Which place is cheaper, Newcastle or Melaka?
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 Melaka or Newcastle?
Which is cheaper to visit? Which is more expensive for vacation?
If you're trying to decide where to visit between Melaka 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: Melaka or Newcastle?
Melaka
Melaka (or Malacca) is a large city on the western coast of Malaysia about half way between Singapore and Kuala Lumpur. This historical city grew up as a result of trading in the region due to its position on the namesake Straights of Malacca, a natural waterway formed from the peninsula of Malaysia and the Indonesian island of Sumatra. The city is a UNESCO World Heritage Site.
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 2-Week Tours in Malaysia, Tours for Outdoor and Nature Lovers in Malaysia, The Best 4-Week (1-Month) Tours in Australia, and The Best Budget Tours to Australia.
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Melaka Prices
Malaysia PricesNewcastle Prices
Australia Prices -
Average Daily Cost Per person, per dayMelaka $33Newcastle $117
The average daily cost (per person) in Melaka is $33, while the average daily cost in Newcastle is $117. 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 Melaka and Newcastle in more detail.
Accommodation
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Accommodation Hotel or hostel for one personMelaka $9.51Newcastle $45
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Accommodation Typical double-occupancy roomMelaka $19Newcastle $90
Compare Hotels in Melaka and Newcastle
Looking for a hotel in Melaka 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.
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: Melaka Hotel Prices and Newcastle Hotel Prices.
Local Transportation
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Local Transportation Taxis, local buses, subway, etc.Melaka $2.09Newcastle $8.41
Typical Local Transportation Prices in Melaka
Some typical examples of transportation costs in Melaka are as follows:
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Taxi$4.75
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Bus Ride$0.36
Hired Cars and Shuttles in Melaka
Also for Melaka, here are a few examples of actual transportation services:
- Malacca Hotels to Kuala Lumpur International Airport Departure Transfer: $52
- Private Transfer from Kuala Lumpur Airport (KUL) to Malacca Port: $66
- Chauffeur: Malacca to Fraser's Hill Transfer [Van]: $80
- Chauffeur: Malacca to Cameron Highlands Transfer [Van]: $80
- ~Chauffeur: Malacca to Kuantan Transfer [Van]: $81
- Malacca Hotel to Kuala Lumpur Hotel (Door to Door) Transfer: $99
- Private Transfer from Malacca Cruise Port to Kuala Lumpur city : $120
- Private Transfer : National Park Kuala Tahan to Cameron Highlands: $165
- Private Transfer : Taman Negara Kuala Tahan to Cameron Highlands: $165
- Chauffeur: Malacca to Mersing Transfer [Car]: $212
- Private Transfer from Malacca Cruise Port to Shah Alam City: $239
- Private Transfer from Malacca Cruise Port to Johor Bahru city: $251
Hired Cars and Shuttles in Newcastle
Some specific examples of transportation prices in Newcastle:
- Newcastle Airport to Newcastle - Round-Trip Private Transfer: $148
- Private Transfer from Newcastle Port to Newcastle Airport (NTL): $82
- Private Transfer from Newcastle City Hotels to Newcastle Port: $80
- Newcastle to Newcastle Airport (NTL) - Departure Private Transfer: $74
- Newcastle Airport (NTL) to Newcastle - Arrival Private Transfer: $74
Is it cheaper to fly into Melaka or Newcastle?
Prices for flights to both Newcastle and Melaka 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 dayMelaka $20Newcastle $61
Typical Food Prices in Melaka
Here are some examples of typical meal expenses from previous travelers to Melaka:
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Sitdown Lunch (for Two)$7.13
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Dinner at the Market (for Two)$3.09
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Asam Pedas (Fish Curry)$1.43
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Taiwanese Noodle Soup$1.19
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Sitdown Dinner (for Two)$7.61
Food Tours and Cooking Classes in Melaka
For Melaka, here are some samples of tours and activities related to meals and dining experiences:
- Traditional Peranakan and Malay Cooking Class in Malacca: $90
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
- Cooking Classes at the Yellow Door Kitchen: $96
Entertainment
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Entertainment Entrance tickets, shows, etc.Melaka $4.03Newcastle $15
Typical Entertainment Prices in Melaka
For Melaka, here are some examples of average entertainment and activity prices from previous travelers:
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Maritime Museum Entrance$0.71
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Taming Sari Revolving Tower Entrance$4.75
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Trishaw Tour (One Hour)$11
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Baba and Nyonya Peranakan Museum Entrance$2.38
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Melaka Zoo Entrance$1.66
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Low Cost Kite$0.71
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Malacca Duck Tour$9.51
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Melaka River Cruise (One Hour)$2.38
Tours and Activities in Melaka
Also, here are some specific examples of entertainment, tickets, and activities for Melaka.
