Which place is cheaper, Cairns or Taipei?
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 Taipei or Cairns?
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 Cairns. 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 Cairns?
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.
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.
For some great organized tour ideas, see The Best Cultural Tours in Taiwan, The Best Tours for Seniors to Taiwan, The Best 4-Week (1-Month) Tours in Australia, and The Best Budget Tours to Australia.
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Taipei Prices
Taiwan PricesCairns Prices
Australia Prices -
Average Daily Cost Per person, per dayTaipei $206Cairns $116
The average daily cost (per person) in Taipei is $206, while the average daily cost in Cairns is $116. 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 Cairns in more detail.
Accommodation
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Accommodation Hotel or hostel for one personTaipei $155Cairns $43
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Accommodation Typical double-occupancy roomTaipei $310Cairns $86
Compare Hotels in Taipei and Cairns
Looking for a hotel in Taipei or Cairns? 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 Cairns Hotel Prices.
Local Transportation
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Local Transportation Taxis, local buses, subway, etc.Taipei $11Cairns $12
Typical Local Transportation Prices in Taipei
Here are some examples of typical transportation prices from actual travelers in Taipei:
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Easycard$2.15
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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 Cairns
Also for Cairns, here are a few examples of actual transportation services:
- Shuttle Bus Transfer - Kuranda to Cairns City: $20
- Shared Transfer Between Cairns and Port Douglas: $87
- Private Transfers - Cairns Airport to Palm Cove: $96
- Private Transfers - Cairns Airport to Cairns City: $69
- Private Transfer from Cairns hotels to Port Douglas Cruise Port: $161
- Private Transfer from Cairns Cruise Port to Port Douglas hotels: $180
- Private Transfer from Cairns Cruise Port to Cairns Airport (CNS): $87
- Private Transfer from Cairns City Hotels to Cairns Cruise Port: $72
- Private Transfer from Cairns Airport (CNS) to Port Douglas Port: $161
- Private Transfer from Cairns Airport (CNS) to Cairns Cruise Port: $87
- Private Transfer From Cairns Cruise Port to Cairns City Hotels: $72
- Private Transfer - Cairns Airport to/from Cairns CBD : $77
Is it cheaper to fly into Taipei or Cairns?
Prices for flights to both Cairns 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 $29Cairns $49
Typical Food Prices in Taipei
For Taipei, here are some examples of average food and meal prices for travelers:
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EasyCard$17
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Lunch at The Can$7.28
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EasyCard$33
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Lunch$3.14
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Lunch$1.98
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Dinner$6.62
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Lunch$3.80
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Lunch$4.96
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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 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.Taipei $18Cairns $37
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 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:
- Kuranda Rainforestation Nature Park Ticket (BNP): $47
- 1 Hour Jetski Tour Cairns: $134
- 2 Days Tour on Atherton Tablelands and Cape Tribbin: $288
- 2-Day Daintree & Outback Tour from Cairns & Port Douglas: $261
- 2-Day Paronella Park & Tablelands Tour+Cape Tribulation Tour: $324
- 2-Day Waterfall and Daintree Tour: $191
- 30 min Jetski Tour Cairns: $74
- All Inclusive Day Tour to Frankland Islands Great Barrier Reef: $168
- All Inclusive Waterfalls and Rainforest Tour from Cairns : $120
- Ancient Egypt Night Tour in the heart of Cairns: $65
- Ancient Egypt Sunset Tour in the heart of Cairns: $65
- Atherton Tablelands: Lakes, Waterfalls, Rainforest Day Tour: $112
Alcohol
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Alcohol Drinks for one dayTaipei $19Cairns $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): $27
- Private Tour to Yilan Kavalan Whisky Distillery: $145
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 we compare the travel costs of actual travelers between Taipei and Cairns, we can see that Taipei is more expensive. And not only is Cairns much less expensive, but it is actually a significantly cheaper destination. Since Taipei is in Asia and Cairns 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 Cairns would let you spend less money overall. Or, you could decide to spend more money in Cairns 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 Cairns.
If you're trying to decide if either of these two destinations are within your price range, also see Is Taipei Expensive? and Is Cairns Expensive?.
Which is Bigger, Taipei or Cairns?
Taipei has a larger population, and is about 50 times larger than the population of Cairns. When comparing the sizes of Taipei and Cairns, 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.