Which place is cheaper, Shangri-La or Brisbane?
These are the overall average travel costs for the two destinations.
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Should you visit Brisbane or Shangri-La?
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 Brisbane and Shangri-La can help you decide which place is right for you.
Where Should I go: Brisbane or Shangri-La?
Brisbane
Although Brisbane is often overlooked as a travel destination in Australia, it is the capital of the state of Queensland, and is the third largest city in Australia. It's a very young and vibrant city with an active nightlife and a relaxed and welcoming atmosphere. It's a modern and economically thriving city and, if you do have time to visit, it actually has a lot to offer travelers. It has some beautiful scenery, a wonderful warm climate all year long, and is actually one of the fastest growing cities in Australia.
Shangri-La
The original Shangri-La existed in the fictional world of James Hilton's novel "The Lost Horizon." It was a hidden paradise, a place so beautiful that it couldn't possibly exist on earth. The Shangri-La that exists in Yunnan, China today was renamed from its former title Zhongdian in 2001 in order to associate the place with the mystical allure created in Hilton's novel. Visitors come to admire the traditional monasteries and temples set against a backdrop of mountain preserves and pristine lakes.
For some great organized tour ideas, see The Best Luxury Tours to Australia, The Best Adventure Tours to Australia, The Best 2-Week Tours from Beijing, and The Best Family-Friendly Tours to China.
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Average Daily Cost Per person, per dayBrisbane $138Shangri-La $48
The average daily cost (per person) in Brisbane is $138, while the average daily cost in Shangri-La is $48. 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 Brisbane and Shangri-La in more detail.
Accommodation
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Accommodation Hotel or hostel for one personBrisbane $85Shangri-La $19
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Accommodation Typical double-occupancy roomBrisbane $170Shangri-La $38
Compare Hotels in Brisbane and Shangri-La
Looking for a hotel in Brisbane or Shangri-La? 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: Brisbane Hotel Prices.
Local Transportation
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Local Transportation Taxis, local buses, subway, etc.Brisbane $18Shangri-La $11
Typical Local Transportation Prices in Brisbane
Here are some examples of typical transportation prices from actual travelers in Brisbane:
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Airtrain to the City$10
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Go Card$17
Hired Cars and Shuttles in Brisbane
Also for Brisbane, here are a few examples of actual transportation services:
- Shared Transfer Service from Brisbane Airport: $22
- Movie World Theme Park from Brisbane Hotel One Way Transfer: $31
- Private Transfer from Brisbane Hotels to Brisbane Cruise Port: $34
- Brisbane Airport (BNE) to Brisbane hotels - Arrival Private Transfer: $36
- Brisbane hotels to Brisbane Airport (BNE) - Departure Private Transfer: $36
- Brisbane Airport: One-Way Private Transfer to Brisbane city: $42
- Brisbane Airport: Shared Transfer to Gold Coast: $54
- Brisbane Airport to Sunshine Coast Transfer Service: $57
- Brisbane Airport to Brisbane Hotels Private Round-Trip Transfer: $72
- Brisbane Airport (BNE) to Brisbane hotels - Round-Trip Private Transfer: $72
- Private Transfer: Cruise Port to Brisbane Airport BNE or Brisbane City: $93
- Private Transfer: Brisbane Airport BNE or Brisbane City to Cruise Port: $93
Hired Cars and Shuttles in Shangri-La
Some specific examples of transportation prices in Shangri-La:
- Private Transfer from Shangri-La to Lijiang and Stops at Tiger Leaping Gorge: $160
- Private Transfer from Shangri-la(Diqing) hotel to Lijiang/Shuhe hotel : $149
Is it cheaper to fly into Brisbane or Shangri-La?
