Which place is cheaper, Melbourne or Johor Bahru?
These are the overall average travel costs for the two destinations.
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Should you visit Johor Bahru or Melbourne?
Which is cheaper to visit? Which is more expensive for vacation?
Should I visit Johor Bahru or Melbourne? 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.
Where Should I go: Johor Bahru or Melbourne?
Johor Bahru
Johor Bahru is the capital of the state of Johor in Southern Malaysia. Though it is largely industrial and does not typically cater to tourists, especially compared to the grandeur of neighboring Singapore, the city does have some opportunities for shopping, dining, and entertainment.
Melbourne
Melbourne is the second largest city in Australia, after Sydney. It is also the capital city of the state of Victoria, in southeastern Australia. Melbourne is arguably the best city to experience culture and the arts in Australia. There is a friendly rivalry between Melbourne and Sydney over livability and popularity and Melbourne is definitely the city to visit for its parks, shopping, restaurants, galleries and theaters. Like Sydney, it is situated on the water, at the head of Port Phillip Bay. It's a beautiful city, and although it lacks the major sights that you'll find in Sydney such as the Sydney Opera House or the Harbour Bridge, you will never find yourself lacking for entertainment. It is also a wonderful base for exploring many of the nearby highlights, including Grampians National Park, The Great Ocean Road, and Phillip Island where you can view the penguin parade.
For some great organized tour ideas, see The Best Family-Friendly Tours to Malaysia, The Best Hiking & Trekking Tours in Malaysia, The Best Water Sports Tour Packages in Australia, and The Best Food and Culinary Tours in Australia.
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Average Daily Cost Per person, per dayJohor Bahru $52Melbourne $176
The average daily cost (per person) in Johor Bahru is $52, while the average daily cost in Melbourne is $176. 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 Johor Bahru and Melbourne in more detail.
Accommodation
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Accommodation Hotel or hostel for one personJohor Bahru $36Melbourne $118
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Accommodation Typical double-occupancy roomJohor Bahru $72Melbourne $236
Compare Hotels in Johor Bahru and Melbourne
Looking for a hotel in Johor Bahru or Melbourne? 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: Johor Bahru Hotel Prices and Melbourne Hotel Prices.
Local Transportation
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Local Transportation Taxis, local buses, subway, etc.Johor Bahru $11Melbourne $19
Hired Cars and Shuttles in Johor Bahru
Some specific examples of transportation prices in Johor Bahru:
- Universal Studios Singapore with Optional One-Transfer: $106
- Universal Studios Singapore (Shared Transfer): $144
- Singapore Universal Studio & S.E.A Aquarium-COMBO One-Day Pass(Shared transfer): $197
- Private Transfer from Sentosa Island to Seletar Airport (XSP): $40
- Private Transfer from Senai International Airport Johor to Singapore Hotels: $125
- Private Transfer : Johor Bharu (JB) to Kuala Lumpur (KL): $108
- Private Singapore Departure Airport Transfer from Sentosa Island to Airport: $119
- Legoland Theme Park Ticket and Transfer (SIC-Shared transfer): $97
- Legoland Johor Bahru to Kuala Lumpur 1-way Transfer: $103
- LEGOLAND Malaysia to Kuala Lumpur City One-way Transfer: $105
- LEGOLAND Malaysia to Kuala Lumpur City Hotels One-way Transfer: $105
- LEGOLAND Malaysia to Kuala Lumpur Airport One-way Transfer: $105
Typical Local Transportation Prices in Melbourne
Below are a few samples from actual travelers for transportation costs in Melbourne:
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Airport Bus$10
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Tram Ride$2.47
Hired Cars and Shuttles in Melbourne
Also for Melbourne, here are a few examples of actual transportation services:
- Melbourne Airport: Express Bus Transfer to/from City Center: $16
- Melbourne Airport: One-Way Transfer to Melbourne: $29
- GoBlu-EV: 100% Electric Cabs for Airport & City Transfer in MEL: $33
- Private Transfer from Melbourne hotels to Melbourne Cruise Port: $38
- Private Transfer from Melbourne Airport (MEL) to Melbourne Port: $52
- Private Transfer from Melbourne Port to Melbourne Airport (MEL): $52
- Melbourne Airport Luxury Car Transfer: $73
- Private Car Transfer Melbourne Airport To CBD: $79
- From Melbourne Airport: 1-Way Private Transfer to Melbourne: $79
- Nighttime Private City Tour with Transfer & Stops: $80
- Melbourne Airport: 1-Way Melbourne Airport Private Transfer: $85
- Luxury Airport Transfers & Best Limo Service in Melbourne: $86
Is it cheaper to fly into Johor Bahru or Melbourne?
Prices for flights to both Melbourne and Johor Bahru 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 dayJohor Bahru $8.39Melbourne $30
Food Tours and Cooking Classes in Johor Bahru
Also, here are some specific examples of food and dining related activities in Johor Bahru.
