Which place is cheaper, Sydney or Johor Bahru?
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 Johor Bahru or Sydney?
Which is cheaper to visit? Which is more expensive for vacation?
Should I visit Johor Bahru or Sydney? 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 Sydney?
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.
Sydney
Sydney, known as the harbour city, is the most famous and frequently visited city in Australia. It is at the economical and cultural heart of the country, and is one of the most beautiful and livable cities in the world. It's situated on the water with stunning views of the famous harbour throughout the city. It's most famous landmarks include the Sydney Opera House and the Sydney Harbour Bridge. It is also very close wonderful beaches, parks, and nature.
For some great organized tour ideas, see The Best Family-Friendly Tours to Malaysia, The Best Hiking & Trekking Tours in Malaysia, The Best Contiki Tours to Australia, and The Best G Adventures Tours to Australia.
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Johor Bahru Prices
Malaysia PricesSydney Prices
Australia Prices -
Average Daily Cost Per person, per dayJohor Bahru $66Sydney $222
The average daily cost (per person) in Johor Bahru is $66, while the average daily cost in Sydney is $222. 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 Sydney in more detail.
Accommodation
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Accommodation Hotel or hostel for one personJohor Bahru $41Sydney $111
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Accommodation Typical double-occupancy roomJohor Bahru $82Sydney $222
Compare Hotels in Johor Bahru and Sydney
Looking for a hotel in Johor Bahru or Sydney? 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 Sydney Hotel Prices.
Local Transportation
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Local Transportation Taxis, local buses, subway, etc.Johor Bahru $13Sydney $16
Hired Cars and Shuttles in Johor Bahru
Some specific examples of transportation prices in Johor Bahru:
- °Sit Back & Relax - JB to Malacca MPV Transfer: $240
- Chauffeur: Johor Bahru to Genting Highlands Transfer [Car]: $251
- Chauffeur: Johor Bahru to Genting Highlands Transfer [Van]: $87
- Chauffeur: Johor Bahru to Ipoh Transfer [Van]: $122
- Chauffeur: Johor Bahru to Malacca Transfer [Car]: $160
- Chauffeur: Johor Bahru to Penang Island Transfer [Van]: $157
- Chauffeur: Johor Bahru to Taman Negara Transfer [Van]: $110
- Johor Bahru City Hotels to Kuala Lumpur Airport One-way Transfer: $105
- Johor Bahru City Hotels to Kuala Lumpur City Hotels One-way Transfer: $105
- Johor Bahru City to Kuala Lumpur City One-way Transfer: $105
- Johor Bahru to Kuala Lumpur Airport 1-way Transfer: $103
- Johor Bahru to Kuala Lumpur Airport 1-way Transfer: $125
Typical Local Transportation Prices in Sydney
Here are some examples of typical transportation prices from actual travelers in Sydney:
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Taxi Ride$14
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Taxi to Airport$18
Hired Cars and Shuttles in Sydney
Some specific examples of transportation prices in Sydney:
- Transfer Between Airport & Hotels or Cruise Terminal: $13
- Sydney Airport to Sydney CBD shared ride seat in vehicle shuttle transfer: $14
- Sydney Kingsford Smith Airport: Shared Transfer to Sydney CBD: $25
- Shuttle Transfer from Sydney City Hotel or Cruise Port to Sydney Airport: $27
- Shuttle Transfer from Sydney City Hotel to Sydney Cruise Port: $27
- Sydney Arrival Transfer: Airport to City or Overseas Passenger Terminal: $27
- Shuttle Transfer from Sydney Airport to Cruise Ship Terminal at Circular Quay: $27
- Transfer from White Bay Cruise Terminal to Sydney Airport: $29
- Sydney Port Private Arrival Transfer: Cruise Port to City: $32
- Sydney Airport Vip Transfer to city: $36
- SYD Airport to Sydney City Centre Private Transfer: $37
- Airport Shuttle Transfer to and from CBD Hotels: $40
Is it cheaper to fly into Johor Bahru or Sydney?
Prices for flights to both Sydney 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 $16Sydney $83
Typical Food Prices in Sydney
Below are a few samples from actual travelers for food and meal costs in Sydney:
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Tea$2.81
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Lunch Special$11
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Food/Drink Coogie Beach$11
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Meat Pies$3.51
Food Tours and Cooking Classes in Sydney
Also, here are some specific examples of food and dining related activities in Sydney.
