Which place is cheaper, Houston or Taipei?
These are the overall average travel costs for the two destinations.
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Should you visit Taipei or Houston?
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 Houston. 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 Houston?
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.
Houston
The largest city in Texas and the fourth largest in the United States, Houston is a sprawling urban center that has grown from its wealth in the oil industry. Visitors today are drawn to its cultural diversity which has additionally made Houston a foodie destination. Other attractions to Houston include its proximity to NASA's Space Center Houston on the Gulf coast, and its Downtown which features a vibrant museum and arts scene, shopping, and dining.
For some great organized tour ideas, see The Best Cultural Tours in Taiwan, The Best Tours for Seniors to Taiwan, The Best One-Week (7-Day) Tours from Los Angeles, and The Best One-Week (7-Day) Tours from New York City.
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Average Daily Cost Per person, per dayTaipei $182Houston $262
The average daily cost (per person) in Taipei is $182, while the average daily cost in Houston is $262. 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 Houston in more detail.
Accommodation
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Accommodation Hotel or hostel for one personTaipei $146Houston $142
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Accommodation Typical double-occupancy roomTaipei $292Houston $284
Compare Hotels in Taipei and Houston
Looking for a hotel in Taipei or Houston? 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 Houston Hotel Prices.
Local Transportation
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Local Transportation Taxis, local buses, subway, etc.Taipei $10Houston $72
Typical Local Transportation Prices in Taipei
Here are some examples of typical transportation prices from actual travelers in Taipei:
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Easycard$2.01
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Easycard$9.29
Hired Cars and Shuttles in Taipei
Also for Taipei, here are a few examples of actual transportation services:
- Bicycle transfer (Taipei - Hualien) 4 persons: $40
- Bruns 9 seater, charter tour, business transfer, airport transfer, round-the-island charter tour: $299
- Luxury Chartered Private Transfer Taoyuan Airport to Taipei City: $140
- Modern nine-seater, Taiwan chartered tour, chartered day trip, round-the-island chartered car, airport transfer, hotel pick-up service: $254
- Private Transfer from Taipei Taoyuan Airport TPE to Taichung Port: $63
- Private Transfer from Taipei Taoyuan Airport(TPE) to Hualien Port: $103
- Private Transfer from Taipei city to Keelung (Taipei) Cruise Port: $38
- Private Transfer from Taoyuan Intl Airport to Taoyuan or Taipei city: $126
- Private Transfer from Taoyuan airport Taiwan to Taipei: $52
- Private Transfer：Taoyuan International Airport to Hotel: $40
- Taipei Arrival Private Transfer: Taoyuan International Airport to Hotel: $55
- Taipei Departure Private Transfer: Hotel to Taoyuan International Airport: $55
Hired Cars and Shuttles in Houston
Some specific examples of transportation prices in Houston:
- William P.Hobby Airport (HOU): Transfer to Port of Galveston: $544
- William P. Hobby Airport to Galveston Port Arrival Transfer: $168
- Transfer in private vehicle from Houston George Bush Airport to Houston Downtown: $60
- Transfer in private minivan from Houston George Bush Airport to Houston Downtown: $88
- Transfer in private minivan from Houston City Center to George Bush Airport: $88
- RoundTrip transfer in private minivan from-to HoustonAirport in Houston Downtown: $176
- Round trip transfer in private car from-to Houston Airport in Houston Downtown: $120
- Private One-way George Bush Airport Transfer To/From Houston: $71
- Private Arrival Transfer from Houston William P. Hobby Airport HOU: $48
- Private Arrival Transfer from Houston George Bush Airport (IAH): $51
- Privat Transfer from Houston Airport (HOU) to Port of Galveston: $168
- Round-Trip Shuttle Transfer to NASA Space Center: $54
Is it cheaper to fly into Taipei or Houston?
