Which place is cheaper, Yakushima or Melbourne?
These are the overall average travel costs for the two destinations.
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Should you visit Melbourne or Yakushima?
Which is cheaper to visit? Which is more expensive for vacation?
Should I visit Melbourne or Yakushima? 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 Yakushima?
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.
Yakushima
Yakushima, Japan is a UNESCO World Heritage island located north of Okinawa and off the south east of of Kyushu. The island is well-known to Japanese tourists but not so much to international ones, making it a bit of a hidden gem to international tourists. This also means that English isn't spoken as much as in larger cities, so make sure to brush up on your Japanese and bring a dictionary.
For some great organized tour ideas, see The Best Water Sports Tour Packages in Australia, The Best Food and Culinary Tours in Australia, The Best Romantic Tours for Couples in Japan, and The Best Luxury Tours to Japan.
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Average Daily Cost Per person, per dayMelbourne $176Yakushima $116
The average daily cost (per person) in Melbourne is $176, while the average daily cost in Yakushima is $116. 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 Yakushima in more detail.
Accommodation
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Accommodation Hotel or hostel for one personMelbourne $118Yakushima $59
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Accommodation Typical double-occupancy roomMelbourne $236Yakushima $118
Compare Hotels in Melbourne and Yakushima
Looking for a hotel in Melbourne or Yakushima? 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 and Yakushima Hotel Prices.
Local Transportation
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Local Transportation Taxis, local buses, subway, etc.Melbourne $19Yakushima $49
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$10
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Tram Ride$2.47
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: One-Way Transfer to Melbourne: $29
- GoBlu-EV: 100% Electric Cabs for Airport & City Transfer in MEL: $33
- Private Transfer from Melbourne hotels to Melbourne Cruise Port: $38
- Private Transfer from Melbourne Airport (MEL) to Melbourne Port: $52
- Private Transfer from Melbourne Port to Melbourne Airport (MEL): $52
- Melbourne Airport Luxury Car Transfer: $73
- Private Car Transfer Melbourne Airport To CBD: $79
- From Melbourne Airport: 1-Way Private Transfer to Melbourne: $79
- Nighttime Private City Tour with Transfer & Stops: $80
- Melbourne Airport: 1-Way Melbourne Airport Private Transfer: $85
- Luxury Airport Transfers & Best Limo Service in Melbourne: $86
Is it cheaper to fly into Melbourne or Yakushima?
Prices for flights to both Yakushima 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 $30Yakushima $28
Typical Food Prices in Melbourne
For Melbourne, here are some examples of average food and meal prices for travelers:
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Coffee$2.60
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Pizza$4.54
Food Tours and Cooking Classes in Melbourne
For Melbourne, here are some samples of tours and activities related to meals and dining experiences:
- Queen Victoria Market: 'Flavours of Australia' Food Tour: $52
- Eynesbury Homestead Dinner and Ghost Tour: $53
- Sunset Kayak Tour with Dinner: $78
- Melbourne Sunset Kayaking Experience with Dinner: $79
- Melbourne Private Multicultural Markets Food Tour: $86
- Pizza Making Party: $89
- Chinese Dumpling Cooking Class with a Drink: $97
- Secret Food Tour: $109
- Chinese Cooking Class Master: $118
- Spirit of Melbourne Dinner Cruise: $122
- Choose Your Asian Cuisine Cooking Masterclass: $129
- Street Food of Asia Cooking Class: $130
Entertainment
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Entertainment Entrance tickets, shows, etc.Melbourne $27Yakushima $20
Tours and Activities in Melbourne
For Melbourne, here are a few prices for actual activities, tours, and tickets provided by various companies:
- Melbourne:Highlights Self-Guided Scavenger Hunt & Tour: $3.21
- First Discovery Walk and Reading Walking Tour: $3.21
- Melbourne Scavenger Hunt and Best Landmarks Self-Guided Tour: $3.28
- Escape Game and Tour: $6.42
- Marvellous A Self-Guided Audio Tour: $6.99
- Melbourne Self-Guided Audio Tour: $9.00
- MoPA Children's Museum Admission Ticket: $9.15
- Melbourne Gardens Explorer Minibus Tour: $9.80
- Scienceworks Entry Ticket: $9.80
- Melbourne Museum Entry Ticket: $9.80
- Immigration Museum Entry Ticket: $9.80
- Questo Self-guided Haunted Melbourne Walking Tour: $11
Alcohol
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Alcohol Drinks for one dayMelbourne $17Yakushima $6.38
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$5.03
Sample the Local Flavors in Melbourne
Also in Melbourne, these are the prices for nightlife and alcohol related activities from various tour providers:
- Melbourne Pub Crawl: $17
- Weekly Bar Crawl: 5 Free shots, Club Entry: $19
- Spirits and Ales Haunted Pub Walking Tour: $25
- Melbourne Halloween Bar Crawl: $33
- Laid back,Small-Group Yarra Valley Wine Tour :Wine,Gin,Cider+more: $86
- Yarra Valley Day Trip with Local Wine Tastings from Melbourne: $102
- Yarra Valley Wine Tour inc lunch with a glass of wine, tastings and chocolate: $116
- Yarra Valley Gourmet Food & Wine Tasting Tour: $127
- Southern Gippsland boutique Wine Tour with Tapas from Melbourne : $139
- Wine Tour Yarra Valley, Vic - inc. 2 course lunch + glass of wine: $165
- Mornington Peninsula Premium Tour with Wine Tasting at Yabby Lake : $172
- Yarra Valley Premium Tour Lunch and Sparkling Wine Tasting at Domaine Chandon: $178
When we compare the travel costs of actual travelers between Melbourne and Yakushima, we can see that Melbourne is more expensive. And not only is Yakushima much less expensive, but it is actually a significantly cheaper destination. Since Melbourne is in Pacific and Yakushima is in Asia, 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 Yakushima would let you spend less money overall. Or, you could decide to spend more money in Yakushima 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 Yakushima.
