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

Should you visit Deqin or Surfers Paradise?

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 Surfers Paradise. 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 Surfers Paradise?

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.

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.

For some great organized tour ideas, see The Best Sightseeing Tours in China, The Best Cultural Tours in China, The Best Luxury Tours to Australia, and The Best Adventure Tours to Australia.


Which place is cheaper, Surfers Paradise or Deqin?

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

The average daily cost (per person) in Deqin is $65, while the average daily cost in Surfers Paradise is $109. 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 Surfers Paradise in more detail.



Accommodation
  • Accommodation Hotel or hostel for one person
    Deqin $36
    Surfers Paradise $70
  • Accommodation Typical double-occupancy room
    Deqin $72
    Surfers Paradise $140
Compare Hotels in Deqin and Surfers Paradise

Looking for a hotel in Deqin or Surfers Paradise? 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 Surfers Paradise


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.


Local Transportation
  • Local Transportation Taxis, local buses, subway, etc.
    Deqin $19
    Surfers Paradise $12

Hired Cars and Shuttles in Surfers Paradise

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

  • All-Inclusive Dolphin & Tangalooma Wrecks Day Cruise (Gold Coast Transfer): $186
  • Gold Coast Theme Parks: Shared Hotel Transfers: $15
  • Private Transfer from Gold Coast Airport - Surfers Paradise: $52

Is it cheaper to fly into Deqin or Surfers Paradise?

Prices for flights to both Surfers Paradise 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 $16
    Surfers Paradise $28

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:

  • Buffet Dinner Sightseeing Cruise: $81

Entertainment
  • Entertainment Entrance tickets, shows, etc.
    Deqin $13
    Surfers Paradise $25

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
    $82

Tours and Activities in Surfers Paradise

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

  • Skip the Line:Wax Museum Ticket-World in Wax & Guided Tour of Chamber of Horrors: $23
  • Gold Coast - Hopo 2 Hour Sightseeing Cruise: $27
  • Gold Coast Hop On Hop Off Sightseeing Cruise 1 Day Pass: $31
  • Gold Coast 1.5-Hour Sightseeing River Cruise from Surfers Paradise: $31
  • Gold Coast Afternoon River Cruise: $33
  • Guided Gold Coast Amphibious Bus Tour: $37
  • Gold Coast City Lights Cruise: $38
  • Gold Coast Quack'rDuck Amphibious Tour from Surfers Paradise: $38
  • Tropical Fruit World Farm Full Tour : $39
  • Surfers Paradise Sunset Kayak Tour: $48
  • Gold Coast: 360-Degree High-Speed Jet Boat Adventure: $54
  • Buffet Lunch Sightseeing Cruise: $62

Alcohol
  • Alcohol Drinks for one day
    Deqin $11
    Surfers Paradise $12


When we compare the travel costs of actual travelers between Deqin and Surfers Paradise, we can see that Surfers Paradise 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 Surfers Paradise 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 Surfers Paradise would naturally cost you much more money, so you would probably want to keep your budget a little tighter in Surfers Paradise 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 Surfers Paradise Expensive?.