A Travel Price Comparison for Families, Couples, and Backpackers Melbourne vs. Antigua Guatemala for Vacations, Tours, and Honeymoons

Should you visit Melbourne or Antigua Guatemala?

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

Should I visit Melbourne or Antigua Guatemala? 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.

Where Should I go: Melbourne or Antigua Guatemala?

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.

Antigua Guatemala

Before a disastrous earthquake in 1773, Antigua was the colonial capital of Guatemala. For 200 years it had reigned as so and today shows remnants of its glorious past with Spanish colonial buildings and other architectural landmarks still standing. Due to this large amount of preserved architecture, Antigua was named a UNESCO World Heritage Site and is now the most touristed city of Guatemala.

For some great organized tour ideas, see The Best Scuba Diving Tours in Australia, The Best Family-Friendly Tours to Australia, The Best One-Week (7-Day) Tours from Guatemala City, and The Best Family-Friendly Tours to Guatemala.


Which place is cheaper, Antigua Guatemala or Melbourne?

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 Melbourne is $208, while the average daily cost in Antigua Guatemala is $74. 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 Melbourne and Antigua Guatemala in more detail.



Accommodation
  • Accommodation Hotel or hostel for one person
    Melbourne $127
    Antigua Guatemala $22
  • Accommodation Typical double-occupancy room
    Melbourne $254
    Antigua Guatemala $44
Compare Hotels in Melbourne and Antigua Guatemala

Looking for a hotel in Melbourne or Antigua Guatemala? 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 Melbourne


Hotels in Antigua Guatemala


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 and Antigua Guatemala Hotel Prices.

Local Transportation
  • Local Transportation Taxis, local buses, subway, etc.
    Melbourne $21
    Antigua Guatemala $13
Typical Local Transportation Prices in Melbourne

Below are a few samples from actual travelers for transportation costs in Melbourne:


  • Airport Bus
    $11
  • Tram Ride
    $2.65

Hired Cars and Shuttles in Melbourne

Also for Melbourne, here are a few examples of actual transportation services:

  • Yarra Valley: Hot Air Balloon with Breakfast & CBD Transfers: $377
  • Mornington Peninsula - Melbourne Airport Transfers: $212
  • Ballarat - Melbourne Airport Transfers: $189
  • Avalon Airport Transfers: $177
  • Airport Private Van Transfer to City: $172
  • Arrival Transfer from Melbourne Airport MEL to Melbourne in Van: $170
  • Airport Transfers: $151
  • Melbourne Airport to City Transfer by Luxury Car: $138
  • Airport Transfers & Day Tours in a Chauffeur-Driven Luxury Van: $134
  • Airport to City Private Transfers: $134
  • CBD to Melbourne Airport Private Transfer - 11 traveler's: $129
  • Melbourne Airport Private Transfer to City by premium vehicle: $127

Hired Cars and Shuttles in Antigua Guatemala

Also for Antigua Guatemala, here are a few examples of actual transportation services:

  • transfer service Guatemala City, Lake Atitlan destination: $35
  • Shared transfer from Guatemala city Airport to Panajachel: $44
  • Shared Transfer From Antigua to Panajachel (Atitlan): $30
  • Private transfer from Antigua to La Aurora Airport: $90
  • Private airport transfer Antigua: $55
  • Private Transfer:Antigua GuatemalaLake Atitlán(Pana)OneWay: $74
  • Private Transfer from the Airport to Antigua: $90
  • Private Transfer from Antigua to the Airport: $90
  • Private Transfer from Antigua Guatemala to Santa Catarina Palopó: $88
  • Private Transfer from Antigua Guatemala to Panajachel: $153
  • Private Transfer from Antigua Guatemala to Panajachel: $75
  • Private Transfer from Antigua Guatemala to Airport: $27

Is it cheaper to fly into Melbourne or Antigua Guatemala?

Prices for flights to both Antigua Guatemala and Melbourne 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
    Melbourne $56
    Antigua Guatemala $25
Typical Food Prices in Melbourne

For Melbourne, here are some examples of average food and meal prices for travelers:


  • Coffee
    $2.79
  • Pizza
    $4.88

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
  • BACCHUS MARSH: Eynesbury Homestead Dinner and Ghost Tour: $57
  • Progressive Day/Night Food Tour - Chinatown & Laneways: $70
  • Inner North Street Food Tour: $72
  • Sunset Kayak Tour with Dinner: $79
  • Melbourne Best Street Food Tour With A Local Guide: $86
  • Street Food Tour in Melbourne's Inner North: $88
  • Best of Little Italy Dinner Tour: $92
  • Chinese Dumpling Cooking Class with a Drink: $99
  • Secret Food Tour: $109
  • Pizza Making Party: $113

Typical Food Prices in Antigua Guatemala

Here are some examples of typical meal expenses from previous travelers to Antigua Guatemala:


  • Lunch
    $3.28
  • Lunch
    $7.87

Food Tours and Cooking Classes in Antigua Guatemala

For Antigua Guatemala, here are some samples of tours and activities related to meals and dining experiences:

