A Travel Price Comparison for Families, Couples, and Backpackers Kunming vs. Gold Coast for Vacations, Tours, and Honeymoons

Should you visit Kunming or Gold Coast?

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 Gold Coast. 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 Gold Coast?

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.

Gold Coast

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.

For some great organized tour ideas, see The Best 2-Week Tours from Beijing, The Best Family-Friendly Tours to China, The Best Food and Culinary Tours in Australia, and The Best Vineyard & Wine Tours in Australia.


Which place is cheaper, Gold Coast or Kunming?

These are the overall average travel costs for the two destinations.

The average daily cost (per person) in Kunming is $67, while the average daily cost in Gold Coast is $98. 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 Gold Coast in more detail.



Accommodation
  • Accommodation Hotel or hostel for one person
    Kunming $33
    Gold Coast $55
  • Accommodation Typical double-occupancy room
    Kunming $66
    Gold Coast $110
Compare Hotels in Kunming and Gold Coast

Looking for a hotel in Kunming or Gold Coast? 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.

Hotels in Kunming


Hotels in Gold Coast


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
  • Local Transportation Taxis, local buses, subway, etc.
    Kunming $13
    Gold Coast $23
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:

  • Private Transfer from Kunming hotel to Guizhou Xingyi hotel: $240
  • Kunming Private Round Trip Transfer to Fuxianhu Lake: $90
  • Kunming Changshui Airport Chauffeur Service, Kunming Airport Transfer, Pick up: $71
  • Kunming Airport Private Transfer - Charge by Vehicle: $48
  • [Airport Transfer] Kunming Changshui Airport ⇔ Kunming City Transfer ☆ High reputation for service! <Charter charter>: $36
  • Kunming Private Departure Transfer:City Hotel to Railway Station: $22

Hired Cars and Shuttles in Gold Coast

Also for Gold Coast, here are a few examples of actual transportation services:

  • From Tandem Skydive Byron Bay with Transfers: $240
  • Tangalooma Snorkel the Wrecks Cruise Transfers: $154
  • Tangalooma Marine Discovery Day Cruise Transfers: $147
  • Tangalooma Desert Safari Day Cruise Transfers: $147
  • Private Gold Coast Airport Arrival Transfer to Byron Bay: $137
  • Arrival Transfer: Airport OOL to Gold Coast by Luxury Van: $127
  • Gold Coast Airport Transfer: Airport OOL to Gold Coast in Luxury Car: $127
  • Gold Coast Airport Transfer: Gold Coast to Airport OOL in Luxury Car: $127
  • Departure Private Transfer: Gold Coast to Airport OOL in Luxury Van: $127
  • Gold Coast Airport Transfer: Airport OOL to Gold Coast in Luxury Van: $126
  • Gold Coast Airport Transfer: Gold Coast to Airport OOL in Luxury Van: $126
  • Tangalooma Beach Day Cruise with Bus Transfers: $114

Is it cheaper to fly into Kunming or Gold Coast?

Prices for flights to both Gold Coast 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 day
    Kunming $22
    Gold Coast $27

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 Gold Coast

For Gold Coast, here are some samples of tours and activities related to meals and dining experiences:

  • Australian Outback Spectacular Dinner & Show: $72
  • Gold Coast Buffet Dinner Sightseeing Cruise: $79

Entertainment
  • Entertainment Entrance tickets, shows, etc.
    Kunming $18
    Gold Coast $19

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

Tours and Activities in Gold Coast

Also, here are some specific examples of entertainment, tickets, and activities for Gold Coast.

  • 1.5 hr Jet Ski Safari tour to South Stradbroke Island!: $184
  • 2 Hours Dolphin Kayaking & Snorkeling Tour on the Broadwater: $50
  • 2.5 hr Jet Ski Safaris tour - Ultimate Adventure + island stop: $264
  • 2.5-Hour Ultimate Learn to Surf Adventure: $43
  • 2.5hr Gold Coast Kayaking & snorkelling tour: $52
  • 3-Day Ticket: Dreamworld with WhiteWaterWorld & SkyPoint: $97
  • Aquaduck Gold Coast 1 hour City and River Tour: $36
  • Arro Jet Boating Experience, Surfers Paradise Gold Coast: $52
  • Breakfast sailing cruise includes snacks & drinks: $79
  • Brisbane: Winery Tour with Tastings and 2-Course Lunch: $150
  • Broadwater Morning Cruise: $39
  • Broadwater Morning Cruise with Spirit of Gold Coast: $39

Alcohol
  • Alcohol Drinks for one day
    Kunming $17
    Gold Coast $5.19

Sample the Local Flavors in Gold Coast

Here are a few nightlife and alcohol tours and activities from local tour providers in Gold Coast:

  • Tamborine Mountain: Wine Tasting Tour with 2-Course Lunch: $124
  • Full-Day Guided Wine Tour in Mt Tamborine From Gold Coast : $132


When we compare the travel costs of actual travelers between Kunming and Gold Coast, we can see that Gold Coast 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 Gold Coast 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 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 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 Gold Coast Expensive?.


Which is Bigger, Kunming or Gold Coast?

Kunming has a larger population, and is about 94% larger than the population of Gold Coast. When comparing the sizes of Kunming and Gold Coast, 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.