Local Transportation Prices in Luang Prabang
Some typical examples of transportation costs in Luang Prabang are as follows:
Hired Cars and Shuttles in Luang Prabang
Also for Luang Prabang, here are a few examples of actual transportation services:
-
2D Transfer to Huay Xai by Slow Boat:
$60
-
2-Day Private Tour with Airport Transfers:
$165
-
Luang Prabang Private Airport transfers:
$9.00
-
LPQ Airport: Private Transfer to/from Luang Prabang City:
$20
-
From 3-Day Oudomxay Town Trip with Transfers:
$580
Typical Local Transportation Prices in Taipei
Here are some examples of typical transportation prices from actual travelers in Taipei:
-
Easycard
$2.15
-
Easycard
$9.92
Hired Cars and Shuttles in Taipei
Also for Taipei, here are a few examples of actual transportation services:
-
Bruns 9 seater, charter tour, business transfer, airport transfer, round-the-island charter tour:
$299
-
Private Transfer from Taipei Taoyuan Airport TPE to Hualien Port:
$280
-
Keelung(Taipei) Cruise Port to Taipei-Round-Trip Private Transfer:
$208
-
Taipei Taoyuan Airport (TPE) to Taian Township -Arrival Transfer:
$192
-
Beito to Taipei Taoyuan Airport (TPE)-Departure Transfer:
$192
-
Private Transfer from Taipei Taoyuan Airport to Taichung Port:
$147
-
Keelung Cruise Port to Taiwan Taoyuan Airport (TPE) - Departure Private Transfer:
$144
-
Luxury Chartered Private Transfer Taoyuan Airport to Taipei City:
$140
-
Luxury Chartered Private Transfer from Taipei to Taoyuan Airport:
$139
-
Private Transfer from Keelung Port to Taiwan Taoyuan Airport(TPE):
$133
-
Taipei City to Keelung (Taipei) Cruise Port - Departure Private Transfer:
$104
-
Keelung (Taipei) Cruise Port to Taipei city - Arrival Private Transfer :
$104
Is it cheaper to fly into Luang Prabang or Taipei?
Prices for flights to both Taipei and Luang Prabang 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 day
Luang Prabang $9.25
Taipei $29
Food Tours and Cooking Classes in Luang Prabang
For Luang Prabang, here are some samples of tours and activities related to meals and dining experiences:
-
Luang Prabang Local Market and Morning Food Tour with Drinks:
$39
-
Bamboo Weaving Workshop & Cooking Class:
$44
-
Day-time Bamboo weaving & Cooking Classes join-in:
$44
-
Luangprabang: Dinner with Lao Traditional Dance Performance:
$45
-
Mekong Meals Food Tour with 15+ Tastings:
$45
-
Cooking Class at the Former Royal Palace:
$45
-
Prabang Plates Food Tour with 15+ Tastings:
$45
-
Mekong Meals Food Tour with 15+ Tastings:
$46
-
Laos: Prabang Plates Food Tour with 15+ Tastings:
$46
-
Evening Bamboo weaving & Cooking classes join-in:
$47
-
Mekong Sunset Cruise & Lao Tasting Dinner:
$49
-
Evening Cooking Class & Local Baci Ceremony:
$51
Typical Food Prices in Taipei
For Taipei, here are some examples of average food and meal prices for travelers:
-
EasyCard
$17
-
Lunch at The Can
$7.28
-
EasyCard
$33
-
Lunch
$3.14
-
Lunch
$1.98
-
Dinner
$6.62
-
Lunch
$3.80
-
Lunch
$4.96
-
Louisa coffee
$3.14
Food Tours and Cooking Classes in Taipei
For Taipei, here are some samples of tours and activities related to meals and dining experiences:
-
Taipei Food Tour Taiwan Traditional Breakfast and Market and Tea:
$45
-
Food Tours w/ Top 10 Taiwan Food (Breakfast/Dinner):
$45
-
Taipei Food Tour: Night Market & Convenience Store(Food Included):
$45
-
Taipei Walking Food Tour in Ningxia Night Market(10 Foods Incl.):
$45
-
Local Favorites: Taiwan Night Market Food Tour in 2 hours:
$49
-
Street Food & Hidden Eats Night Market Food Tour:
$55
-
Taipei Hidden Eats, Market & Street Food Tour with 8+ Tastings:
$55
-
Xiao long bao, Pork thick soup, Bubble milk tea. (Taiwan Cooking Class)-B :
$65
-
Private Walking Food Tour in Ningxia Night Market(10 Foods Incl.):
$70
-
Xiao Long Bao, Chicken vermicelli with mushroom and sesame oil, Tofu strips salad, Bubble milk tea. Taiwan Traditional Delicacies Experience-A (Taipei Cooking Class):
$77
-
Iconic Food Tour: Local Street Food, Drinks & Sites:
$82
-
Private Street Food Tour of Taipei with a Local Guide:
$84
Entertainment
Tours and Activities in Luang Prabang
Also, here are some specific examples of entertainment, tickets, and activities for Luang Prabang.
