Should you visit Darwin or Sydney?
If you're trying to decide where to visit between Darwin or Sydney, 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.
Sydney
Sydney, known as the harbour city, is the most famous and frequently visited city in Australia. It is at the economical and cultural heart of the country, and is one of the most beautiful and livable cities in the world. It's situated on the water with stunning views of the famous harbour throughout the city. It's most famous landmarks include the Sydney Opera House and the Sydney Harbour Bridge. It is also very close wonderful beaches, parks, and nature.
Which city is cheaper, Sydney 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 Sydney is $147. 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 Sydney in more detail.
Accommodation
A hotel room in Darwin is about $112 This assumes double occupancy and modest accommodations.
A hotel room in Sydney is about $178 This assumes double occupancy and modest accommodations.
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.
In Sydney travelers spend around $34 a day on food. You can save money by choosing casual restaurants or food stalls, or you can spend plenty more by dining in nicer restaurants at every meal.
-
Food
Meals for one day
Darwin $34
Sydney $34
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
Typical Food prices in Sydney
Below are a few samples from actual travelers for food and meal costs in Sydney:
-
Tea
$2.94
-
Lunch Special
$11
-
Food/Drink Coogie Beach
$11
-
Meat Pies
$3.68
Food Tours and Cooking Classes in Sydney
Also, here are some specific examples of food and dining related activities in Sydney.
-
Private Pizza Making Class in Hunter Valley:
$48
-
Sydney Opera House Tour and Opera Bar Lunch or Dinner:
$52
-
Retro Dinner Cruise on Sydney Harbour:
$59
-
Dinner Christmas Party! Nov&Dec:
$62
-
Vivid Dinner Cruise Sydney Harbour:
$63
-
Pizza Paddle Sunset Kayak Tour in Bateman's Bay:
$66
-
Latino Dinner Cruise on Sydney Harbour:
$67
-
Sydney Harbour 4-Hour Latino Dinner Cruise:
$69
-
Harbour Dinner Cruise with 3 or 6-Course Menu:
$70
-
Sydney Harbour Sunset Dinner Cruise:
$71
-
Dinner Cruise at Sydney Harbour with Optional Mast Climb Experience:
$72
-
Cairns Dinner Cruise by Spirit of Cairns:
$73
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.
While taxis and private drivers typically cost much more than public transportation, people usually spend around $13 per day to get around in Sydney.
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:
-
WhiteWater World Return Shared Transfer from Gold Coast Hotels:
$18
-
Avalon Airport (AVV) Express Transfer by SkyBus for Melbourne City:
$15
-
Dreamworld Return Shared Transfer from Gold Coast Hotels:
$18
-
Fitzroy Island Ferry Transfer Ticket from Cairns:
$49
-
Harbour Town Premium Outlets Shared Shuttle Transfer from Gold Coast Hotels:
$18
-
Hobart International Airport (HBA) Express Bus Transfers by SkyBus:
$14
-
Hot Air Balloon Experience with Round-trip Transfers & Vineyard Champagne Breakfast in Brisbane:
$191
-
Movie World Shared Shuttle Transfer from Gold Coast Hotels:
$18
-
Paradise Country Shared Shuttle Transfer from Gold Coast Hotels:
$18
-
Private Adelaide Airport (ADL) Transfers for Adelaide CBD:
$66
-
Private Alice Springs Airport (ASP) Transfers for Alice Springs CBD:
$75
-
Private Arrival Transfer: Darwin Airport to Hotel:
$142
Typical Local Transportation prices in Sydney
Here are some examples of typical transportation prices from actual travelers in Sydney:
-
Taxi Ride
$15
-
Taxi to Airport
$18
Hired Cars and Shuttles in Sydney
Some specific examples of transportation prices in Sydney:
-
Airport (YYZ) to City - Toronto Arrival Transfer:
$5.00
-
Shared City Transfers from Darwin to Stokes Hill Wharf:
$6.65
-
Transfer between Airport (SYD) and Airport Hotels:
$7.79
-
SkyBus Melbourne Tullamarine Airport (MEL) Express Transfer Ticket:
$11
-
Shared Sunshine Coast Airport Transfers (MCY) for Sunshine Coast:
$12
-
Shuttle Transfer from Circular Quay Cruise Terminal to Sydney Airport:
$13
-
Airport Shuttle Transfer from Sydney City to Sydney Airport:
$13
-
Shared Cairns Airport Transfer (CNS) from and to Cairns, Port Douglas, Palm Cove:
$13
-
Transfer between Airport (SYD) and City Center:
$13
-
Sydney CBD to Sydney Airport Shuttle Bus Transfer:
$13
-
Sydney Airport to Sydney City Center Hotels Shuttle Transfer:
$13
-
Shared Sydney Airport Transfers (SYD) for Sydney:
$13
Is it cheaper to fly into Darwin or Sydney?