Prices for flights to both Shangri-La and Brisbane 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 dayBrisbane $33Shangri-La $19
Typical Food Prices in Brisbane
Here are some examples of typical meal expenses from previous travelers to Brisbane:
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Hamburger Lunch$5.48
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Cup of Coffee$2.05
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Chinese Food Lunch$8.56
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Ice cream$3.77
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Japanese Meal$14
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Smoothie$4.45
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Japanese Soup$7.87
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Coffee & Muffin$4.79
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Morning Mint Tea$2.40
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Veggie Burger & Chips$9.59
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Bread$1.78
Food Tours and Cooking Classes in Brisbane
For Brisbane, here are some samples of tours and activities related to meals and dining experiences:
- Vertigo Dinner: Dining on the edge!: $135
- Guided Food Tour with Coffee, Seafood and Wine: $612
Entertainment
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Entertainment Entrance tickets, shows, etc.Brisbane $25Shangri-La $16
Typical Entertainment Prices in Brisbane
For Brisbane, here are some examples of average entertainment and activity prices from previous travelers:
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Concert Tickets$14
Tours and Activities in Brisbane
Also, here are some specific examples of entertainment, tickets, and activities for Brisbane.
- Trevena Glen Farm Animal Experience: $17
- Brisbane International Cruise Terminal & Brisbane Airport: $17
- Fortitude Valley Historical Crime Walking Tour: $23
- True Crime Tour: $23
- QAGOMA Iris van Herpen Sculpting the Senses ticket: $24
- Winery Tour and Tasting: $24
- Haunted Brisbane CBD Ghost Tour: $24
- Solve a Detective Case in a themed adventure: $27
- Boggo Road Gaol Ghost and Gallows Tour: $31
- City Walking Tour 90 minutes: $33
- Sightseeing River Cruise with Morning Tea: $33
- Afternoon Sightseeing Cruise on the Brisbane River: $33
Tours and Activities in Shangri-La
Some specific costs of activities, tours, and entrance tickets for Shangri-La are as follows:
- 1 Day Shangri-la City Tour with Pudacuo National Park: $209
- 1-Day Shangri-La Private Tour: Potatso National Park and Baiji Temple: $169
- 1-Day Shangri-La Tour to Ganden Monastery, Nixi Pottery Village and Tibetan Town: $185
- 1-Day Shangri-La tour with Ganden Monastery, Napahai Lake and Tibetan Town: $190
- Private tour Songzanlin Monastry & Tibetan lunch from Zhongdian: $199
Alcohol
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Alcohol Drinks for one dayBrisbane $53Shangri-La $13
Typical Alcohol Prices in Brisbane
Below are a few samples from actual travelers for alcohol and nightlife costs in Brisbane:
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Evening at the Bar$10
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Sixpack of Beer$9.59
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Guiness Beer$5.82
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Sixpack of Beer$8.89
Sample the Local Flavors in Brisbane
Here are a few nightlife and alcohol tours and activities from local tour providers in Brisbane:
- XXXX Beer Brewery Tour & Beer Tasting: $25
- XXXX Brewery Tour: $26
- City Winery Wine Tasting Tour with Lunch: $52
- Brewery Tour River Cruise in Brisbane: $69
- Sirromet Wine Tasting And Blending Workshop For 2: $85
- Island Pub Crawl with Lunch and High Speed Boat Tour in Brisbane : $105
- Wine tasting tour to Tamborine Mountain: $107
- Half Day Gold Coast Brewery Tour: $111
- Tamborine Wine & Distillery Tour + 2 Course Lunch: $129
- Gold Coast Full Day Brewery Tour: $138
- Brisbane Brewery Full Day Tour with Lunch: $139
- Mount Tamborine Deluxe Wine Tasting with Two Course Lunch: $139
When we compare the travel costs of actual travelers between Brisbane and Shangri-La, we can see that Brisbane is more expensive. And not only is Shangri-La much less expensive, but it is actually a significantly cheaper destination. Since Brisbane is in Pacific and Shangri-La is in Asia, 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 Shangri-La would let you spend less money overall. Or, you could decide to spend more money in Shangri-La 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 Brisbane would naturally cost you much more money, so you would probably want to keep your budget a little tighter in Brisbane than you might in Shangri-La.
If you're trying to decide if either of these two destinations are within your price range, also see Is Brisbane Expensive? and Is Shangri-La Expensive?.
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.