Should you visit Darwin or Hobart?
If you're trying to decide where to visit between Darwin or Hobart, 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.
Hobart
Hobart is the capital city of the Australian island state of Tasmania. It is small compared to the mainland's larger cities and has a cooler climate with four distinct seasons. Hobart is also the second oldest capital, behind Sydney, with remnants of its past visible in old sandstone warehouses now home to cafes and galleries, as well as a historic district with narrow lanes and colonial-era cottages.
Which city is cheaper, Hobart or Darwin?
These are the overall average travel costs for the two destinations.
The average daily cost (per person) in Darwin is $100, while the average daily cost in Hobart is $121. 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 Hobart in more detail.
Accommodation
A hotel room in Darwin is about $112 This assumes double occupancy and modest accommodations.
Travelers usually pay around $138 for a double occupancy room in Hobart 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 Hobart 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
Hobart $26
Food Tours and Cooking Classes in Darwin
Also, here are some specific examples of food and dining related activities in Darwin.
-
Private Pizza Making Class in Hunter Valley:
$48
-
Pizza Paddle Sunset Kayak Tour in Bateman's Bay:
$66
-
Dinner Cruise at Sydney Harbour with Optional Mast Climb Experience:
$72
-
Cairns Dinner Cruise by Spirit of Cairns:
$73
-
Australian Outback Spectacular Dinner Show Ticket:
$74
-
Charles Darwin Dinner Cruise:
$75
-
Sydney Harbour Sunset Dinner Cruise by Captain Cook:
$77
-
Dumpling Cooking Class in Melbourne:
$80
-
Cairns Aquarium Twilight Tour with 3-Course Dinner:
$88
-
Pinnacles Sunset Dinner and Stargazing Tour:
$109
-
Private Cooking School in the Hunter Valley:
$114
-
Mexican Cooking Class in Melbourne:
$122
Food Tours and Cooking Classes in Hobart
For Hobart, here are some samples of tours and activities related to meals and dining experiences:
-
Private Pizza Making Class in Hunter Valley:
$48
-
Pizza Paddle Sunset Kayak Tour in Bateman's Bay:
$66
-
Dinner Cruise at Sydney Harbour with Optional Mast Climb Experience:
$72
-
Cairns Dinner Cruise by Spirit of Cairns:
$73
-
Australian Outback Spectacular Dinner Show Ticket:
$74
-
Charles Darwin Dinner Cruise:
$75
-
Sydney Harbour Sunset Dinner Cruise by Captain Cook:
$77
-
Dumpling Cooking Class in Melbourne:
$80
-
Cairns Aquarium Twilight Tour with 3-Course Dinner:
$88
-
Pinnacles Sunset Dinner and Stargazing Tour:
$109
-
Private Cooking School in the Hunter Valley:
$114
-
Mexican Cooking Class in Melbourne:
$122
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.
Public transportation tends to be much less expensive in Hobart than paying for a taxi or private car service, as is expected. Typically, people spend $25 on transportation in Hobart on average per day.
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
-
Hot Air Balloon Experience with Round-trip Transfers & Vineyard Champagne Breakfast in Brisbane:
$191
-
[Promotion: Adult at Kids Price] Hot Air Balloon Experience with Round-trip Transfers & Vineyard Champagne Breakfast in Gold Coast:
$191
-
[Promotion: Adult at Kids Price] Hot Air Balloon Experience in Cairns with Round-trip Transfers:
$176
-
Private Departure Transfer: Hotel to Darwin Airport:
$142
-
Private Arrival Transfer: Darwin Airport to Hotel:
$142
-
Shared Shuttle Bus Transfers between Alice Springs and Ayers Rock:
$133
-
Shared Shuttle Bus Transfers from Kings Canyon to Alice Springs:
$133
-
Shared Shuttle Bus Transfers between Ayers Rock and Kings Canyon:
$110
-
Private Sunshine Coast Airport (MCY) Transfers for Sunshine Coast CBD:
$84
-
Thredbo Day Trip with Round Trip Transfer from Sydney by Brighton Coach:
$81
-
Private Alice Springs Airport (ASP) Transfers for Alice Springs CBD:
$75
Hired Cars and Shuttles in Hobart
Also for Hobart, here are a few examples of actual transportation services:
-
Shared City Transfers from Darwin to Stokes Hill Wharf:
$6.65
-
SkyBus Melbourne Tullamarine Airport (MEL) Express Transfer Ticket:
$11
-
Shared Sunshine Coast Airport Transfers (MCY) for Sunshine Coast:
$12
-
Shared Cairns Airport Transfer (CNS) from and to Cairns, Port Douglas, Palm Cove:
$13
-
Shared Sydney Airport Transfers (SYD) for Sydney:
$13
-
Hobart International Airport (HBA) Express Bus Transfers by SkyBus:
$14
-
Shared Brisbane Airport Transfers (BNE) for Brisbane :
$15
-
Sea World Shared Shuttle Transfer from Gold Coast Hotels:
$15
-
Avalon Airport (AVV) Express Transfer by SkyBus for Melbourne City:
$15
-
Shared Gold Coast Airport Transfers (OOL) for Gold Coast:
$17
-
Paradise Country Shared Shuttle Transfer from Gold Coast Hotels:
$18
-
Harbour Town Premium Outlets Shared Shuttle Transfer from Gold Coast Hotels:
$18
Is it cheaper to fly into Darwin or Hobart?
