Which place is cheaper, Surfers Paradise or Taipei?
These are the overall average travel costs for the two destinations. These travel costs come from the actual spending of real travelers.
Jump to 
Should you visit Taipei or Surfers Paradise?
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 Surfers Paradise. 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 Surfers Paradise?
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.
Surfers Paradise
A tourist mecca, Surfers Paradise is one of the most popular travel destinations along Australia's famed Gold Coast. The beach stretches for miles and there is an endless supply of almost constant parties. You'll find high rise apartments lined up along the shore and plenty of shopping areas, restaurants, nightclubs, and bars. Travelers from around the world visit the area, and it's a right of passage for Australia's teens to vacation in or near Surfers Paradise. For many travelers, Surfers Paradise comes across as little more than a mass marketed, over commercialized, party destination, but for others it is a vacation dream. Prices are highly inflated so you have to keep your whits about you to avoid being ripped off. Surfers Paradise is a destination of extremes and it conjures up extreme emotions in many travelers, be it positive or negative.
For some great organized tour ideas, see The Best Cultural Tours in Taiwan, The Best Tours for Seniors to Taiwan, The Best Luxury Tours to Australia, and The Best Adventure Tours to Australia.
-
Taipei Prices
Taiwan PricesSurfers Paradise Prices
Australia Prices -
Average Daily Cost Per person, per dayTaipei $206Surfers Paradise $124
The average daily cost (per person) in Taipei is $206, while the average daily cost in Surfers Paradise is $124. 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 Surfers Paradise in more detail.
Accommodation
-
Accommodation Hotel or hostel for one personTaipei $155Surfers Paradise $67
-
Accommodation Typical double-occupancy roomTaipei $310Surfers Paradise $134
Compare Hotels in Taipei and Surfers Paradise
Looking for a hotel in Taipei or Surfers Paradise? 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.
Local Transportation
-
Local Transportation Taxis, local buses, subway, etc.Taipei $11Surfers Paradise $11
Typical Local Transportation Prices in Taipei
Here are some examples of typical transportation prices from actual travelers in Taipei:
-
Easycard$2.15
-
Easycard$9.92
Hired Cars and Shuttles in Taipei
Also for Taipei, here are a few examples of actual transportation services:
- Try find your better than us ! Airport transfer service in Taipei HTL-APT (TSA): $28
- Try find your better than us ! Airport transfer service in Taipei APT-HTL (TSA): $28
- Try find your better than us ! Airport transfer in Taipei APT- HTL (TPE): $41
- Taoyuan International Airport（TPE）⇄Taoyuan One-way Transfer: $48
- Taoyuan Airport (TPE) Private Transfer to Multiple Destinations: $28
- Taiwan International Airport Private Transfer: $90
- Taoyuan Airport (TPE) Return Bus Transfer: $9.19
- Taipei Taoyuan Airport (TPE) to Taian Township -Arrival Transfer: $192
- Taipei City to Taoyuan Airport Private Transfer: $46
- Taipei City to Keelung Port Private Transfer: $42
- Taipei City to Keelung (Taipei) Cruise Port - Departure Private Transfer: $104
- Taipei Arrival Private Transfer: Taiwan Taoyuan (TPE) to Hotel: $55
Hired Cars and Shuttles in Surfers Paradise
Also for Surfers Paradise, here are a few examples of actual transportation services:
- Gold Coast Theme Parks: Shared Hotel Transfers: $15
Is it cheaper to fly into Taipei or Surfers Paradise?
