Which place is cheaper, Cairns or Kunming?
These are the overall average travel costs for the two destinations.
Jump to 
Should you visit Kunming or Cairns?
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 Kunming and Cairns. 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: Kunming or Cairns?
Kunming
Kunming, located in southern China, is the modern capital city of the Yunnan province. It is a transportation hub for visitors entering the region, and good transfer point to just about everywhere else in the province by train or bus. Within the city itself there are many things to see and do with a full range of parks and zoos, museums, temples, theatres, and scenic areas.
Cairns
Most travelers go to Cairns specifically to visit Great Barrier Reef. The city itself is surprisingly large and cosmopolitan with a population of approximately 140,000. The city's economy is almost exclusively based on tourism, although you will find some jobs centered around agriculture, or more specifically sugar cane, bananas, coffee, tea, wine, and some tropical fruits. The city itself is surrounded by rainforest and makes a great base for exploring Kuranda, with the Barron Gorge National Park and the Daintree offering a quieter tropical getaway than Cairns.
For some great organized tour ideas, see The Best 2-Week Tours from Beijing, The Best Family-Friendly Tours to China, The Best Contiki Tours to Australia, and The Best G Adventures Tours to Australia.
-
Average Daily Cost Per person, per dayKunming $67Cairns $94
The average daily cost (per person) in Kunming is $67, while the average daily cost in Cairns is $94. 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 Kunming and Cairns in more detail.
Accommodation
-
Accommodation Hotel or hostel for one personKunming $33Cairns $43
-
Accommodation Typical double-occupancy roomKunming $66Cairns $86
Compare Hotels in Kunming and Cairns
Looking for a hotel in Kunming or Cairns? 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: Cairns Hotel Prices.
Local Transportation
-
Local Transportation Taxis, local buses, subway, etc.Kunming $13Cairns $12
Typical Local Transportation Prices in Kunming
Below are a few samples from actual travelers for transportation costs in Kunming:
-
Taxi Ride$1.52
Hired Cars and Shuttles in Kunming
Also for Kunming, here are a few examples of actual transportation services:
- [Airport Transfer] Kunming Changshui Airport ⇔ Kunming City Transfer ☆ High reputation for service! <Charter charter>: $36
- Private Transfer from Kunming hotel to Guizhou Xingyi hotel: $240
- Kunming Private Round Trip Transfer to Fuxianhu Lake: $90
- Kunming Private Departure Transfer:City Hotel to Railway Station: $22
- Kunming Changshui Airport Chauffeur Service, Kunming Airport Transfer, Pick up: $71
- Kunming Airport Private Transfer - Charge by Vehicle: $48
Hired Cars and Shuttles in Cairns
Also for Cairns, here are a few examples of actual transportation services:
- Hot Air Balloon Flight with Transfers: $653
- Cairns to Mission Beach (ONE WAY) Private Transfer 1 to 6 pax: $278
- Cairns Airport(CNS) to Port Douglas - Round-Trip Private Transfer: $268
- Mercedes-Benz S Class Transfers Cairns Airport - Port Douglas : $255
- Cairns Airport(CNS) to Cairns City - Round-Trip Private Transfer : $247
- Cairns Airport (CNS): Private Transfer to Cairns city hotels: $241
- IMAX Private Transfer 7 Guests Cairns Airport to Hotels in Port Douglas : $226
- Cairns to Silky Oaks (ONE WAY) Private Transfer 1 to 6 pax: $195
- Cairns Airport Private Transfers: $185
- Cairns Airport to Luxury Transfers Port Douglas: $170
- Cairns Airport (CNS): Transfer to Port Douglas hotels: $168
- Cairns Airport (CNS): Private Transfer to Palm Cove hotels: $168
Is it cheaper to fly into Kunming or Cairns?
