A Travel Price Comparison for Families, Couples, and Backpackers Mandalay vs. Newcastle for Vacations, Tours, and Honeymoons

Should you visit Mandalay or Newcastle?

Which is cheaper to visit? Which is more expensive for vacation?

If you're trying to decide where to visit between Mandalay or Newcastle, 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 Newcastle?

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.

Newcastle

Newcastle is 150 kilometers north of Sydney in New South Wales. It is also the second largest city in the state, and serves as a central point to explore the area's beaches, wineries, and beautiful natural landscape. North of the city is Stockton beach, which has many miles of isolated, beautiful beaches, stretching all the way up to Nelson Bay. The wineries are inland to the west and have some of Australia's finest wine which you can taste. If you want to see rainforests, you can head northwest to Barrington Tops National Park, which has great rainforests and freshwater streams. You may even get to see a platypus. The city also has the country's oldest sea port. In the past the city's economy was centered around the steel industry, but today the University of Newcastle is one of the area's most important employers.

For some great organized tour ideas, see The Best 4-Week (1-Month) Tours in Australia, and The Best Budget Tours to Australia.


Which place is cheaper, Newcastle or Mandalay?

These are the overall average travel costs for the two destinations. These travel costs come from the actual spending of real travelers.

The average daily cost (per person) in Mandalay is $19, while the average daily cost in Newcastle is $128. 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 Newcastle in more detail.



Accommodation
  • Accommodation Hotel or hostel for one person
    Mandalay $8.65
    Newcastle $49
  • Accommodation Typical double-occupancy room
    Mandalay $17
    Newcastle $98
Compare Hotels in Mandalay and Newcastle

Looking for a hotel in Mandalay or Newcastle? 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 Mandalay


Hotels in Newcastle


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: Newcastle Hotel Prices.

Local Transportation
  • Local Transportation Taxis, local buses, subway, etc.
    Mandalay -
    Newcastle $9.16

Hired Cars and Shuttles in Mandalay

Some specific examples of transportation prices in Mandalay:

  • Private Mandalay Airport Transfer: $27
  • Inle [Heho] Airport Private Transfer : $46
  • Bagan Land Transfer form Mandalay: $103
  • Private Land Transfer : Mandalay to Bagan: $139
  • Mandalay To Bagan Transfer Tour: $180
  • Private Transfer Of Mandalay To Bagan: $180
  • From Mandalay To Kalaw-NyaungShwe-Inle Lake Private Transfer: $230
  • 2 Days in Mandalay Region, 3 Night in Monywa and 4 Days to transfer Bagan: $260

Hired Cars and Shuttles in Newcastle

Some specific examples of transportation prices in Newcastle:

  • Newcastle to Newcastle Airport (NTL) - Departure Private Transfer: $73
  • Private Transfer from Newcastle Airport (NTL) to Newcastle Port: $81
  • Private Transfer from Newcastle City Hotels to Newcastle Port: $79
  • Private Transfer from Newcastle Cruise Port to Sydney City Hotels: $247
  • Private Transfer from Newcastle Port to Newcastle Airport (NTL): $81

Is it cheaper to fly into Mandalay or Newcastle?

Prices for flights to both Newcastle 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
  • Food Meals for one day
    Mandalay $10
    Newcastle $67

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
  • Bamboo Bike Food Tour: $42
  • Bicycle Food Tour in Mandalay: $45

Food Tours and Cooking Classes in Newcastle

Also, here are some specific examples of food and dining related activities in Newcastle.

  • Harbour Dinner Cruise with Live Music: $69
  • Earp Distilling Co: Date Night with Blending Class & Dinner: $73
  • Date Night with Blending Class and Dinner: $160

Entertainment
  • Entertainment Entrance tickets, shows, etc.
    Mandalay -
    Newcastle $17

Tours and Activities in Mandalay

Here are a few actual costs in Mandalay for available activities, ticket prices, and tours:

  • A Little Adventure Village Explore: $17
  • Private Full-Day Mandalay Heritage Charter Car Tour: $45
  • Mandalay Bike 'n Bite Tour: $46
  • U Bein Bridge Sunset Cycling Day Tour from Mandalay: $60
  • Full day Adventure Trip in Mandalay & Amarapura: $61
  • Mandalay Half-Day Sightseeing: $65
  • Mandalay Half-Day Tour: $70
  • Amarapura,Sagging,Innwa/Ava Sightseeing: $75
  • Private Tour for Amarapura, Mingun, Sagaing and Inwa (AVA): $77
  • Mandalay Fullday Sightseeing: $80
  • Private Pyin Oo Lwin Day Return Tour: $80
  • Private Full Day Mandalay City Tour With Professional Guide: $80

Tours and Activities in Newcastle

Some specific costs of activities, tours, and entrance tickets for Newcastle are as follows:

  • Wine & Cheese Tasting Experience in Hunter Valley: $16
  • True Crime Guided Walking Tour: $22
  • Mead and Honey Tasting Experience: $23
  • Newcastle Dark Stories True Crime Tour: $25
  • Wine, Cheese & Chocolate Tasting Experience in Hunter Valley: $29
  • Port Stephens: Dolphin Discovery Cruise: $33
  • Family Pass Fighter World Museum Admission Ticket: $35
  • Audrey Wilkinson Vineyard - Sweet Indulgence Experience: $43
  • Tree Ropes Course Adventure: $46
  • Lake Macquarie Cruise with Lunch: $46
  • Shared Newcastle Harbour Cruise: $54
  • Humpback Whale Watching Cruise and Harbor Tour: $56

Alcohol
  • Alcohol Drinks for one day
    Mandalay -
    Newcastle $11

Sample the Local Flavors in Newcastle

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

  • Cael’s Gate Wine Tasting in Hunter Valley: $7.22
  • Boutique Wine Tasting Experience in Pokolbin: $12
  • A Spectacular Bar Crawl in Newcastle: $15
  • Cael's Gate Reserve Wine Tasting in Hunter Valley: $18
  • Tulloch Wines - Wine Tasting paired with Local Handmade Chocolates: $25
  • Cheese and Wine Tasting Experience in Pokolbin: $28
  • Ivanhoe Wines: Trip Advisor Premium Wine Tasting: $32
  • Tintilla Estate: Wine Tasting with a Meat and Cheese Platter: $36
  • Tulloch Wines- Mystery Wine Tasting Experience with Local Cheese and Charcuterie: $38
  • Tulloch Wines Hunter Heroes Wine Tasting with Local Cheese & Charcuterie Board: $38
  • Wine Tasting in Pokolbin with Foodie Adventure: $43
  • Snapshot Half Day Hunter Valley Wine Tour: $79


When we compare the travel costs of actual travelers between Mandalay and Newcastle, we can see that Newcastle 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 Newcastle 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 Newcastle would naturally cost you much more money, so you would probably want to keep your budget a little tighter in Newcastle 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 Newcastle Expensive?.


Which is Bigger, Mandalay or Newcastle?

Mandalay has a larger population, and is about 2 times larger than the population of Newcastle. When comparing the sizes of Mandalay and Newcastle, 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.