Should you visit Darwin or Melbourne?
If you're trying to decide where to visit between Darwin or Melbourne, 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.
Melbourne
Melbourne is the second largest city in Australia, after Sydney. It is also the capital city of the state of Victoria, in southeastern Australia. Melbourne is arguably the best city to experience culture and the arts in Australia. There is a friendly rivalry between Melbourne and Sydney over livability and popularity and Melbourne is definitely the city to visit for its parks, shopping, restaurants, galleries and theaters. Like Sydney, it is situated on the water, at the head of Port Phillip Bay. It's a beautiful city, and although it lacks the major sights that you'll find in Sydney such as the Sydney Opera House or the Harbour Bridge, you will never find yourself lacking for entertainment. It is also a wonderful base for exploring many of the nearby highlights, including Grampians National Park, The Great Ocean Road, and Phillip Island where you can view the penguin parade.
Which city is cheaper, Melbourne 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 Melbourne is $164. 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 Melbourne in more detail.
Accommodation
A hotel room in Darwin is about $114 This assumes double occupancy and modest accommodations.
An average hotel room with basic furnishings costs about $222 in Melbourne For the most convenient locations and nicer 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.
While meal prices in Melbourne can vary, the average travelers spends about $28 per day on food. Based on the spending habits of previous travelers, when dining out, an average meal in Melbourne should cost around $11 per person. Breakfast prices are usually a little cheaper than lunch or dinner. The price of food in sit-down restaurants in Melbourne is often higher than fast food prices or street food prices.
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Food
Meals for one day
Darwin $34
Melbourne $28
Typical Food prices in Melbourne
For Melbourne, here are some examples of average food and meal prices for travelers:
Food Tours and Cooking Classes in Melbourne
For Melbourne, here are some samples of tours and activities related to meals and dining experiences:
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Eynesbury Homestead Dinner and Ghost Tour:
$63
-
Private Australian Cooking Class in Melbourne using Native Produce:
$125
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Withlocals The 10 Tastings: Melbourne Private Food Tour:
$131
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Vegan Cooking Class:
$146
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Private Modern Australian Cooking Class with a Professional Chef in Melbourne:
$166
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Private Market Tour and Australian Cooking Class with a Local Chef in her Home:
$203
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[PRIVATE TOUR] Best Of Melbourne Food Tours:
$462
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 Melbourne than paying for a taxi or private car service, as is expected. Typically, people spend $18 on transportation in Melbourne on average per day.
Typical Local Transportation prices in Darwin
Below are a few samples from actual travelers for transportation costs in Darwin:
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Shuttle to Train Station
$11
Hired Cars and Shuttles in Darwin
Some specific examples of transportation prices in Darwin:
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Wildman Fishing Tours - Fishing + Scenic Flight Transfer:
$1,146
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Private Departure Transfer: Hotel to Darwin Airport:
$142
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Private Arrival Transfer: Darwin Airport to Hotel:
$142
Typical Local Transportation prices in Melbourne
Below are a few samples from actual travelers for transportation costs in Melbourne:
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Airport Bus
$12
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Tram Ride
$2.84
Hired Cars and Shuttles in Melbourne
Also for Melbourne, here are a few examples of actual transportation services:
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Melbourne Airport Departure Transfer from Melbourne CBD Hotels:
$23
-
Private Airport Transfer: Melbourne Essendon Airport (MEB) to Melbourne:
$32
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Private Airport Transfer: from Melbourne to Melbourne Essendon Airport (MEB):
$32
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Private Airport Transfer: from Melbourne to Tullamarine Airport (MEL):
$39
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Private Departure Transfer: Hotel to Melbourne Airports:
$45
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Transfer in private vehicle from Melbourne Downtown City to Airport:
$53
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Transfer in private Minivan from Melbourne City Downtown to Airport:
$65
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Departure Private Transfer Melbourne City to Melbourne Airport MEL by Sedan Car:
$73
-
Private Car Transfer Melbourne Airport To CBD:
$78
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Melbourne Airport To CBD Transfers Sedan (Audi A8, BMW 7 & Mercedes S-Class):
$78
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Melbourne AIRPORT TRANSFER:
$79
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Private Transfer: Melbourne to Melbourne Airport (MEL):
$80
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 Melbourne, including the cost of admission tickets for day tours, museums, and attractions, usually cost an average of $25 per day, per person.
Tours and Activities in Darwin
Some specific costs of activities, tours, and entrance tickets for Darwin are as follows:
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1-Day Wetlands + Wildlife Adventure:
$114
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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
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3-Day Kakadu & Litchfield 4WD Glamping Tour:
$688
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3-Day Kakadu National Park and Arnhem Land Explorer Tour from Darwin:
$1,028
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4-Day Kakadu, Katherine & Litchfield 4WD Glamping Tour:
$1,030
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5 Day Kakadu National Park and Arnhem Land Tour:
$2,837
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9 Day Darwin to Broome Adventure:
$1,779
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9-Day Kimberley Offroad Adventure from Darwin to Broome:
$1,580
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Adelaide River Jumping Crocodile Cruise with Roundtrip Helicopter from Darwin:
$545
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Arnhem Land Injalak Hill Full-Day Tour from Darwin:
$213
Tours and Activities in Melbourne
For Melbourne, here are a few prices for actual activities, tours, and tickets provided by various companies:
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Live like a Local: Explore some favourite spots on a playful audio walking tour:
$5.40
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Melbourne Audio Tour: A Self-Guided Walk Through the City:
$6.99
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Questo Self-guided Haunted Melbourne Walking Tour:
$12
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Melbourne Self-Guided Audio Tour:
$13
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Melbourne Sports Walking Tour:
$14
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Green Cabs Melbourne Tours:
$16
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Melbourne Eureka Skydeck Entry Tickets:
$16
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Melbourne City and Williamstown Ferry Cruise:
$18
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Eureka Skydeck 88 Admission Ticket:
$20
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ArtVo Immersive Gallery Experience:
$22
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Tour guide services:
$22
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Melbourne Ghost Tour:
$23
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 Melbourne spend on average $15 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
Typical Alcohol prices in Melbourne
Here are a few samples of the prices for alcohol and nightlife in Melbourne from other travelers:
Sample the Local Flavors in Melbourne
Also in Melbourne, these are the prices for nightlife and alcohol related activities from various tour providers:
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Melbourne Bar Hunt: Melbourne Breakout Bar Crawl:
$12
-
Melbourne CBD Pub Crawl:
$16
-
Carlton Brewhouse Brewery Tour with Beer Tasting:
$24
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The Melbourne Un-Pub Crawl:
$40
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Yarra Valley Wine Tasting Day Tour from Melbourne:
$78
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Hops and Barrels- Hop on Hop off Wine Tour Mornington Peninsula.:
$83
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Small-Group Guided Yarra Valley Winery Tour with Wine Tasting:
$104
-
Yarra Valley Local Produce and Wine Tasting Tour:
$115
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Yarra Valley Wine Tour inc lunch with a glass of wine, tastings and chocolate:
$115
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Yarra Valley Wine Tour with Local Harvest Tastings from Melbourne:
$115
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Yarra Valley Wine Tasting Tour Departing from Melbourne:
$118
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Mornington Peninsula Winery Tour Including Wine Tastings and 2-Course Lunch:
$118
When we compare the travel costs of actual travelers between Darwin and Melbourne, we can see that Melbourne 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 Melbourne would naturally cost you much more money, so you would probably want to keep your budget a little tighter in Melbourne than you might in Darwin.
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