- Vivid Festival of Light Harbor Cruise with Dinner: $36
- City Highlights Walking Food Tour with Harbor Cruise: $45
- Harbour Dinner Cruise with Buffet: $50
- Roti Making Class with 5-Course Dinner: $50
- Foraging Food Tour Sydney Native Aussie Food: $53
- Sydney Harbour Discovery Dinner Cruise Scenic Sights and Buffet: $54
- Harbor Sunset Cruise with Dinner: $59
- Twilight Dinner Cruise on Coral Trekker: $59
- Sydney Harbour Tall Ship Twilight Dinner Cruise: $64
- Tall Ship Harbour Twilight Dinner Cruise: $72
- Sydney Harbour: Latin Fiesta Dinner Cruise: $73
- Harbour Dinner Cruise with 3, 4 or 6-Course Menu: $83
Entertainment
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Entertainment Entrance tickets, shows, etc.Johor Bahru $8.04Sydney $34
Tours and Activities in Johor Bahru
Some specific costs of activities, tours, and entrance tickets for Johor Bahru are as follows:
- Firefly Tour Johor Bahru@Kota Tinggi Firefly Park: $6.53
- Brooklyn Cruise at Puteri Harbour: $11
- Wings of Time Admission Ticket: $14
- Singapore: Wings of Time Show Entry Ticket: $17
- Malaysia: Johor Adventure Waterpark Desaru Coast Entry Ticket: $18
- Adventure Waterpark Ticket Desaru Coast: $19
- DaVinci & The Wheel of Time - Cinematic Walkthrough VR Experience: $19
- Causeway Tour: $20
- Johor: LEGOLAND Malaysia Resort Entry Ticket: $21
- Singapore Sentosa Cable Car Sky Pass E-Tickets: $21
- Legoland Malaysia Admission Ticket (All Rides & Attractions): $24
- Legoland Malaysia Theme Park E-Tickets: $25
Typical Entertainment Prices in Sydney
Here are a few typical costs in Sydney for activities, ticket prices, and tours that come from previous visitors:
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Theatre Show$32
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Sydney Tower Visit (for 2)$32
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Blue Mountain Tour/Featherdale Park (for 2)$134
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Powerhouse Museum$11
Tours and Activities in Sydney
Here are a few actual costs in Sydney for available activities, ticket prices, and tours:
- Sydney Scavenger Hunt and Highlights Self Guided Walking Tour: $3.52
- Sydney Self-Guided Audio Tour: $6.00
- Sydney Kids Quest: Family Walking Adventure: $6.45
- Sydney Botanic Garden: Kids Quest Family Walking Adventure: $6.45
- Sydney's Lavender Bay: An Audio Tour by ABC Broadcaster: $6.99
- Sydney Cockatoo Island Escape: Convict Adventure Game: $8.22
- Sydney City Highlights Self Guided Walking Tour: $9.99
- Sydney Manly and North Head Self Guided Walking Tour: $9.99
- Self Guided Electric Bike Tour of Sydney: $11
- Self Guided Electric Bike Tour of Sydney Beaches: $11
- Sydney’s Iconic Sights: A Self-Guided Audio Tour: $12
- Sydney Harbour Self Guided Walking Tour with an App: $12
Alcohol
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Alcohol Drinks for one dayJohor Bahru $5.25Sydney $16
Typical Alcohol Prices in Sydney
Below are a few samples from actual travelers for alcohol and nightlife costs in Sydney:
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Wine$11
Sample the Local Flavors in Sydney
Here are a few nightlife and alcohol tours and activities from local tour providers in Sydney:
- Amazing Bar Crawl in Wollongong: Go Out with a Gong: $15
- The Wednesday Social Pub Crawl & Karaoke: $22
- Big Night Out Pub Crawl with Local Party Hosts: $32
- Big Night Out Pub Crawl: $35
- Private Wine Tasting at The Rocks: $46
- Balmain Pub Walking Tour: $83
- The Rocks Pub Walking Tour: $85
- Marrickville Brewery Tour: $85
- From: Sydney - Hunter Valley Wine Tasting Guided Day Tour: $89
- Brewery, Winery, and Distillery Tasting Tour: $112
- From Full-Day Hunter Valley Wine Tour & Lunch: $145
- From Hunter Valley Wine Tasting Day Tour: $145
When we compare the travel costs of actual travelers between Johor Bahru and Sydney, we can see that Sydney 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 Sydney 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 Sydney would naturally cost you much more money, so you would probably want to keep your budget a little tighter in Sydney 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 Sydney Expensive?.
Which is Bigger, Johor Bahru or Sydney?
Sydney has a larger population, and is about 5 times larger than the population of Johor Bahru. When comparing the sizes of Johor Bahru and Sydney, 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.