Which place is cheaper, Taipei or Phuket?
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 Phuket or Taipei?
Which is cheaper to visit? Which is more expensive for vacation?
If you're trying to decide where to visit between Phuket 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: Phuket or Taipei?
Phuket
Phuket Island is the holiday gem of southern Thailand. Known for its beaches and resorts, the island brings in a massive amount of travelers from all over the world, year round. Although the beaches are beautiful, Phuket has also become more westernized and tourist-oriented in recent decades, leaving many travelers to venture elsewhere to find that amazing beach with a more authentic Thai vibe. However, Phuket Island is quite large, and hidden gems can still be found.
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 One Week (7-Day) Tours in Thailand, The Best 2-Week Tours in Thailand, The Best Cultural Tours in Taiwan, and The Best Tours for Seniors to Taiwan.
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Phuket Prices
Thailand PricesTaipei Prices
Taiwan Prices -
Average Daily Cost Per person, per dayPhuket $132Taipei $196
The average daily cost (per person) in Phuket is $132, while the average daily cost in Taipei is $196. 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 Phuket and Taipei in more detail.
Accommodation
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Accommodation Hotel or hostel for one personPhuket $61Taipei $148
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Accommodation Typical double-occupancy roomPhuket $122Taipei $296
Compare Hotels in Phuket and Taipei
Looking for a hotel in Phuket 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: Phuket Hotel Prices and Taipei Hotel Prices.
Local Transportation
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Local Transportation Taxis, local buses, subway, etc.Phuket $12Taipei $10
Typical Local Transportation Prices in Phuket
Below are a few samples from actual travelers for transportation costs in Phuket:
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Longtail Taxi (for Two)$8.95
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Taxi from Airport to Phuket Town$7.46
Hired Cars and Shuttles in Phuket
Some specific examples of transportation prices in Phuket:
- Ziplines 28 platforms with Free Transfer RoundTrips: $77
- Zipline and ATV Skyline Adventure Phuket Include Pickup Transfer: $37
- Transfer from Phuket Airport to Khao Lak Hotel: $92
- TAXI PHUKET AIRPORT Transfer to LAGUNA Beach Area (SHA Plus): $28
- TAXI AIRPORT TRANSFER to RASSADA PIER: $46
- Speedboat Transfer From Phuket To Koh Yao Yai or Koh Yao Noi: $46
- Speedboat Racha and Coral Island Transfer and meals from Phuket: $57
- Sky Rock Khao Lak Jungle Zipline Adventure with Transfer: $55
- Simon Cabaret Show Phuket – Entry Ticket with Hotel Transfers: $59
- Simon Cabaret Phuket with Round Trip Share Transfer: $25
- Similan Islands Snorkeling Day Trip from Phuket with Transfers: $110
- Similan Islands One Day Tour From Phuket Include Lunch & Pickup Transfer: $99
Typical Local Transportation Prices in Taipei
Here are some examples of typical transportation prices from actual travelers in Taipei:
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Easycard$2.04
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Easycard$9.43
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Train$1.10
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
- Jiufen: one-way private transfer to or from Taipei City: $42
- Keelung(Taipei) Cruise Port to Taipei-Round-Trip Private Transfer: $158
- Keelung: one-way private transfer to or from Taipei City: $42
- Luxury Chartered Private Transfer from Taipei to Taoyuan Airport: $139
- One-Way Transfer Service from Taipei to Sun Moon Lake: $57
- One-way Private Transfer between Jiufen and Taipei: $47
- Private Airport Transfer: Taipei Airport (TPE) → Taipei Hotel: $50
- Private Airport Transfer: Taipei Hotel → Taipei Aiport (TPE): $49
- Private Transfer from Keelung (Taipei) Cruise Port to Taipei City: $73
- Private Transfer from TPE-Taoyuan int. Airport to Taipei City: $60
- Private Transfer from Taipei Taoyuan Airport TPE to Hualien Port: $268
Is it cheaper to fly into Phuket or Taipei?
Prices for flights to both Taipei and Phuket 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 dayPhuket $41Taipei $28
Typical Food Prices in Phuket
Below are a few samples from actual travelers for food and meal costs in Phuket:
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Casual Dinner (for Two)$8.63
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Casual Lunch (for Two)$5.07
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Sit Down Dinner (for Two)$13
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Thai Noodles$2.69
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Bananas$0.75
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Pizza (for Two)$8.95
Food Tours and Cooking Classes in Phuket
Also, here are some specific examples of food and dining related activities in Phuket.
