A Travel Price Comparison for Families, Couples, and Backpackers Bagan vs. Brisbane for Vacations, Tours, and Honeymoons

Should you visit Bagan or Brisbane?

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 Bagan and Brisbane can help you decide which place is right for you.

Where Should I go: Bagan or Brisbane?

Bagan

Located in central Myanmar (formerly Burma), Bagan is an ancient city best known as the home to the largest and densest concentration of Buddhist temples, pagodas, stupas, and ruins in the world with many dating from the 11th and 12th centuries.

Brisbane

Although Brisbane is often overlooked as a travel destination in Australia, it is the capital of the state of Queensland, and is the third largest city in Australia. It's a very young and vibrant city with an active nightlife and a relaxed and welcoming atmosphere. It's a modern and economically thriving city and, if you do have time to visit, it actually has a lot to offer travelers. It has some beautiful scenery, a wonderful warm climate all year long, and is actually one of the fastest growing cities in Australia.

For some great organized tour ideas, see The Best Family-Friendly Tours to Australia, and The Best Hiking & Trekking Tours in Australia.


Which place is cheaper, Brisbane or Bagan?

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 Bagan is $34, while the average daily cost in Brisbane is $154. 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 Bagan and Brisbane in more detail.



Accommodation
  • Accommodation Hotel or hostel for one person
    Bagan $7.36
    Brisbane $81
  • Accommodation Typical double-occupancy room
    Bagan $15
    Brisbane $162
Compare Hotels in Bagan and Brisbane

Looking for a hotel in Bagan or Brisbane? 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.

Hotels in Bagan


Hotels in Brisbane


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: Brisbane Hotel Prices.

Local Transportation
  • Local Transportation Taxis, local buses, subway, etc.
    Bagan $3.57
    Brisbane $18

Typical Local Transportation Prices in Brisbane

Here are some examples of typical transportation prices from actual travelers in Brisbane:


  • Airtrain to the City
    $9.81
  • Go Card
    $16

Hired Cars and Shuttles in Brisbane

Also for Brisbane, here are a few examples of actual transportation services:

  • Airport Transfer: Brisbane to Brisbane Airport BNE in Luxury Car: $152
  • Arrival Private Transfer: Brisbane Airport BNE to Brisbane in Luxury Van: $139
  • Brisbane Airport (BNE) to Brisbane - Arrival Private Transfer: $84
  • Brisbane Airport (BNE) to Brisbane hotels - Arrival Private Transfer: $85
  • Brisbane Airport (BNE) to Brisbane hotels - Round-Trip Private Transfer: $171
  • Brisbane Airport Private Transfer Service to Brisbane City: $112
  • Brisbane Airport: Shared Transfer to Brisbane: $22
  • Brisbane Airport: Shared Transfer to Gold Coast: $56
  • Brisbane Airport: Shared Transfer to Sunshine Coast: $59
  • Brisbane Bathhouse Circuit and 4 Course Lunch with Transfer: $268
  • Brisbane Cruise Port: Private Transfer to Brisbane hotels: $226
  • Brisbane to Brisbane Airport (BNE) - Departure Private Transfer: $84

Is it cheaper to fly into Bagan or Brisbane?

Prices for flights to both Brisbane and Bagan 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
    Bagan $10
    Brisbane $54

Food Tours and Cooking Classes in Bagan

Also, here are some specific examples of food and dining related activities in Bagan.

