Which place is cheaper, Surfers Paradise or Bagan?
These are the overall average travel costs for the two destinations.
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Should you visit Bagan or Surfers Paradise?
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 Surfers Paradise can help you decide which place is right for you.
Where Should I go: Bagan or Surfers Paradise?
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.
Surfers Paradise
A tourist mecca, Surfers Paradise is one of the most popular travel destinations along Australia's famed Gold Coast. The beach stretches for miles and there is an endless supply of almost constant parties. You'll find high rise apartments lined up along the shore and plenty of shopping areas, restaurants, nightclubs, and bars. Travelers from around the world visit the area, and it's a right of passage for Australia's teens to vacation in or near Surfers Paradise. For many travelers, Surfers Paradise comes across as little more than a mass marketed, over commercialized, party destination, but for others it is a vacation dream. Prices are highly inflated so you have to keep your whits about you to avoid being ripped off. Surfers Paradise is a destination of extremes and it conjures up extreme emotions in many travelers, be it positive or negative.
For some great organized tour ideas, see The Best 10-Day Tours in Australia, and The Best 2-Week Tours in Australia.
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Average Daily Cost Per person, per dayBagan $19Surfers Paradise $109
The average daily cost (per person) in Bagan is $19, while the average daily cost in Surfers Paradise is $109. 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 Surfers Paradise in more detail.
Accommodation
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Accommodation Hotel or hostel for one personBagan $4.76Surfers Paradise $70
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Accommodation Typical double-occupancy roomBagan $9.52Surfers Paradise $140
Compare Hotels in Bagan and Surfers Paradise
Looking for a hotel in Bagan or Surfers Paradise? 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.
Local Transportation
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Local Transportation Taxis, local buses, subway, etc.Bagan $2.31Surfers Paradise $12
Hired Cars and Shuttles in Bagan
Some specific examples of transportation prices in Bagan:
- Private Departure Transfer: Hotel to Bagan Nyaung-U Airport (NYU): $14
- From Bagan City To Mandalay Private Transfer: $150
Hired Cars and Shuttles in Surfers Paradise
Also for Surfers Paradise, here are a few examples of actual transportation services:
- All-Inclusive Dolphin & Tangalooma Wrecks Day Cruise (Gold Coast Transfer): $186
- Gold Coast Theme Parks: Shared Hotel Transfers: $15
- Private Transfer from Gold Coast Airport - Surfers Paradise: $52
Is it cheaper to fly into Bagan or Surfers Paradise?
Prices for flights to both Surfers Paradise 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 $3.85Surfers Paradise $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 Surfers Paradise
For Surfers Paradise, here are some samples of tours and activities related to meals and dining experiences:
- Buffet Dinner Sightseeing Cruise: $81
Entertainment
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Entertainment Entrance tickets, shows, etc.Bagan $37Surfers Paradise $25
Tours and Activities in Bagan
Here are a few actual costs in Bagan for available activities, ticket prices, and tours:
- Amazing Bagan, full day tour by car and guide: $90
- Bagan Antique Day Tour in Bagan: $86
- Bagan Classics Private Temples Tour: $159
- Bagan Cycling Tour ( Villages & Temples Cycling Explorer) : $129
- Bagan Fullday Sightseeing by Car and Horse-cart: $184
- Bagan and Mount Popa Private Tour (2 Days): $90
- Full Day Bagan Tour: $160
- Day Cruise Bagan to Mandalay: $31
- Full Day tour In Bagan UNESCO World Heritage: $50
- Full day Adventure Trip in Bagan with Tuk Tuk : $72
- Full day Adventure Trip to Mt. Popa & Salay: $65
- Half Day Sightseeing With Royal Horse: $76
Typical Entertainment Prices in Surfers Paradise
Below are a few sample prices from actual travelers for Surfers Paradise's activities, tours, and tickets:
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Surf Lesson$82
Tours and Activities in Surfers Paradise
For Surfers Paradise, here are a few prices for actual activities, tours, and tickets provided by various companies:
- Skip the Line:Wax Museum Ticket-World in Wax & Guided Tour of Chamber of Horrors: $23
- Gold Coast - Hopo 2 Hour Sightseeing Cruise: $27
- Gold Coast Hop On Hop Off Sightseeing Cruise 1 Day Pass: $31
- Gold Coast 1.5-Hour Sightseeing River Cruise from Surfers Paradise: $31
- Gold Coast Afternoon River Cruise: $33
- Guided Gold Coast Amphibious Bus Tour: $37
- Gold Coast City Lights Cruise: $38
- Gold Coast Quack'rDuck Amphibious Tour from Surfers Paradise: $38
- Tropical Fruit World Farm Full Tour : $39
- Surfers Paradise Sunset Kayak Tour: $48
- Gold Coast: 360-Degree High-Speed Jet Boat Adventure: $54
- Buffet Lunch Sightseeing Cruise: $62
Alcohol
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Alcohol Drinks for one dayBagan -Surfers Paradise $12
When we compare the travel costs of actual travelers between Bagan and Surfers Paradise, we can see that Surfers Paradise 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 Surfers Paradise 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 Surfers Paradise would naturally cost you much more money, so you would probably want to keep your budget a little tighter in Surfers Paradise 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 Surfers Paradise Expensive?.
Which is Bigger, Bagan or Surfers Paradise?
Surfers Paradise has a larger population, and is about 60 times larger than the population of Bagan. When comparing the sizes of Bagan and Surfers Paradise, 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.