Which place is cheaper, Khao Sok National Park or Cairns?
These are the overall average travel costs for the two destinations. These travel costs come from the actual spending of real travelers.
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Should you visit Cairns or Khao Sok National Park?
Which is cheaper to visit? Which is more expensive for vacation?
Should I visit Cairns or Khao Sok National Park? This is a common question asked by many travelers. By figuring out which city has activities that align with your interests along with knowing which is more affordable, you'll understand where you can get more bang for your buck. So, let's dive into the details and the data, which all comes from actual travelers.
Where Should I go: Cairns or Khao Sok National Park?
Cairns
Most travelers go to Cairns specifically to visit Great Barrier Reef. The city itself is surprisingly large and cosmopolitan with a population of approximately 140,000. The city's economy is almost exclusively based on tourism, although you will find some jobs centered around agriculture, or more specifically sugar cane, bananas, coffee, tea, wine, and some tropical fruits. The city itself is surrounded by rainforest and makes a great base for exploring Kuranda, with the Barron Gorge National Park and the Daintree offering a quieter tropical getaway than Cairns.
Khao Sok National Park
In the south of Thailand, visitors will find a gorgeous getaway of pure nature. The Khao Sok National Park is a jungle reserve that covers over 700 square kilometers, and described as one of the most beautiful wildlife reserves in the country.
Many say this jungle is over 160 million years old making it one of the world's oldest rainforests. The lush environment of limestone, waterfalls and thickets of vegetation will make any wanderer eager to discover more. Keep your eyes peeled for bears, boars, gaurs, tapirs, gibbons, deer, marbled cats, wild elephants and more. Look to the sky for over 300 species of bird and 38 different types of bats.
You'll find the best time to book is from December to April, better known as the dry season. From June to October there is significantly more rain and the threat of monsoons. Not only does it rain on your parade, but also it causes the leeches to emerge.
To enter the park is a 300 baht fee for foreigners, 150 for children, and 40 for Thai citizens. If someone tries to sell you a ticket for more than that, simply buy one at the park entrance. When planning your stay remember that your entrance fee is only valid for 24 hours. If you're staying multiple days, you'll need to pay up front. Often if you're with a tour, the entrance fee is included in the tour price, but you should inquire about this to make sure.
For some great organized tour ideas, see The Best 4-Week (1-Month) Tours in Australia, The Best Budget Tours to Australia, The Best Hiking & Trekking Tours in Thailand, and The Best 10-Day Tours in Thailand.
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Cairns Prices
Australia PricesKhao Sok National Park Prices
Thailand Prices -
Average Daily Cost Per person, per dayCairns $116Khao Sok National Park $126
The average daily cost (per person) in Cairns is $116, while the average daily cost in Khao Sok National Park is $126. 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 Cairns and Khao Sok National Park in more detail.
Accommodation
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Accommodation Hotel or hostel for one personCairns $43Khao Sok National Park $28
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Accommodation Typical double-occupancy roomCairns $86Khao Sok National Park $56
Compare Hotels in Cairns and Khao Sok National Park
Looking for a hotel in Cairns or Khao Sok National Park? 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: Cairns Hotel Prices.
Local Transportation
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Local Transportation Taxis, local buses, subway, etc.Cairns $12Khao Sok National Park $74
Hired Cars and Shuttles in Cairns
Also for Cairns, here are a few examples of actual transportation services:
- Shared Airport Transfer to/from City and Beaches: $15
- Cairns Airport: Shared Transfer: $15
- Cairns Airport Shared Transfer to Cairns: $15
- Airport Transfers between Cairns Airport and Cairns City: $15
- Shuttle Bus Transfer - Kuranda to Cairns City: $20
- Airport Transfers between Cairns Airport and Palm Cove: $24
- AIRPORT TRANSFER between Cairns Airport & Port Douglas (6am-5pm): $40
- Cairns airport to cairns city private Transfers ( one way ): $40
- CNS Airport to Cairns City Centre Private Transfer: $47
- Cairns Airport (CNS) to Cairns hotels - Arrival Private Transfer: $52
- Cairns hotels to Cairns Airport(CNS) - Departure Private Transfer: $52
- Australian Armour & Artillery Museum with Transfers: $69
Is it cheaper to fly into Cairns or Khao Sok National Park?
