Should you visit Darwin or Adelaide?
If you're trying to decide where to visit between Darwin or Adelaide, this travel cost comparison can help. The overall cost of travel is usually a consideration when deciding where to go next, and the cost comparison below can help you decide based on the average prices from other travelers along with your own travel budget.
Darwin
Darwin is a tropical city set against the Timor Sea in north central Australia. It is also the capital city of the Northern Territory. Despite being a relatively small city, Darwin is very diverse with residents from all over the world. The city itself has a very relaxed vibe with plenty to do. Visitors can enjoy everything from traditionally Asian style markets to culturally diverse events such as concerts, festivals or art shows.
Adelaide
Adelaide is the often overlooked capital city of the State of South Australia. It's also the fifth largest city in the country. Despite being skipped by most travelers, Adelaide is an interesting city to explore and has a decent amount to offer open minded travelers. It has some fascinating architecture, unique shopping, and wonderful cafes and restaurants. Part of the appeal of Adelaide is its location in the midst of Australia's wine regions, including McLaren Vale, Barossa Valley, and Clare Valley. Any of these destinations could be visited as a day trip from Adelaide.
Which city is cheaper, Adelaide or Darwin?
These are the overall average travel costs for the two destinations.
The average daily cost (per person) in Darwin is $102, while the average daily cost in Adelaide is $61. 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 city. Below is a breakdown of travel costs for Darwin and Adelaide in more detail.
Accommodation
A hotel room in Darwin is about $114 This assumes double occupancy and modest accommodations.
Travelers usually pay around $58 for a double occupancy room in Adelaide If you want to be in a premiere location or have high end amenities, you can expect to pay a bit more.
Food
Food in Darwin costs travelers about $34 per day on average. Restaurants can vary significantly in price, so choose wisely if you're trying to save money. Fast food and street stalls are typically your cheapest options, which sit down restaurants can be significantly more expensive.
The price of a meal in Adelaide can vary widely. However, the average price for food per day is $26 per person, and a typical meal will cost around $10 based on the spending of previous visitors. Less expensive dining options can be found by eating street food or at fast food restaurants.
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Food
Meals for one day
Darwin $34
Adelaide $26
Food Tours and Cooking Classes in Adelaide
For Adelaide, here are some samples of tours and activities related to meals and dining experiences:
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The F Factor: Adelaide food tour:
$36
-
Best of Adelaide Tour with Hahndorf, River Cruise & Dinner:
$141
-
Adelaide Central Market The Collaborators Dinner Tour:
$154
Local Transportation
The average price of local transportation around Darwin is $11 per person, per day. As this average includes both taxis and public transport, keep in mind that the prices of private drivers and taxis are significantly more expensive than public transportation.
To get around in Adelaide, the average visitor spends $8.93 per day, per person. This includes the costs of taxi rides and private drivers as well as public transportation, which tends to be much more affordable.
Typical Local Transportation prices in Darwin
Below are a few samples from actual travelers for transportation costs in Darwin:
-
Shuttle to Train Station
$11
Hired Cars and Shuttles in Darwin
Some specific examples of transportation prices in Darwin:
-
Wildman Fishing Tours - Fishing + Scenic Flight Transfer:
$1,146
-
Private Departure Transfer: Hotel to Darwin Airport:
$142
-
Private Arrival Transfer: Darwin Airport to Hotel:
$142
Typical Local Transportation prices in Adelaide
Some typical examples of transportation costs in Adelaide are as follows:
Hired Cars and Shuttles in Adelaide
Also for Adelaide, here are a few examples of actual transportation services:
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Adelaide Airport Private Chauffeured Transfer:
$29
-
Private Departure Transfer: Hotel to Adelaide Airport:
$40
-
Corporate transfers and wine tours:
$43
-
Adelaide Airport Departure Transfer in a Tesla Model3 EV:
$44
-
Transfer in private vehicle from Adelaide Downtown to Adelaide Airport:
$61
-
Transfer in private minivan from Adelaide Downtown to Adelaide Airport:
$61
-
Private Transfer: Adelaide to Adelaide Airport (ADL):
$64
-
Departure Private Transfers: Adelaide to Adelaide Airport ADL in Business Car:
$67
-
Adelaide Airport Transfers : Adelaide City to Airport ADL in Business Car:
$71
-
Adelaide Airport Transfers : Adelaide City to Airport ADL in Luxury Van:
$99
-
Departure Private Transfers: Adelaide to Adelaide Airport ADL in Luxury Van:
$99
-
Adelaide Airport Transfers : Adelaide City to Airport ADL in Luxury Car:
$121
Entertainment
Darwin's costs for entertainment, tickets, attractions, and tours will often cost around $14 per person, per day. This cost can vary widely by the type of activity, however, as this includes admission tickets, day tours, museums, and other things to do.
