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

Should you visit Bagan or Newcastle?

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 Newcastle can help you decide which place is right for you.

Where Should I go: Bagan or Newcastle?

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.

Newcastle

Newcastle is 150 kilometers north of Sydney in New South Wales. It is also the second largest city in the state, and serves as a central point to explore the area's beaches, wineries, and beautiful natural landscape. North of the city is Stockton beach, which has many miles of isolated, beautiful beaches, stretching all the way up to Nelson Bay. The wineries are inland to the west and have some of Australia's finest wine which you can taste. If you want to see rainforests, you can head northwest to Barrington Tops National Park, which has great rainforests and freshwater streams. You may even get to see a platypus. The city also has the country's oldest sea port. In the past the city's economy was centered around the steel industry, but today the University of Newcastle is one of the area's most important employers.

For some great organized tour ideas, see The Best Contiki Tours to Australia, and The Best G Adventures Tours to Australia.


Which place is cheaper, Newcastle 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 Newcastle is $91. 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 Newcastle in more detail.



Accommodation
  • Accommodation Hotel or hostel for one person
    Bagan $7.36
    Newcastle $44
  • Accommodation Typical double-occupancy room
    Bagan $15
    Newcastle $88
Compare Hotels in Bagan and Newcastle

Looking for a hotel in Bagan or Newcastle? 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 Newcastle


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: Newcastle Hotel Prices.

Local Transportation
  • Local Transportation Taxis, local buses, subway, etc.
    Bagan $3.57
    Newcastle $8.34

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 Newcastle

Some specific examples of transportation prices in Newcastle:

  • Newcastle Airport (NTL) to Newcastle - Arrival Private Transfer: $26
  • Newcastle to Newcastle Airport (NTL) - Departure Private Transfer: $26
  • Bimbadgen Lunch Tour with Helicopter Transfers: $751
  • Tandem Beach Skydive with Optional Transfers: $248
  • Private Transfer - Newcastle Cruise Port to Sydney Airport (SYD): $88
  • Private Transfer from Newcastle Airport (NTL) to Newcastle Port: $29
  • Private Transfer from Newcastle City Hotels to Newcastle Port: $28
  • Private Transfer from Newcastle Cruise Port to Sydney City Hotels: $88
  • Private Transfer from Newcastle Port to Newcastle Airport (NTL): $29
  • Private Transfer from Newcastle Port to Newcastle city hotels: $28

Is it cheaper to fly into Bagan or Newcastle?

Prices for flights to both Newcastle 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
    Newcastle $35

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
    Newcastle $15

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 Newcastle

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

  • Wine & Cheese Tasting Experience in Hunter Valley: $9.91
  • Skip the Line: Handmade Cheese, Fruit Paste & Gourmet Bread & Wafers Lunch: $17
  • True Crime Guided Walking Tour: $22
  • Newcastle Dark Stories True Crime Tour: $23
  • Port Stephens: Dolphin Discovery Cruise: $27
  • Family Pass: Fighter World Museum Admission Ticket: $30
  • Architecture, Street Art & Hidden Secrets Walking Tour of Newcastle: $33
  • Audrey Wilkinson Vineyard - Sweet Indulgence Experience: $37
  • Newscastle: Australian Tree Ropes Course Adventure: $42
  • Lake Macquarie Cruise with Lunch: $46
  • Newcastle Whale Watching Cruise: $49
  • Port Stephens: Whale Watching Cruise: $50

Alcohol
  • Alcohol Drinks for one day
    Bagan -
    Newcastle $10

Sample the Local Flavors in Newcastle

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

  • Cael’s Gate Wine Tasting in Broke: $5.32
  • Boutique Wine Tasting Experience in Pokolbin: $6.60
  • Ivanhoe Wines: Trip Advisor Seated Wine Tasting Masterclass: $9.91
  • Tulloch Wines - Wine Tasting paired with Local Handmade Chocolates: $20
  • 30-Minute Distillery Guided Tour in Carrington : $23
  • Cheese and Wine Tasting Experience in Pokolbin: $26
  • Tintilla Estate: Wine Tasting with a Meat and Cheese Platter: $26
  • Tulloch Wines Hunter Heroes Wine Tasting with Local Cheese & Charcuterie Board: $33
  • Tulloch Wines- Mystery Wine Tasting Experience with Local Cheese and Charcuterie: $33
  • Premium Wine Tasting Experience in Pokolbin: $50
  • Snapshot Half Day Hunter Valley Wine Tour: $72
  • Hunter Valley Wine Tour from the Hunter with Wine Craft Beer Cheese Chocolate: $102


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


Which is Bigger, Bagan or Newcastle?

Newcastle has a larger population, and is about 1660 times larger than the population of Bagan. When comparing the sizes of Bagan and Newcastle, 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.