Which place is cheaper, Cairns or Chongqing?
These are the overall average travel costs for the two destinations.
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Should you visit Chongqing or Cairns?
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 Chongqing and Cairns. 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: Chongqing or Cairns?
Chongqing
Chongqing, China is a large city in central China and one of only four cities in the country that are not part of a province. While Chongqing is famous for being an economically important city, brush away its industrial surface and you'll find a naturally beautiful city with plenty of hidden wonders. Although you'll find many expats in the city, English is rarely spoken, meaning knowing some basic Mandarin will come in handy.
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.
For some great organized tour ideas, see The Best 10-Day Tours in China, The Best One Week (7-Day) Tours in China, The Best Luxury Tours to Australia, and The Best Adventure Tours to Australia.
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Average Daily Cost Per person, per dayChongqing $88Cairns $98
The average daily cost (per person) in Chongqing is $88, while the average daily cost in Cairns is $98. 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 Chongqing and Cairns in more detail.
Accommodation
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Accommodation Hotel or hostel for one personChongqing $50Cairns $44
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Accommodation Typical double-occupancy roomChongqing $100Cairns $88
Compare Hotels in Chongqing and Cairns
Looking for a hotel in Chongqing or Cairns? 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.
Local Transportation
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Local Transportation Taxis, local buses, subway, etc.Chongqing $19Cairns $12
Hired Cars and Shuttles in Chongqing
Some specific examples of transportation prices in Chongqing:
- [Airport Transfer] Chongqing Airport ⇔ Chongqing City Transfer ☆ High reputation for service! <Charter charter>: $23
- Transfer betwn hotel airport and railway station (Chongqing): $116
- Private Transfer:From Jiangbei Airport to Chongqing downtown: $16
- Private Transfer from Chongqing hotel to Chongqing Train Station : $27
- Private Departure Transfer:Hotel to Chongqing Jiangbei International Airport CKG: $39
- Private Departure Transfer: Hotel to Any Railway Station in Chongqing: $24
- Private Arrival Transfer:Any Chongqing Railway Station to Hotel: $24
- Private Arrival Transfer: Chongqing Jiangbei International Airport(CKG) to Hotel: $39
- Private Arrival Transfer: Chongqing Jiangbei Airport (CKG) to Hotel: $22
- Datong Yungang Airport Chauffeur Service , to Datong Transfer: $40
- Dazu Rock Carvings Private Transfer or Tour: $278
- Chongqing Private Round Trip Transfer to Wulong National Park: $168
Hired Cars and Shuttles in Cairns
Also for Cairns, here are a few examples of actual transportation services:
- Affordable Private Transfer from Cairns Airport to Port Douglas: $116
- Airport Transfer - Cairns Airport to City: $62
- Airport Transfer - Cairns Airport to Northern Beaches: $62
- Airport Transfer - Northern Beaches to Cairns Airport: $77
- Airport Transfers between Cairns Airport and Cairns City: $15
- Airport Transfers between Cairns Airport and Palm Cove: $22
- Cairns Airport (CNS) Arrival Transfer (CNS Airport to Cairns Hotels or Address): $153
- Cairns Airport (CNS) to Cairns hotels - Arrival Private Transfer: $128
- Cairns Airport (CNS) to Palm Cove - Round-Trip Private Transfer : $104
- Cairns Airport (CNS) to Port Douglas - Arrival Private Transfer: $140
- Cairns Airport (CNS): Private Transfer to Cairns Cruise Port: $166
- Cairns Airport (CNS): Private Transfer to Cairns city hotels: $251
Is it cheaper to fly into Chongqing or Cairns?
Prices for flights to both Cairns and Chongqing 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 dayChongqing $25Cairns $29
Food Tours and Cooking Classes in Chongqing
Also, here are some specific examples of food and dining related activities in Chongqing.
- Chongqing Local Flavors Walking Food Tour: $98
- 4 Hour Walking Historical Local Food Tour: $111
- CHONGQING:Strolling through the city(Include dinner): $127
- Chongqing City Private Night Tour with Hot Pot Dinner: $158
- Chongqing Liangjiang Night Cruise Including Authentic Hot Pot Dinner: $183
- Chongqing Port Transfer Service with Half-Day Tour and Hot Pot Dinner: $193
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: $89
- Cairns Luxury Catamaran Harbor and Dinner Cruise: $90
- Night at the Aquarium Guided Tour & 2 Course Dinner: $100
- Guided Twilight Tour with 3-Course Dinner: $124
- City Sights Tour with Evening Dinner Cruise: $158
- Small-Group Afternoon Cairns City Tour with Harbour Dinner Cruise: $167
Entertainment
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Entertainment Entrance tickets, shows, etc.Chongqing $14Cairns $38
Tours and Activities in Chongqing
Here are a few actual costs in Chongqing for available activities, ticket prices, and tours:
- Dazu Rock Carvings Private Day Tour With the baoding Mountain and Beishan site: $251
- 1 Day Chongqing Megacity Walking Tour: $75
- 1-Day Chongqing Dazu Rock Carvings Private Tour With the Lunch: $143
- 3-Hour Walking Tour of Chongqing Shancheng (Mountain City) Lane: $65
- 4D3N Yangtze River Victoria Cruise: Chongqing to Yichang: $638
- 5D4N Yangtze River Victoria Cruise: Yichang to Chongqing: $638
- All-In-One Chongqing Trendy Spots Private Tour: $220
- All-in-one Chongqing Night view private tour: $150
- City Night Cruise and Local Snacks Tour: $218
- Chongqing Dazu stone carving day tour: $193
- Chongqing Half day Private Tour With Entire City Night View: $220
- Chongqing Private City Tour Extention: $220
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$37
Tours and Activities in Cairns
For Cairns, here are a few prices for actual activities, tours, and tickets provided by various companies:
- Koalas and Creatures Entry Ticket: $14
- Cairns Self-Guided Audio Tour: $14
- Kuranda Koala Gardens General Entry Ticket: $15
- Skip the Line: Cairns Museum Admission Ticket: $21
- Cairns Pub & Club Tour: $28
- Entry Ticket at Historic Village Herberton: $29
- Hipster and Street Art Walking Tour: $30
- Cairns Koalas and Creatures Entry Ticket with Koala Photo: $37
- Cairns Aquarium General Admission Ticket: $40
- Sightseeing River Boat Safari with Soft Drinks: $45
- Sunset River Cruise with Snack and Drinks: $45
- Rusty's Market Foodlovers Tour: $45
Alcohol
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Alcohol Drinks for one dayChongqing $7.05Cairns $14
Sample the Local Flavors in Cairns
Here are a few nightlife and alcohol tours and activities from local tour providers in Cairns:
- Cairns Brewery Tours: $147
- From Atherton Tablelands Food and Wine Tasting Tour: $169
When comparing the travel costs between Chongqing and Cairns, we can see that Cairns is more expensive. However, the two cities are actually relatively comparable in price, as the difference is somewhat minimal. Generally, this means that you could travel with generally the same travel style and level of luxury in each place. Even though Chongqing is in Asia and Cairns is in Pacific, both of these destinations have relatively similar prices of travel. Generally, the levels of luxury and expenses are the same for these cities even though they are geographically far apart.
If you're trying to decide if either of these two destinations are within your price range, also see Is Chongqing Expensive? and Is Cairns Expensive?.
Which is Bigger, Chongqing or Cairns?
Chongqing has a larger population, and is about 30 times larger than the population of Cairns. When comparing the sizes of Chongqing and Cairns, 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.