Which place is cheaper, Surfers Paradise or Mandalay?
These are the overall average travel costs for the two destinations.
If you're trying to decide where to visit between Mandalay or Surfers Paradise, 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.
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.
A tourist mecca, Surfers Paradise is one of the most popular travel destinations along Australia's famed Gold Coast. The beach stretches for miles and there is an endless supply of almost constant parties. You'll find high rise apartments lined up along the shore and plenty of shopping areas, restaurants, nightclubs, and bars. Travelers from around the world visit the area, and it's a right of passage for Australia's teens to vacation in or near Surfers Paradise. For many travelers, Surfers Paradise comes across as little more than a mass marketed, over commercialized, party destination, but for others it is a vacation dream. Prices are highly inflated so you have to keep your whits about you to avoid being ripped off. Surfers Paradise is a destination of extremes and it conjures up extreme emotions in many travelers, be it positive or negative.
For some great organized tour ideas, see 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 Mandalay is $15, while the average daily cost in Surfers Paradise is $104. 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 Surfers Paradise in more detail.
Looking for a hotel in Mandalay or Surfers Paradise? 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 Mandalay:
Also for Surfers Paradise, here are a few examples of actual transportation services:
Prices for flights to both Surfers Paradise 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.
Also, here are some specific examples of food and dining related activities in Mandalay.
For Surfers Paradise, here are some samples of tours and activities related to meals and dining experiences:
Here are a few actual costs in Mandalay for available activities, ticket prices, and tours:
Below are a few sample prices from actual travelers for Surfers Paradise's activities, tours, and tickets:
For Surfers Paradise, here are a few prices for actual activities, tours, and tickets provided by various companies:
When we compare the travel costs of actual travelers between Mandalay and Surfers Paradise, we can see that Surfers Paradise 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 Surfers Paradise 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 Surfers Paradise would naturally cost you much more money, so you would probably want to keep your budget a little tighter in Surfers Paradise 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 Surfers Paradise Expensive?.
Mandalay has a larger population, and is about 70 times larger than the population of Surfers Paradise. When comparing the sizes of Mandalay and Surfers Paradise, 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.