Prices for flights to both Khao Sok National Park and Cairns 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 dayCairns $49Khao Sok National Park $52
Food Tours and Cooking Classes in Cairns
For Cairns, here are some samples of tours and activities related to meals and dining experiences:
- Ancient Egypt Sunset Tour with optional 3 Course Dinner : $66
- Ancient Egypt Night Tour with optional 2 Course Dinner: $66
- Dinner Cruise Experience: $92
- Cairns Catamaran Harbour and Dinner Cruise: $93
- Night at the Aquarium Guided Tour & 2 Course Dinner: $96
- Aquarium Guided Twilight Tour with 3-Course Dinner: $118
- Ancient Egypt Sunset Tour with 3 Course Dinner in Cairns: $124
- Ancient Egypt Night Tour with 2 Course Dinner in Cairns: $124
- City Sights Tour with Evening Dinner Cruise: $171
- Small-Group Afternoon Cairns City Tour with Harbour Dinner Cruise: $174
- Paronella Park Rainforest Full-Day Tour with Dinner: $66,130
Entertainment
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Entertainment Entrance tickets, shows, etc.Cairns $37Khao Sok National Park $33
Typical Entertainment Prices in Cairns
Below are a few sample prices from actual travelers for Cairns's activities, tours, and tickets:
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Scuba Diving$36
Tours and Activities in Cairns
For Cairns, here are a few prices for actual activities, tours, and tickets provided by various companies:
- Skip the Line: Cairns Museum Admission Ticket: $10
- Skip the Line: Cairns Museum Single Admission Ticket: $10
- Koalas and Creatures Entry Ticket: $13
- Kuranda Koala Gardens General Entry Ticket: $15
- Kuranda: Riverboat Tour: $20
- Kuranda Koala Gardens and Birdworld Admission Tickets: $26
- Hipster and Street Art Walking Tour: $29
- Tomb of the Pharaohs Entry Ticket: $32
- Cairns Tomb Of The Pharaohs General Admission Ticket: $32
- Cairns Pub & Club Tour: $34
- Cairns Koalas and Creatures Entry Ticket with Koala Photo: $37
- Cairns Aquarium General Admission Ticket: $38
Alcohol
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Alcohol Drinks for one dayCairns $13Khao Sok National Park $6.50
Sample the Local Flavors in Cairns
Here are a few nightlife and alcohol tours and activities from local tour providers in Cairns:
- Cairns Party Bus Pub Crawl Night Out Experience: $44
- From Atherton Tablelands Food and Wine Tasting Tour: $169
When comparing the travel costs between Cairns and Khao Sok National Park, we can see that Khao Sok National Park 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. Even though Cairns is in Pacific and Khao Sok National Park is in Asia, both of these destinations have relatively similar prices of travel. Generally, the levels of luxury and expenses are the same for these cities even though they are geographically far apart.
If you're trying to decide if either of these two destinations are within your price range, also see Is Cairns Expensive? and Is Khao Sok National Park Expensive?.
When is the best time to visit Cairns or Khao Sok National Park?
Cairns has a temperate climate with four distinct seasons, but Khao Sok National Park experiences a warm climate with fairly sunny weather most of the year.
Should I visit Cairns or Khao Sok National Park in the Summer?
The summer brings many poeple to Cairns as well as Khao Sok National Park. The summer months attract visitors to Cairns because of the beaches, snorkeling, the hiking, and the family-friendly experiences. The warm climate attracts visitors to Khao Sok National Park throughout the year.
Cairns is around the same temperature as Khao Sok National Park in the summer. The daily temperature in Cairns averages around 29°C (84°F) in January, and Khao Sok National Park fluctuates around 28°C (82°F)in July.
It's quite rainy in Khao Sok National Park. Cairns receives a lot of rain in the summer. Cairns usually gets more rain in January than Khao Sok National Parkin July. Cairns gets 429 mm (16.9 in) of rain, while Khao Sok National Park receives 284 mm (11.2 in) of rain this time of the year. November to March in Cairns is the rainy season.
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Summer Average Temperatures January and JulyCairns 29°C (84°F)Khao Sok National Park 28°C (82°F)
Should I visit Cairns or Khao Sok National Park in the Autumn?
Both Khao Sok National Park and Cairns are popular destinations to visit in the autumn with plenty of activities. The hiking trails and the shopping scene are the main draw to Cairns this time of year. Plenty of visitors come to Khao Sok National Park because of the warm climate and sunshine that lasts throughout the year.
