Which place is cheaper, Melbourne or Mandalay?
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 Mandalay or Melbourne?
Which is cheaper to visit? Which is more expensive for vacation?
If you're trying to decide where to visit between Mandalay or Melbourne, this travel comparison, which includes costs, can help. The overall cost of travel is usually a consideration when deciding where to go next, and the cost comparison down below can help you decide based on the average prices from other travelers along with your own travel budget.
Where Should I go: Mandalay or Melbourne?
Mandalay
Located in Myanmar (formerly known as Burma) on the banks of the Irawaddy River, Mandalay is the nation's second largest city behind Yangon. It is centered on the restored Royal Palace and has a large population of Buddhist monks who frequent the city's many temples and monasteries.
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 Scuba Diving Tours in Australia, and The Best Family-Friendly Tours to Australia.
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Mandalay Prices
Myanmar PricesMelbourne Prices
Australia Prices -
Average Daily Cost Per person, per dayMandalay $19Melbourne $213
The average daily cost (per person) in Mandalay is $19, while the average daily cost in Melbourne is $213. 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 Mandalay and Melbourne in more detail.
Accommodation
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Accommodation Hotel or hostel for one personMandalay $8.65Melbourne $130
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Accommodation Typical double-occupancy roomMandalay $17Melbourne $260
Compare Hotels in Mandalay and Melbourne
Looking for a hotel in Mandalay 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: Melbourne Hotel Prices.
Local Transportation
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Local Transportation Taxis, local buses, subway, etc.Mandalay -Melbourne $21
Hired Cars and Shuttles in Mandalay
Some specific examples of transportation prices in Mandalay:
- Private Transfer Of Mandalay To Bagan: $180
- Private Mandalay Airport Transfer: $27
- Private Land Transfer : Mandalay to Bagan: $139
- Mandalay To Bagan Transfer Tour: $180
- Mandalay Airport Private Transfer: $55
- Inle [Heho] Airport Private Transfer : $46
- Inle Lake Land transfer from Mandalay: $213
- From Mandalay To Kalaw-NyaungShwe-Inle Lake Private Transfer: $230
- Bagan Land Transfer form Mandalay: $103
- Airport Transfer, Paleik Snake Pagoda, a little bit of Bagan and to AVA: $50
- 2 Days in Mandalay Region, 3 Night in Monywa and 4 Days to transfer Bagan: $260
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$11
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Tram Ride$2.71
Hired Cars and Shuttles in Melbourne
Also for Melbourne, here are a few examples of actual transportation services:
- Airport Transfers - Chauffeur Car & Limo Services of Melbourne: $108
- Airport to City Private Transfers: $136
- Arrival Transfer Melbourne Airport MEL to Melbourne in Sedan: $118
- Ballarat - Melbourne Airport Transfers: $191
- CBD to Melbourne Airport Private Transfer - 11 traveler's: $129
- Departure Transfer Melbourne to Melbourne Airport MEL in Sedan: $118
- Express Bus Transfer to or from Melbourne City Center: $21
- Luxury Private Airport Transfer Melbourne: $111
- Melbourne Airport (MEL) to Melbourne hotels - Arrival Private Transfer: $88
- Melbourne Airport (MEL) to Melbourne hotels - Round-Trip Private Transfer: $177
- Melbourne Airport MEL Private Transfer to Melbourne by Luxury Van: $165
- Melbourne Airport MEL Private Transfer to Melbourne in Sedan Car: $118
Is it cheaper to fly into Mandalay or Melbourne?
Prices for flights to both Melbourne and Mandalay 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 dayMandalay $10Melbourne $57
Food Tours and Cooking Classes in Mandalay
Also, here are some specific examples of food and dining related activities in Mandalay.
