Which place is cheaper, Arequipa or Cairns?
These are the overall average travel costs for the two destinations. These travel costs come from the actual spending of real travelers.
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Should you visit Cairns or Arequipa?
Which is cheaper to visit? Which is more expensive for vacation?
Should I visit Cairns or Arequipa? This is a common question asked by many travelers. By figuring out which city has activities that align with your interests along with knowing which is more affordable, you'll understand where you can get more bang for your buck. So, let's dive into the details and the data, which all comes from actual travelers.
Where Should I go: Cairns or Arequipa?
Cairns
Most travelers go to Cairns specifically to visit Great Barrier Reef. The city itself is surprisingly large and cosmopolitan with a population of approximately 140,000. The city's economy is almost exclusively based on tourism, although you will find some jobs centered around agriculture, or more specifically sugar cane, bananas, coffee, tea, wine, and some tropical fruits. The city itself is surrounded by rainforest and makes a great base for exploring Kuranda, with the Barron Gorge National Park and the Daintree offering a quieter tropical getaway than Cairns.
Arequipa
Sitting in the middle of the Misti, Chachani and PichuPichu volcanoes of Peru is the enchanting city of Arequipa. With 468 years of history, the city is full of Spanish colonial architecture. Known to locals as the "white city," the city center, Plaza de Armas, is quite the sight with buildings of sillar white stone made from the rocks of the surrounding volcanoes.
For some great organized tour ideas, see The Best 4-Week (1-Month) Tours in Australia, The Best Budget Tours to Australia, The Best Sightseeing Tours in Peru, and The Best Cultural Tours in Peru.
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Cairns Prices
Australia PricesArequipa Prices
Peru Prices -
Average Daily Cost Per person, per dayCairns $123Arequipa $62
The average daily cost (per person) in Cairns is $123, while the average daily cost in Arequipa is $62. 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 Cairns and Arequipa in more detail.
Accommodation
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Accommodation Hotel or hostel for one personCairns $46Arequipa $25
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Accommodation Typical double-occupancy roomCairns $92Arequipa $50
Compare Hotels in Cairns and Arequipa
Looking for a hotel in Cairns or Arequipa? 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: Cairns Hotel Prices and Arequipa Hotel Prices.
Local Transportation
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Local Transportation Taxis, local buses, subway, etc.Cairns $13Arequipa $6.53
Hired Cars and Shuttles in Cairns
Also for Cairns, here are a few examples of actual transportation services:
- Cairns Airport (CNS) to Cairns hotels - Arrival Private Transfer: $50
- Cairns Airport (CNS) to Palm Cove - Round-Trip Private Transfer: $166
- Cairns Airport (CNS) to Port Douglas - Arrival Private Transfer: $183
- Cairns Airport (CNS): Transfer to Port Douglas hotels: $184
- Cairns Airport Private Transfer: Door-to-Door to/from City Hotels: $53
- Cairns Airport Private Transfers: $199
- Cairns Airport Shared Transfer to Cairns: $20
- Cairns Airport Transfers: $171
- Cairns Airport to Port Douglas Private Transfer 1-7 Pax: $178
- Cairns Airport to Port Douglas Private Transfer With Return: $284
- Cairns Airport(CNS) to Cairns City - Round-Trip Private Transfer: $100
- Cairns Airport(CNS) to Palm Cove hotels- Arrival Private Transfer: $83
Typical Local Transportation Prices in Arequipa
Some typical examples of transportation costs in Arequipa are as follows:
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Taxi Ride$1.47
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Bus Ride$0.47
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Taxi Ride$1.03
Hired Cars and Shuttles in Arequipa
Some specific examples of transportation prices in Arequipa:
- transfer Airport - Hotel: $21
- Private Transfer from Arequipa to Alfredo Rodríguez Ballón (AQP) Airport: $37
- Private Transfer from Alfredo Rodríguez Ballón Airport to Hotel: $20
- Private Transfer between Arequipa and Puno: $300
- Koh Lanta any hotel to Krabi airport Private transfer: $78
- Full Day Tour to Colca including Transfer to Puno: $60
- Colca Canyon full day tour with transfer to Puno: $80
- Colca Canyon Day Trip with Transfer to Puno: $65
- Colca Canyon 2 days from Arequipa with final transfer to Puno: $85
- Colca Canyon + Transfer To Puno: $103
- Arequipa Bus Station Arrival Transfer: $37
- Arequipa Airport Private Transfer: $38
Is it cheaper to fly into Cairns or Arequipa?
