A Travel Price Comparison for Families, Couples, and Backpackers Deqin vs. Airlie Beach for Vacations, Tours, and Honeymoons

Should you visit Deqin or Airlie Beach?

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

Which city should you visit? Read on to compare the activities as well as the prices of travel for Deqin and Airlie Beach. We'll break down costs for accommodation, food, transportation and more to help you learn more about these two destinations. Then, you can figure out if either of these two places are accessible based on your travel budget, schedule, and interests. So, let's dig into it.

Where Should I go: Deqin or Airlie Beach?

Deqin

Highly influenced by Tibet, Deqin is both a county and a town located in the Hengduanshan Mountains of China's Yunnan province. Most people visit the area as a home base from which to hike into the surrounding mountains, though the temples and traditional villages also add to the allure of the area.

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 Sightseeing Tours in China, The Best Cultural Tours in China, The Best Romantic Tours for Couples in Australia, and The Best Honeymoon Tours in Australia.


Which place is cheaper, Airlie Beach or Deqin?

These are the overall average travel costs for the two destinations. These travel costs come from the actual spending of real travelers.

The average daily cost (per person) in Deqin is $76, while the average daily cost in Airlie Beach is $165. 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 Deqin and Airlie Beach in more detail.



Accommodation
  • Accommodation Hotel or hostel for one person
    Deqin $36
    Airlie Beach $59
  • Accommodation Typical double-occupancy room
    Deqin $72
    Airlie Beach $118
Compare Hotels in Deqin and Airlie Beach

Looking for a hotel in Deqin 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.

Hotels in Deqin


Hotels in Airlie Beach


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
  • Local Transportation Taxis, local buses, subway, etc.
    Deqin $18
    Airlie Beach $19

Hired Cars and Shuttles in Airlie Beach

Some specific examples of transportation prices in Airlie Beach:

  • Transfer from Whitsunday Coast Airport: $17
  • Airport Transfer to Shute Harbour / Renta Yacht / Freedom Shores: $32
  • Established Return Airport Transfer Proserpine to Airlie Beach: $28
  • One Way Airport Transfer: Proserpine-Airlie Beach (or vice versa): $17
  • Private Transfer to/from Shute Harbour: $134
  • Private Transfer to/from Whitsunday Coast Airport: $148
  • Whitsundays: Airport Transfer to/from Airlie Beach: $16

Is it cheaper to fly into Deqin or Airlie Beach?

Prices for flights to both Airlie Beach and Deqin 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
    Deqin $28
    Airlie Beach $55

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: $82
  • Whitsundays Segway Sunset and Boardwalk Tour with Dinner: $84

Entertainment
  • Entertainment Entrance tickets, shows, etc.
    Deqin $13
    Airlie Beach $161

Tours and Activities in Airlie Beach

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

  • Private Airlie Beach Tuk-Tuk Tours: $20
  • 2-Hour Sunset Cruise with Sparkling Wine: $45
  • Roundtrip Tour to Cedar Creek.: $45
  • Airlie Beach Sunset Cruise : $46
  • Sundowner Sunset Cruise Airlie Beach: $46
  • Cedar Creek Express. (Cruise Ship Friendly): $46
  • Whisper Cruises - One-Hour Turtle Spotting Bay Cruise: $46
  • Airlie Beach Trike Tours: $50
  • Whitsundays Sunset Sailing Cruise: $57
  • Glass-Bottom Boat Tour: $59
  • Airlie Beach Glass Bottom Boat Tour: $60
  • #1 Sightseeing Explorer 3hr tour.: $62

Alcohol
  • Alcohol Drinks for one day
    Deqin $11
    Airlie Beach $9.06


When we compare the travel costs of actual travelers between Deqin and Airlie Beach, we can see that Airlie Beach is more expensive. And not only is Deqin much less expensive, but it is actually a significantly cheaper destination. Since Deqin 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 Deqin would let you spend less money overall. Or, you could decide to spend more money in Deqin 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 Deqin.

If you're trying to decide if either of these two destinations are within your price range, also see Is Deqin Expensive? and Is Airlie Beach Expensive?.