How much does it cost to travel to Airlie Beach?
You should plan to spend around $141 (AU$217) per day on your vacation in Airlie Beach. This is the average daily price based on the expenses of other visitors.
Past travelers have spent, on average for one day:
- $32 (AU$49) on meals
- $19 (AU$30) on local transportation
- $116 (AU$179) on hotels
A one week trip to Airlie Beach for two people costs, on average, $1,969 (AU$3,036). This includes accommodation, food, local transportation, and sightseeing.
All of these average travel prices have been collected from other travelers to help you plan your own travel budget.
-
One Week
Per person
$985
AU$1,518
-
2 Weeks
Per person
$1,969
AU$3,036
-
One Month
Per person
$4,220
AU$6,505
-
One Week
For a couple
$1,969
AU$3,036
-
2 Weeks
For a couple
$3,939
AU$6,071
-
One Month
For a couple
$8,441
AU$13,010
How much does a one week, two week, or one month trip to Airlie Beach cost?
A one week trip to Airlie Beach usually costs around $985 (AU$1,518) for one person and $1,969 (AU$3,036) for two people. This includes accommodation, food, local transportation, and sightseeing.
A two week trip to Airlie Beach on average costs around $1,969 (AU$3,036) for one person and $3,939 (AU$6,071) for two people. This cost includes accommodation, food, local transportation, and sightseeing.
Please note, prices can vary based on your travel style, speed, and other variables. If you're traveling as a family of three or four people, the price per person often goes down because kid's tickets are cheaper and hotel rooms can be shared. If you travel slower over a longer period of time then your daily budget will also go down. Two people traveling together for one month in Airlie Beach will often have a lower daily budget per person than one person traveling alone for one week.
A one month trip to Airlie Beach on average costs around $4,220 (AU$6,505) for one person and $8,441 (AU$13,010) for two people. The more places you visit, the higher the daily price will become due to increased transportation costs.
Independent Travel
Traveling Independently to Airlie Beach has many benefits including affordabilty, freedom, flexibility, and the opportunity to control your own experiences.
All of the travel costs below are based on the experiences of other independent travelers.
Is Airlie Beach expensive to visit?
Prices in Airlie Beach are reasonable and comparable to your average travel destination. Hotels, food, and sightseeing are generally within normal price ranges.
Within the Pacific, which is known to be an expensive region, Airlie Beach is a moderately priced destination compared to other places. The overall cost of travel here is fair for the region and comparable to Auckland or Uluru National Park (Ayers Rock).
For more details, and to find out if it's within your travel budget, see Is Airlie Beach Expensive?
How much money do I need for a trip to Airlie Beach?
The average Airlie Beach trip cost is broken down by category here for independent travelers. All of these Airlie Beach travel prices are calculated from the budgets of real travelers.
|
Category
|
Cost
|
|
Accommodation 1
(Double Occupancy)
|
AU$179
($116)
|
|
Local Transportation 1
|
AU$30
($19)
|
|
Food 2
|
AU$49
($32)
|
|
Entertainment 1
|
AU$246
($160)
|
|
Alcohol 2
|
AU$7 -
21
($4 - 13)
|
Accommodation Budget in Airlie Beach
Calculated from travelers like you
The average price paid for one person for accommodation in Airlie Beach is $58 (AU$90). For two people sharing a typical double-occupancy hotel room, the average price paid for a hotel room in Airlie Beach is $116 (AU$179). This cost is from the reported spending of actual travelers.
Looking for a hotel in Airlie Beach? Prices vary by location, date, season, and the level of luxury. See below for options.
Transportation Budget in Airlie Beach
Calculated from travelers like you
-
The cost of a taxi ride in Airlie Beach is significantly more than public transportation. On average, past travelers have spent $19 (AU$30) per person, per day, on local transportation in Airlie Beach.
-
Transportation1
Taxis, local buses, subway, etc.
$19
AU$30
How much does it cost to go to Airlie Beach? Naturally, it depends on the dates. We recommend Kayak because they can find the best deals across all airlines.
The price of renting a car in Airlie Beach will depends on dates, the type of car, the location, and your age. We recommend Kayak because they can find the best deals across all car rental companies.
Food Budget in Airlie Beach
Calculated from travelers like you
-
While meal prices in Airlie Beach can vary, the average cost of food in Airlie Beach is $32 (AU$49) per day. Based on the spending habits of previous travelers, when dining out an average meal in Airlie Beach should cost around $13 (AU$20) per person. Breakfast prices are usually a little cheaper than lunch or dinner. The price of food in sit-down restaurants in Airlie Beach is often higher than fast food prices or street food prices.