- Myanmar traditional cooking class with local: $26
- Bicycle Food Tour in Mandalay: $45
Typical Food Prices in Melbourne
For Melbourne, here are some examples of average food and meal prices for travelers:
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Coffee$2.85
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Pizza$4.99
Food Tours and Cooking Classes in Melbourne
For Melbourne, here are some samples of tours and activities related to meals and dining experiences:
- Melbourne Flavors: Queen Victoria Market Food Tour: $40
- Queen Victoria Market: 'Flavours of Australia' Food Tour: $52
- Multicultural Markets Food Tour – Melbourne’s Global Tastes: $55
- Inner North Street Food Tour: $72
- Street Food Tour in Melbourne's Inner North: $78
- Sunset Kayak Tour with Dinner: $79
- Best of Little Italy Dinner Tour: $92
- Chinese Dumpling Cooking Class with a Drink: $99
- Secret Food Tour: $109
- Melbourne Food Tour with 8+ Food Tastings in Hidden Laneways: $116
- Yarra Valley Full Day Grazing Tour: Gin, Wine, Pizza, Cheese: $125
- Spanish Hands on Cooking Class: $128
Entertainment
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Entertainment Entrance tickets, shows, etc.Mandalay -Melbourne $30
Tours and Activities in Mandalay
Here are a few actual costs in Mandalay for available activities, ticket prices, and tours:
- Kayah Villages Full Day Tour (Pan Pet & Hta Nee La): $260
- 1-night in Pyin Oo Lwin next day to Gokteik tour: $226
- 2 Days Private Tour in Mandalay: $176
- A Little Adventure Village Explore: $17
- Adventure to Dee Dote Waterfalls from Mandalay: $63
- Amarapura,Mingun,Sagaing,Innwa Sightseeing Tour: $110
- Amarapura,Sagaing,Innwa Sightseeing Tour: $95
- Amarapura,Sagging,Innwa/Ava Sightseeing: $75
- Ancient Cities, Pagodas, and Sunset Tour from Mandalay: $194
- Ancient City Tour in Mandalay: $70
- Around Mandalay Tour in 2 Days: $100
- Day Trip Tour From Mandalay To Pyin Oo Lwin: $130
Tours and Activities in Melbourne
For Melbourne, here are a few prices for actual activities, tours, and tickets provided by various companies:
- Melbourne (St Kilda) Scavenger Hunt and Sights Self-Guided Tour: $6.41
- Marvellous A Self-Guided Audio Tour: $8.99
- Melbourne Scavenger Hunt and Highlights Self Guided Walking Tour: $9.42
- Scienceworks Entry Ticket: $9.92
- Immigration Museum Entry Ticket: $9.92
- Melbourne Gardens Explorer Minibus Tour: $9.92
- Self Guided Walking Tour in Melbourne St Kilda Penguins: $9.99
- Questo Self-guided Haunted Melbourne Walking Tour: $11
- Melbourne Museum Entry Ticket: $12
- Ghosts, Murder, and Mystery Self-Guided Walking Tour: $12
- Melbourne Ghosts of Williamstown Self Guided Walking Tour: $12
- Melbourne Museum Guided Tour with Entry Ticket: $19
Alcohol
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Alcohol Drinks for one dayMandalay -Melbourne $18
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$5.52
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: $19
- Saturday Melbourne Bar Crawl: $19
- Weekly Bar Crawl: 5 Free shots, Club Entry: $20
- Spirits and Ales Haunted Pub Walking Tour: $26
- Melbourne Music Venue Pub Crawl with History + 2 Free Drinks: $26
- MELBOURNE Spirits and Ales Haunted Pub Tour: $28
- Rock'n'roll venues pub crawl including 2 free drinks and history: $57
- Chocolate and wine tasting tour in the Yarra Valley.: $73
- Relaxed Half Day Yarra Valley Wine Tasting Tour from Melbourne: $78
- Yarra Valley Wine Tour with Gin, Cider & Chocolate: $82
- Yarra Valley Wine Tour from Melbourne - Choc, Gin & Good Times: $82
- New Chocolate and wine tasting tour in the Yarra Valley: $89
When we compare the travel costs of actual travelers between Mandalay and Melbourne, we can see that Melbourne is more expensive. And not only is Mandalay much less expensive, but it is actually a significantly cheaper destination. Since Mandalay 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 Mandalay would let you spend less money overall. Or, you could decide to spend more money in Mandalay 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 Mandalay.
If you're trying to decide if either of these two destinations are within your price range, also see Is Mandalay Expensive? and Is Melbourne Expensive?.
Which is Bigger, Mandalay or Melbourne?
Melbourne has a larger population, and is about 3 times larger than the population of Mandalay. When comparing the sizes of Mandalay 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.