  • Romantic Sunset Dinner At Bagan Viewing Tower: $91

Typical Food Prices in Brisbane

Here are some examples of typical meal expenses from previous travelers to Brisbane:


  • Hamburger Lunch
    $5.23
  • Cup of Coffee
    $1.96
  • Chinese Food Lunch
    $8.18
  • Ice cream
    $3.60
  • Japanese Meal
    $14
  • Smoothie
    $4.25
  • Japanese Soup
    $7.52
  • Coffee & Muffin
    $4.58
  • Morning Mint Tea
    $2.29
  • Veggie Burger & Chips
    $9.16
  • Bread
    $1.70

Food Tours and Cooking Classes in Brisbane

For Brisbane, here are some samples of tours and activities related to meals and dining experiences:

  • Gold Coast: Glow Worms, Sunset & Stargazing with BBQ dinner: $118
  • Vertigo Dinner – Dining on the Edge: $165
  • Dinner on the Edge with Vertigo Brisbane: $168
  • Local Icons Food Tour: $354

Entertainment
  • Entertainment Entrance tickets, shows, etc.
    Bagan $57
    Brisbane $24

Tours and Activities in Bagan

Here are a few actual costs in Bagan for available activities, ticket prices, and tours:

  • Old Bagan Sightseeing Tour: $43
  • Visiting Mount Popa from Bagan - Private Tour: $48

Typical Entertainment Prices in Brisbane

For Brisbane, here are some examples of average entertainment and activity prices from previous travelers:


  • Concert Tickets
    $13

Tours and Activities in Brisbane

Also, here are some specific examples of entertainment, tickets, and activities for Brisbane.

  • Escape to Coochiemudlo Island: A Self-Guided Audio Tour: $6.99
  • Tour, Taste & Camel Encounter: $17
  • True Crime Tour: $22
  • Fortitude Valley Historical Crime Walking Tour: $22
  • Winery Tour and Tasting: $23
  • True Crime Walking Tour: $25
  • Haunted CBD Ghost Tour: $25
  • Moonlight State Fortitude Valley Crime Tour Crime Tours Australia: $26
  • Haunted Brisbane CBD Ghost Tour: $26
  • Adventure Theme Scavenger Hunt Experience in Brisbane: $27
  • Boggo Road Gaol Ghost and Gallows Tour: $30
  • Solve a Detective Case in a themed adventure: $31

Alcohol
  • Alcohol Drinks for one day
    Bagan -
    Brisbane $50

Typical Alcohol Prices in Brisbane

Below are a few samples from actual travelers for alcohol and nightlife costs in Brisbane:


  • Evening at the Bar
    $9.81
  • Sixpack of Beer
    $9.16
  • Guiness Beer
    $5.56
  • Sixpack of Beer
    $8.50

Sample the Local Flavors in Brisbane

Here are a few nightlife and alcohol tours and activities from local tour providers in Brisbane:

  • Brisbane Bar Crawl in Fortitude Valley: $15
  • XXXX Brewery Tour: $25
  • Hop on Hop off Brewery Adventure : $67
  • Brewery Tour and Beer Tasting in Brisbane: $101
  • Island Pub Crawl with Lunch and High Speed Boat Tour in Brisbane : $101
  • Afternoon Brisbane Half-Day Brewery Tour: $107
  • Half Day Gold Coast Brewery Tour: $107
  • Hop on Hop off Wine tasting tour to Tamborine Mountain: $111
  • Island Pub Crawl with Lunch and High-Speed Boat: $116
  • Hinterland Heritage Wine Tour : $134
  • Gold Coast Full Day Brewery Tour: $140
  • Brisbane Brewery Full Day Tour with Lunch: $140


When we compare the travel costs of actual travelers between Bagan and Brisbane, we can see that Brisbane is more expensive. And not only is Bagan much less expensive, but it is actually a significantly cheaper destination. Since Bagan is in Asia and Brisbane 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 Bagan would let you spend less money overall. Or, you could decide to spend more money in Bagan 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 Brisbane would naturally cost you much more money, so you would probably want to keep your budget a little tighter in Brisbane than you might in Bagan.

If you're trying to decide if either of these two destinations are within your price range, also see Is Bagan Expensive? and Is Brisbane Expensive?.


Which is Bigger, Bagan or Brisbane?

Brisbane has a larger population, and is about 3200 times larger than the population of Bagan. When comparing the sizes of Bagan and Brisbane, 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.