- Authentic Peranakan Cooking Class & Tasting Menu in Phuket: $29
- Phuket Express Thai Cooking Course with Authentic Recipes: $47
- Express Thai Cooking Class in Phuket: $50
- Catamaran Sunset Cruise in Phuket with Dinner at Promthep Cape: $52
- Vegetarian Organic Thai Cooking Class and Market Tour in Phuket: $52
- 3-Hour Authentic Thai Cooking Experience: $52
- Phuket 10+ Tastings Food Tour & Charming Old Town: $52
- Phuket Coral Island & Sunset Dinner Cruise by Catamaran Yacht: $53
- Simply Thai Cooking Experience: $55
- Organic Thai Cooking Class and Market Tour in Phuket: $55
- Phuket Coral Island and Sunset Dinner by Luxury Catamaran: $58
- Coral Island Premium Yacht Half Day Tour with Sunset Dinner: $58
Typical Food Prices in Taipei
For Taipei, here are some examples of average food and meal prices for travelers:
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EasyCard$16
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Lunch at The Can$6.91
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EasyCard$31
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Lunch$2.99
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Lunch$1.89
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Dinner$6.29
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Lunch$3.61
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Lunch$4.71
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Louisa coffee$2.99
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Lunch$5.97
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Lunch$3.61
Food Tours and Cooking Classes in Taipei
For Taipei, here are some samples of tours and activities related to meals and dining experiences:
- Taipei Traditional Food Tour in Taiwan Breakfast Market and Tea: $45
- Food Tours w/ Top 10 Taiwan Food (Breakfast/Dinner): $45
- Taipei Walking Food Tour in Ningxia Night Market(10 Foods Incl.): $49
- Taipei Hidden Eats, Market & Street Food Tour with 8+ Tastings: $55
- Street Food & Hidden Eats Night Market Food Tour: $55
- Taipei Tastes Food Tour with 12+ Tastings: $55
- Yansan Night Market Food Tour: $62
- Turnip cake, Pork thick soup, Tofu pudding. Taiwan Traditional Light Meals Experience-C (Taipei Cooking Class): $65
- Xiao long bao, Pork thick soup, Bubble milk tea. (Taiwan Cooking Class)-B: $65
- Disappearing Flavors of Taiwan Food Tour with 12+ Tasters: $69
- Yilan Geothermal Cooking Retro Train and Night View Tour: $72
- Backstreet Food Tour: Food, Culture, and Fun: $75
Entertainment
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Entertainment Entrance tickets, shows, etc.Phuket $46Taipei $18
Typical Entertainment Prices in Phuket
Here are a few typical costs in Phuket for activities, ticket prices, and tours that come from previous visitors:
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One Day Boat Tour$27
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Scuba Diving (Two Dives)$75
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Thai Oil Massage$19
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Surfboard Rental$8.95
Tours and Activities in Phuket
Here are a few actual costs in Phuket for available activities, ticket prices, and tours:
- (Bookable Rows 1–3)Simon Cabaret Show Tickets in Patong Phuket: $25
- 1 Day Phuket Sightseeing Tour Without Shopping: $37
- 1 Hour Phuket ATV on Tour + Big Buddha: $39
- 1-Hour Quad Bike ATV Ride – Ultimate Adventure: $60
- 12 Islands Overnight Tour: $199
- 2 Day Tour to James Bond Islands, Krabi and Phi Phi: $184
- 2 Days 1 Night Surin Islands Snorkeling Tour from Phuket: $230
- 2 Hours ATV Riding in Phuket (Popular Tour): $98
- 2 dives on coral reefs - no prior experience required: $184
- 3 Hour Zipline Adventure Park Experience: 65 Platforms: $104
- 3 Khai Islands Tour- Snorkel, Swim & Relax (Half or Full Day): $33
- 3-Island Speedboat Tour: Racha Noi, Racha Yai & Maiton: $125
Tours and Activities in Taipei
For Taipei, here are a few prices for actual activities, tours, and tickets provided by various companies:
- Taipei's Origin & Longshan Temple - Taiwan Cultural Tour: $0.50
- Old Town Walking Tour: $0.55
- Vintage Taipei - Best of Taiwan & Sunset Walking Tour (Tip-based): $1.00
- Taipei's Origin & Longshan Temple - Taiwan Cultural Walking Tour: $1.00
- Taipei Old Town - Taiwan Introduction Walking Tour (Tip-Based): $1.00
- Vintage Taipei - Best of Taiwan and Sunset Walking Tour: $1.20
- Chiang Kai-Shek Shilin Residence Ticket: $3.28
- Zoo Entrance Ticket: $4.33
- Taipei Self-Guided City Walking Tour & Scavenger Hunt: $5.00
- Night Market Walking Tours in Shilin, Ningxia, Longshan, Ximen: $5.00
- Taipei Historic Shared Walking Tour (Tip-based): $5.00
- Self Guided Walking Tour of Tamsui with Audio Guide: $5.73
Alcohol
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Alcohol Drinks for one dayPhuket $6.95Taipei $18
Typical Alcohol Prices in Phuket
Here are a few samples of the prices for alcohol and nightlife in Phuket from other travelers:
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Cocktails (for Two)$5.97
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Beer$2.54
Sample the Local Flavors in Phuket
Also in Phuket, these are the prices for nightlife and alcohol related activities from various tour providers:
- Pub Crawl Rooftop, Bars, GoGo & 3 Clubs with Shots: $17
- Phuket Guided Pub Crawl: $29
- Chalong Bay Rum Distillery Experience: $40
- Chalong Bay Rum Distillery Experience and Lunch: $52
- Phuket Real City Tour with Rum Cocktail Distillery: $86
- Half Day Rum Distillery Tour & Sunset Viewpoint: $95
- Phuket Sightseeing Tour with Rum Distillery: $107
- Big Buddha & The Distillery Phuket: $132
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
- Yilan Kavalan Whisky Distillery,Jim&Dad's Brewing, Shenkeng Tour: $95
When we compare the travel costs of actual travelers between Phuket and Taipei, we can see that Taipei is more expensive. And not only is Phuket much less expensive, but it is actually a significantly cheaper destination. So, traveling to Phuket would let you spend less money overall. Or, you could decide to spend more money in Phuket 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 Phuket.
If you're trying to decide if either of these two destinations are within your price range, also see Is Phuket Expensive? and Is Taipei Expensive?.
Which is Bigger, Phuket or Taipei?
Taipei has a larger population, and is about 90 times larger than the population of Phuket. When comparing the sizes of Phuket 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.
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.