-
Food2
Meals for one day
$32
AU$49
Entertainment Budget in Airlie Beach
Calculated from travelers like you
-
Entertainment and activities in Airlie Beach typically cost an average of $160 (AU$246) per person, per day based on the spending of previous travelers. This includes fees paid for admission tickets to museums and attractions, day tours, and other sightseeing expenses.
-
Entertainment1
Entrance tickets, shows, etc.
$160
AU$246
Alcohol Budget in Airlie Beach
Calculated from travelers like you
-
The average person spends about $8.99 (AU$14) on alcoholic beverages in Airlie Beach per day. The more you spend on alcohol, the more fun you might be having despite your higher budget.
-
Alcohol2
Drinks for one day
$8.99
AU$14
Airlie Beach On a Budget
Airlie Beach
Airlie Beach, in Queensland, offers the closest port to the Whitsunday Islands on the Great Barrier Reef. It's a small town of only 25,000 and has grown out of the area's popularity as a tourist destination. It's main industry remains tourism and, as such, there are many venues set up to accommodate travelers hoping to make trips to the Whitsunday Islands and the Outer Great Barrier Reef. The town has the feel of a vacation destination. While in the past Airlie Beach appealed specifically to the backpacker crowd, it's popularity has spread and now there are facilities catering to all travel types. The area has become more commercialized and there are plenty of large resorts to choose from. Even so, you'll still find no shortage of affordable accommodation around town.
Sights
Airlie Beach itself is not the best beach destination. The beaches are overrun with jellyfish so it is best not to swim without a stinger suit to protect you. Instead, it is better to use Airlie Beach as a jumping off point to make your way to the Whitsunday Islands. There are some nice views of the harbour and the bay from the center of town. Walk along Shute Harbour Road and enjoy the atmosphere while you're in town. There is also a great man made lagoon in town. It is about two hundred metres long and fifty wide and it's been landscaped with a bridge and grass where you can relax. There is a life guard on duty during the day and it's a pleasant place to swim. There is also a Saturday morning market along the waterfront where you can pick up local produce and foods, or just wander around and enjoy the atmosphere.
Neighborhoods
The main drag in town, Airlie Beach proper, is where you'll find most of the affordable accommodation in town. This area has the highest concentration of backpacker resorts and pubs. To the west of the strip is Cannonvale. Commercial development slows in this area and Cannonvalley and Strathdickie are more rural with farming land and houses on acreage. Jubilee Pocket and Shute Harbour or other suburbs in the area.
There are two large commerical marines very close to the center of town. Abel Point has 450 berths and Port of Airlie, at the southern end of the main street, has 350. There are ferries to Whitsunday Islands that leave from the Cruise Whitsundays Maritime Terminal next to the Port of Airlie Marina. You can also catch a ferry to Hayman Island at the Abel Point Marina.
Activities
Most people use Airlie Beach as a jumping off point for trips to the Whitsunday Islands or the Great Barrier Reef. It's easy to arrange tours of these areas while you're in town and most tours leave from Abel Point Marina or occasionally from the Port of Airlie.
Food and Dining
There are plenty of restaurants around town that vary in price and quality. As a tourist destination, most restaurants in town are set up specifically for tourists and prices reflect this. Takeaway places are available for those on a particularly tight budget. If you're willing to spend a little more money for decent food then Deja Vu at Water's Edge Resort and Capers at the Airlie Beach Hotel are both recommended. For decent pub food head to Beaches, Down Under Bar & Grill or Magnums.
There's also a large supermarket behind the main Airlie Beach Street and several options are in the suburbs as well. If you arrange a sailing trip while you're in town, they often provide a meal as well.
Transportation
The best way to access Airlie Beach is by flying into the Proserpine Airport (also called Whitsunday Coast Airport). Airlines that fly to this airport include Virgin Australia, Tiger, and Jetstar. It's possible to catch a bus (must be prebooked before boarding at a booth inside the arrival gate) or taxi at the airport to Airlie Beach, and rental cars are also available. Buses and taxis are comparable in price and the ride takes about 40 minutes.
There is also a train station in Proserpine if you're traveling north or south along the coast. Greyhound and Premier bus companies run trips between Brisbane and Cairns that stop at Airlie Beach.
If you arrive in Airlie Beach hoping to make your way to the islands, Abel Point Marina is where you'll find the boats. The marina is about a fifteen minute walk away from Shute Harbour Road.
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We've been gathering travel costs from tens of thousands of actual travelers since 2010, and we use the data to calculate average daily travel costs for destinations around the world. We also systematically analyze the prices of hotels, hostels, and tours from travel providers such as Kayak, HostelWorld, TourRadar, Viator, and others. This combination of expenses from actual travelers, combined with pricing data from major travel companies, gives us a uniqe insight into the overall cost of travel for thousands of cities in countries around the world. You can see more here: How it Works.
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.