A Travel Price Comparison for Families, Couples, and Backpackers Taiyuan vs. Noosa Heads for Vacations, Tours, and Honeymoons

Should you visit Taiyuan or Noosa Heads?

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 Taiyuan and Noosa Heads. 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: Taiyuan or Noosa Heads?

Taiyuan

With sleek architectural designs and blossoming businesses, this metropolis is simply brimming with invigorating excitement and once-in-a-lifetime entertainment. Despite its glimmering skyscrapers and gorgeous fountains, Taiyuan, China has an extensive history of nearly 2,500 years. During ancient China, Taiyuan, or the "Dragon City," was a major military town. Presently, this city is now one of China's most important industrial cities, producing more than half of the national coal mining output. Taiyuan is both the capital and largest city of the Shanxi province of North China. It is bounded by mountains on three of its sides, allowing this great city to be surrounded by fantastic views of its landscape. Besides its economic significance, Taiyuan also achieves tourist significance due to its plethora of landmarks and sights. Some of these attractions include Jinci Temple, Forest Park, Mengshan Giant Buddha, and Shanxi Museum. Taiyuan is also celebrated internationally for holding their annual Shanxi Taiyuan International Folk Arts Festival, a celebration held in September that hosts exhibition of fine arts, painting, paper-cutting, sculpture, drama, acrobatic and the culture of costume. With such a great deal to do in such a limited window of time, it is best to make the most Taiyuan while you visit!

Noosa Heads

A town and suburb located on Queensland, Australia's Sunshine Coast, Noosa is best known as a destination of pleasant weather, beautiful beachside scenery, shopping, dining, and outdoor adventure. Some of the top attractions of the area include Noosa National Park and Sunshine Beach.

For some great organized tour ideas, see The Best Budget Tours to China, The Best Tours for Seniors to China, The Best Vineyard & Wine Tours in Australia, and The Best Romantic Tours for Couples in Australia.


Which place is cheaper, Noosa Heads or Taiyuan?

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 Taiyuan is $106, while the average daily cost in Noosa Heads is $135. 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 Taiyuan and Noosa Heads in more detail.



Accommodation
  • Accommodation Hotel or hostel for one person
    Taiyuan $43
    Noosa Heads $58
  • Accommodation Typical double-occupancy room
    Taiyuan $86
    Noosa Heads $116
Compare Hotels in Taiyuan and Noosa Heads

Looking for a hotel in Taiyuan or Noosa Heads? 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.

Hotels in Taiyuan


Hotels in Noosa Heads


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: Noosa Heads Hotel Prices.

Local Transportation
  • Local Transportation Taxis, local buses, subway, etc.
    Taiyuan $48
    Noosa Heads $17

Hired Cars and Shuttles in Noosa Heads

Also for Noosa Heads, here are a few examples of actual transportation services:

  • Private Transfer from Sunshine Coast Airport to Hotels 13 pax: $262
  • Private Transfer from Sunshine Coast Airport to Hotels 11 pax: $238
  • Private Transfers from Sunshine Coast Airport to Noosa (2pax): $97
  • Australia Zoo Transfer from Noosa and Sunshine Coast: $91
  • Private Morning Transfer From Noosa to Rainbow Beach: $91
  • Eumundi Markets Bus Transfer: Mooloolaba Sunshine Coast & Noosa : $32

Is it cheaper to fly into Taiyuan or Noosa Heads?

Prices for flights to both Noosa Heads and Taiyuan 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
    Taiyuan $36
    Noosa Heads $58

Food Tours and Cooking Classes in Noosa Heads

For Noosa Heads, here are some samples of tours and activities related to meals and dining experiences:

  • Cooking Classes on Witta Maleny Sunshine Coast: $121

Entertainment
  • Entertainment Entrance tickets, shows, etc.
    Taiyuan $15
    Noosa Heads $40

Tours and Activities in Taiyuan

Also, here are some specific examples of entertainment, tickets, and activities for Taiyuan.

  • Buddhist Caves, Jinci Temple & Ancient County Tour: $256

Typical Entertainment Prices in Noosa Heads

For Noosa Heads, here are some examples of average entertainment and activity prices from previous travelers:


  • Surf Lesson
    $43
  • Sea Kayak Tour (for 2)
    $85
  • Sunset Cruise (for 2)
    $13

Tours and Activities in Noosa Heads

Also, here are some specific examples of entertainment, tickets, and activities for Noosa Heads.

  • AAA NOOSA Whale watching experience in Noosa Whalesongsnoosa: $64
  • Noosa Queen Sunset Cruise River: $22
  • 1 Hour Tour Mooloolaba Sunset Cruise: $24
  • AAA Noosa National Park tour and Dolphin Safari Whalesongsnoosa: $60
  • Aquaduck Sunshine Coast - 1hr Mooloolaba Amphibious Tour: $34
  • Booloumba Falls & Booloumba Creek Adventure, Conondale Nat. Park: $235
  • Buderim Forest Flight Owl Encounter and Tour: $77
  • Epic Kayak With Dolphins & Wildlife - 4WD Beach Adventure Noosa: $108
  • Eumundi Markets and Noosa Everglades Tour with Eco Safari: $214
  • Everglades Explorer - Noosa Everglades Tour: $111
  • Fliteboard eFoil Group Experience in Noosa: $151
  • From Noosa: Stand Up Paddle Wildlife & Beach 4X4 Adventure: $108

Alcohol
  • Alcohol Drinks for one day
    Taiyuan $6.41
    Noosa Heads $10

Sample the Local Flavors in Noosa Heads

Also in Noosa Heads, these are the prices for nightlife and alcohol related activities from various tour providers:

  • Sunshine Coast Bar Crawl Sippin on Sunshine: $15
  • Sunshine Coast Brewery Tour with Lunch: $164
  • Hinterland Cheese & Wine Tasting Tour - with 2 course lunch included: $188


When we compare the travel costs of actual travelers between Taiyuan and Noosa Heads, we can see that Noosa Heads is more expensive. And not only is Taiyuan much less expensive, but it is actually a significantly cheaper destination. Since Taiyuan is in Asia and Noosa Heads 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 Taiyuan would let you spend less money overall. Or, you could decide to spend more money in Taiyuan 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 Noosa Heads would naturally cost you much more money, so you would probably want to keep your budget a little tighter in Noosa Heads than you might in Taiyuan.

If you're trying to decide if either of these two destinations are within your price range, also see Is Taiyuan Expensive? and Is Noosa Heads Expensive?.


Which is Bigger, Taiyuan or Noosa Heads?

Taiyuan has a larger population, and is about 270 times larger than the population of Noosa Heads. When comparing the sizes of Taiyuan and Noosa Heads, 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.