A Travel Price Comparison for Families, Couples, and Backpackers Pyeongchang vs. Yaeyama Islands for Vacations, Tours, and Honeymoons

Should you visit Pyeongchang or Yaeyama Islands?

Which is cheaper to visit? Which is more expensive for vacation?

If you're trying to decide where to visit between Pyeongchang or Yaeyama Islands, 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: Pyeongchang or Yaeyama Islands?

Pyeongchang

Pyeongchang is a county of South Korea situated in the Taebaek Mountains in Gangwon Province. A popular location for winter sports, it was chosen as the host city for the 2018 Winter Olympics. Other attractions include Buddhist temples, parks, villages, and natural scenery.

Yaeyama Islands

The Yaeyama Islands is a cluster of islands located in the southwestern part of Japan, close to Taiwan. There are nine different islands, varying from small islets to large holiday resort islands. The Yaeyama Islands are one of the most popular destination in Japan due to their beautiful beaches and underwater ruins. Yaeyama is also known for having their own language and writing system. For the most part, everyone on the Islands speak Japanese, but you'll often find the Yaeyama writing on T-shirts in souvenir shops or scattered around Yaeyama.

For some great organized tour ideas, see The Best One-Week (7-Day) Tours from Seoul, The Best 10-Day Tours from Seoul, The Best One-Week (7-Day) Tours from Tokyo, and The Best 10-Day Tours from Tokyo.

When comparing the travel costs between Pyeongchang and Yaeyama Islands, we can see that Pyeongchang 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 Pyeongchang Expensive? and Is Yaeyama Islands Expensive?.

When is the best time to visit Pyeongchang or Yaeyama Islands?

Both places have a temperate climate with four distinct seasons. As both cities are in the northern hemisphere, summer is in July and winter is in January.

Should I visit Pyeongchang or Yaeyama Islands in the Summer?

The summer brings many poeple to Pyeongchang as well as Yaeyama Islands. Also, many visitors come to Yaeyama Islands in the summer for the beaches, snorkeling, the hiking, and the family-friendly experiences.

Pyeongchang is cooler than Yaeyama Islands in the summer. The daily temperature in Pyeongchang averages around 24°C (76°F) in July, and Yaeyama Islands fluctuates around 29°C (85°F).

The sun comes out a lot this time of the year in Yaeyama Islands. In the summer, Pyeongchang often gets less sunshine than Yaeyama Islands. Pyeongchang gets 144 hours of sunny skies this time of year, while Yaeyama Islands receives 279 hours of full sun.

It's quite rainy in Yaeyama Islands. Pyeongchang receives a lot of rain in the summer. Pyeongchang usually gets more rain in July than Yaeyama Islands. Pyeongchang gets 217 mm (8.5 in) of rain, while Yaeyama Islands receives 179 mm (7 in) of rain this time of the year.

Should I visit Pyeongchang or Yaeyama Islands in the Autumn?

Both Yaeyama Islands and Pyeongchang are popular destinations to visit in the autumn with plenty of activities. Also, most visitors come to Yaeyama Islands for the hiking trails and the natural beauty of the area during these months.

In the autumn, Pyeongchang is much colder than Yaeyama Islands. Typically, the autumn temperatures in Pyeongchang in October average around 15°C (60°F), and Yaeyama Islands averages at about 26°C (78°F).

Pyeongchang usually receives around the same amount of sunshine as Yaeyama Islands during autumn. Pyeongchang gets 185 hours of sunny skies, while Yaeyama Islands receives 177 hours of full sun in the autumn.

It rains a lot this time of the year in Yaeyama Islands. It's quite rainy in Pyeongchang. In October, Pyeongchang usually receives less rain than Yaeyama Islands. Pyeongchang gets 112 mm (4.4 in) of rain, while Yaeyama Islands receives 173 mm (6.8 in) of rain each month for the autumn.

Should I visit Pyeongchang or Yaeyama Islands in the Winter?

Both Yaeyama Islands and Pyeongchang during the winter are popular places to visit. Furthermore, the winter months attract visitors to Yaeyama Islands because of the museums and the cuisine.

Pyeongchang can be very cold during winter. In January, Pyeongchang is generally much colder than Yaeyama Islands. Daily temperatures in Pyeongchang average around 0°C (33°F), and Yaeyama Islands fluctuates around 18°C (64°F).

In the winter, Pyeongchang often gets more sunshine than Yaeyama Islands. Pyeongchang gets 190 hours of sunny skies this time of year, while Yaeyama Islands receives 97 hours of full sun.

Yaeyama Islands gets a good bit of rain this time of year. Pyeongchang usually gets less rain in January than Yaeyama Islands. Pyeongchang gets 58 mm (2.3 in) of rain, while Yaeyama Islands receives 120 mm (4.7 in) of rain this time of the year.

Should I visit Pyeongchang or Yaeyama Islands in the Spring?

The spring attracts plenty of travelers to both Pyeongchang and Yaeyama Islands. Furthermore, the beaches and the natural beauty are the main draw to Yaeyama Islands this time of year.

Pyeongchang is much colder than Yaeyama Islands in the spring. The daily temperature in Pyeongchang averages around 12°C (54°F) in April, and Yaeyama Islands fluctuates around 23°C (74°F).

In Pyeongchang, it's very sunny this time of the year. Pyeongchang usually receives more sunshine than Yaeyama Islands during spring. Pyeongchang gets 204 hours of sunny skies, while Yaeyama Islands receives 154 hours of full sun in the spring.

Yaeyama Islands receives a lot of rain in the spring. In April, Pyeongchang usually receives less rain than Yaeyama Islands. Pyeongchang gets 77 mm (3 in) of rain, while Yaeyama Islands receives 147 mm (5.8 in) of rain each month for the spring. Also, May to June is the rainy season in Yaeyama Islands.

Typical Weather for Yaeyama Islands and Pyeongchang