Should you visit Pokhara or Bangkok?
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 Pokhara and Bangkok can help you decide which place is right for you.
Where Should I go: Pokhara or Bangkok?
Pokhara
Pokhara is the second largest city in Nepal and is strategically located near the popular Annapurna Circuit. The Annapurna Circuit, or the "Apple Pie Trail", is a popular trek through the Annapurna Valley that makes a circular route through stunning mountainous landscapes. Several other trekking options can be found in this region, too. Many people use Pohkara as a place to prepare or recover from their recently completed treks because it is less intimidating than the larger city of Kathmandu.
Bangkok
Bangkok: a name synonymous with all things exotic. The vibrant and exciting capital of Thailand is not just a hub for Southeast Asia, but also a destination into itself. Known for an active nightlife and party scene, as well as great food, historic temples, and busy markets, Bangkok offers a diversity to entertain even the most experienced travelers.
For some great organized tour ideas, see The Best Hiking & Trekking Tours in Nepal, The Best 10-Day Tours in Nepal, The Best Family-Friendly Tours to Thailand, and The Best Wildlife Tours to Thailand.
Which place is cheaper, Bangkok or Pokhara?
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 Pokhara is $22, while the average daily cost in Bangkok is $103. 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 Pokhara and Bangkok in more detail.
Accommodation
Looking for a hotel in Pokhara or Bangkok? 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:
Pokhara Hotel Prices and
Bangkok Hotel Prices.
Local Transportation
Typical Local Transportation Prices in Pokhara
Here are some examples of typical transportation prices from actual travelers in Pokhara:
Hired Cars and Shuttles in Pokhara
Some specific examples of transportation prices in Pokhara:
-
"Exclusive Private Transfer: Pokhara to Chitwan in a Luxury car":
$82
-
"Exclusive Round-Trip Transfer: Pokhara to Jomsom & Muktinath":
$210
-
Comfortable Private Transfer from Pokhara to Chitwan:
$66
-
From 4-Day Poon Hill Trek with Transfers:
$130
-
From Private Car Transfer To Chitwan:
$59
-
Intercity transfer by private car all over Nepal:
$54
-
Pokhara ↔️ Kathmandu: VIP Luxury Sofa Bus Transfer (Rainbow):
$16
-
Pokhara Airport Shuttles & Private Transfer:
$15
-
Pokhara to Kathmandu One Way Transfer by Private AC Car:
$80
-
Pokhara to Kathmandu Transfer by Private Car:
$99
-
Pokhara to Kathmandu: One Way Private Transfer:
$295
-
Airport Transfer by Private Car:
$11
Typical Local Transportation Prices in Bangkok
Some typical examples of transportation costs in Bangkok are as follows:
Hired Cars and Shuttles in Bangkok
Some specific examples of transportation prices in Bangkok:
-
Affordable Bangkok Airport Transfer:
$22
-
Airport Transfer Camry/Fortuner or Similar:
$45
-
Airport Transfer Luxury Sedan Mercedes E Class BMW 5 Series:
$98
-
Airport Transfer: Bangkok Airport BKK to Bangkok by Luxury Car:
$127
-
Airport Transfer: Bangkok to Bangkok Airport BKK by Luxury Van:
$104
-
Airport Transfer: Don Mueang Airport DMK to Bangkok by Luxury Van:
$104
-
Airport private Transfer from Bangkok City to Suvarnabhumi BKK:
$38
-
Airport to Airport Transfer in Bangkok:
$66
-
Airport transfer to Bangkok downtown:
$25
-
Ancient City (Mueang Boran) Entrance Tickets With Hotel Transfer:
$49
-
Arrival Private Transfers from Bangkok Airport BKK to Bangkok in Business Car:
$76
-
Arrival Private Transfers from Bangkok Airport BKK to Bangkok in Luxury Van:
$101
Is it cheaper to fly into Pokhara or Bangkok?
Prices for flights to both Bangkok and Pokhara 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
-
Food
Meals for one day
Pokhara $12
Bangkok $36
Typical Food Prices in Pokhara
Below are a few samples from actual travelers for food and meal costs in Pokhara:
-
Dinner for Two
$3.95
-
Dessert (for 2)
$2.63
-
Pastries
$1.32
-
Dinner
$5.59
Food Tours and Cooking Classes in Pokhara
Also, here are some specific examples of food and dining related activities in Pokhara.
-
Nepali cultural dinner night in Pokhara:
$21
-
Nepali Nights: Dinner & Cultural Dance Delight in Pokhara:
$26
-
MoMo or Dal Bhat Cooking Class at Aama Kitchen in Pokhara:
$29
-
Nepalese Kitchen in Momos or Dal Bhat Cooking Class:
$29
-
3 Hour MoMo cooking class:
$31
-
Nepali Cooking Class and Momo Making Workshop:
$42
-
3 Hour Authentic Nepali Thakali Dish Cooking Class:
$45
-
Pokhara Hidden Gems Off the Beaten Path and Local Food Tour:
$50
-
3 Hours Momo Cooking class in Pokhara:
$70
-
1 Day Momo making cooking class:
$75
-
Organic Farm Tour and Cooking Class at Durku:
$115
-
Pokhara 4 Hours Private Indian Authentic Naga Dish Cooking Class:
$115
Typical Food Prices in Bangkok
Below are a few samples from actual travelers for food and meal costs in Bangkok:
Food Tours and Cooking Classes in Bangkok
Also, here are some specific examples of food and dining related activities in Bangkok.
