Which place is cheaper, Bonaire or Melbourne?
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 Melbourne or Bonaire?
Which is cheaper to visit? Which is more expensive for vacation?
Should I visit Melbourne or Bonaire? 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 Bonaire?
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.
Bonaire
An island municipality of the Netherlands, Bonaire resides in the Caribbean, east of Central America and north of Venezuela. It is a part of the ABC Islands together with Aruba and Curaçao, and is best known as a tropical vacation destination with many great dive spots, beaches, lagoons, and wildlife.
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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Melbourne Prices
Australia PricesBonaire Prices
Caribbean Netherlands Prices -
Average Daily Cost Per person, per dayMelbourne $208Bonaire $299
The average daily cost (per person) in Melbourne is $208, while the average daily cost in Bonaire is $299. 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 Bonaire in more detail.
Accommodation
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Accommodation Hotel or hostel for one personMelbourne $127Bonaire $155
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Accommodation Typical double-occupancy roomMelbourne $254Bonaire $310
Compare Hotels in Melbourne and Bonaire
Looking for a hotel in Melbourne or Bonaire? 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.Melbourne $21Bonaire $65
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$2.65
Hired Cars and Shuttles in Melbourne
Also for Melbourne, here are a few examples of actual transportation services:
- Melbourne Airport: Express Bus Transfer to/from City Center: $16
- Melbourne Airport(Tullamarine): Shared Transfer to Melbourne: $32
- MEL Airport to City Centre Private Transfer: $40
- Private Airport Transfer from Melbourne Airport to City Center: $64
- Airport to City Private Transfer (One-way): $66
- Melbourne Tullamarine Airport (MEL) Private one way transfer: $75
- Private Transfer from Melbourne Airport (MEL) to Melbourne Port: $79
- Nighttime Private City Tour with Transfer & Stops: $81
- Private Car Transfer Melbourne Airport To CBD: $85
- Melbourne Private Taxi Airport Transfers and Day Trips: $85
- Melbourne Airport (MEL) to Melbourne hotels - Arrival Private Transfer: $87
- Luxury Airport Transfer to Melbourne CBD: $90
Hired Cars and Shuttles in Bonaire
Some specific examples of transportation prices in Bonaire:
- Private Transfers between Bonaire airport and any local address: $40
- Airport Transfer Return Included: $80
Is it cheaper to fly into Melbourne or Bonaire?
Prices for flights to both Bonaire 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
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Food Meals for one dayMelbourne $56Bonaire $101
Typical Food Prices in Melbourne
For Melbourne, here are some examples of average food and meal prices for travelers:
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Coffee$2.79
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Pizza$4.89
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
- Inner North Street Food Tour: $72
- Sunset Kayak Tour with Dinner: $79
- Melbourne Best Street Food Tour With A Local Guide: $87
- Best of Little Italy Dinner Tour: $92
- Chinese Dumpling Cooking Class with a Drink: $99
- Secret Food Tour: $109
- Melbourne Food Tour with 6 Food Tastings in Hidden Laneways: $115
- Yarra Valley Full Day Grazing Tour: Gin, Wine, Pizza, Cheese: $125
- Spanish Hands on Cooking Class: $128
- Choose Your Asian Cuisine Cooking Masterclass: $130
Food Tours and Cooking Classes in Bonaire
Also, here are some specific examples of food and dining related activities in Bonaire.
- Dinner at Sea: $95
Entertainment
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Entertainment Entrance tickets, shows, etc.Melbourne $29Bonaire $40
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 Self-Guided Walking City Tour & Scavenger Hunt: $4.98
- Melbourne Audio Guided Walking Tour 2h20 and 20 reviews: $6.84
- Marvellous A Self-Guided Audio Tour: $8.99
- Immigration Museum Entry Ticket: $9.92
- Melbourne Gardens Explorer Minibus Tour: $9.92
- Scienceworks Entry Ticket: $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
- Melbourne Ghosts of Williamstown Self Guided Walking Tour: $12
- Upside Down House Photo Experience in Australia: $15
- Shrine of Remembrance Cultural Guided Tour in Melbourne: $18
Tours and Activities in Bonaire
Some specific costs of activities, tours, and entrance tickets for Bonaire are as follows:
- 2 Hours Private Kitesurfing Adventure: $265
- 4 Hours Open Air Party Bus Tour with Beach Stop in Caribbean: $39
- 4 hour Individual Island Tour for 1 to 12 persons: $180
- Aquaspace Sunset Sail and Snorkel Tour on Bonaire with Diner: $130
- Bonaire Cave Tour: Walk, Climb & Swim: $75
- Bonaire CaveTour Climb, Snorkel & Explore the Hidden Gems : $83
- Bonaire Essentials Island Tour: $49
- Bonaire Landsailing Adventures: $79
- Bonaire Shore Excursion: The Bonaire Highlights Tour: $83
- Bonaire island adventure: $110
- Brunch & Snorkel Catamaran Tour: $115
- Catamaran Snorkel & BBQ Sail (cruise friendly): $105
Alcohol
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Alcohol Drinks for one dayMelbourne $18Bonaire $33
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$5.41
Sample the Local Flavors in Melbourne
Also in Melbourne, these are the prices for nightlife and alcohol related activities from various tour providers:
- Saturday Melbourne Bar Crawl: $18
- 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
- Relaxed Half Day Yarra Valley Wine Tasting Tour from Melbourne: $78
- New Chocolate and wine tasting tour in the Yarra Valley: $89
- Yarra Valley Wine Tour w Exclusive Gin, Cider & Chocolate Tasting: $92
- Yarra Valley: Bus Wine Tour with Lunch and a Glass of Wine: $116
- Yarra Valley Wine Tour inc lunch with a glass of wine, tastings and chocolate: $124
- Epic Yarra Valley Wine Tour & Lunch - Gin/Beer Upgrade: $127
- Yarra Valley Wine Tour & Lunch & Gin/Beer Option: $129
- Cruise Ship Friendly Yarra Valley Wine Tour with Port Pickup: $135
When we compare the travel costs of actual travelers between Melbourne and Bonaire, we can see that Bonaire is more expensive. And not only is Melbourne much less expensive, but it is actually a significantly cheaper destination. Since Melbourne is in Pacific and Bonaire is in Caribbean Islands, 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 Melbourne would let you spend less money overall. Or, you could decide to spend more money in Melbourne 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 Bonaire would naturally cost you much more money, so you would probably want to keep your budget a little tighter in Bonaire than you might in Melbourne.
If you're trying to decide if either of these two destinations are within your price range, also see Is Melbourne Expensive? and Is Bonaire Expensive?.
Which is Bigger, Melbourne or Bonaire?
Melbourne has a larger population, and is about 280 times larger than the population of Bonaire. When comparing the sizes of Melbourne and Bonaire, 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.