Prices for flights to both Arequipa and Cairns 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 dayCairns $52Arequipa $26
Food Tours and Cooking Classes in Cairns
For Cairns, here are some samples of tours and activities related to meals and dining experiences:
- Dinner Cruise Experience: $92
- Night at the Aquarium Guided Tour & 2 Course Dinner: $96
- Cairns Catamaran Harbour and Dinner Cruise: $103
- Aquarium Guided Twilight Tour with 3-Course Dinner: $118
- Ancient Egypt Sunset Tour with 3 Course Dinner in Cairns: $124
- Ancient Egypt Night Tour with 2 Course Dinner in Cairns: $124
- Ancient Egypt Sunset Tour and 3 Course Dinner: $142
- City Sights Tour with Evening Dinner Cruise: $171
- Paronella Park Rainforest Full-Day Tour with Dinner: $66,130
Typical Food Prices in Arequipa
Below are a few samples from actual travelers for food and meal costs in Arequipa:
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Coke$0.44
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Lunch$3.09
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Ice Cream$1.18
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Fruit$0.88
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Ice Cream$1.03
Food Tours and Cooking Classes in Arequipa
Also, here are some specific examples of food and dining related activities in Arequipa.
- Peruvian Cooking Experience in Arequipa: $35
- Cooking Class at La Plantation: $36
- Peruvian Cooking Class in arequipa: $50
- Peruvian Cooking Class: $63
- Arequipa Food Tour: Ancestral Cuisine & City Tour: $79
- Arequipa Food Tour Experience: $115
- Food Tour Gastronomic Guided: $119
Entertainment
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Entertainment Entrance tickets, shows, etc.Cairns $40Arequipa $20
Typical Entertainment Prices in Cairns
Below are a few sample prices from actual travelers for Cairns's activities, tours, and tickets:
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Scuba Diving$38
Tours and Activities in Cairns
For Cairns, here are a few prices for actual activities, tours, and tickets provided by various companies:
- Skip the Line: Cairns Museum Admission Ticket: $11
- Koalas and Creatures Entry Ticket: $13
- Birdworld Kuranda Entry Ticket: $17
- Kuranda: Riverboat Tour: $20
- Private Self-Guided Secrets of Cairns Exploration Game Tour: $23
- Kuranda Koala Gardens and Birdworld Admission Tickets: $31
- Tomb of the Pharaohs Entry Ticket: $32
- Entry Ticket at Historic Village Herberton: $33
- Cairns Pub & Club Tour: $36
- Cairns Koalas and Creatures Entry Ticket with Koala Photo: $37
- Cairns History Walking Tour: $38
- Hipster and Street Art Walking Tour: $38
Typical Entertainment Prices in Arequipa
Here are a few typical costs in Arequipa for activities, ticket prices, and tours that come from previous visitors:
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Monastery Entry$2.94
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Salsa Class$2.94
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Movie Ticket$3.21
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Hot Springs$2.94
Tours and Activities in Arequipa
Here are a few actual costs in Arequipa for available activities, ticket prices, and tours:
- 2 Day Tour to Colca Canyon: $43
- 2 Days Colca Living Experience Nature Culture and Tradition: $173
- 2 days 1 night Colca Canyon tour ending in Puno: $145
- 2 days and 1 night tour in the Colca Canyon: $205
- 2-Day Group Tour to Colca Canyon from Arequipa: $230
- 2-Day Hiking Tour to the Colca Canyon: $120
- 2-Day Tour to the Magical Colca Canyon: $68
- 3-day Colca Canyon Trek Tour Adventure: $90
- 3-hour guided tour in Arequipa: $65
- 8-Hours Tour in Arequipa Laguna de Salinas with Pick-up: $30
- Añashuayco Quarries and Sillar Route Tour from Arequipa: $25
- Afternoon : Arequipa Walking tour: $55
Alcohol
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Alcohol Drinks for one dayCairns $14Arequipa $17
Sample the Local Flavors in Cairns
Here are a few nightlife and alcohol tours and activities from local tour providers in Cairns:
- Cairns Party Bus Pub Crawl Night Out Experience: $46
- From Atherton Tablelands Food and Wine Tasting Tour: $169
Typical Alcohol Prices in Arequipa
Some typical examples of the costs for nightlife and alcohol in Arequipa are as follows:
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Beer$2.65
When we compare the travel costs of actual travelers between Cairns and Arequipa, we can see that Cairns is more expensive. And not only is Arequipa much less expensive, but it is actually a significantly cheaper destination. Since Cairns is in Pacific and Arequipa is in South America, 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 Arequipa would let you spend less money overall. Or, you could decide to spend more money in Arequipa 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 Cairns would naturally cost you much more money, so you would probably want to keep your budget a little tighter in Cairns than you might in Arequipa.
If you're trying to decide if either of these two destinations are within your price range, also see Is Cairns Expensive? and Is Arequipa Expensive?.
Which is Bigger, Cairns or Arequipa?
Arequipa has a larger population, and is about 5 times larger than the population of Cairns. When comparing the sizes of Cairns and Arequipa, 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.