- Malaysia: Melaka Upside Down House Entry Ticket: $7.15
- Malaysia Melaka - Breakout Escape Game E-Ticket: $13
- Malaysia: Melaka A'famosa Water Park & Safari Wonderland Ticket: $15
- Essential Self-Guided Tour of it's UNESCO Heritage Centre: $15
- A'Famosa Safari and Water Park in Melaka Ticket (Only Malaysian): $28
- From Kuala Lumpur Full Day A'Famosa Theme Park Experience: $40
- Malacca City Hotels To Kuala Lumpur Airport EN-ROUTE Putrajaya City Tour: $48
- Malacca City To Kuala Lumpur City En-route Putrajaya Tour: $49
- Malacca Hotels To Kuala Lumpur Hotels En-route Putrajaya Tour: $49
- Malacca City Hotels To Kuala Lumpur City Hotels En-route Putrajaya Tour: $49
- Malacca City To Kuala Lumpur City EN-ROUTE Putrajaya City Tour: $61
- Malacca To Kuala Lumpur EN-ROUTE Putrajaya City Tour: $61
Tours and Activities in Newcastle
Some specific costs of activities, tours, and entrance tickets for Newcastle are as follows:
- 3- Hour Wine and Harvest the Hunter Horse Tour in Pokolbin: $93
- Shared Newcastle Harbor Cruise: $43
- 3-Hour Hunter Valley Scenic Helicopter Tour Including 3-Course Lunch from Cessnock: $270
- Audrey Wilkinson Vineyard - Sweet Indulgence Experience: $40
- Audrey Wilkinson Vineyard: Fromage and Fortified Wine Experience: $53
- Award Winning Full Day Wine and Food Experience: $150
- Christmas Lunch Cruise on Newcastle Harbour: $57
- Coastal 2.5-hour Adventure Boat Tour from Newcastle: $83
- From Hunter Valley Beer & Wine Group Tour: $165
- From Sydney: Tandem Skydive Experience over Newcastle Beach: $264
- From Sydney: Tandem Skydive Experience over Newcastle Beach: $266
- Humpback Whale Encounter Tour from Newcastle: $83
Alcohol
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Alcohol Drinks for one dayMelaka $8.25Newcastle $10
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: $6.66
- Ivanhoe Wines: Trip Advisor Seated Wine Tasting : $10
- Boutique Wine Tasting Experience in Pokolbin: $11
- Newcastle Bar Crawl Experience: $15
- Tulloch Wines - Wine Tasting paired with Local Handmade Chocolates: $23
- Cheese and Wine Tasting Experience in Pokolbin: $26
- Wonnarua Sparkling Wine Tasting: $30
- Ivanhoe Wines: Trip Advisor Premium Wine Tasting: $30
- Tintilla Estate: Wine Tasting with a Meat and Cheese Platter: $33
- Tulloch Wines- Mystery Wine Tasting Experience with Local Cheese and Charcuterie: $35
- Tulloch Wines Hunter Heroes Wine Tasting with Local Cheese & Charcuterie Board: $35
- Premium Wine Tasting Experience in Pokolbin: $50
When we compare the travel costs of actual travelers between Melaka and Newcastle, we can see that Newcastle is more expensive. And not only is Melaka much less expensive, but it is actually a significantly cheaper destination. Since Melaka 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 Melaka would let you spend less money overall. Or, you could decide to spend more money in Melaka 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 Melaka.
If you're trying to decide if either of these two destinations are within your price range, also see Is Melaka Expensive? and Is Newcastle Expensive?.
Which is Bigger, Melaka or Newcastle?
Newcastle has a larger population, and is about 3 times larger than the population of Melaka. When comparing the sizes of Melaka 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.
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.