Which place is cheaper, Shangri-La or Gold Coast?
These are the overall average travel costs for the two destinations.
Should I visit Gold Coast or Shangri-La? This is a common question asked by many travelers. By figuring out which city has activities that align with your interests along with knowing which is more affordable, you'll understand where you can get more bang for your buck. So, let's dive into the details and the data, which all comes from actual travelers.
The Gold Coast is one of Australia's premier destinations. Famous for gorgeous beaches, warm weather, watersports, and plenty of activities for all ages, millions of tourists from Australia as well as everywhere in the world flock to this region every year. With beaches, national parks, theme parks, shopping and dining, nice resorts, boating, fishing, diving, theme parks and more, the Gold Coast offers something for everyone.
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 Food and Culinary Tours in Australia, The Best Vineyard & Wine Tours in Australia, The Best 2-Week Tours from Beijing, and The Best Family-Friendly Tours to China.
These are the overall average travel costs for the two destinations.
The average daily cost (per person) in Gold Coast is $98, while the average daily cost in Shangri-La is $46. 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 Gold Coast and Shangri-La in more detail.
Looking for a hotel in Gold Coast 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.
Also for Gold Coast, here are a few examples of actual transportation services:
Some specific examples of transportation prices in Shangri-La:
Prices for flights to both Shangri-La and Gold Coast 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.
For Gold Coast, here are some samples of tours and activities related to meals and dining experiences:
Also, here are some specific examples of entertainment, tickets, and activities for Gold Coast.
Some specific costs of activities, tours, and entrance tickets for Shangri-La are as follows:
Here are a few nightlife and alcohol tours and activities from local tour providers in Gold Coast:
When we compare the travel costs of actual travelers between Gold Coast and Shangri-La, we can see that Gold Coast is more expensive. And not only is Shangri-La much less expensive, but it is actually a significantly cheaper destination. Since Gold Coast 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 Gold Coast would naturally cost you much more money, so you would probably want to keep your budget a little tighter in Gold Coast 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 Gold Coast Expensive? and Is Shangri-La Expensive?.