Should you visit Halong Bay or Taipei?
Which is cheaper to visit? Which is more expensive for vacation?
Trying to figure out where to travel next? This travel comparison between Halong Bay and Taipei can help. It includes a travel cost comparison in addition to other factors. For many travelers, the cost of a destination is a primary consideration when choosing where to go.
Where Should I go: Halong Bay or Taipei?
Halong Bay
Halong Bay is a UNESCO World Heritage Site in the north of Vietnam, near the Chinese border. Known for its thousands of beautiful limestone karsts and stalactite-filled caves, it is one of the most visited destinations in Vietnam. If you appreciate natural scenery and want an adventure at sea, you'll love cruising among more than 1,900 islands in Ha Long Bay.
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.
For some great organized tour ideas, see Tours for Outdoor and Nature Lovers in Vietnam, The Best Coach Bus Tours in Vietnam, The Best Cultural Tours in Taiwan, and The Best Tours for Seniors to Taiwan.
Which place is cheaper, Taipei or Halong Bay?
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 Halong Bay is $66, while the average daily cost in Taipei is $206. 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 Halong Bay and Taipei in more detail.
Accommodation
Looking for a hotel in Halong Bay or Taipei? 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
Hired Cars and Shuttles in Halong Bay
Some specific examples of transportation prices in Halong Bay:
-
Transfer from Cat Ba Island to Ninh Binh with D-Class Limousine:
$20
-
Transfer Ha Long to Ha Noi Super Limousine Morning Bus:
$33
-
Transfer Ha Long and Ninh Binh by Limousine Bus:
$18
-
Transfer From Halong to Ninh Binh:
$25
-
Sea Octopus Luxury Day Cruise in Halong With Transfer Roundtrip:
$75
-
Private Transfer: Cat Bi Airport to/from Ha Long, Tuan Chau:
$60
-
Private Transfer from Halong Bay Port to Hanoi Airport (HAN):
$79
-
Private Transfer from Halong Bay Port to Haiphong city hotels:
$56
-
Private Transfer from Halong Bay Cruise Port to Hanoi hotels:
$145
-
Private Transfer from Halong Bay Cruise Port to Haiphong Hotels:
$63
-
Private Transfer From Ha Long Bay To Hanoi:
$90
-
Premium 2-Day Halong & Lan Ha Bay Cruise with Meals & Transfer:
$299
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:
-
Beito to Taipei Taoyuan Airport (TPE)-Departure Transfer:
$192
-
Bruns 9 seater, charter tour, business transfer, airport transfer, round-the-island charter tour:
$299
-
Jiufen: one-way private transfer to or from Taipei City:
$42
-
Keelung (Taipei) Cruise Port to Taipei city - Arrival Private Transfer :
$104
-
Keelung Cruise Port to Taiwan Taoyuan Airport (TPE) - Departure Private Transfer:
$144
-
Keelung(Taipei) Cruise Port to Taipei-Round-Trip Private Transfer:
$208
-
Keelung: one-way private transfer to or from Taipei City:
$42
-
Luxury Chartered Private Transfer Taoyuan Airport to Taipei City:
$140
-
Luxury Chartered Private Transfer from Taipei to Taoyuan Airport:
$139
-
One-way Private Transfer between Jiufen and Taipei:
$42
-
Private Transfer from Keelung (Taipei) Cruise Port to Taipei City:
$76
-
Private Transfer from Keelung Port to Taiwan Taoyuan Airport(TPE):
$133
Is it cheaper to fly into Halong Bay or Taipei?
Prices for flights to both Taipei and Halong Bay 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
Halong Bay $26
Taipei $29
Food Tours and Cooking Classes in Halong Bay
Also, here are some specific examples of food and dining related activities in Halong Bay.
-
Cat Ba Paradise Cave Experience with Dinner and Live Music:
$41
-
Paradise Cave Dinner with Live Music and Tasting in Cat Ba:
$42
-
Halong's Hidden Gem: Dragon Pearl Cave Tour with Dinner:
$47
-
Halong Bay Luxury Dinner Cruise - Ambassador:
$51
-
Best 2D1N Lan Ha Bay Cruise: BBQ dinner, Viet Hai Ancient Village:
$210
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
Entertainment
Tours and Activities in Halong Bay
Here are a few actual costs in Halong Bay for available activities, ticket prices, and tours:
-
2-Day Halong Orchid Cruise:
$235
-
Alisa Premier Luxury 5-Star Cruise in Halong Bay 2 Days 1 Night:
$215
-
Ha Long Bay Day Tour by 5 Stars Luxury Cruise (07 Hours on Bay):
$60
-
La Regina Overnight Cruise - Queen of Lan Ha Bay - 2 day/1 night:
$199
-
Luxury Cruise - Top Tier Ha Long bay 2D1N/3D2N:
$185
-
07 Hours Explore Halong Bay with Sea Octopus Cruise:
$70
-
1 Day Boat Tour Lan Ha Bay & Viet Hai Ancient Village from Cat Ba:
$59
-
1 Day Boat Tour: HaLong Bay, Lan Ha Bay, Natural Beach and Full Moon Party:
$29
-
1-Day Halong Luxury Cruise,Buffet Meal,Sunset Party,Cave & Island:
$53
-
2 Day 1 Night Halong & Lan Ha Bay Luxury Rosy Cruise from Ha Long:
$215
-
2 Day Guided Cruise Tour in Halong Bay and Lan Ha Bay from Hanoi:
$201
-
2 Days 1 Night Lan Ha Bay Adventure:
$129
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 Tour:
$0.50
-
Old Town Walking Tour:
$0.55
-
Vintage Taipei - Best of Taiwan and Sunset Walking Tour:
$1.20
-
Chiang Kai-Shek Shilin Residence Ticket:
$3.28
-
Zoo Entrance Ticket:
$4.33
-
Walking Tours in Taipei Dihua, Longshan Temple, Shuanglian Market:
$5.00
-
Taipei's Origin & Longshan Temple - Taiwan Cultural Walking Tour:
$5.00
-
Night Market Walking Tours in Shilin, Ningxia, Longshan, Ximen:
$5.00
-
Taipei Historic Shared Walking Tour:
$5.00
-
Miramar Ferris Wheel Ticket:
$6.57
-
Taiwan Museum, MOCA Taipei & Miniatures Museum Entry Tickets:
$8.53
-
Taipei Self-Guided Audio Tour:
$9.00
Alcohol
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 Halong Bay and Taipei, we can see that Taipei is more expensive. And not only is Halong Bay much less expensive, but it is actually a significantly cheaper destination. So, traveling to Halong Bay would let you spend less money overall. Or, you could decide to spend more money in Halong Bay 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 Halong Bay.
If you're trying to decide if either of these two destinations are within your price range, also see Is Halong Bay Expensive? and Is Taipei Expensive?.
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