Tours and Activities in Darwin
Some specific costs of activities, tours, and entrance tickets for Darwin are as follows:
-
1-Day Wetlands + Wildlife Adventure:
$114
-
1-Day Wildlife Park + Berry Springs experience:
$81
-
11-day Darwin to Cairns tour:
$1,580
-
2-Day Kakadu and Arnhem Land Tour from Darwin:
$753
-
3-Day Kakadu & Litchfield 4WD Glamping Tour:
$688
-
3-Day Kakadu National Park and Arnhem Land Explorer Tour from Darwin:
$1,028
-
4-Day Kakadu, Katherine & Litchfield 4WD Glamping Tour:
$1,030
-
5 Day Kakadu National Park and Arnhem Land Tour:
$2,837
-
9 Day Darwin to Broome Adventure:
$1,779
-
9-Day Kimberley Offroad Adventure from Darwin to Broome:
$1,580
-
Adelaide River Jumping Crocodile Cruise with Roundtrip Helicopter from Darwin:
$545
-
Arnhem Land Injalak Hill Full-Day Tour from Darwin:
$213
Tours and Activities in Adelaide
For Adelaide, here are a few prices for actual activities, tours, and tickets provided by various companies:
-
Australian Wine Discovery Tour Ticket:
$12
-
Adelaide Scavenger Hunt: Adelaide Adventure:
$12
-
Adelaide Self-Guided Audio Tour:
$15
-
Torrens River Cruise in Adelaide:
$19
-
Adelaide Oval Stadium Guided Tour:
$20
-
Jimmy C Street Art Walking Tour:
$20
-
Adelaide Zoo General Entry Ticket:
$20
-
Around the Square Adelaide Walking Tour:
$24
-
Adelaide Walking Tour: East End Escapade:
$24
-
Cultural Caper Adelaide Walking Tour:
$24
-
Australian Wine Discovery Tour with Tastings:
$32
-
Adelaide Gaol Ghost Tour and Paranormal Investigation:
$32
Alcohol
The average person spends about $12 on alcoholic beverages in Darwin per day. The more you spend on alcohol, the more fun you might be having despite your higher budget.
Typically, people visiting Adelaide spend on average $32 on alcoholic beverages per person, per day.
Typical Alcohol prices in Darwin
Here are a few samples of the prices for alcohol and nightlife in Darwin from other travelers:
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Evening at a Bar
$18
-
Glass of Wine
$5.23
Sample the Local Flavors in Darwin
Also in Darwin, these are the prices for nightlife and alcohol related activities from various tour providers:
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Heli Pub Crawl – 4 Pubs:
$782
Sample the Local Flavors in Adelaide
Some specific costs for nightlife related activities in Adelaide:
-
McLaren Vale and Glenelg Wine Tasting and Sightseeing (Half-day Afternoon):
$55
-
Adelaide Highlights, Hahndorf & McLaren Vale Wine Tasting and Sightseeing Tour:
$78
-
Adelaide Hills Wine Tour:
$81
-
From Barossa Valley Food and Wine Tour:
$101
-
The Lane Vineyard: Panorama Private Wine Tasting Experience:
$103
-
The Barossa Valley: Small Group Premium Wine Tour with Lunch:
$109
-
Barossa Valley Wine Tours - Small Private Groups:
$119
-
Barossa Valley Cellar Doors Luxury Wine Tour:
$121
-
McLaren Vale Wine Tour by Bike:
$126
-
Small-Group Barossa Valley Food and Wine Tour:
$126
-
McLaren Vale Luxury Wine Tour:
$155
-
McLaren Vale Winery Small Group Tour with Wine Tasting and Lunch:
$158
When we compare the travel costs of actual travelers between Darwin and Adelaide, we can see that Darwin is more expensive. And not only is Adelaide much less expensive, but it is actually a significantly cheaper destination. So, traveling to Adelaide would let you spend less money overall. Or, you could decide to spend more money in Adelaide 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 Darwin would naturally cost you much more money, so you would probably want to keep your budget a little tighter in Darwin than you might in Adelaide.
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