Which place is cheaper, Cairns or Malang?
These are the overall average travel costs for the two destinations.
Should I visit Malang or Cairns? 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.
Malang is a city in East Java, Indonesia. It's a cultured city with several important universities, and is home to a large student population. Prized by the Dutch for its mild highland climate, the city retains much of its colonial architecture. Established by the Dutch in the closing decades of the 18th century, Malang earned its first fortunes from coffee, which flourished on the surrounding hillsides. Today, the city's colonial grandeur is quickly disappearing behind the homogenous facades of more modern developments, but there's still much to admire. The Balai Kota building blends Indonesian and Dutch styles, and grand mansions line the main boulevard, Jalan Besar Ijen. To the east is Mt. Bromo, a volcano with hiking trails. The central area is not too large and quite walkable. And with a number of Hindu temples and sights outside the city, Malang makes an ideal base to explore this intriguing corner of east Java.
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 Budget Tours to Indonesia, The Best Tours for Seniors to Indonesia, The Best Contiki Tours to Australia, and The Best G Adventures Tours to Australia.
These are the overall average travel costs for the two destinations.
The average daily cost (per person) in Malang is $66, 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 Malang and Cairns in more detail.
Looking for a hotel in Malang 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.
Some specific examples of transportation prices in Malang:
Also for Cairns, here are a few examples of actual transportation services:
Prices for flights to both Cairns and Malang 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 Cairns, here are some samples of tours and activities related to meals and dining experiences:
Here are a few actual costs in Malang for available activities, ticket prices, and tours:
Below are a few sample prices from actual travelers for Cairns's activities, tours, and tickets:
For Cairns, here are a few prices for actual activities, tours, and tickets provided by various companies:
Here are a few nightlife and alcohol tours and activities from local tour providers in Cairns:
When we compare the travel costs of actual travelers between Malang and Cairns, we can see that Cairns is more expensive. And not only is Malang much less expensive, but it is actually a significantly cheaper destination. Since Malang 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 Malang would let you spend less money overall. Or, you could decide to spend more money in Malang 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 Malang.
If you're trying to decide if either of these two destinations are within your price range, also see Is Malang Expensive? and Is Cairns Expensive?.
Malang has a larger population, and is about 5 times larger than the population of Cairns. When comparing the sizes of Malang 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.