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

Should you visit Bagan or Fraser Island?

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 Fraser Island can help you decide which place is right for you.

Where Should I go: Bagan or Fraser Island?

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.

Fraser Island

Fraser Island, located off Australia's eastern Queensland coast, is the world's largest sand island. It is best known as a camping and ecotourism destination, with a number of panoramic viewpoints, beaches, lakes, and freshwater pools. Hervey Bay, a beachside city on the nearby mainland, is a primary gateway to the island.

For some great organized tour ideas, see The Best Water Sports Tour Packages in Australia, and The Best Food and Culinary Tours in Australia.


Which place is cheaper, Fraser Island or Bagan?

These are the overall average travel costs for the two destinations.

The average daily cost (per person) in Bagan is $30, while the average daily cost in Fraser Island is $206. 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 Fraser Island in more detail.



Accommodation
  • Accommodation Hotel or hostel for one person
    Bagan $7.36
    Fraser Island $102
  • Accommodation Typical double-occupancy room
    Bagan $15
    Fraser Island $204
Compare Hotels in Bagan and Fraser Island

Looking for a hotel in Bagan or Fraser Island? 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 Fraser Island


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.


Local Transportation
  • Local Transportation Taxis, local buses, subway, etc.
    Bagan $3.57
    Fraser Island $92

Hired Cars and Shuttles in Bagan

Some specific examples of transportation prices in Bagan:

  • From Bagan City To Mandalay Private Transfer: $150

Is it cheaper to fly into Bagan or Fraser Island?

Prices for flights to both Fraser Island 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 $5.95
    Fraser Island $47

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

Entertainment
  • Entertainment Entrance tickets, shows, etc.
    Bagan $57
    Fraser Island $44

Tours and Activities in Bagan

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

  • Day Cruise Bagan to Mandalay: $31
  • Mount Popa Tour: $42
  • Old Bagan Sightseeing Tour: $43
  • Old Bagan Biking Tour - Half Day (Guide included): $45
  • Private Bagan Cultural Tour : $46
  • Best Bagan One Day Tour With Tour Guide: $48
  • Visiting Mount Popa from Bagan - Private Tour: $48
  • Full Day tour In Bagan UNESCO World Heritage: $50
  • BAGAN TEMPLES FULL DAY GUIDED BY ELECTRIC BIKE ( Private Tour ): $64
  • Full day Adventure Trip to Mt. Popa & Salay: $65
  • Tuk Tuk tour to Mt. Popa : $67
  • Private Bagan day tour by car with horse cart: $70

Tours and Activities in Fraser Island

Some specific costs of activities, tours, and entrance tickets for Fraser Island are as follows:

  • 2 Hours Hervey Bay Funset Cruise: $52
  • Hervey Bay Ultimate Whale Watching Cruise: $72
  • Hervey Bay: Best Value Half Day Whale Watching Cruise : $79
  • Hervey Bay Whale Watching Cruise: $98
  • Hervey Bay: Half Day Whale watching & Island Stop Tour: $109
  • Remote K'gari (Fraser Island) & Whale Experience: $164
  • Remote Fraser Island Experience: $164
  • K'gari (Fraser Island) Day Tour: $180
  • K'gari/2-Day Tagalong Tour from Hervey Bay: $340

Alcohol
  • Alcohol Drinks for one day
    Bagan -
    Fraser Island $20


When we compare the travel costs of actual travelers between Bagan and Fraser Island, we can see that Fraser Island 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 Fraser Island 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 Fraser Island would naturally cost you much more money, so you would probably want to keep your budget a little tighter in Fraser Island 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 Fraser Island Expensive?.