Which place is cheaper, Varanasi or Abu Dhabi?
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 Abu Dhabi or Varanasi?
Which is cheaper to visit? Which is more expensive for vacation?
Which city is more affordable and which is best for your travel style? If you're trying to figure out where to go next, comparing the travel costs between Abu Dhabi and Varanasi can help you decide which place is right for you.
Where Should I go: Abu Dhabi or Varanasi?
Abu Dhabi
It doesn't get more "lifestyles of the rich and famous" than a vacation to Abu Dhabi. The federal capital and center of government for the United Arab Emirates is arguably the most modern city in the world.
Abu Dhabi has a population of 1.5 million and provides a home to several oil companies and embassies, but this place is definitely a playground for the world's fanciest tourists. This city has several large projects underway including Yas Island's Formula 1 track and Ferrari theme park.
Note: homosexuality is still outlawed in the UAE with harsh punishments including deportation, fines, jail time or even a death sentence.
Varanasi
Known to be one of India's holiest cities, many come to Varanasi on a spiritual pilgrimage looking to bathe in the sacred waters of the Ganges River. Dating back to the 11th Century BC, it is also one of the oldest continuously inhabited cities in the world. Centuries old temples make up the backdrop, as many come and come again to perform their holy rights at the edge of the historic river.
For some great organized tour ideas, see The Best Family-Friendly Tours to United Arab Emirates, The Best 3-Day Tours in United Arab Emirates, The Best Bicycle Tours in India, and Tours for Outdoor and Nature Lovers in India.
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Abu Dhabi Prices
UAE PricesVaranasi Prices
India Prices -
Average Daily Cost Per person, per dayAbu Dhabi $197Varanasi $31
The average daily cost (per person) in Abu Dhabi is $197, while the average daily cost in Varanasi is $31. 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 Abu Dhabi and Varanasi in more detail.
Accommodation
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Accommodation Hotel or hostel for one personAbu Dhabi $98Varanasi $14
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Accommodation Typical double-occupancy roomAbu Dhabi $196Varanasi $28
Compare Hotels in Abu Dhabi and Varanasi
Looking for a hotel in Abu Dhabi or Varanasi? 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: Abu Dhabi Hotel Prices and Varanasi Hotel Prices.
Local Transportation
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Local Transportation Taxis, local buses, subway, etc.Abu Dhabi $20Varanasi $4.35
Typical Local Transportation Prices in Abu Dhabi
Some typical examples of transportation costs in Abu Dhabi are as follows:
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Car Rental$31
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Taxi to Airport$14
Hired Cars and Shuttles in Abu Dhabi
Some specific examples of transportation prices in Abu Dhabi:
- Yas Water world Abu Dhabi With Optional Transfer: $105
- Warner Bros World and Ferrari World Combo Ticket with transfer from Dubai: $204
- Warner Bros World Ticket's -Abu Dhabi Without Transfer: $220
- Warner Bros World Abu Dhabi Ticket with Hotel Transfers: $251
- Ultimate Snow Park Abu Dhabi Package with transfer option: $71
- Transfer Abu Dhabi City Center to Abu Dhabi Airport (AUH): $31
- Teams Lab Phenomena Experience in Abu Dhabi with Transfers option: $56
- TeamLab Phenomena Abu Dhabi Experience with Optional Transfers: $65
- Ski Abu Dhabi with Optional Transfers: $100
- Private direct transfer from Abu Dhabi to Dubai: $129
- Private Transfer: Abu Dhabi to Dubai Airport DXB in Luxury SUV: $216
- Private Transfer: Abu Dhabi Airport AUH to Dubai in Luxury Van: $210
Typical Local Transportation Prices in Varanasi
Here are some examples of typical transportation prices from actual travelers in Varanasi:
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Tuk Tuk Through Town$0.84
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Rickshaw Ride$0.53
Hired Cars and Shuttles in Varanasi
Also for Varanasi, here are a few examples of actual transportation services:
- Private Transfer: Varanasi Station to Hotel: $10
- Varanasi Airport to Varanasi Hotels drop: Private Transfers: $11
- Varanasi Hotels to Varanasi Airport drop: Private Transfers: $11
- Varanasi Airport to Varanasi Hotels drop: Private Transfers: $11
- Varanasi Airport : Transfer to Hotel / To Airport: $13
- Varanasi Airport : Transfer To Hotel / To Airport: $21
- Private Departure Transfer from Varanasi Hotel to Airport: $28
- 3-hours Temple hopping with transfers: $35
- Airport Pickup/Drop Transfer Service: $53
- Smooth transfer from Varanasi Airport to Hotel: $60
- Sarnath Tour with Guide & Car Including Hotel transfers: $69
- Sarnath Tour with Guide & Car Including transfers: $77
Is it cheaper to fly into Abu Dhabi or Varanasi?
Prices for flights to both Varanasi and Abu Dhabi 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 dayAbu Dhabi $78Varanasi $11
Food Tours and Cooking Classes in Abu Dhabi
Also, here are some specific examples of food and dining related activities in Abu Dhabi.
