Which place is cheaper, Shangri-La or Fraser Island?
These are the overall average travel costs for the two destinations.
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Should you visit Fraser Island or Shangri-La?
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 Fraser Island and Shangri-La. 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: Fraser Island or Shangri-La?
Fraser Island
Fraser Island, located off Australia's eastern Queensland coast, is the world's largest sand island. It is best known as a camping and ecotourism destination, with a number of panoramic viewpoints, beaches, lakes, and freshwater pools. Hervey Bay, a beachside city on the nearby mainland, is a primary gateway to the island.
Shangri-La
The original Shangri-La existed in the fictional world of James Hilton's novel "The Lost Horizon." It was a hidden paradise, a place so beautiful that it couldn't possibly exist on earth. The Shangri-La that exists in Yunnan, China today was renamed from its former title Zhongdian in 2001 in order to associate the place with the mystical allure created in Hilton's novel. Visitors come to admire the traditional monasteries and temples set against a backdrop of mountain preserves and pristine lakes.
For some great organized tour ideas, see The Best Hiking & Trekking Tours in Australia, The Best Walking Tours in Australia, The Best 2-Week Tours from Beijing, and The Best Family-Friendly Tours to China.
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Average Daily Cost Per person, per dayFraser Island $217Shangri-La $48
The average daily cost (per person) in Fraser Island is $217, while the average daily cost in Shangri-La is $48. 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 Fraser Island and Shangri-La in more detail.
Accommodation
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Accommodation Hotel or hostel for one personFraser Island $107Shangri-La $19
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Accommodation Typical double-occupancy roomFraser Island $214Shangri-La $38
Compare Hotels in Fraser Island and Shangri-La
Looking for a hotel in Fraser Island or Shangri-La? 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.
Local Transportation
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Local Transportation Taxis, local buses, subway, etc.Fraser Island $97Shangri-La $11
Hired Cars and Shuttles in Shangri-La
Some specific examples of transportation prices in Shangri-La:
- Private Transfer from Shangri-la(Diqing) hotel to Lijiang/Shuhe hotel : $149
- Private Transfer from Shangri-La to Lijiang and Stops at Tiger Leaping Gorge: $160
Is it cheaper to fly into Fraser Island or Shangri-La?
Prices for flights to both Shangri-La and Fraser Island 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 dayFraser Island $50Shangri-La $19
Entertainment
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Entertainment Entrance tickets, shows, etc.Fraser Island $47Shangri-La $16
Tours and Activities in Fraser Island
Some specific costs of activities, tours, and entrance tickets for Fraser Island are as follows:
- 2 Hours Hervey Bay Funset Cruise: $55
- Hervey Bay Ultimate Whale Watching Cruise: $76
- Hervey Bay: Best Value Half Day Whale Watching Cruise : $83
- K'gari Island Cruise Tour with Whale Search and Lunch - 5 hours: $84
- Hervey Bay Whale Watching Cruise: $103
- Remote K'gari (Fraser Island) & Whale Experience: $173
- Remote Fraser Island Experience: $173
- K'gari (Fraser Island) All Inclusive Day Tour: $189
- Discovery K'gari (Fraser Island) Day Tour - From Rainbow Beach: $193
- K'gari (Fraser Island) Full-Day Tour From Noosa: $203
- Discovery K'gari (Fraser Island) Day Tour - From Noosa: $209
- Hervey Bay to K'gari/Fraser Island 2-Day Tour (Beach House): $360
Tours and Activities in Shangri-La
Some specific costs of activities, tours, and entrance tickets for Shangri-La are as follows:
- 1-Day Shangri-La Private Tour: Potatso National Park and Baiji Temple: $169
- 1-Day Shangri-La Tour to Ganden Monastery, Nixi Pottery Village and Tibetan Town: $185
- 1-Day Shangri-La tour with Ganden Monastery, Napahai Lake and Tibetan Town: $190
- Private tour Songzanlin Monastry & Tibetan lunch from Zhongdian: $199
- 1 Day Shangri-la City Tour with Pudacuo National Park: $209
Alcohol
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Alcohol Drinks for one dayFraser Island $22Shangri-La $13
When we compare the travel costs of actual travelers between Fraser Island and Shangri-La, we can see that Fraser Island is more expensive. And not only is Shangri-La much less expensive, but it is actually a significantly cheaper destination. Since Fraser Island is in Pacific and Shangri-La is in Asia, 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 Shangri-La would let you spend less money overall. Or, you could decide to spend more money in Shangri-La 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 Fraser Island would naturally cost you much more money, so you would probably want to keep your budget a little tighter in Fraser Island than you might in Shangri-La.
If you're trying to decide if either of these two destinations are within your price range, also see Is Fraser Island Expensive? and Is Shangri-La 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.