Which place is cheaper, Cairns or Bagan?
These are the overall average travel costs for the two destinations.
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Should you visit Bagan or Cairns?
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 Cairns can help you decide which place is right for you.
Where Should I go: Bagan or Cairns?
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.
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 Contiki Tours to Australia, and The Best G Adventures Tours to Australia.
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Average Daily Cost Per person, per dayBagan $30Cairns $94
The average daily cost (per person) in Bagan is $30, while the average daily cost in Cairns is $94. 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 Cairns in more detail.
Accommodation
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Accommodation Hotel or hostel for one personBagan $7.36Cairns $43
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Accommodation Typical double-occupancy roomBagan $15Cairns $86
Compare Hotels in Bagan and Cairns
Looking for a hotel in Bagan 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: Cairns Hotel Prices.
Local Transportation
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Local Transportation Taxis, local buses, subway, etc.Bagan $3.57Cairns $12
Hired Cars and Shuttles in Bagan
Some specific examples of transportation prices in Bagan:
- From Bagan City To Mandalay Private Transfer: $150
Hired Cars and Shuttles in Cairns
Also for Cairns, here are a few examples of actual transportation services:
- Airport Transfer - Cairns Airport to City: $58
- Airport Transfer - Cairns Airport to Northern Beaches: $59
- Airport Transfer - Northern Beaches to Cairns Airport: $73
- Airport Transfers between Cairns Airport and Cairns City: $14
- Airport Transfers between Cairns Airport and Palm Cove: $20
- Cairns Airport (CNS) Arrival Transfer (CNS Airport to Cairns Hotels or Address): $147
- Cairns Airport (CNS) to Cairns hotels - Arrival Private Transfer: $123
- Cairns Airport (CNS) to Palm Cove - Round-Trip Private Transfer : $100
- Cairns Airport (CNS) to Port Douglas - Arrival Private Transfer: $134
- Cairns Airport (CNS): Private Transfer to Cairns Cruise Port: $159
- Cairns Airport (CNS): Private Transfer to Cairns city hotels: $241
- Cairns Airport (CNS): Private Transfer to Palm Cove hotels: $168
Is it cheaper to fly into Bagan or Cairns?
Prices for flights to both Cairns 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
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Food Meals for one dayBagan $5.95Cairns $28
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
Food Tours and Cooking Classes in Cairns
For Cairns, here are some samples of tours and activities related to meals and dining experiences:
- Cairns Luxury Catamaran Harbor and Dinner Cruise: $85
- Night at the Aquarium Guided Tour & 2 Course Dinner: $91
- Guided Twilight Tour with 3-Course Dinner: $117
- City Sights Tour with Evening Dinner Cruise: $149
Entertainment
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Entertainment Entrance tickets, shows, etc.Bagan $57Cairns $37
Tours and Activities in Bagan
Here are a few actual costs in Bagan for available activities, ticket prices, and tours:
- Acient Capitals of Myanmar Tour: $149
- Amazing Bagan, full day tour by car and guide: $90
- BAGAN TEMPLES FULL DAY GUIDED BY ELECTRIC BIKE ( Private Tour ): $64
- Bagan Classics Private Temples Tour: $159
- Bagan Cycling Tour ( Villages & Temples Cycling Explorer) : $129
- Bagan Horse Cart Ride Tour with Puppet Show: $160
- Bagan Instagram Photo Tour: $179
- Bagan and Mount Popa Private Tour (2 Days): $90
- Best Bagan One Day Tour With Tour Guide: $48
- Day Cruise Bagan to Mandalay: $31
- Excellent Private Guided Tour Around Bagan With Lunch: $88
- Full Day tour In Bagan UNESCO World Heritage: $50
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:
- Skip the Line: Cairns Museum Single Admission Ticket: $9.91
- Cairns Pub & Club Tour: $26
- Entry Ticket at Historic Village Herberton: $28
- Hartley's Crocodile Adventures General Entry Ticket: $30
- Cairns Aquarium General Admission Ticket: $34
- Sightseeing River Boat Safari with Soft Drinks: $36
- Sunset River Cruise with Snack and Drinks: $42
- Rusty's Market Foodlovers Tour: $43
- Kuranda Rainforestation Nature Park Ticket (BNP): $43
- Cairns Botanic Gardens: Mushroom Photography Tour: $44
- Full Day Tour by Myroo X Deluxe Coach to Mission Beach: $46
- Aquarium Entry Ticket and Turtle Rehabilitation Tour: $47
Alcohol
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Alcohol Drinks for one dayBagan -Cairns $13
Sample the Local Flavors in Cairns
Here are a few nightlife and alcohol tours and activities from local tour providers in Cairns:
- Cairns Brewery Tours: $139
- From Atherton Tablelands Food and Wine Tasting Tour: $160
When we compare the travel costs of actual travelers between Bagan and Cairns, we can see that Cairns 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 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 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 Cairns would naturally cost you much more money, so you would probably want to keep your budget a little tighter in Cairns 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 Cairns Expensive?.
Which is Bigger, Bagan or Cairns?
Cairns has a larger population, and is about 510 times larger than the population of Bagan. When comparing the sizes of Bagan 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.