Which place is cheaper, Airlie Beach or Taipei?
These are the overall average travel costs for the two destinations.
Jump to 
Should you visit Taipei or Airlie Beach?
Which is cheaper to visit? Which is more expensive for vacation?
Which city should you visit? Read on to compare the activities as well as the prices of travel for Taipei and Airlie Beach. We'll break down costs for accommodation, food, transportation and more to help you learn more about these two destinations. Then, you can figure out if either of these two places are accessible based on your travel budget, schedule, and interests. So, let's dig into it.
Where Should I go: Taipei or Airlie Beach?
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.
Airlie Beach
Airlie Beach, in Queensland, offers the closest port to the Whitsunday Islands on the Great Barrier Reef. It's a small town of only 25,000 and has grown out of the area's popularity as a tourist destination. It's main industry remains tourism and, as such, there are many venues set up to accommodate travelers hoping to make trips to the Whitsunday Islands and the Outer Great Barrier Reef. The town has the feel of a vacation destination. While in the past Airlie Beach appealed specifically to the backpacker crowd, it's popularity has spread and now there are facilities catering to all travel types. The area has become more commercialized and there are plenty of large resorts to choose from. Even so, you'll still find no shortage of affordable accommodation around town.
For some great organized tour ideas, see The Best Cultural Tours in Taiwan, The Best Tours for Seniors to Taiwan, The Best Adventure Tours to Australia, and Tours for Outdoor and Nature Lovers in Australia.
-
Average Daily Cost Per person, per dayTaipei $182Airlie Beach $141
The average daily cost (per person) in Taipei is $182, while the average daily cost in Airlie Beach is $141. 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 Taipei and Airlie Beach in more detail.
Accommodation
-
Accommodation Hotel or hostel for one personTaipei $145Airlie Beach $58
-
Accommodation Typical double-occupancy roomTaipei $290Airlie Beach $116
Compare Hotels in Taipei and Airlie Beach
Looking for a hotel in Taipei or Airlie Beach? 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: Taipei Hotel Prices and Airlie Beach Hotel Prices.
Local Transportation
-
Local Transportation Taxis, local buses, subway, etc.Taipei $10Airlie Beach $19
Typical Local Transportation Prices in Taipei
Here are some examples of typical transportation prices from actual travelers in Taipei:
-
Easycard$2.01
-
Easycard$9.29
Hired Cars and Shuttles in Taipei
Also for Taipei, here are a few examples of actual transportation services:
- Taoyuan Airport (TPE) Return Bus Transfer: $8.59
- Try find your better than us ! Airport transfer service in Taipei APT-HTL (TSA): $28
- Try find your better than us ! Airport transfer service in Taipei HTL-APT (TSA): $28
- Private Transfer from Taipei city to Keelung (Taipei) Cruise Port: $38
- Taiwan Taoyuan Airport (TPE) to Taoyuan/Taipei hotels - Arrival Private Transfer: $38
- Bicycle transfer (Taipei - Hualien) 4 persons: $40
- Private Transfer：Taoyuan International Airport to Hotel: $40
- Try find your better than us ! Airport transfer in Taipei APT- HTL (TPE): $41
- Try find your better than us ! Airport transfer in Taipei HTL- APT (TPE): $41
- Private Transfer from Taoyuan airport Taiwan to Taipei: $52
- [Chinese driver charter sedan] 1 to 4 people ☆ Taoyuan Airport ⇔ Taipei City Hotel Airport Transfer [one way]: $53
- Taipei Arrival Private Transfer: Taoyuan International Airport to Hotel: $55
Hired Cars and Shuttles in Airlie Beach
Some specific examples of transportation prices in Airlie Beach:
- Whitsunday: Prosperpine Airport to Airlie Beach Transfer: $16
- Whitehaven Beach Club Transfers from Airlie Beach: $92
- South Molle Island Camping Transfer: $59
- South Molle Island Camping Transfer: $47
- Return Transfer PPP Airport Shute Harbour / Renta Yacht / Freedom Shores: $32
- One Way Only - Airport Transfer share shuttle service: $17
- Crayfish Beach Hook Island Camping Transfer: $139
- Airport Transfers - Return (round fare) share shuttle service: $28
- Private Transfer to Whitsunday Coast Airport: $314
Is it cheaper to fly into Taipei or Airlie Beach?
