Which place is cheaper, Melbourne or Mount Kailash?
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 Mount Kailash or Melbourne?
Which is cheaper to visit? Which is more expensive for vacation?
Should I visit Mount Kailash or Melbourne? 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: Mount Kailash or Melbourne?
Mount Kailash
The main point of entry to Mount Kailash is a small village called Darchen. Once an important sheep station for nomads and their flocks, the village has now grown to provide for the pilgrims wishing to embark towards Mount Kailash and Lake Manasarovar. It contains a number of guest houses and restaurants as well as a hotel where pilgrims must get permission from the Public Security Bureau to make the trek around the mountain. Also in the village are a handful of small stores and kiosks, as well as some grounds for camping. It is about 330 km (a one-day bus drive) from the town of Shiquanhe to the northeast, where Gunsa Airport is located, offering flights twice a week to Lhasa and Chengdu.
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.
For some great organized tour ideas, see The Best Family-Friendly Tours to China, The Best Hiking & Trekking Tours in China, The Best Scuba Diving Tours in Australia, and The Best Family-Friendly Tours to Australia.
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Mount Kailash Prices
China PricesMelbourne Prices
Australia Prices -
Average Daily Cost Per person, per dayMount Kailash $96Melbourne $208
The average daily cost (per person) in Mount Kailash is $96, while the average daily cost in Melbourne is $208. 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 Mount Kailash and Melbourne in more detail.
Accommodation
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Accommodation Hotel or hostel for one personMount Kailash $29Melbourne $127
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Accommodation Typical double-occupancy roomMount Kailash $58Melbourne $254
Compare Hotels in Mount Kailash and Melbourne
Looking for a hotel in Mount Kailash or Melbourne? 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.Mount Kailash $34Melbourne $21
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:
- Airport Transfers: $151
- Airport Transfers & Day Tours in a Chauffeur-Driven Luxury Van: $134
- Arrival Transfer Melbourne Airport MEL to Melbourne in Sedan: $120
- Arrival Transfer from Melbourne Airport MEL to Melbourne in Van: $171
- Ballarat - Melbourne Airport Transfers: $189
- CBD to Melbourne Airport Private Transfer - 11 traveler's: $129
- Departure Transfer from Melbourne to Melbourne Airport MEL in Van: $171
- Express Bus Transfer to or from Melbourne City Center: $20
- Luxury Airport Transfer to Melbourne CBD: $90
- Melbourne Airport (MEL) to Melbourne hotels - Arrival Private Transfer: $86
- Melbourne Airport (MEL) to Melbourne hotels - Round-Trip Private Transfer: $172
- Melbourne Airport Arrival Or Departure Luxury Car Transfers: $116
Is it cheaper to fly into Mount Kailash or Melbourne?
Prices for flights to both Melbourne and Mount Kailash 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 dayMount Kailash $46Melbourne $56
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$4.88
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
- Multicultural Markets Food Tour – Melbourne’s Global Tastes: $54
- 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
- Yarra Valley Full Day Grazing Tour: Gin, Wine, Pizza, Cheese: $125
- Spanish Hands on Cooking Class: $127
Entertainment
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Entertainment Entrance tickets, shows, etc.Mount Kailash $17Melbourne $29
Tours and Activities in Melbourne
For Melbourne, here are a few prices for actual activities, tours, and tickets provided by various companies:
- Self Guided Tour of Melbourne's Best Kept Secrets: $1.12
- Melbourne Scavenger Hunt and Highlights Self Guided Walking Tour: $3.42
- Melbourne Self-Guided City Walking Tour & Scavenger Hunt: $3.53
- Fitzroy Noir Mystery Crimes and the Occult Tour: $3.53
- Melbourne St Kilda Self-Guided Walking City Tour & Scavenger Hunt: $4.94
- Melbourne Vampire Quest: Self-Guided Gothic Adventure: $7.20
- Immigration Museum Entry Ticket: $9.92
- Scienceworks Entry Ticket: $9.92
- Melbourne Gardens Explorer Minibus Tour: $9.92
- Self Guided Walking Tour in Melbourne St Kilda Penguins: $9.99
- Como House: Guided Garden Tour: $11
- Questo Self-guided Haunted Melbourne Walking Tour: $11
Alcohol
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Alcohol Drinks for one dayMount Kailash $2.99Melbourne $18
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:
- Weekly Bar Crawl: 5 Free shots, Club Entry: $20
- 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
- Rock'n'roll venues pub crawl including 2 free drinks and history: $56
- Chocolate and wine tasting tour in the Yarra Valley.: $70
- Yarra Valley Wine Tour from Melbourne - Choc, Gin & Good Times: $84
- Relaxed Half Day Yarra Valley Wine Tasting Tour from Melbourne: $84
- New Chocolate and wine tasting tour in the Yarra Valley: $89
When we compare the travel costs of actual travelers between Mount Kailash and Melbourne, we can see that Melbourne is more expensive. And not only is Mount Kailash much less expensive, but it is actually a significantly cheaper destination. Since Mount Kailash is in Asia and Melbourne 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 Mount Kailash would let you spend less money overall. Or, you could decide to spend more money in Mount Kailash 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 Mount Kailash.
If you're trying to decide if either of these two destinations are within your price range, also see Is Mount Kailash Expensive? and Is Melbourne Expensive?.
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.