Prices for flights to both Surfers Paradise 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 $29Surfers Paradise $45
Typical Food Prices in Taipei
For Taipei, here are some examples of average food and meal prices for travelers:
-
EasyCard$17
-
Lunch at The Can$7.28
-
EasyCard$33
-
Lunch$3.14
-
Lunch$1.98
-
Dinner$6.62
-
Lunch$3.80
-
Lunch$4.96
-
Louisa coffee$3.14
Food Tours and Cooking Classes in Taipei
For Taipei, here are some samples of tours and activities related to meals and dining experiences:
- Taipei Food Tour Taiwan Traditional Breakfast and Market and Tea: $45
- Food Tours w/ Top 10 Taiwan Food (Breakfast/Dinner): $45
- Taipei Food Tour: Night Market & Convenience Store(Food Included): $45
- Taipei Walking Food Tour in Ningxia Night Market(10 Foods Incl.): $45
- Local Favorites: Taiwan Night Market Food Tour in 2 hours: $49
- Street Food & Hidden Eats Night Market Food Tour: $55
- Taipei Hidden Eats, Market & Street Food Tour with 8+ Tastings: $55
- Xiao long bao, Pork thick soup, Bubble milk tea. (Taiwan Cooking Class)-B : $65
- Private Walking Food Tour in Ningxia Night Market(10 Foods Incl.): $70
- 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
- Iconic Food Tour: Local Street Food, Drinks & Sites: $82
- Private Street Food Tour of Taipei with a Local Guide: $84
Food Tours and Cooking Classes in Surfers Paradise
For Surfers Paradise, here are some samples of tours and activities related to meals and dining experiences:
- Buffet Dinner Sightseeing Cruise: $85
Entertainment
-
Entertainment Entrance tickets, shows, etc.Taipei $18Surfers Paradise $24
Tours and Activities in Taipei
For Taipei, here are a few prices for actual activities, tours, and tickets provided by various companies:
- 9 Hour Northeast Coast Bay View Tour in Yilan : $61
- Yamingshan Volcano, Beitou Thermal Valley, Danshui Private Tour: $173
- 2 Days Sun Moon Lake & Lukang Historic Area Tour: $232
- 2 days Yeliou (or Pingxi sky lantern) & Sun Moon Lake tour (Taichung city end) : $200
- 2-Hour Private Dadaocheng Walking Tour: $35
- 2-Hour Private Walking Tour in Beitou, Taiwan: $55
- 4 Days Private Tour Taipei, Jiufen, Sun Moon Lake & Taichung: $1,079
- 4 Hour Afternoon Cycling City Tour North with Snack: $83
- 4-Hour Morning Cycling City Tour (incl. breakfast): $83
- 5 Hours Sightseeing and Bar Tour in Taipei: $72
- 8-hour Northern Taiwan Tour with an English-Speaking Licensed Guide & Driver: $240
- 9 Hour Tamsui Historic Site and Beitou Hot Spring Culture Tour: $57
Typical Entertainment Prices in Surfers Paradise
Below are a few sample prices from actual travelers for Surfers Paradise's activities, tours, and tickets:
-
Surf Lesson$79
Tours and Activities in Surfers Paradise
For Surfers Paradise, here are a few prices for actual activities, tours, and tickets provided by various companies:
- Catch a Crab Tour with Optional Seafood Lunch: $63
- Evening Rainforest & Glow Worm Tour from Gold Coast: $80
- Glow Worms + Day/Night Rainforest & Waterfalls Experience: $133
- Gold Coast Hop On Hop Off Sightseeing Cruise 1 Day Pass: $30
- Gold Coast Quack'rDuck Amphibious Tour from Surfers Paradise: $37
- Gold Coast: 360-Degree High-Speed Jet Boat Adventure: $39
- Gold Coast: Springbrook 7 Waterfalls and Natural Bridge Day Tour: $120
- HOTA: Gold Coast Home of the Arts Cruise & Dine Experience Pass: $27
- Kangaroos & Koalas in the Wild - Private Nature Experience: $227
- Kangaroos and Mountain Views Day Tour from Gold Coast: $80
- Lamington National Park, O'Reilly's & Vineyard Tour: $86
- Natural Bridge Glow Worm Night Tour from Gold Coast: $60
Alcohol
-
Alcohol Drinks for one dayTaipei $19Surfers Paradise $11
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
- Private Tour to Yilan Kavalan Whisky Distillery: $145
When we compare the travel costs of actual travelers between Taipei and Surfers Paradise, we can see that Taipei is more expensive. And not only is Surfers Paradise much less expensive, but it is actually a significantly cheaper destination. Since Taipei is in Asia and Surfers Paradise 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 Surfers Paradise would let you spend less money overall. Or, you could decide to spend more money in Surfers Paradise 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 Surfers Paradise.
If you're trying to decide if either of these two destinations are within your price range, also see Is Taipei Expensive? and Is Surfers Paradise Expensive?.
Which is Bigger, Taipei or Surfers Paradise?
Taipei has a larger population, and is about 430 times larger than the population of Surfers Paradise. When comparing the sizes of Taipei and Surfers Paradise, 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.