Prices for flights to both Airlie Beach and Taipei 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 dayTaipei $16Airlie Beach $32
Typical Food Prices in Taipei
For Taipei, here are some examples of average food and meal prices for travelers:
-
EasyCard$15
-
Lunch at The Can$6.81
-
EasyCard$31
-
Lunch$2.94
-
Lunch$1.86
-
Dinner$6.19
-
Lunch$3.56
-
Lunch$4.64
-
Louisa coffee$2.94
Food Tours and Cooking Classes in Taipei
For Taipei, here are some samples of tours and activities related to meals and dining experiences:
- Historic Night Market Food Tour with Tastings: $45
- Ximending Vegan Food Tour Snack, Dessert & Main!: $46
- Taipei Food Tour: Yongkang Street for Foodies: $58
- Yansan Night Market Food Tour: $62
- Turnip cake, Pork thick soup, Tofu pudding. Taiwan Traditional Light Meals Experience-C (Taipei Cooking Class): $65
- Taipei Food Tour and Colorful Bubble Tea Making: $65
- Taipei Food Tour and Colorful Bubble Tea Making: $70
- Private Food Tour – 10 Tastings with Locals: $74
- Backstreet Food Tour: Food, Culture, and Fun: $75
- 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
- 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
- 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
Food Tours and Cooking Classes in Airlie Beach
Also, here are some specific examples of food and dining related activities in Airlie Beach.
- 3-Hour Sunset Segway Tour with Dinner: $72
- Whitsundays Segway Sunset and Boardwalk Tour with Dinner: $83
Entertainment
-
Entertainment Entrance tickets, shows, etc.Taipei $17Airlie Beach $160
Tours and Activities in Taipei
For Taipei, here are a few prices for actual activities, tours, and tickets provided by various companies:
- Old Town Walking Tour: $1.00
- Taipei's Origin & Longshan Temple - Taiwan Cultural Walking Tour: $1.00
- Taipei Old Town - Taiwan Introduction Walking Tour: $1.00
- Taipei's Origin & Longshan Temple - Taiwan Cultural Tour: $1.00
- Chiang Kai-Shek Shilin Residence Ticket: $3.07
- Miramar Ferris Wheel Ticket: $6.14
- Scavenger Hunt and City Exploration Self-Guided Tour: $8.75
- Taipei Scavenger Hunt and Sights Self-Guided Tour: $8.95
- Taipei Self-Guided Audio Tour: $9.00
- Taipei Makong Cable Car: Ticket & Combos: $10
- National Palace Museum E-Ticket: $11
- Self-Guided Audio Tour: $11
Tours and Activities in Airlie Beach
Some specific costs of activities, tours, and entrance tickets for Airlie Beach are as follows:
- 1 hour Mimosa Morning Turtle Spotting Cruise: $59
- 1-Day Whitsunday Islands Cruise: Whitehaven Beach and Hill Inlet: $140
- 2 Hour Airlie Beach Sunset Cruise: $59
- Airlie Beach Glass Bottom Boat Tour: $59
- Airlie Beach Jet Ski Tour: $105
- Airlie Beach Sunset Cruise : $46
- Airlie Beach Trike Tours: $50
- Airlie Beach sightseeing Tour: $50
- 2-Hour Sunset Cruise with Sparkling Wine: $45
- Adults-Only Whitehaven Beach Sailing Tour: $182
- Airlie Adventure Jet Ski Tour: $163
- Glass-Bottom Boat Tour: $58
Alcohol
-
Alcohol Drinks for one dayTaipei $18Airlie Beach $8.99
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): $28
- Taipei Nightlife: Taipei Pub Crawls (2 Different Routes): $30
- Private Tour Yilan Kavalan Whisky Distillery from Taipei : $207
When we compare the travel costs of actual travelers between Taipei and Airlie Beach, we can see that Taipei is more expensive. And not only is Airlie Beach much less expensive, but it is actually a significantly cheaper destination. Since Taipei is in Asia and Airlie Beach is in Pacific, this is one of the main reasons why the costs are so different, as different regions of the world tend to have overall different travel costs. So, traveling to Airlie Beach would let you spend less money overall. Or, you could decide to spend more money in Airlie Beach 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 Airlie Beach.
If you're trying to decide if either of these two destinations are within your price range, also see Is Taipei Expensive? and Is Airlie Beach Expensive?.
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.