- City Lights Cruise with Buffet Dinner + Free flow Wine & Beer: $192
- Dog Cruise with 5-Course Seated Dinner: $222
- Sunset Sail Cruise with 5 Course Seated Dinner: $222
Typical Food Prices in Melbourne
For Melbourne, here are some examples of average food and meal prices for travelers:
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Coffee$2.60
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Pizza$4.54
Food Tours and Cooking Classes in Melbourne
For Melbourne, here are some samples of tours and activities related to meals and dining experiences:
- Queen Victoria Market: 'Flavours of Australia' Food Tour: $52
- Eynesbury Homestead Dinner and Ghost Tour: $53
- Sunset Kayak Tour with Dinner: $78
- Melbourne Sunset Kayaking Experience with Dinner: $79
- Melbourne Private Multicultural Markets Food Tour: $86
- Pizza Making Party: $89
- Chinese Dumpling Cooking Class with a Drink: $97
- Secret Food Tour: $109
- Chinese Cooking Class Master: $118
- Spirit of Melbourne Dinner Cruise: $122
- Choose Your Asian Cuisine Cooking Masterclass: $129
- Street Food of Asia Cooking Class: $130
Entertainment
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Entertainment Entrance tickets, shows, etc.Johor Bahru $6.89Melbourne $27
Tours and Activities in Johor Bahru
Some specific costs of activities, tours, and entrance tickets for Johor Bahru are as follows:
- *15Hrs Kuala Lumpur Van Tour from Johor Bahru w' Tour Guide: $125
- 4-Hour Private Luxurious Sentosa Walking Tour in Singapore: $286
- Breakfast Cruise with International Breakfast (Buffet): $134
- Brooklyn Cruise at Puteri Harbour, Johor Bahru (Direct Entry): $25
- Desaru Coast Adventure Waterpark Admission Ticket: $34
- Experience Brooklyn Cruise at Puteri Harbour: $21
- Firefly Tour Johor Bahru@Kota Tinggi Firefly Park: $4.30
- Fun and Adventurous Experience at Cove Water Park : $42
- Hassle Free Universal Studios Singapore - One-Day Ticket: $65
- HeadRock VR Admission Ticket: $11
- Johor Day Tour - Ostrich Farm, Beach, Waterfall, Fireflies [Car]: $261
- Johor Tour ends in Singapore - Ostrich Farm, Waterfall, Go Kart [Car]: $298
Tours and Activities in Melbourne
For Melbourne, here are a few prices for actual activities, tours, and tickets provided by various companies:
- Melbourne:Highlights Self-Guided Scavenger Hunt & Tour: $3.21
- First Discovery Walk and Reading Walking Tour: $3.21
- Melbourne Scavenger Hunt and Best Landmarks Self-Guided Tour: $3.28
- Escape Game and Tour: $6.42
- Marvellous A Self-Guided Audio Tour: $6.99
- Melbourne Self-Guided Audio Tour: $9.00
- MoPA Children's Museum Admission Ticket: $9.15
- Melbourne Gardens Explorer Minibus Tour: $9.80
- Scienceworks Entry Ticket: $9.80
- Melbourne Museum Entry Ticket: $9.80
- Immigration Museum Entry Ticket: $9.80
- Questo Self-guided Haunted Melbourne Walking Tour: $11
Alcohol
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Alcohol Drinks for one dayJohor Bahru $4.49Melbourne $17
Typical Alcohol Prices in Melbourne
Here are a few samples of the prices for alcohol and nightlife in Melbourne from other travelers:
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Bottle of Wine$5.03
Sample the Local Flavors in Melbourne
Also in Melbourne, these are the prices for nightlife and alcohol related activities from various tour providers:
- Melbourne Pub Crawl: $17
- Weekly Bar Crawl: 5 Free shots, Club Entry: $19
- Spirits and Ales Haunted Pub Walking Tour: $25
- Melbourne Halloween Bar Crawl: $33
- Laid back,Small-Group Yarra Valley Wine Tour :Wine,Gin,Cider+more: $86
- Yarra Valley Day Trip with Local Wine Tastings from Melbourne: $102
- Yarra Valley Wine Tour inc lunch with a glass of wine, tastings and chocolate: $116
- Yarra Valley Gourmet Food & Wine Tasting Tour: $127
- Southern Gippsland boutique Wine Tour with Tapas from Melbourne : $139
- Wine Tour Yarra Valley, Vic - inc. 2 course lunch + glass of wine: $165
- Mornington Peninsula Premium Tour with Wine Tasting at Yabby Lake : $172
- Yarra Valley Premium Tour Lunch and Sparkling Wine Tasting at Domaine Chandon: $178
When we compare the travel costs of actual travelers between Johor Bahru and Melbourne, we can see that Melbourne is more expensive. And not only is Johor Bahru much less expensive, but it is actually a significantly cheaper destination. Since Johor Bahru is in Asia and Melbourne 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 Johor Bahru would let you spend less money overall. Or, you could decide to spend more money in Johor Bahru 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 Melbourne would naturally cost you much more money, so you would probably want to keep your budget a little tighter in Melbourne than you might in Johor Bahru.
If you're trying to decide if either of these two destinations are within your price range, also see Is Johor Bahru Expensive? and Is Melbourne Expensive?.
Which is Bigger, Johor Bahru or Melbourne?
Melbourne has a larger population, and is about 5 times larger than the population of Johor Bahru. When comparing the sizes of Johor Bahru and Melbourne, keep in mind that a larger population does not always imply the destination has more attractions or better activities. So, always research the type of place that you want to visit along with the activities and attractions that interest you.
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.