Which place is cheaper, Shangri-La or Newcastle?
These are the overall average travel costs for the two destinations. These travel costs come from the actual spending of real travelers.
Jump to 
Should you visit Newcastle or Shangri-La?
Which is cheaper to visit? Which is more expensive for vacation?
Should I visit Newcastle or Shangri-La? 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: Newcastle or Shangri-La?
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.
Shangri-La
The original Shangri-La existed in the fictional world of James Hilton's novel "The Lost Horizon." It was a hidden paradise, a place so beautiful that it couldn't possibly exist on earth. The Shangri-La that exists in Yunnan, China today was renamed from its former title Zhongdian in 2001 in order to associate the place with the mystical allure created in Hilton's novel. Visitors come to admire the traditional monasteries and temples set against a backdrop of mountain preserves and pristine lakes.
For some great organized tour ideas, see The Best 4-Week (1-Month) Tours in Australia, The Best Budget Tours to Australia, The Best 2-Week Tours from Beijing, and The Best Family-Friendly Tours to China.
-
Newcastle Prices
Australia PricesShangri-La Prices
China Prices -
Average Daily Cost Per person, per dayNewcastle $117Shangri-La $61
The average daily cost (per person) in Newcastle is $117, while the average daily cost in Shangri-La is $61. 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 Newcastle and Shangri-La in more detail.
Accommodation
-
Accommodation Hotel or hostel for one personNewcastle $45Shangri-La $19
-
Accommodation Typical double-occupancy roomNewcastle $90Shangri-La $38
Compare Hotels in Newcastle and Shangri-La
Looking for a hotel in Newcastle or Shangri-La? 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: Newcastle Hotel Prices.
Local Transportation
-
Local Transportation Taxis, local buses, subway, etc.Newcastle $8.41Shangri-La $11
Hired Cars and Shuttles in Newcastle
Some specific examples of transportation prices in Newcastle:
- Newcastle to Newcastle Airport (NTL) - Departure Private Transfer: $74
- Newcastle Airport (NTL) to Newcastle - Arrival Private Transfer: $74
- Private Transfer from Newcastle City Hotels to Newcastle Port: $80
- Private Transfer from Newcastle Port to Newcastle Airport (NTL): $82
- Newcastle Airport to Newcastle - Round-Trip Private Transfer: $148
Hired Cars and Shuttles in Shangri-La
Some specific examples of transportation prices in Shangri-La:
- Private Transfer from Shangri-la(Diqing) hotel to Lijiang/Shuhe hotel : $149
- Private Transfer from Shangri-La to Lijiang and Stops at Tiger Leaping Gorge: $160
Is it cheaper to fly into Newcastle or Shangri-La?
Prices for flights to both Shangri-La and Newcastle 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 dayNewcastle $61Shangri-La $33
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
-
Entertainment Entrance tickets, shows, etc.Newcastle $15Shangri-La $16
Tours and Activities in Newcastle
Some specific costs of activities, tours, and entrance tickets for Newcastle are as follows:
- Wine & Cheese Tasting Experience in Hunter Valley: $14
- Mead and Honey Tasting Experience: $19
- True Crime Guided Walking Tour: $22
- Newcastle Dark Stories True Crime Tour: $23
- Wine, Cheese & Chocolate Tasting Experience in Hunter Valley: $23
- Port Stephens: Dolphin Discovery Cruise: $28
- Audrey Wilkinson Vineyard - Sweet Indulgence Experience: $40
- Shared Newcastle Harbor Cruise: $43
- Tree Ropes Course Adventure: $45
- Lake Macquarie Cruise with Lunch: $46
- Newcastle Harbour Luncheon Cruise: $47
- Port Stephens: Whale Watching Cruise: $53
Tours and Activities in Shangri-La
Some specific costs of activities, tours, and entrance tickets for Shangri-La are as follows:
- Shangri-La Day Tour Songzanlin Monastery and Napa Sea: $67
- Tibetan Village Scenic E-Bike Tour: $117
- 1-Day Shangri-La Private Tour: Potatso National Park and Baiji Temple: $169
- 1-Day Shangri-La Tour to Ganden Monastery, Nixi Pottery Village and Tibetan Town: $185
- 1-Day Shangri-La tour with Ganden Monastery, Napahai Lake and Tibetan Town: $190
- 1 Day Shangri-la City Tour with Pudacuo National Park: $209
- Private tour Songzanlin Monastry & Tibetan lunch from Zhongdian: $240
- 1 Day Shangri-La Songzanlin and Potatso National Park Tour: $280
Alcohol
-
Alcohol Drinks for one dayNewcastle $10Shangri-La $13
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 Newcastle and Shangri-La, we can see that Newcastle is more expensive. And not only is Shangri-La much less expensive, but it is actually a significantly cheaper destination. Since Newcastle is in Pacific and Shangri-La 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 Shangri-La would let you spend less money overall. Or, you could decide to spend more money in Shangri-La 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 Shangri-La.
If you're trying to decide if either of these two destinations are within your price range, also see Is Newcastle Expensive? and Is Shangri-La 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.