  • Antigua: Traditional Guatemalan Cooking Classes — Casa San Miguel.: $38
  • Antigua Guatemalan Authentic Cooking Class Chef David Farfan: $38
  • Antigua: Traditional cooking lesson with a Guatemalan family: $48
  • Pepián Plates Antigua Food Tour with 14+ Tastings: $59
  • Antigua: Guatemalan Cooking Class with a Local Family: $60
  • Antigua Street Food Tour: $65
  • Private Cooking Class of Typical Guatemalan Dishes: $70
  • Antigua: Cooking Class With Wine, Transfer & Vegan Option: $72
  • Cooking Classes and Jade Workshops: $75
  • Guatemalan Mayan Cooking Workshop: $75
  • Local Street Food Tour of Antigua: $75
  • Antigua: Cooking Class with Local Family: $75

Entertainment
  • Entertainment Entrance tickets, shows, etc.
    Melbourne $29
    Antigua Guatemala $15

Tours and Activities in Melbourne

For Melbourne, here are a few prices for actual activities, tours, and tickets provided by various companies:

  • 1 day Puffing Billy Steam Train and Wildlife Tour from Melbourne: $155
  • 1.5Hr Yarra River Crown Flames and City Lights Cruise: $317
  • 2 Day Great Ocean Road Small Group Tour: $843
  • 2-Hour Farm Experience in Gateway Yarra Valley: $71
  • 3 Day Combo: Great Ocean Road, Penguin Parade and FREE City Tour: $236
  • 4D3N Best Bits Victoria Sightseeing Tour: $992
  • 5 Days 4 Nights: Melbourne Package tour: $1,323
  • ArtVo Immersive Gallery Experience: $21
  • Australian Designer Walking Tour in Melbourne CBD: $106
  • Awesome Motorcycle Sidecar Sightseeing Melbourne: $127
  • Badass Women of Women’s History Walking Tour: $46
  • Best Tour of Walk and Drive Tour with Beach Boxes: $98

Tours and Activities in Antigua Guatemala

Also, here are some specific examples of entertainment, tickets, and activities for Antigua Guatemala.

  • ¡Pacaya Volcano Tour from Antigua!: $100
  • 2 - Days : Tour to Acatenango Volcano from Antigua: $150
  • 2-Day Kayak and Hike Adventure Package from Antigua: $219
  • 2-Day, 1-Night Tour of Volcano Acatenango from Antigua: $92
  • 2in1 Tour: Avocado Farm + Private Tour in Antigua Guatemala: $220
  • 4 Hour Colonial Experience in Antigua Guatemala: $35
  • 4-Hour Colonial Experience in Antigua Guatemala: $25
  • 4WD Acatenango Volcano Tour & Fuego / All Inclusive !: $400
  • 4WD experience to Acatenango Volcano/Fuego Volcano from Antigua: $333
  • 4x4 tour from Antigua with a night camp in front of the Fuego volcano: $1,300
  • ANTIGUA Villages Tour: $103
  • ATV Off Road Adventure at Pacaya Volcano from Antigua: $99

Alcohol
  • Alcohol Drinks for one day
    Melbourne $18
    Antigua Guatemala $12
Typical Alcohol Prices in Melbourne

Here are a few samples of the prices for alcohol and nightlife in Melbourne from other travelers:


  • Bottle of Wine
    $5.41

Sample the Local Flavors in Melbourne

Also in Melbourne, these are the prices for nightlife and alcohol related activities from various tour providers:

  • Weekly Bar Crawl: 5 Free shots, Club Entry: $20
  • Melbourne Pub Crawl (Batmania Tours): $21
  • Melbourne Pub Crawl: $25
  • Tuesday Melbourne Bar Crawl: $25
  • Saturday Melbourne Bar Crawl: $25
  • Yarra Valley Wine Tour - Self-Guided GPS Audio Guide: $25
  • 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
  • Relaxed Half Day Yarra Valley Wine Tasting Tour from Melbourne: $84
  • New Chocolate and wine tasting tour in the Yarra Valley: $89

Sample the Local Flavors in Antigua Guatemala

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

  • Antigua Bar Crawl: $26


When we compare the travel costs of actual travelers between Melbourne and Antigua Guatemala, we can see that Melbourne is more expensive. And not only is Antigua Guatemala much less expensive, but it is actually a significantly cheaper destination. Since Melbourne is in Pacific and Antigua Guatemala is in Central America, 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 Antigua Guatemala would let you spend less money overall. Or, you could decide to spend more money in Antigua Guatemala 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 Antigua Guatemala.

If you're trying to decide if either of these two destinations are within your price range, also see Is Melbourne Expensive? and Is Antigua Guatemala Expensive?.


Which is Bigger, Melbourne or Antigua Guatemala?

Melbourne has a larger population, and is about 90 times larger than the population of Antigua Guatemala. When comparing the sizes of Melbourne and Antigua Guatemala, 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.