A Travel Price Comparison for Australia Darwin vs. Surfers Paradise for Vacations, Tours, and Honeymoons

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Should you visit Darwin or Surfers Paradise?

Which is cheaper to visit? Which is more expensive for vacation?

If you're trying to decide where to visit between Darwin or Surfers Paradise, this travel comparison, which includes costs, can help. The overall cost of travel is usually a consideration when deciding where to go next, and the cost comparison down 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.

Surfers Paradise

A tourist mecca, Surfers Paradise is one of the most popular travel destinations along Australia's famed Gold Coast. The beach stretches for miles and there is an endless supply of almost constant parties. You'll find high rise apartments lined up along the shore and plenty of shopping areas, restaurants, nightclubs, and bars. Travelers from around the world visit the area, and it's a right of passage for Australia's teens to vacation in or near Surfers Paradise. For many travelers, Surfers Paradise comes across as little more than a mass marketed, over commercialized, party destination, but for others it is a vacation dream. Prices are highly inflated so you have to keep your whits about you to avoid being ripped off. Surfers Paradise is a destination of extremes and it conjures up extreme emotions in many travelers, be it positive or negative.

Which city is cheaper, Surfers Paradise or Darwin?

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

The average daily cost (per person) in Darwin is $96, while the average daily cost in Surfers Paradise is $90. 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. What follows is a categorical breakdown of travel costs for Darwin and Surfers Paradise in more detail.



Accommodation
  • Accommodation Hotel or hostel for one person
    Darwin $54
    Surfers Paradise $57
  • Accommodation Typical double-occupancy room
    Darwin $108
    Surfers Paradise $114

Local Transportation
  • Local Transportation Taxis, local buses, subway, etc.
    Darwin $10
    Surfers Paradise $9.71
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

Hired Cars and Shuttles in Surfers Paradise

Also for Surfers Paradise, here are a few examples of actual transportation services:

  • One-Way Shared Transfer to Byron Bay: $30
  • Gold Coast: Airport to Hotel Return Transfer: $33
  • Private Brisbane Airport Departure Transfer From Gold Coast: $177

Is it cheaper to fly into Darwin or Surfers Paradise?

Prices for flights to both Surfers Paradise 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.





Food
  • Food Meals for one day
    Darwin $32
    Surfers Paradise $23

Food Tours and Cooking Classes in Surfers Paradise

For Surfers Paradise, here are some samples of tours and activities related to meals and dining experiences:

  • Surfers Paradise Sunset Kayak and Dinner: $40
  • Dinner Buffet Cruise on the Gold Coast: $70
  • Gold Coast: Spirits of the Red Sand Aboriginal Show & Dinner: $87

Entertainment
  • Entertainment Entrance tickets, shows, etc.
    Darwin $13
    Surfers Paradise $20

Tours and Activities in Darwin

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

  • 11-day Darwin to Cairns tour: $1,580
  • 2-Day Kakadu and Arnhem Land Tour from Darwin: $753
  • 3-Day Kakadu National Park and Arnhem Land Explorer Tour from Darwin: $1,028
  • 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
  • Bombing of Darwin World War II Tour with Harbour Cruise: $100
  • Darwin Adventure Rentals - 10 Day Rental - 4WD Camper rentals: $1,216
  • Darwin Adventure Rentals - 5 Day Rental - 4WD Camper rentals: $608
  • Darwin Adventure Rentals - 6 Day Rental - 4WD Camper rentals: $730

Typical Entertainment prices in Surfers Paradise

Below are a few sample prices from actual travelers for Surfers Paradise's activities, tours, and tickets:


  • Surf Lesson
    $85

Tours and Activities in Surfers Paradise

For Surfers Paradise, here are a few prices for actual activities, tours, and tickets provided by various companies:

  • Green Cabs Surfers Paradise Tours: $16
  • Gold Coast Morning Tea Cruise from Surfers Paradise: $18
  • Gold Coast 1.5-Hour Sightseeing River Cruise from Surfers Paradise: $20
  • Gold Coast 1.5-Hour Sightseeing River Cruise from Surfers Paradise: $21
  • Gold Coast Sightseeing Cruise: $23
  • Infinity Attraction in Queensland Admission Ticket: $23
  • Skip the Line:Wax Museum Ticket-World in Wax & Guided Tour of Chamber of Horrors: $25
  • Gold Coast: Aquaduck City Tour and River Cruise: $29
  • Aquaduck Gold Coast 1 hour City and River Tour: $32
  • Gold Coast Quack'rDuck Amphibious Tour from Surfers Paradise: $32
  • Stand Up Paddle Board Tour: $36
  • Private Stand Up Paddle Tour: $46

Alcohol
  • Alcohol Drinks for one day
    Darwin $11
    Surfers Paradise $9.71
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
    $17
  • Glass of Wine
    $4.94

Sample the Local Flavors in Darwin

Also in Darwin, these are the prices for nightlife and alcohol related activities from various tour providers:

  • Heli Pub Crawl – 4 Pubs: $782

Sample the Local Flavors in Surfers Paradise

Here are a few nightlife and alcohol tours and activities from local tour providers in Surfers Paradise:

  • Private Half Day Wine Tour from Gold Coast to Tamborine Mountain: $119
  • Hipster Sipster Brewery and Distillery Tour: $154

About these numbers

When comparing the travel costs between Darwin and Surfers Paradise, we can see that Darwin 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. Since both cities are in Pacific, it's no surprise that their costs are relatively close, as many destinations here have somewhat similar travel prices overall.

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Darwin vs. Surfers Paradise Travel Comparison

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