Prices for flights to both Sydney 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.
Activities, things to do, and other forms of entertainment usually cost around $30 per person, per day in Sydney. This cost includes the price of admission tickets to attractions and museums as well as daily tours.
Tours and Activities in Darwin
Some specific costs of activities, tours, and entrance tickets for Darwin are as follows:
-
North Stradbroke Island Water Taxi Ferry Ticket:
$7.95
-
Bridestowe Lavender Estate Tour:
$8.85
-
Searoad Ferry Tickets between Queenscliff and Sorrento:
$8.85
-
Koala Conservation Reserve Tickets in Phillip Island:
$9.95
-
Margaret River Region Lighthouse Tours:
$11
-
Hunter Valley Wine Theatre Experience:
$11
-
Sydney Self-Guided Audio Walking Tour with Mobile App:
$12
-
Kuranda Bird World General Admission Ticket in Cairns:
$13
-
Kuranda Koala Gardens General Admission Ticket in Cairns:
$13
-
Melbourne Sports Lovers Tours:
$13
-
Phillip Island Chocolate Factory Ticket:
$13
-
Private Hunter Valley Wine Barrel Rolling Experience:
$13
Typical Entertainment prices in Sydney
Here are a few typical costs in Sydney for activities, ticket prices, and tours that come from previous visitors:
Tours and Activities in Sydney
Here are a few actual costs in Sydney for available activities, ticket prices, and tours:
-
Chinese Garden General Admission Ticket:
$6.32
-
Standard Tour 3 - Test for Booking.com:
$6.90
-
MultiDay Tour - Test for Booking.com:
$6.90
-
North Stradbroke Island Water Taxi Ferry Ticket:
$7.95
-
Bridestowe Lavender Estate Tour:
$8.85
-
Searoad Ferry Tickets between Queenscliff and Sorrento:
$8.85
-
Koala Conservation Reserve Tickets in Phillip Island:
$9.95
-
Hunter Valley Wine Theatre Experience:
$11
-
Margaret River Region Lighthouse Tours:
$11
-
Sydney Jewish Museum General Entry Ticket:
$12
-
Sydney Self-Guided Audio Walking Tour with Mobile App:
$12
-
Australian Museum General Entry Ticket:
$12
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.
While the amount that someone spends on alcohol while visiting Sydney may vary from person to person, on average a person spends $14 per day on alcoholic beverages.
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
Typical Alcohol prices in Sydney
Below are a few samples from actual travelers for alcohol and nightlife costs in Sydney:
Sample the Local Flavors in Sydney
Here are a few nightlife and alcohol tours and activities from local tour providers in Sydney:
-
Savannah 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
-
Tintilla Estate Wine Tasting in Hunter Valley:
$3.69
-
Misty Glen Wine Tasting in Hunter Valley:
$3.69
-
Hanging Tree Wines Wine Tasting in Hunter Valley:
$3.69
-
Capercaillie Wine Tasting in Hunter Valley:
$3.69
-
Tempus Two Wine Tasting Experience:
$3.69
-
Red Door Collective Wine Tasting in Hunter Valley (Adults Only):
$7.39
-
Talits Estate Cellar Door Wine Tasting Experience:
$7.39
-
Wine Tasting at Thomas Wines:
$7.39
-
Wine Tasting at Tulloch Wines in Hunter Valley:
$7.39
When we compare the travel costs of actual travelers between Darwin and Sydney, we can see that Sydney 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 Sydney would naturally cost you much more money, so you would probably want to keep your budget a little tighter in Sydney than you might in Darwin.
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