Which place is cheaper, Brisbane or Chengdu?
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 Chengdu or Brisbane?
Which is cheaper to visit? Which is more expensive for vacation?
Which city should you visit? Read on to compare the activities as well as the prices of travel for Chengdu and Brisbane. We'll break down costs for accommodation, food, transportation and more to help you learn more about these two destinations. Then, you can figure out if either of these two places are accessible based on your travel budget, schedule, and interests. So, let's dig into it.
Where Should I go: Chengdu or Brisbane?
Chengdu
Chengdu is in China's Sichuan Provence and is in what is known as the Red Basin. It is a particularly fertile region in China that is known for its agriculture. For this reason it is sometimes referred to as the "Land of Milk and Honey". The Funan River cuts through the city but has almost no boat traffic anymore. The city itself has a wonderful relaxed vibe compared to the rest of China and is filled with green parks and places to relax. It is considered one of the most livable cities in China.
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.
For some great organized tour ideas, see The Best Cultural Tours in China, The Best Luxury Tours to China, The Best Family-Friendly Tours to Australia, and The Best Hiking & Trekking Tours in Australia.
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Chengdu Prices
China PricesBrisbane Prices
Australia Prices -
Average Daily Cost Per person, per dayChengdu $67Brisbane $154
The average daily cost (per person) in Chengdu is $67, while the average daily cost in Brisbane is $154. 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 Chengdu and Brisbane in more detail.
Accommodation
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Accommodation Hotel or hostel for one personChengdu $21Brisbane $81
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Accommodation Typical double-occupancy roomChengdu $42Brisbane $162
Compare Hotels in Chengdu and Brisbane
Looking for a hotel in Chengdu or Brisbane? 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.Chengdu $6.02Brisbane $18
Hired Cars and Shuttles in Chengdu
Some specific examples of transportation prices in Chengdu:
- Chengdu 3-Day Self-Guided Jiuzhaigou&Huanglong with Transfer: $412
- Algou Valley Hiking Tour with Roundtrip Transfer: $289
- Private Transfer from Chengdu to Mount Emei and Stops at Leshan Giant Buddha: $160
- Leshan Buddha Optional Tours w/ Transfer or Guide: $156
- Chengdu Airport to Hotel: Private Transfer for up to 5 pax: $120
- Round-Trip Private Transfer between Emei Shan and Chengdu City: $113
- Private Airport Transfer – Chengdu Tianfu: $110
- Downtown to Sichuan Opera round way transfer: $99
- Sichuan Face Changing Opera With Door to Door Private Transfer: $75
- Chengdu Airport (TFU) to Chengdu - Round-Trip Private Transfer: $65
- Chengdu Shuangliu Airport (CTU) to Chengdu City - Round-Trip Private Transfer: $60
- Chengdu to Xi'an/Chongqing Bullet Train Ticket with Transfer: $56
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$9.81
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Go Card$16
Hired Cars and Shuttles in Brisbane
Also for Brisbane, here are a few examples of actual transportation services:
- Brisbane International Cruise Terminal Transfers: $19
- Airport Transfer: Brisbane to Brisbane Airport BNE in Luxury Car: $151
- Brisbane Airport (BNE) to Brisbane hotels - Arrival Private Transfer: $85
- Brisbane Airport Private Transfer Service to Brisbane City: $112
- Brisbane Airport: Shared Transfer to Brisbane: $22
- Brisbane Airport: Shared Transfer to Gold Coast: $56
- Brisbane Airport: Shared Transfer to Sunshine Coast: $59
- Brisbane Bathhouse Circuit and 4 Course Lunch with Transfer: $268
- Brisbane Cruise Port: Private Transfer to Brisbane hotels: $226
- Brisbane hotels to Brisbane Airport (BNE) - Departure Private Transfer: $85
- Brisbane to Brisbane Airport (BNE) - Departure Private Transfer: $84
- BNE Airport to City | Gold Coast Private Transfer: $40
Is it cheaper to fly into Chengdu or Brisbane?
Prices for flights to both Brisbane and Chengdu 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 dayChengdu $38Brisbane $54
Food Tours and Cooking Classes in Chengdu
Also, here are some specific examples of food and dining related activities in Chengdu.