In the autumn, Cairns is around the same temperature as Khao Sok National Park. Typically, the autumn temperatures in Cairns in April average around 27°C (80°F), and Khao Sok National Park averages at about 27°C (81°F)in October.
It rains a lot this time of the year in Khao Sok National Park. It's quite rainy in Cairns. In April, Cairns usually receives less rain than Khao Sok National Parkin October. Cairns gets 273 mm (10.8 in) of rain, while Khao Sok National Park receives 351 mm (13.8 in) of rain each month for the autumn. The dry season in Cairns is April to October.
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Autumn Average Temperatures April and OctoberCairns 27°C (80°F)Khao Sok National Park 27°C (81°F)
Should I visit Cairns or Khao Sok National Park in the Winter?
Both Khao Sok National Park and Cairns during the winter are popular places to visit. Many travelers come to Cairns for the museums, the shopping scene, and the cuisine. Warm weather and sunshine bring visitors to Khao Sok National Park year-round.
In July, Cairns is generally cooler than Khao Sok National Parkin January. Daily temperatures in Cairns average around 23°C (73°F), and Khao Sok National Park fluctuates around 27°C (80°F).
Cairns usually gets less rain in July than Khao Sok National Parkin January. Cairns gets 35 mm (1.4 in) of rain, while Khao Sok National Park receives 42 mm (1.7 in) of rain this time of the year.
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Winter Average Temperatures July and JanuaryCairns 23°C (73°F)Khao Sok National Park 27°C (80°F)
Should I visit Cairns or Khao Sok National Park in the Spring?
The spring attracts plenty of travelers to both Cairns and Khao Sok National Park. Many visitors come to Cairns in the spring for the beaches. Khao Sok National Park attracts visitors year-round for its warm weather and sunny climate.
Cairns is around the same temperature as Khao Sok National Park in the spring. The daily temperature in Cairns averages around 27°C (80°F) in October, and Khao Sok National Park fluctuates around 29°C (83°F)in April.
Khao Sok National Park receives a lot of rain in the spring. In October, Cairns usually receives less rain than Khao Sok National Parkin April. Cairns gets 44 mm (1.7 in) of rain, while Khao Sok National Park receives 157 mm (6.2 in) of rain each month for the spring. April to October in Cairns is the dry season. Also, November to March is the rainy season in Cairns.
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Spring Average Temperatures October and AprilCairns 27°C (80°F)Khao Sok National Park 29°C (83°F)
Typical Weather for Khao Sok National Park and Cairns
| Cairns | Khao Sok National Park | |||
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Temp (°C) | Rain (mm) | Temp (°C) | Rain (mm) | |
| Jan | 29°C (84°F) | 429 mm (16.9 in) | 27°C (80°F) | 42 mm (1.7 in) |
| Feb | 29°C (83°F) | 469 mm (18.5 in) | 28°C (82°F) | 30 mm (1.2 in) |
| Mar | 28°C (82°F) | 471 mm (18.5 in) | 28°C (83°F) | 60 mm (2.4 in) |
| Apr | 27°C (80°F) | 273 mm (10.8 in) | 29°C (83°F) | 157 mm (6.2 in) |
| May | 25°C (78°F) | 118 mm (4.6 in) | 28°C (82°F) | 345 mm (13.6 in) |
| Jun | 23°C (74°F) | 62 mm (2.5 in) | 28°C (82°F) | 286 mm (11.3 in) |
| Jul | 23°C (73°F) | 35 mm (1.4 in) | 28°C (82°F) | 284 mm (11.2 in) |
| Aug | 24°C (75°F) | 34 mm (1.3 in) | 28°C (82°F) | 272 mm (10.7 in) |
| Sep | 25°C (77°F) | 40 mm (1.6 in) | 27°C (81°F) | 417 mm (16.4 in) |
| Oct | 27°C (80°F) | 44 mm (1.7 in) | 27°C (81°F) | 351 mm (13.8 in) |
| Nov | 28°C (82°F) | 104 mm (4.1 in) | 27°C (80°F) | 188 mm (7.4 in) |
| Dec | 29°C (83°F) | 211 mm (8.3 in) | 27°C (80°F) | 71 mm (2.8 in) |
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.