Prices for flights to both Houston 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
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Food Meals for one dayTaipei $16Houston $35
Typical Food Prices in Taipei
For Taipei, here are some examples of average food and meal prices for travelers:
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EasyCard$15
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Lunch at The Can$6.81
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EasyCard$31
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Lunch$2.94
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Lunch$1.86
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Dinner$6.19
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Lunch$3.56
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Lunch$4.65
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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
- Xiao Long Bao, Pork thick soup, Bubble milk tea. Taiwan Traditional Light Meals Experience-B (Taipei Cooking Class): $65
- Taipei Food Tour and Colorful Bubble Tea Making: $70
- Pineapple Pastry with Egg Yolk, Longan Cake, High Mountain Oolong Tea. Taiwan Traditional Dessert Experience-D (Taipei Cooking Class): $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
Food Tours and Cooking Classes in Houston
Also, here are some specific examples of food and dining related activities in Houston.
- Astroville Food Tour of Downtown Houston with Tunnel Access: $70
- Astroville Food Tour of Downtown Houston with Tunnel Access: $70
- Downtown Houston Food Tour: $76
- Houston Walking Food Tour With Secret Food Tours: $85
- Houston Downtown: Secret Food Tours: $87
- Howdy H-Town EADO Food Tour: $90
- East Downtown Food Tour: $90
- Montrose Food Tour: $97
Entertainment
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Entertainment Entrance tickets, shows, etc.Taipei $17Houston $14
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 Walking Tour: $1.00
- Old Town Walking Tour: $1.00
- Chiang Kai-Shek Shilin Residence Ticket: $3.10
- Miramar Ferris Wheel Ticket: $6.20
- Scavenger Hunt and City Exploration Self-Guided Tour: $8.84
- Taipei Scavenger Hunt and Sights Self-Guided Tour: $8.96
- Taipei Self-Guided Audio Tour: $9.00
- Taipei Makong Cable Car: Ticket & Combos: $10
- Self-Guided Audio Tour: $11
- National Palace Museum E-Ticket: $11
- Taipei 101 Observatory Deck Ticket: $19
- Taipei 101 Observatory Deck - 89th Floor E-Ticket: $20
Tours and Activities in Houston
Here are a few actual costs in Houston for available activities, ticket prices, and tours:
- Houston Ghosts and Hauntings By US Ghost Adventures: $30
- 2 Hours H- Town Tour with 15ft Open Air Party Truck On Wheels: $49
- 2-Hour Private Sightseeing Cart Tour of Houston and Galveston: $256
- Astroville Best of Houston City Driving Tour with Live Guide: $45
- Astroville Best of Houston City Driving Tour with Live Guide: $45
- Astroville Driving Tour & NASA Space Center Admission and Shuttle: $80
- Astroville Private Best of Houston City Driving Tour: $370
- Astroville Tunnel Tour & NASA Space Center Admission with Shuttle: $80
- Astroville Tunnel Tour of Downtown Houston (Air-Conditioned): $32
- Astroville Tunnel Tour of Downtown Houston (Air-Condtioned): $32
- Austin & Self-Guided Driving Audio Tour: $17
- Downtown In App Audio Walking Tour: $9.00
Alcohol
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Alcohol Drinks for one dayTaipei $18Houston $13
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): $30
- Private Tour to Yilan Kavalan Whisky Distillery: $130
- Private Tour Yilan Kavalan Whisky Distillery from Taipei : $207
Sample the Local Flavors in Houston
Also in Houston, these are the prices for nightlife and alcohol related activities from various tour providers:
- Brewery Pass with Beer Tastings: $50
- Private Houston Brewery Tour by Cart: $57
- 2-Hour Downtown Brewery Tour by Electric Cart: $70
- Downtown Houston Brewery Bike Tour : $71
When we compare the travel costs of actual travelers between Taipei and Houston, we can see that Houston is more expensive. And not only is Taipei much less expensive, but it is actually a significantly cheaper destination. Since Taipei is in Asia and Houston is in North America, 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 Taipei would let you spend less money overall. Or, you could decide to spend more money in Taipei 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 Houston would naturally cost you much more money, so you would probably want to keep your budget a little tighter in Houston than you might in Taipei.
If you're trying to decide if either of these two destinations are within your price range, also see Is Taipei Expensive? and Is Houston Expensive?.
Which is Bigger, Taipei or Houston?
Taipei has a larger population, and is about 4 times larger than the population of Houston. When comparing the sizes of Taipei and Houston, 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.