Which place is cheaper, Cairns or Deqin?
These are the overall average travel costs for the two destinations. These travel costs come from the actual spending of real travelers.
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Should you visit Deqin or Cairns?
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 Cairns. 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 Cairns?
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.
Cairns
Most travelers go to Cairns specifically to visit Great Barrier Reef. The city itself is surprisingly large and cosmopolitan with a population of approximately 140,000. The city's economy is almost exclusively based on tourism, although you will find some jobs centered around agriculture, or more specifically sugar cane, bananas, coffee, tea, wine, and some tropical fruits. The city itself is surrounded by rainforest and makes a great base for exploring Kuranda, with the Barron Gorge National Park and the Daintree offering a quieter tropical getaway than Cairns.
For some great organized tour ideas, see The Best Sightseeing Tours in China, The Best Cultural Tours in China, The Best 4-Week (1-Month) Tours in Australia, and The Best Budget Tours to Australia.
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Deqin Prices
China PricesCairns Prices
Australia Prices -
Average Daily Cost Per person, per dayDeqin $76Cairns $116
The average daily cost (per person) in Deqin is $76, while the average daily cost in Cairns is $116. 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 Cairns in more detail.
Accommodation
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Accommodation Hotel or hostel for one personDeqin $36Cairns $43
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Accommodation Typical double-occupancy roomDeqin $72Cairns $86
Compare Hotels in Deqin and Cairns
Looking for a hotel in Deqin or Cairns? 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: Cairns Hotel Prices.
Local Transportation
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Local Transportation Taxis, local buses, subway, etc.Deqin $18Cairns $12
Hired Cars and Shuttles in Cairns
Also for Cairns, here are a few examples of actual transportation services:
- Airport Transfers between Cairns Airport and Cairns City: $15
- Airport Transfers between Cairns Airport and Palm Cove: $25
- Cairns Airport (CNS) Arrival Transfer (Airport to Port Douglas Hotel or Address): $230
- Cairns Airport (CNS) to Cairns hotels - Arrival Private Transfer: $51
- Cairns Airport (CNS) to Port Douglas - Arrival Private Transfer: $188
- Cairns Airport (CNS): Transfer to Port Douglas hotels: $184
- Cairns Airport Shared Transfer to Cairns: $15
- Cairns Airport Transfers: $161
- Cairns Airport to Port Douglas Private Transfer 1-7 Pax: $175
- Cairns Airport to Port Douglas Private Transfer With Return : $269
- Cairns Airport(CNS) to Palm Cove hotels- Arrival Private Transfer: $85
- Cairns Airport: Shared Transfer: $15
Is it cheaper to fly into Deqin or Cairns?
Prices for flights to both Cairns 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
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Food Meals for one dayDeqin $28Cairns $49
Food Tours and Cooking Classes in Cairns
For Cairns, here are some samples of tours and activities related to meals and dining experiences:
- Ancient Egypt Night Tour with optional 2 Course Dinner: $67
- Ancient Egypt Sunset Tour with optional 3 Course Dinner : $67
- Dinner Cruise Experience: $92
- Cairns Catamaran Harbour and Dinner Cruise: $93
- Night at the Aquarium Guided Tour & 2 Course Dinner: $96
- Aquarium Guided Twilight Tour with 3-Course Dinner: $118
- Ancient Egypt Sunset Tour with 3 Course Dinner in Cairns: $124
- Ancient Egypt Night Tour with 2 Course Dinner in Cairns: $124
- City Sights Tour with Evening Dinner Cruise: $171
- Small-Group Afternoon Cairns City Tour with Harbour Dinner Cruise: $174
- Paronella Park Rainforest Full-Day Tour with Dinner: $66,130
Entertainment
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Entertainment Entrance tickets, shows, etc.Deqin $13Cairns $37
Typical Entertainment Prices in Cairns
Below are a few sample prices from actual travelers for Cairns's activities, tours, and tickets:
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Scuba Diving$36
Tours and Activities in Cairns
For Cairns, here are a few prices for actual activities, tours, and tickets provided by various companies:
- Skip the Line: Cairns Museum Single Admission Ticket: $10
- Skip the Line: Cairns Museum Admission Ticket: $10
- Koalas and Creatures Entry Ticket: $13
- Kuranda Koala Gardens General Entry Ticket: $15
- Kuranda: Riverboat Tour: $20
- Cairns Shore Excursion: Cairns City Sights & Surrounds Tour: $24
- Kuranda Koala Gardens and Birdworld Admission Tickets: $26
- Hipster and Street Art Walking Tour: $29
- Tomb of the Pharaohs Entry Ticket: $32
- Cairns Tomb Of The Pharaohs General Admission Ticket: $32
- Cairns Pub & Club Tour: $34
- Cairns Koalas and Creatures Entry Ticket with Koala Photo: $37
Alcohol
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Alcohol Drinks for one dayDeqin $11Cairns $13
Sample the Local Flavors in Cairns
Here are a few nightlife and alcohol tours and activities from local tour providers in Cairns:
- Cairns Party Bus Pub Crawl Night Out Experience: $44
- Cairns Brewery Tours: $148
- From Atherton Tablelands Food and Wine Tasting Tour: $169
When we compare the travel costs of actual travelers between Deqin and Cairns, we can see that Cairns 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 Cairns 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 Cairns would naturally cost you much more money, so you would probably want to keep your budget a little tighter in Cairns 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 Cairns 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.