-
Baiyoke Sky Hotel Observation Deck Ticket with Lunch or Dinner:
$24
-
Baiyoke Sky Observation Deck With Buffet Dinner or Lunch:
$24
-
Chao Phraya Princess Sunset and Dinner Cruise:
$27
-
Calypso Cabaret Show with Thai Set Dinner:
$28
-
Chao Phraya River Meridian Dinner Buffet Cruise Tour:
$28
-
Chao Phraya Princess Bangkok Sunset Dinner Cruise:
$29
-
Thai Cooking Class in Bangkok's Old Town with Market Tour:
$30
-
Alangka Bangkok Sunset Dinner Cruise:
$30
-
Bangkok Sunset or Evening Dinner Cruise (The Planet Cruise):
$30
-
Smile Riverside Cruise Luxury Buffet Dinner from Bangkok:
$31
-
Pink Chili - Thai Cooking Class and Market Tour in Bangkok:
$31
-
Nopparat’s Traditional Thai Dinner & Dance:
$31
Entertainment
Tours and Activities in Pokhara
Here are a few actual costs in Pokhara for available activities, ticket prices, and tours:
-
Sarangkot Sunrise with Half or Full-Day City Tour:
$7.47
-
From Sarangkot Sunrise Himalayas Tour:
$7.84
-
Sarangkot Sunrise Himalayas: Tour 3 hour private tour:
$9.16
-
Quick Devi’s Water Fall Tour:
$9.26
-
Visit Best Seven Tourist Destination by Sharing Bus:
$9.52
-
Guided Evening Walking Tour in Lakeside:
$9.52
-
Pokhara Places of Interest Tour by Sharing Bus:
$10
-
Paragliding, Bungy Jump and Zipline Combo Adventure:
$10
-
City Sightseeing Group Budget Bus Tour:
$10
-
City Sightseeing Group Bus Tour:
$10
-
Pokhara City Tour in Sharing Bus:
$10
-
Sarangkot Sunrise Himalayas Group Joining Tour:
$10
Typical Entertainment Prices in Bangkok
Here are a few typical costs in Bangkok for activities, ticket prices, and tours that come from previous visitors:
-
Movie Ticket
$4.91
-
Grand Palace Entrance Ticket
$11
-
Wat Pho (Reclining Buddha) Ticket
$1.53
-
Dusit Zoo Entrance Fee (for Two)
$6.14
-
Club Cover Charge
$12
-
Thai Boxing Tickets (for Two)
$74
-
Fish Pedicure
$4.60
-
Wat Pho entrance ticket
$3.07
-
Siriraj Museum (2)
$12
Tours and Activities in Bangkok
Here are a few actual costs in Bangkok for available activities, ticket prices, and tours:
-
Road to Democracy: A Self-Guided Audio Tour of Thailand's Modern Politics:
$5.00
-
Bangkok Chinatown Eats: A Self-guided Audio Tour:
$5.13
-
Grand Palace Self-Guided Walking Tour (entry not incl.):
$6.99
-
Bangkok's Old Town: A Self-Guided Audio Tour:
$6.99
-
Wat Pho Reclining Buddha Self-Guided Audio Tour (entry not incl.):
$6.99
-
Chinatown & Golden Buddha Self-Guided Audio Tour (entry not incl):
$6.99
-
Bangkok's Wireless Road: A Self-Guided Audio Tour:
$7.99
-
Space and Time Cube Tickets in Bangkok:
$9.40
-
Erawan Museum Ticket (NON THAI):
$10
-
Bangkok Erawan Museum Ticket (NON-THAI):
$10
-
Skip the Line: Patpong Museum Guided Tour:
$11
-
Ancient City Admission Ticket(Non-Thai only)-Bangkok:
$14
Alcohol
Typical Alcohol Prices in Bangkok
Some typical examples of the costs for nightlife and alcohol in Bangkok are as follows:
Sample the Local Flavors in Bangkok
Some specific costs for nightlife related activities in Bangkok:
-
GoGo Bar Crawl With Party Vehicle and Party Guide:
$63
When we compare the travel costs of actual travelers between Pokhara and Bangkok, we can see that Bangkok is more expensive. And not only is Pokhara much less expensive, but it is actually a significantly cheaper destination. So, traveling to Pokhara would let you spend less money overall. Or, you could decide to spend more money in Pokhara 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 Bangkok would naturally cost you much more money, so you would probably want to keep your budget a little tighter in Bangkok than you might in Pokhara.
If you're trying to decide if either of these two destinations are within your price range, also see Is Pokhara Expensive? and Is Bangkok Expensive?.
Which is Bigger, Pokhara or Bangkok?
Bangkok has a larger population, and is about 30 times larger than the population of Pokhara. When comparing the sizes of Pokhara and Bangkok, 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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