Which place is cheaper, Airlie Beach or Datong?
These are the overall average travel costs for the two destinations.
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Should you visit Datong or Airlie Beach?
Which is cheaper to visit? Which is more expensive for vacation?
If you're trying to decide where to visit between Datong or Airlie Beach, 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.
Where Should I go: Datong or Airlie Beach?
Datong
If you're looking for an old world city, with a renovated feel, you might want to spend some time in Datong, China. This city was once walled-in and the newest initiative is to rebuild their great wall to maintain their old world charm. Datong is definitely done a lot to make itself a contender in the world of vacation destinations.
Airlie Beach
Airlie Beach, in Queensland, offers the closest port to the Whitsunday Islands on the Great Barrier Reef. It's a small town of only 25,000 and has grown out of the area's popularity as a tourist destination. It's main industry remains tourism and, as such, there are many venues set up to accommodate travelers hoping to make trips to the Whitsunday Islands and the Outer Great Barrier Reef. The town has the feel of a vacation destination. While in the past Airlie Beach appealed specifically to the backpacker crowd, it's popularity has spread and now there are facilities catering to all travel types. The area has become more commercialized and there are plenty of large resorts to choose from. Even so, you'll still find no shortage of affordable accommodation around town.
For some great organized tour ideas, see The Best Cultural Tours in China, The Best Luxury Tours to China, The Best Coach Bus Tours in Australia, and The Best Romantic Tours for Couples in Australia.
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Average Daily Cost Per person, per dayDatong $57Airlie Beach $148
The average daily cost (per person) in Datong is $57, while the average daily cost in Airlie Beach is $148. 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 destination. What follows is a categorical breakdown of travel costs for Datong and Airlie Beach in more detail.
Accommodation
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Accommodation Hotel or hostel for one personDatong $24Airlie Beach $61
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Accommodation Typical double-occupancy roomDatong $48Airlie Beach $122
Compare Hotels in Datong and Airlie Beach
Looking for a hotel in Datong or Airlie Beach? Prices vary by location, date, season, and the level of luxury. See below for options and compare which is best for your budget and travel style.
Kayak helps you find the best prices for hotels, flights, and rental cars for destinations around the world. Compare prices for multiple destinations when planning your next trip.
Our Analysis
We've analyzed the average and typical hotel prices based on guest reviews, star ratings, and hotel amenities here: Airlie Beach Hotel Prices.
Local Transportation
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Local Transportation Taxis, local buses, subway, etc.Datong $13Airlie Beach $20
Hired Cars and Shuttles in Datong
Also for Datong, here are a few examples of actual transportation services:
- Private Transfer Service from Yungang Airport to Datong Hotel: $29
- Transfer from Datong Railway Stations to Hotels in City Center: $35
- Datong Hanging Temple Private Transfer from Hotel or Station: $69
- Private Round-Trip Transfer to Hanging Temple: $98
- Dunhuang Private Round Trip Transfer to Jiayuguan and Xuanbi Great Wall : $100
- Chengdu: Private Round-Trip Transfer to Leshan Budda: $128
- Flexible Private Transfer Service from Datong to Pingyao with Sightseeing Stops: $225
Hired Cars and Shuttles in Airlie Beach
Some specific examples of transportation prices in Airlie Beach:
- Private Transfer to Whitsunday Coast Airport: $327
- Roundtrip KIA Transfer from Whitsunday Coast Airport: $237
- Crayfish Beach Hook Island Camping Transfer: $144
- Whitehaven Beach Camping Transfer: $130
- South Molle Island Camping Transfer: $61
- Return Transfer PPP Airport Shute Harbour / Renta Yacht / Freedom Shores: $33
- Airport Transfers - Return (round fare) share shuttle service: $29
- Transfer from Whitsunday Coast Airport: $17
- One Way Only - Airport Transfer share shuttle service: $17
- Whitsunday: Prosperpine Airport to Airlie Beach Transfer: $17
Is it cheaper to fly into Datong or Airlie Beach?
Prices for flights to both Airlie Beach and Datong 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
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Food Meals for one dayDatong $20Airlie Beach $34
Food Tours and Cooking Classes in Airlie Beach
Also, here are some specific examples of food and dining related activities in Airlie Beach.
- 3-Hour Sunset Segway Tour with Dinner: $85
- Whitsundays Segway Sunset and Boardwalk Tour with Dinner: $86
Entertainment
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Entertainment Entrance tickets, shows, etc.Datong $26Airlie Beach $169
Tours and Activities in Datong
Also, here are some specific examples of entertainment, tickets, and activities for Datong.
- Datong Private Self-guided Tour with Chartered Car: $26
- Yungang Grottoes Entrance Ticket Only: $35
- Pingyao Ancient City Scenic Area Pass Ticket Only: $36
- YungangGrottoe HangingTemple Private Self-guided Tour by Car: $79
- Datong Hanging Temple Wooden Pagoda Self-guided Tour by Car: $95
- 4-8 hours Private Datong Great Wall Tour: $99
- Private Datong Day Tour Arranged by Local Tour Guide Nancy: $129
- Datong Classic Day Tour: $135
- Private city tour Datong Yungang grottoes and Huayan Monastery: $160
- Private day tour to Yungang Grottoes and Hanging Temple& lunch: $180
- Private Tour: Yungang Grottoes and Hanging Monastery From Datong: $186
- All Inclusive Private Day Tour to Hanging Temple at Hengshan from Datong : $188
Tours and Activities in Airlie Beach
Some specific costs of activities, tours, and entrance tickets for Airlie Beach are as follows:
- 1-Day Whitsunday Islands Cruise: Whitehaven Beach and Hill Inlet: $144
- Airlie Beach Adrenaline Jet Ski Adventure: $170
- Airlie Beach Glass Bottom Boat Guided Night Tour: $68
- Airlie Beach Glass Bottom Boat Tour: $61
- Airlie Beach Glass bottom boat Scenic Sunset Tour: $68
- Airlie Beach Jet Ski Tour: $110
- Airlie Beach Sunset Cruise : $48
- Airlie Beach to Daydream Island Ultimate Jet Ski Adventure: $270
- Airlie Beach to Daydream Island Ultimate Jet Ski Adventure: $269
- 2-Hour Sunset Cruise with Sparkling Wine: $47
- Adults-Only Whitehaven Beach Sailing Tour: $190
- Airlie Adventure Jet Ski Tour: $171
Alcohol
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Alcohol Drinks for one dayDatong $13Airlie Beach $9.49
When we compare the travel costs of actual travelers between Datong and Airlie Beach, we can see that Airlie Beach is more expensive. And not only is Datong much less expensive, but it is actually a significantly cheaper destination. Since Datong is in Asia and Airlie Beach is in Pacific, this is one of the main reasons why the costs are so different, as different regions of the world tend to have overall different travel costs. So, traveling to Datong would let you spend less money overall. Or, you could decide to spend more money in Datong 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 Airlie Beach would naturally cost you much more money, so you would probably want to keep your budget a little tighter in Airlie Beach than you might in Datong.
If you're trying to decide if either of these two destinations are within your price range, also see Is Datong Expensive? and Is Airlie Beach Expensive?.
Budget Your Trip is all about finding out how much everything costs so that you can travel cheaper and longer. Created by avid travelers Laurie and Bryan, our goal is to help you plan your next trip on the right budget. With average daily travel costs that are calculated from the budgets of real travelers, plus an analysis of hotel and tour prices, you can find out how much money you need to plan your next adventure. We also have plenty of travel advice, accommodation reviews, and activity suggestions.