- Chengdu Night: VIP Seat Opera Show or Back Alley Food Tour: $40
- Eat Like a Local! Food Tour in the Hidden Alleys: $67
- Tuktuk Food Tour Through Chengdu's Local Eats: $69
- Half-Day Professional Mapo Tofu Cooking with a Local Market Visit: $69
- Half day Sichuan Cuisine Cooking Class Tour(Cooking 3 dishes): $75
- Half-Day Chengdu Cooking Class with a Local Market Visit: $75
- Evening Food Tour with Local Guide: $78
- Chengdu Evening Food Tour: $79
- Half-Day Private Hot-Pot Cooking Class with a Local Market Visit: $80
- Cooking Class with Fresh Market Half Day Experience: $80
- Chengdu Food Tour with Wenshu Yuan Monastery Visit: $82
- Half-Day Sichuan Cooking Class Experience in Chengdu: $84
Typical Food Prices in Brisbane
Here are some examples of typical meal expenses from previous travelers to Brisbane:
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Hamburger Lunch$5.23
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Cup of Coffee$1.96
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Chinese Food Lunch$8.18
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Ice cream$3.60
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Japanese Meal$14
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Smoothie$4.25
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Japanese Soup$7.52
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Coffee & Muffin$4.58
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Morning Mint Tea$2.29
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Veggie Burger & Chips$9.16
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Bread$1.70
Food Tours and Cooking Classes in Brisbane
For Brisbane, here are some samples of tours and activities related to meals and dining experiences:
- Gold Coast: Glow Worms, Sunset & Stargazing with BBQ dinner: $118
- Glow Worms, Sunset, Telescope Stargazing & Dinner: $133
- Vertigo Dinner – Dining on the Edge: $165
- Local Icons Food Tour: $354
Entertainment
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Entertainment Entrance tickets, shows, etc.Chengdu $16Brisbane $24
Tours and Activities in Chengdu
Here are a few actual costs in Chengdu for available activities, ticket prices, and tours:
- 3-Hour Private Tour of Antique Furniture and Flea Market : $51
- Chengdu Leshan Buddha and Drop off off Railway Station Day Tour: $226
- Chinese Traditional Massage Experience with Healthy Lunch: $68
- Dujiangyan Irrigation System and Panda Base Day tour: $238
- Dujingyan Panda Sanctuary Half day tour option panda volunteer : $99
- Private Chengdu Panda Base and Sichuan Cuisine Museum Day Tour: $120
- Private Chengdu day Tour of panda base with Leshan giant Buddha: $298
- Private Day Tour Chengdu Panda Base and The Leshan Giant Buddha: $230
- Private Full Day Chengdu Panda Base and Jinsha Site Museum Tour: $136
- 1 Day Panda Breeding Center Plus Chengdu City Tour: $175
- 1 Day Tea Trip in Mount Mengding with Tea Making Experience: $135
- 1 Day Wolong Panda Nature Reserve Tour: $218
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$13
Tours and Activities in Brisbane
Also, here are some specific examples of entertainment, tickets, and activities for Brisbane.
- Escape to Coochiemudlo Island: A Self-Guided Audio Tour: $6.99
- Convict Colonial Brisbane GPS App Walking Tour Mobile Game: $16
- Tour, Taste & Camel Encounter: $17
- True Crime Tour: $22
- Fortitude Valley Historical Crime Walking Tour: $22
- Winery Tour and Tasting: $23
- True Crime Walking Tour: $25
- Haunted CBD Ghost Tour: $25
- Haunted Brisbane CBD Ghost Tour: $26
- Moonlight State Fortitude Valley Crime Tour Crime Tours Australia: $26
- Adventure Theme Scavenger Hunt Experience in Brisbane: $27
- Boggo Road Gaol Ghost and Gallows Tour: $30
Alcohol
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Alcohol Drinks for one dayChengdu $3.99Brisbane $50
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$9.81
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Sixpack of Beer$9.16
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Guiness Beer$5.56
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Sixpack of Beer$8.50
Sample the Local Flavors in Brisbane
Here are a few nightlife and alcohol tours and activities from local tour providers in Brisbane:
- Island Pub Crawl with Lunch and High Speed Boat Tour in Brisbane : $101
- Afternoon Brisbane Half-Day Brewery Tour: $107
- Hop on Hop off Wine tasting tour to Tamborine Mountain: $111
- Island Pub Crawl with Lunch and High-Speed Boat: $116
- Hinterland Heritage Wine Tour : $134
- Gold Coast Full Day Brewery Tour: $140
- Tamborine Wine & Distillery Tour + 2 Course Lunch: $165
- One Hump Camel Farm and Wine Tour: $178
- Luxury Winery Tour with Gourmet Lunch & Distillery: $198
When we compare the travel costs of actual travelers between Chengdu and Brisbane, we can see that Brisbane is more expensive. And not only is Chengdu much less expensive, but it is actually a significantly cheaper destination. Since Chengdu is in Asia and Brisbane 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 Chengdu would let you spend less money overall. Or, you could decide to spend more money in Chengdu 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 Chengdu.
If you're trying to decide if either of these two destinations are within your price range, also see Is Chengdu Expensive? and Is Brisbane Expensive?.
Which is Bigger, Chengdu or Brisbane?
Chengdu has a larger population, and is about 4 times larger than the population of Brisbane. When comparing the sizes of Chengdu and Brisbane, 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.