If you're trying to decide if either of these two destinations are within your price range, also see Is Melbourne Expensive? and Is Yakushima Expensive?.
When is the best time to visit Melbourne or Yakushima?
Even though both destinations experience a temperate climate with four distinct seasons, they experience these seasons at different times of the year. Melbourne is in the southern hemisphere and summer is in January and winter is in July, but Yakushima has summer in [NORTHERNSUMMERMONTH] and winter in [NORTHERNWINTERMONTH].
Should I visit Melbourne or Yakushima in the Summer?
The summer brings many poeple to Melbourne as well as Yakushima. The summer months attract visitors to Melbourne because of the beaches, the city activities, and the family-friendly experiences.
Melbourne is cooler than Yakushima in the summer. The daily temperature in Melbourne averages around 20°C (68°F) in January, and Yakushima fluctuates around 27°C (81°F)in July.
It's quite rainy in Yakushima. Melbourne usually gets less rain in January than Yakushimain July. Melbourne gets 45 mm (1.8 in) of rain, while Yakushima receives 189 mm (7.4 in) of rain this time of the year.
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Summer Average Temperatures January and JulyMelbourne 20°C (68°F)Yakushima 27°C (81°F)
Should I visit Melbourne or Yakushima in the Autumn?
Both Yakushima and Melbourne are popular destinations to visit in the autumn with plenty of activities. The city's sights and attractions and the shopping scene are the main draw to Melbourne this time of year.
In the autumn, Melbourne is cooler than Yakushima. Typically, the autumn temperatures in Melbourne in April average around 15°C (60°F), and Yakushima averages at about 22°C (71°F)in October.
It rains a lot this time of the year in Yakushima. In April, Melbourne usually receives less rain than Yakushimain October. Melbourne gets 50 mm (2 in) of rain, while Yakushima receives 161 mm (6.3 in) of rain each month for the autumn.
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Autumn Average Temperatures April and OctoberMelbourne 15°C (60°F)Yakushima 22°C (71°F)
Should I visit Melbourne or Yakushima in the Winter?
Both Yakushima and Melbourne during the winter are popular places to visit. Many travelers come to Melbourne for the museums, the shopping scene, and the cuisine.
In July, Melbourne is generally cooler than Yakushimain January. Daily temperatures in Melbourne average around 9°C (49°F), and Yakushima fluctuates around 11°C (52°F).
Yakushima gets a good bit of rain this time of year. Melbourne usually gets less rain in July than Yakushimain January. Melbourne gets 43 mm (1.7 in) of rain, while Yakushima receives 106 mm (4.2 in) of rain this time of the year.
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Winter Average Temperatures July and JanuaryMelbourne 9°C (49°F)Yakushima 11°C (52°F)
Should I visit Melbourne or Yakushima in the Spring?
The spring attracts plenty of travelers to both Melbourne and Yakushima. Many visitors come to Melbourne in the spring for the beaches and the activities around the city.
Melbourne is cooler than Yakushima in the spring. The daily temperature in Melbourne averages around 14°C (57°F) in October, and Yakushima fluctuates around 18°C (64°F)in April.
Yakushima receives a lot of rain in the spring. In October, Melbourne usually receives less rain than Yakushimain April. Melbourne gets 62 mm (2.4 in) of rain, while Yakushima receives 207 mm (8.1 in) of rain each month for the spring.
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Spring Average Temperatures October and AprilMelbourne 14°C (57°F)Yakushima 18°C (64°F)
Typical Weather for Yakushima and Melbourne
| Melbourne | Yakushima | |||
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Temp (°C) | Rain (mm) | Temp (°C) | Rain (mm) | |
| Jan | 20°C (68°F) | 45 mm (1.8 in) | 11°C (52°F) | 106 mm (4.2 in) |
| Feb | 20°C (68°F) | 43 mm (1.7 in) | 12°C (53°F) | 105 mm (4.1 in) |
| Mar | 19°C (65°F) | 35 mm (1.4 in) | 14°C (57°F) | 160 mm (6.3 in) |
| Apr | 15°C (60°F) | 50 mm (2 in) | 18°C (64°F) | 207 mm (8.1 in) |
| May | 13°C (55°F) | 55 mm (2.2 in) | 21°C (69°F) | 288 mm (11.3 in) |
| Jun | 10°C (50°F) | 37 mm (1.5 in) | 24°C (74°F) | 352 mm (13.9 in) |
| Jul | 9°C (49°F) | 43 mm (1.7 in) | 27°C (81°F) | 189 mm (7.4 in) |
| Aug | 10°C (51°F) | 51 mm (2 in) | 27°C (81°F) | 205 mm (8.1 in) |
| Sep | 12°C (53°F) | 48 mm (1.9 in) | 26°C (78°F) | 253 mm (10 in) |
| Oct | 14°C (57°F) | 62 mm (2.4 in) | 22°C (71°F) | 161 mm (6.3 in) |
| Nov | 16°C (61°F) | 49 mm (1.9 in) | 18°C (64°F) | 118 mm (4.6 in) |
| Dec | 18°C (65°F) | 47 mm (1.9 in) | 13°C (55°F) | 93 mm (3.7 in) |
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.