Prices for flights to both Cairns and Kunming 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 dayKunming $22Cairns $28
Food Tours and Cooking Classes in Kunming
For Kunming, here are some samples of tours and activities related to meals and dining experiences:
- Kunming evening food tour with locals: $65
- Private Kunming Night Tour with Dinner: $78
Food Tours and Cooking Classes in Cairns
For Cairns, here are some samples of tours and activities related to meals and dining experiences:
- Cairns Luxury Catamaran Harbor and Dinner Cruise: $85
- Night at the Aquarium Guided Tour & 2 Course Dinner: $91
- Guided Twilight Tour with 3-Course Dinner: $117
- City Sights Tour with Evening Dinner Cruise: $149
- Small-Group Afternoon Cairns City Tour with Harbour Dinner Cruise: $156
Entertainment
-
Entertainment Entrance tickets, shows, etc.Kunming $18Cairns $37
Tours and Activities in Kunming
Also, here are some specific examples of entertainment, tickets, and activities for Kunming.
- 1-Day Self-Guided Stone Forest Geological Park Tour from Kunming: $106
- 1-Day Stone Forest Geological Park Private Tour with the Lunch from Kunming: $201
- Kunming Private Day Tour to Jiuxiang Cave with Boat Ride : $209
- 1 Day Stone Forest & Jiuxiang Cave Tour: $196
- 1- Day Kunming Short Hiking Tour: $122
- 1-Day Dinosaur Tour in Kunming: $144
- 1-Day Dongchuan Red Land Photography Private Tour from Kunming: $269
- 1-Day Kunming Culture Tour: $156
- 1-Day Kunming Scenery Tour: $122
- 1-Day Kunming Temple and Market Tour: $122
- 1-Day Kunming tour with the Green Lake,Bird & Flower market and Yuantong Temple: $201
- 1-Day Private Tour:Stone Forest and Western Hill(Dragon Gate) from Kunming: $245
Typical Entertainment Prices in Cairns
Below are a few sample prices from actual travelers for Cairns's activities, tours, and tickets:
-
Scuba Diving$36
Tours and Activities in Cairns
For Cairns, here are a few prices for actual activities, tours, and tickets provided by various companies:
- Atherton Tablelands, Waterfalls and Rainforest Tour from Cairns: $99
- Atherton Tablelands: Lakes, Waterfalls, Rainforest Day Tour: $97
- Authentic Indigenous Cultural Tour Including Scenic River Cruise: $92
- Barron Gorge and Kuranda National Park Half Day Rainforest and Waterfall 4WD Tour from Cairns: $120
- Cairns 4WD Rainforest Waterfall Tour Including a GBR Island Tour: $242
- Cairns Aquarium General Admission & Coral Conservation Tour: $52
- Cairns Aquarium General Admission Ticket: $34
- Cairns Aquarium Marine Life Encounter Ticket : $198
- Cairns Aquarium Turtle Hospital and City Sightseeing Tour: $116
- Cairns Aquarium and small group City Sightseeing Tour: $125
- Cairns Botanic Gardens: Mushroom Photography Tour: $44
- Cairns City Sights and Surrounds Tour: $72
Alcohol
-
Alcohol Drinks for one dayKunming $17Cairns $13
Sample the Local Flavors in Cairns
Here are a few nightlife and alcohol tours and activities from local tour providers in Cairns:
- From Atherton Tablelands Food and Wine Tasting Tour: $160
When we compare the travel costs of actual travelers between Kunming and Cairns, we can see that Cairns is more expensive. And not only is Kunming much less expensive, but it is actually a significantly cheaper destination. Since Kunming is in Asia and Cairns 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 Kunming would let you spend less money overall. Or, you could decide to spend more money in Kunming 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 Cairns would naturally cost you much more money, so you would probably want to keep your budget a little tighter in Cairns than you might in Kunming.
If you're trying to decide if either of these two destinations are within your price range, also see Is Kunming Expensive? and Is Cairns Expensive?.
Which is Bigger, Kunming or Cairns?
Kunming has a larger population, and is about 7 times larger than the population of Cairns. When comparing the sizes of Kunming and Cairns, 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.