-
Half Day Kayaking and Pak Ou Caves with Sunset Cruise:
$196
-
Kuang Si Waterfalls and Hmong Village Half-Day Tour:
$30
-
6Days 5Nigths Luang Prabang city tour & Mekong River Cruise:
$800
-
Best of Luang Prabang Shared Group City Tour:
$214
-
Bike to Kuangsi Waterfall and Cruise the Mekong River Back - Luang Prabang 1 day:
$170
-
Classic Tour in Luang Prabang:
$90
-
Classic tour in Luang Prabang (Private):
$243
-
Day Pass - Premium Wellness Experience at The Namkhan:
$90
-
Dine and Cruise on Mekong River:
$66
-
Explore Pak Ou Caves by Kayak with Optional Sunset River Cruise:
$196
-
From Field to Table Half Day Rice Experience in Luang Prabang:
$194
-
From 8-Day Laos Tour with Accommodation:
$1,241
Tours and Activities in Taipei
For Taipei, here are a few prices for actual activities, tours, and tickets provided by various companies:
-
9 Hour Northeast Coast Bay View Tour in Yilan :
$61
-
Yamingshan Volcano, Beitou Thermal Valley, Danshui Private Tour:
$173
-
2 Days Sun Moon Lake & Lukang Historic Area Tour:
$232
-
2 days Yeliou (or Pingxi sky lantern) & Sun Moon Lake tour (Taichung city end) :
$200
-
2-Hour Private Dadaocheng Walking Tour:
$35
-
2-Hour Private Walking Tour in Beitou, Taiwan:
$55
-
4 Days Private Tour Taipei, Jiufen, Sun Moon Lake & Taichung:
$1,079
-
4 Hour Afternoon Cycling City Tour North with Snack:
$83
-
4-Hour Morning Cycling City Tour (incl. breakfast):
$83
-
5 Hours Sightseeing and Bar Tour in Taipei:
$72
-
8-hour Northern Taiwan Tour with an English-Speaking Licensed Guide & Driver:
$240
-
9 Hour Tamsui Historic Site and Beitou Hot Spring Culture Tour:
$57
Alcohol
Sample the Local Flavors in Taipei
Here are a few nightlife and alcohol tours and activities from local tour providers in Taipei:
-
Taipei Nightlife: Taipei Pub Crawls (2 Different Routes):
$27
-
Private Tour to Yilan Kavalan Whisky Distillery:
$145
When we compare the travel costs of actual travelers between Luang Prabang and Taipei, we can see that Taipei is more expensive. And not only is Luang Prabang much less expensive, but it is actually a significantly cheaper destination. So, traveling to Luang Prabang would let you spend less money overall. Or, you could decide to spend more money in Luang Prabang 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 Taipei would naturally cost you much more money, so you would probably want to keep your budget a little tighter in Taipei than you might in Luang Prabang.
If you're trying to decide if either of these two destinations are within your price range, also see Is Luang Prabang Expensive? and Is Taipei Expensive?.
Which is Bigger, Luang Prabang or Taipei?
Taipei has a larger population, and is about 170 times larger than the population of Luang Prabang. When comparing the sizes of Luang Prabang and Taipei, 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.
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