Which place is cheaper, Melbourne or Bagan?
These are the overall average travel costs for the two destinations.
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Should you visit Bagan or Melbourne?
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 Melbourne can help you decide which place is right for you.
Where Should I go: Bagan or Melbourne?
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.
Melbourne
Melbourne is the second largest city in Australia, after Sydney. It is also the capital city of the state of Victoria, in southeastern Australia. Melbourne is arguably the best city to experience culture and the arts in Australia. There is a friendly rivalry between Melbourne and Sydney over livability and popularity and Melbourne is definitely the city to visit for its parks, shopping, restaurants, galleries and theaters. Like Sydney, it is situated on the water, at the head of Port Phillip Bay. It's a beautiful city, and although it lacks the major sights that you'll find in Sydney such as the Sydney Opera House or the Harbour Bridge, you will never find yourself lacking for entertainment. It is also a wonderful base for exploring many of the nearby highlights, including Grampians National Park, The Great Ocean Road, and Phillip Island where you can view the penguin parade.
For some great organized tour ideas, see The Best Water Sports Tour Packages in Australia, and The Best Food and Culinary Tours in Australia.
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Average Daily Cost Per person, per dayBagan $30Melbourne $176
The average daily cost (per person) in Bagan is $30, while the average daily cost in Melbourne is $176. 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 Melbourne in more detail.
Accommodation
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Accommodation Hotel or hostel for one personBagan $7.36Melbourne $118
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Accommodation Typical double-occupancy roomBagan $15Melbourne $236
Compare Hotels in Bagan and Melbourne
Looking for a hotel in Bagan or Melbourne? 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: Melbourne Hotel Prices.
Local Transportation
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Local Transportation Taxis, local buses, subway, etc.Bagan $3.57Melbourne $19
Hired Cars and Shuttles in Bagan
Some specific examples of transportation prices in Bagan:
- From Bagan City To Mandalay Private Transfer: $150
Typical Local Transportation Prices in Melbourne
Below are a few samples from actual travelers for transportation costs in Melbourne:
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Airport Bus$10
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Tram Ride$2.47
Hired Cars and Shuttles in Melbourne
Also for Melbourne, here are a few examples of actual transportation services:
- Luxury Airport Transfers & Best Limo Service in Melbourne: $86
- Melbourne Airport Arrival Or Departure Luxury Car Transfers : $109
- Arrival Transfer Melbourne Airport MEL to Melbourne in Sedan: $115
- Arrival Transfer from Melbourne Airport MEL to Melbourne in Van: $163
- Avalon Airport Transfers: $165
- Ballarat - Melbourne Airport Transfers: $176
- Departure Transfer Melbourne to Melbourne Airport MEL in Sedan: $115
- Departure Transfer from Melbourne to Melbourne Airport MEL in Van: $163
- From Melbourne Airport: 1-Way Private Transfer to Melbourne: $79
- From Lake Mountain Ski Resort Tour with Transfers: $947
- GoBlu-EV: 100% Electric Cabs for Airport & City Transfer in MEL: $33
- MEL Airport: Minibus Private Transfer to Melbourne CBD: $205
Is it cheaper to fly into Bagan or Melbourne?
Prices for flights to both Melbourne 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 $5.95Melbourne $30
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 Melbourne
For Melbourne, here are some examples of average food and meal prices for travelers:
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Coffee$2.60
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Pizza$4.54
Food Tours and Cooking Classes in Melbourne
For Melbourne, here are some samples of tours and activities related to meals and dining experiences:
- Queen Victoria Market: 'Flavours of Australia' Food Tour: $52
- Eynesbury Homestead Dinner and Ghost Tour: $53
- Sunset Kayak Tour with Dinner: $78
- Melbourne Sunset Kayaking Experience with Dinner: $79
- Melbourne Private Multicultural Markets Food Tour: $86
- Pizza Making Party: $89
- Chinese Dumpling Cooking Class with a Drink: $97
- Secret Food Tour: $109
- Chinese Cooking Class Master: $118
- Spirit of Melbourne Dinner Cruise: $122
- Choose Your Asian Cuisine Cooking Masterclass: $129
- Street Food of Asia Cooking Class: $130
Entertainment
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Entertainment Entrance tickets, shows, etc.Bagan $57Melbourne $27
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
Tours and Activities in Melbourne
For Melbourne, here are a few prices for actual activities, tours, and tickets provided by various companies:
- Melbourne:Highlights Self-Guided Scavenger Hunt & Tour: $3.21
- First Discovery Walk and Reading Walking Tour: $3.21
- Melbourne Scavenger Hunt and Best Landmarks Self-Guided Tour: $3.28
- Escape Game and Tour: $6.42
- Marvellous A Self-Guided Audio Tour: $6.99
- Melbourne Self-Guided Audio Tour: $9.00
- MoPA Children's Museum Admission Ticket: $9.15
- Melbourne Gardens Explorer Minibus Tour: $9.80
- Scienceworks Entry Ticket: $9.80
- Melbourne Museum Entry Ticket: $9.80
- Immigration Museum Entry Ticket: $9.80
- Questo Self-guided Haunted Melbourne Walking Tour: $11
Alcohol
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Alcohol Drinks for one dayBagan -Melbourne $17
Typical Alcohol Prices in Melbourne
Here are a few samples of the prices for alcohol and nightlife in Melbourne from other travelers:
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Bottle of Wine$5.03
Sample the Local Flavors in Melbourne
Also in Melbourne, these are the prices for nightlife and alcohol related activities from various tour providers:
- Melbourne Pub Crawl: $17
- Weekly Bar Crawl: 5 Free shots, Club Entry: $19
- Spirits and Ales Haunted Pub Walking Tour: $25
- Melbourne Halloween Bar Crawl: $33
- Laid back,Small-Group Yarra Valley Wine Tour :Wine,Gin,Cider+more: $86
- Yarra Valley Day Trip with Local Wine Tastings from Melbourne: $102
- Yarra Valley Wine Tour inc lunch with a glass of wine, tastings and chocolate: $116
- Yarra Valley Gourmet Food & Wine Tasting Tour: $127
- Southern Gippsland boutique Wine Tour with Tapas from Melbourne : $139
- Wine Tour Yarra Valley, Vic - inc. 2 course lunch + glass of wine: $165
- Mornington Peninsula Premium Tour with Wine Tasting at Yabby Lake : $172
- Yarra Valley Premium Tour Lunch and Sparkling Wine Tasting at Domaine Chandon: $178
When we compare the travel costs of actual travelers between Bagan and Melbourne, we can see that Melbourne 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 Melbourne 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 Melbourne would naturally cost you much more money, so you would probably want to keep your budget a little tighter in Melbourne 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 Melbourne Expensive?.
Which is Bigger, Bagan or Melbourne?
Melbourne has a larger population, and is about 12430 times larger than the population of Bagan. When comparing the sizes of Bagan and Melbourne, 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.