- Abu Dhabi Desert Safari with Dinner: $37
- Abu Dhabi Desert Safari with Red Dunes 4x4 Pick Drop Dinner Shows: $39
- Abu Dhabi Sunset Desert Safari With Dinner And 5 Live Shows: $39
- Desert Safari Abu Dhabi with Dune Bashing, BBQ Dinner & Live Show: $39
- Abu Dhabi Desert Safari with Live Entertainment and BBQ Dinner: $44
- Abu Dhabi Desert Safari BBQ Dinner Live Shows Pick & Drop More: $50
- Abu Dhabi Desert Safari With BBQ Dinner & Live Shows: $50
- Experience Abu Dhabi Yas Island by Dhow Cruise at Sea with Dinner: $55
- Desert Safari In Abu Dhabi With BBQ Dinner: $58
- Lunch Or Dinner at Emirates Palace - Ultimate Luxury Experience: $64
- Evening Desert Safari Abu Dhabi with Hot BBQ Dinner: $65
- Abu Dhabi Desert Safari with Sandboarding, Camel Ride & Dinner: $68
Typical Food Prices in Varanasi
For Varanasi, here are some examples of average food and meal prices for travelers:
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Dinner In Town$3.63
Food Tours and Cooking Classes in Varanasi
For Varanasi, here are some samples of tours and activities related to meals and dining experiences:
- Food Tour: Highlights Tour with Tasting &Sunset in Varanasi: $14
- Cooking Class with Sona: $29
- Night Boat Ride, Aarti Ceremony and Dinner: $29
- Ganga Aarti with Street Food Tour of Varanasi: $40
- Half-Day Varanasi Village Tour with Cooking Class & Local Dining: $40
- Varanasi Cooking Classes with Shobha: $40
- Traditional Indian Cooking Class with Dinner: $42
- Private Street Food Tour with 8+ Tastings & Pickup: $44
- Private Food Tour with Ganga Aarti Ceremony: $44
- Varanasi Cooking Classes with Indu and Shobha: $50
- Dashashwamedh Ganga Arati from balcony with Street Food Tour: $50
- Indian Cooking Class with Hotel Pickup: $52
Entertainment
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Entertainment Entrance tickets, shows, etc.Abu Dhabi $39Varanasi $9.24
Tours and Activities in Abu Dhabi
Some specific costs of activities, tours, and entrance tickets for Abu Dhabi are as follows:
- 1 Day 2 Yas Island Park Tickets Combo: $159
- 2 Days 2 Park- Ferrari World +Yas Waterworld Or Warner Bros World Combo Tickets: $155
- 4 Hour Cultural Tour of Abu Dhabi - Private Tour: $160
- 8 Hours Al Ain City Tour without lunch: $103
- Abu Dhabi 'Hidden Gems' by City Break - walking tours made fun!: $34
- Abu Dhabi : Private Walking Tour with A guide (Private Tour): $46
- Abu Dhabi Aladdin Tour: Grand Mosque, Etihad, Palace, & Louvre: $119
- Abu Dhabi City Full Day Tour from Abu Dhabi: $157
- Abu Dhabi City Sightseeing Tour from Abu Dhabi Hotels: $100
- Abu Dhabi City Tour: $224
- Abu Dhabi City Tour Grand Mosque Emirates Palace Entrance: $55
- Abu Dhabi City Tour and Desert Safari: $125
Typical Entertainment Prices in Varanasi
Below are a few sample prices from actual travelers for Varanasi's activities, tours, and tickets:
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Boat Ride$0.74
Tours and Activities in Varanasi
For Varanasi, here are a few prices for actual activities, tours, and tickets provided by various companies:
- Sunrise Boat Tour: $3.17
- Photo tour in holy Varanasi: $7.40
- Spiritual and Heritage Walking Tour in Varanasi: $11
- Cultural & Spiritual Trails of Old Town Varanasi Guided Walking Tour: $11
- Private Customizable Walking Tour with Local Guide: $11
- Mysticism of Varanasi with Ganga Aarti (2 Hours Walking Tour): $12
- Cycle of Life, Death & Rebirth (2 Hours Guided Walking Tour): $12
- Explore the Old Varanasi City: Guided Walking Tour on foot: $12
- Exploring Varanasi Markets: Guided Tour with Local Guide: $12
- Varanasi Spiritual Trails: Guided Tour by Foot with a Local: $12
- Varanasi Walking and Heritage Tour: $13
- Sunrise in Banaras with Ganga Aarti (2 Hours Guided Walking Tour): $13
Alcohol
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Alcohol Drinks for one dayAbu Dhabi $13Varanasi $6.91
When we compare the travel costs of actual travelers between Abu Dhabi and Varanasi, we can see that Abu Dhabi is more expensive. And not only is Varanasi much less expensive, but it is actually a significantly cheaper destination. Since Abu Dhabi is in Middle East and Varanasi is in Asia, 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 Varanasi would let you spend less money overall. Or, you could decide to spend more money in Varanasi 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 Abu Dhabi would naturally cost you much more money, so you would probably want to keep your budget a little tighter in Abu Dhabi than you might in Varanasi.
If you're trying to decide if either of these two destinations are within your price range, also see Is Abu Dhabi Expensive? and Is Varanasi Expensive?.
Which is Bigger, Abu Dhabi or Varanasi?
Varanasi has a larger population, and is about 93% larger than the population of Abu Dhabi. When comparing the sizes of Abu Dhabi and Varanasi, 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.