Prices for flights to both Hobart and Darwin 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.
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.
Sightseeing expenses in Hobart, including the cost of admission tickets for day tours, museums, and attractions, usually cost an average of $21 per day, per person.
Tours and Activities in Darwin
Some specific costs of activities, tours, and entrance tickets for Darwin are as follows:
-
Abseiling Adventure in Adelaide :
$73
-
Half Day Kayak Tour in Bateman's Bay + FREE Paddle Pack:
$95
-
Hunter Valley Scenic Wine and Cheese Tour from Sydney:
$125
-
Nowra Treetop and Zipline Adventure:
$32
-
Yarra Valley Hot Air Balloon Flight and Winery Tour:
$385
-
'Have a Go' Clay Target Shooting Experience in Brisbane:
$110
-
1-Day Wetlands + Wildlife Adventure:
$114
-
1-Day Wildlife Park + Berry Springs experience:
$81
-
11-day Darwin to Cairns tour:
$1,580
-
12 Apostles, Otways & Great Ocean Road Hiking Adventure from Melbourne:
$132
-
1D1N Kangaroo Island Road to Recovery Tour:
$514
-
2-Day Kakadu and Arnhem Land Tour from Darwin:
$753
Tours and Activities in Hobart
Also, here are some specific examples of entertainment, tickets, and activities for Hobart.
-
North Stradbroke Island Water Taxi Ferry Ticket:
$7.95
-
Searoad Ferry Tickets between Queenscliff and Sorrento:
$8.85
-
Bridestowe Lavender Estate Tour:
$8.85
-
Koala Conservation Reserve Tickets in Phillip Island:
$9.95
-
Hunter Valley Wine Theatre Experience:
$11
-
Margaret River Region Lighthouse Tours:
$11
-
Skip the Line: Mawson's Huts Replica Museum General Entry Ticket:
$12
-
Private Royal Tasmanian Botanical Gardens Walking Tour:
$12
-
Sydney Self-Guided Audio Walking Tour with Mobile App:
$12
-
Kuranda Bird World General Admission Ticket in Cairns:
$13
-
Private Hunter Valley Wine Barrel Rolling Experience:
$13
-
Melbourne Sports Lovers Tours:
$13
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.
Alcoholic beverages can often be a significant portion of a traveler's budget, and the costs can vary greatly from person to person. In Hobart, the average amount that a visitor spends on alcoholic beverages per day is $14.
Typical Alcohol prices in Darwin
Here are a few samples of the prices for alcohol and nightlife in Darwin from other travelers:
-
Evening at a Bar
$18
-
Glass of Wine
$5.15
Sample the Local Flavors in Darwin
Also in Darwin, these are the prices for nightlife and alcohol related activities from various tour providers:
-
Savannah Estate Wine Tasting in Hunter Valley:
$3.69
-
Tempus Two Wine Tasting Experience:
$3.69
-
Hanging Tree Wines Wine Tasting in Hunter Valley:
$3.69
-
Capercaillie Wine Tasting in Hunter Valley:
$3.69
-
Misty Glen Wine Tasting in Hunter Valley:
$3.69
-
Tintilla Estate Wine Tasting in Hunter Valley:
$3.69
-
Hunter’s Dream Estate Wine Tasting in Hunter Valley:
$3.69
-
Pokolbin Estate Wine Tasting Experience:
$3.69
-
Wine Tasting at Horner Wines in Hunter Valley:
$7.39
-
Talits Estate Cellar Door Wine Tasting Experience:
$7.39
-
Wine Tasting at Wine House in Hunter Valley:
$7.39
-
Glandore Estate Wine Tasting in Hunter Valley:
$7.39
Sample the Local Flavors in Hobart
Also in Hobart, these are the prices for nightlife and alcohol related activities from various tour providers:
-
Savannah Estate Wine Tasting in Hunter Valley:
$3.69
-
Tempus Two Wine Tasting Experience:
$3.69
-
Hanging Tree Wines Wine Tasting in Hunter Valley:
$3.69
-
Capercaillie Wine Tasting in Hunter Valley:
$3.69
-
Misty Glen Wine Tasting in Hunter Valley:
$3.69
-
Pokolbin Estate Wine Tasting Experience:
$3.69
-
Tintilla Estate Wine Tasting in Hunter Valley:
$3.69
-
Hunter’s Dream Estate Wine Tasting in Hunter Valley:
$3.69
-
Wine Tasting at Horner Wines in Hunter Valley:
$7.39
-
Wine Tasting at Tulloch Wines in Hunter Valley:
$7.39
-
Talits Estate Cellar Door Wine Tasting Experience:
$7.39
-
Wine Tasting at Thomas Wines:
$7.39
When we compare the travel costs of actual travelers between Darwin and Hobart, we can see that Hobart is more expensive. And not only is Darwin much less expensive, but it is actually a significantly cheaper destination. So, traveling to Darwin would let you spend less money overall. Or, you could decide to spend more money in Darwin 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 Hobart would naturally cost you much more money, so you would probably want to keep your budget a little tighter in Hobart than you might in Darwin.
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