A Travel Price Comparison for Families, Couples, and Backpackers Chengdu vs. Katoomba for Vacations, Tours, and Honeymoons

Should you visit Chengdu or Katoomba?

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 Katoomba. 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 Katoomba?

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.

Katoomba

Designated an UNESCO World Heritage site in 2000, the Blue Mountains are located just west of Sydney in the highlands of New South Wales, Australia.

This area can be generally expensive, but is on par with other destinations in Australia and around Sydney. Plenty of luxury places can be found here that cost more than average, but plenty of cheaper places to stay can be found here, too. Expect to pay for various activities such as tours and entrance fees, too.

The landscape is sprawling with majestic scenery over a rugged terrain of steep cliffs, forests, waterfalls, and villages. Whether you come to hike, climb, bike, or drive to the scenic viewpoints, a curtain of tranquility falls upon the mountains in a blue haze from which they get their name.

For some great organized tour ideas, see The Best Cultural Tours in China, The Best Luxury Tours to China, The Best 10-Day Tours in Australia, and The Best 2-Week Tours in Australia.


Which place is cheaper, Katoomba or Chengdu?

These are the overall average travel costs for the two destinations.

The average daily cost (per person) in Chengdu is $52, while the average daily cost in Katoomba is $141. 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 Katoomba in more detail.



Accommodation
  • Accommodation Hotel or hostel for one person
    Chengdu $21
    Katoomba $82
  • Accommodation Typical double-occupancy room
    Chengdu $42
    Katoomba $164
Compare Hotels in Chengdu and Katoomba

Looking for a hotel in Chengdu or Katoomba? 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 Chengdu


Hotels in Katoomba


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: Katoomba Hotel Prices.

Local Transportation
  • Local Transportation Taxis, local buses, subway, etc.
    Chengdu $6.09
    Katoomba $52

Hired Cars and Shuttles in Chengdu

Some specific examples of transportation prices in Chengdu:

  • Chengdu to Chengdu Airport (CTU) - Departure Private Transfer: $21
  • Private Arrival Transfer: Chengdu International Airport (CTU) to Hotel: $23
  • Private Departure Transfer: Hotel to Chengdu International Airport (CTU): $23
  • Private Departure Transfer:City Hotel to Any Railway Station in Chengdu : $28
  • Private Departure Transfer: Hotel to Chengdu Airport (CTU or TFU): $34
  • Private Arrival Transfer: Chengdu Airport (CTU or TFU) to Hotel: $34
  • Chengdu Shuangliu International Airport: Private Transfer to/from Chengdu: $38
  • Downtown to Sichuan Opera round way transfer: $39
  • Airport transfer between Tianfu(TFU) and Chengdu downtown: $40
  • Chengdu Airport (CTU) to Chengdu - Round-Trip Private Transfer: $42
  • Arrival Transfer Chengdu Airport CTU to Chengdu City by Sedan: $52
  • Private Transfer from Chengdu Hotel to Chengdu Shuangliu Airport: $52

Is it cheaper to fly into Chengdu or Katoomba?

Prices for flights to both Katoomba 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
  • Food Meals for one day
    Chengdu $22
    Katoomba $18

Food Tours and Cooking Classes in Chengdu

Also, here are some specific examples of food and dining related activities in Chengdu.

  • Eat with Locals Chengdu Dinner Tour : $61
  • Tuktuk Food Tour Through Chengdu's Local Eats: $69
  • Half-Day Professional Mapo Tofu Cooking Class with Local Spice Market Visit: $69
  • Half-Day Chengdu Cooking Class with Local Market Visit: $75
  • Half day Sichuan Cuisine Cooking Class Tour(Cooking 3 dishes): $75
  • Chengdu Evening Food Tour: $76
  • Tuk Tuk Food Tour with Unlimited Beer and Soda: $79
  • Spicy Local Food Tour through Chengdu: $80
  • Cooking Class with Fresh Market Half Day Experience: $81
  • Hot Pot Dinner Sichuan Opera and Local tea tasting: $89
  • Half-Day Dandan Noodles Cooking Class with Local Spice Market Visit: $100
  • Street Gems Guided Food Tour with Beer and Tastings: $106

Entertainment
  • Entertainment Entrance tickets, shows, etc.
    Chengdu $16
    Katoomba $56

Tours and Activities in Chengdu

Here are a few actual costs in Chengdu for available activities, ticket prices, and tours:

  • Agent ticket booking service: Online ticket booking in China: $10
  • Sichuan Opera night show Jinjiang theater tickets: $13
  • Chengdu Panda Research Base Tickets And Half Day Tour(Private): $16
  • Chengdu Sichuan Opera Show Ticket - Shu Feng Ya Yun: $18
  • Chengdu Panda Base and Dujiangyan One-Day Private Tour: $18
  • Giant Panda Base tickets booking option tours: $18
  • Giant Panda Base tickets booking option tours: $19
  • Panda Breeding Base Private Tour/Ticket Only Option: $20
  • Chengdu Research Base of Giant Panda Breeding Ticket pre-booking: $20
  • Chengdu Giant Panda Breeding Research Base Ticket: $22
  • Panda Base Tour/Ticket Only Option: $22
  • Research Base of Giant Panda Breeding e-Ticket: $22

Tours and Activities in Katoomba

Some specific costs of activities, tours, and entrance tickets for Katoomba are as follows:

  • Blue Mountains Hop On Hop Off Tour: $34
  • Blue Mountains BarNSW Local Produce Tasting Experience: $39
  • Blue Mountains 90 Minute Army Truck Adventures: $67
  • Army Truck Adventures - 90 Minute Guided Tour: $69
  • Blue Mountains: Private Guided Interpretive Hiking Tour: $85
  • Half-Day Abseiling Adventure in Blue Mountains National Park: $87
  • Blue Mountains 3 Hour Army Truck Adventures: $101
  • Army Truck Adventures - 3 Hour Guided Tour: $103
  • Blue Mountains 1-Hour Trike Tour of Three Sisters: $111
  • Small-Group Blue Mountains Tour with Bush Walks and Featherdale Wildlife Park: $120
  • 4Hrs at Wolgan Valley Birdwatching Experience: $133
  • Truffle Hunt and Taste Experience in Oberon, NSW Australia: $151

Alcohol
  • Alcohol Drinks for one day
    Chengdu $4.04
    Katoomba -


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


Which is Bigger, Chengdu or Katoomba?

Chengdu has a larger population, and is about 210 times larger than the population of Katoomba. When comparing the sizes of Chengdu and Katoomba, 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.