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

Should you visit Bagan or Noosa Heads?

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 Noosa Heads can help you decide which place is right for you.

Where Should I go: Bagan or Noosa Heads?

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.

Noosa Heads

A town and suburb located on Queensland, Australia's Sunshine Coast, Noosa is best known as a destination of pleasant weather, beautiful beachside scenery, shopping, dining, and outdoor adventure. Some of the top attractions of the area include Noosa National Park and Sunshine Beach.

For some great organized tour ideas, see The Best Vineyard & Wine Tours in Australia, and The Best Romantic Tours for Couples in Australia.


Which place is cheaper, Noosa Heads 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 Noosa Heads is $135. 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 Noosa Heads in more detail.



Accommodation
  • Accommodation Hotel or hostel for one person
    Bagan $7.36
    Noosa Heads $58
  • Accommodation Typical double-occupancy room
    Bagan $15
    Noosa Heads $116
Compare Hotels in Bagan and Noosa Heads

Looking for a hotel in Bagan or Noosa Heads? 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 Noosa Heads


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: Noosa Heads Hotel Prices.

Local Transportation
  • Local Transportation Taxis, local buses, subway, etc.
    Bagan $3.57
    Noosa Heads $17

Hired Cars and Shuttles in Noosa Heads

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

  • Australia Zoo Transfer from Noosa and Sunshine Coast: $91
  • Eumundi Markets Bus Transfer: Mooloolaba Sunshine Coast & Noosa : $32
  • Private Morning Transfer From Noosa to Rainbow Beach: $91
  • Private Transfer from Sunshine Coast Airport to Hotels 11 pax: $238
  • Private Transfer from Sunshine Coast Airport to Hotels 13 pax: $262
  • Private Transfers from Sunshine Coast Airport to Noosa (2pax): $97

Is it cheaper to fly into Bagan or Noosa Heads?

Prices for flights to both Noosa Heads 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
    Noosa Heads $58

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 Noosa Heads

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

  • Cooking Classes on Witta Maleny Sunshine Coast: $121

Entertainment
  • Entertainment Entrance tickets, shows, etc.
    Bagan $57
    Noosa Heads $40

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 Noosa Heads

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


  • Surf Lesson
    $43
  • Sea Kayak Tour (for 2)
    $85
  • Sunset Cruise (for 2)
    $13

Tours and Activities in Noosa Heads

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

  • Noosa Queen Sunset Cruise River: $22
  • 1 Hour Tour Mooloolaba Sunset Cruise: $24
  • The Original 1-Hour Mooloolaba Canal Cruise: $24
  • SEA LIFE Sunshine Coast Aquarium Entrance Ticket: $26
  • Maleny Botanic Gardens Bird Aviary Experience Ticket: $32
  • Sunset Cruise Mooloolaba: $33
  • Aquaduck Sunshine Coast - 1hr Mooloolaba Amphibious Tour: $34
  • The Ginger Factory Play, Taste & Discover Bundle Experience: $36
  • Stillwater Luxury Noosa Sunset Cruise : $37
  • Noosa Stand Up Paddle & Mangrove Tunnel Tour (Self Guided): $39
  • Seafood Lunch Cruise: $46
  • Sunshine Coast Adventure Park TreeTop Challenge: $47

Alcohol
  • Alcohol Drinks for one day
    Bagan -
    Noosa Heads $10

Sample the Local Flavors in Noosa Heads

Also in Noosa Heads, these are the prices for nightlife and alcohol related activities from various tour providers:

  • Sunshine Coast Bar Crawl Sippin on Sunshine: $15
  • Sunshine Coast Brewery Tour with Lunch: $164
  • Hinterland Cheese & Wine Tasting Tour - with 2 course lunch included: $188


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


Which is Bigger, Bagan or Noosa Heads?

Noosa Heads has a larger population, and is about 30 times larger than the population of Bagan. When comparing the sizes of Bagan and Noosa Heads, 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.