Which place is cheaper, Queensland or Northern Territory?
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 Northern Territory or Queensland?
Which is cheaper to visit? Which is more expensive for vacation?
Which city is more affordable and which is best for your travel style? If you're trying to figure out where to go next, comparing the travel costs between Northern Territory and Queensland can help you decide which place is right for you.
Where Should I go: Northern Territory or Queensland?
Northern Territory
For the chance to see nature at its grandest, put Australia's Northern Territory at the top of your list. The federal territory covering much of central Australia is what most people picture when they imagine an adventure n Australia. It's the real outback.
While this state contains some of the most breathtaking flora and fauna, it's also home to a rather posh capital. The city of Darwin is tropical, small and quite diverse. There are at least 50 different nationalities making up Darwin's 110,000 population.
With the largest Aboriginal population, this region is perfect for immersing yourself in the 40,000-year-old culture. Visit one of their villages and witness their expert skills at basket weaving, spear fishing and story telling.
When making the decision to travel to Australia, keep in mind that their seasons are the opposite of North America. While the climate tends to stay pretty mild all yearlong, don't be surprised to see that they are experiencing their wintertime when we are ready to lay by the pool all day.
Queensland
If you're an adventurer and thrill seeker, it's likely that Queensland, Australia is on your list of dream destinations. This state comprises of most of the eastern coast, but its main draws are the famous Great Barrier Reef and the Daintree National Park. Travelers flock to the stunning Australian Gold Coast of Brisbane.
Queensland experiences a climate ranging from subtropical to tropical, but keep in mind that Australia experiences the opposite seasons than North America. When it's summer here, the Aussies are experiencing winter.
For some great organized tour ideas, see The Best Photography Tours in Australia, The Best Contiki Tours to Australia, The Best G Adventures Tours to Australia, and The Best One-Week (7-Day) Tours from Sydney.
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Northern Territory Prices
Australia PricesQueensland Prices
Australia Prices -
Average Daily Cost Per person, per dayNorthern Territory $4,629Queensland $157
The average daily cost (per person) in Northern Territory is $4,629, while the average daily cost in Queensland is $157. 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 Northern Territory and Queensland in more detail.
Accommodation
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Accommodation Hotel or hostel for one personNorthern Territory $2,624Queensland $71
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Accommodation Typical double-occupancy roomNorthern Territory $
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4.00Queensland $142
Compare Hotels in Northern Territory and Queensland
Looking for a hotel in Northern Territory or Queensland? 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.
Local Transportation
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Local Transportation Taxis, local buses, subway, etc.Northern Territory $724Queensland $25
Hired Cars and Shuttles in Northern Territory
Also for Northern Territory, here are a few examples of actual transportation services:
- Alice Springs to Uluru (Ayers Rock) Coach Transfer: $190
- Darwin Int Airport (DRW) to Darwin - Round-Trip Private Transfer: $198
- Darwin to Darwin Int Airport (DRW) - Departure Private Transfer: $99
- Private Transfer from Darwin Airport (DRW) to Darwin Cruise Port: $85
- Private Transfer from Darwin Cruise Port to Darwin Airport (DRW): $85
- Private Transfer from Darwin Cruise Port to Darwin city hotels: $85
- Spectacular Jumping Crocodile Cruise with Darwin Transfer Bus: $88
- Uluru (Ayers Rock) to Alice Springs Coach Transfer: $190
Hired Cars and Shuttles in Queensland
Some specific examples of transportation prices in Queensland:
- Transfer from Whitsunday Coast Airport One way: $20
- Shared Transfer Between Cairns and Port Douglas: $93
- Private Transfers from Sunshine Coast Airport to Noosa 4pax: $108
- Private Transfers One Way Cairns Airport to Port Douglas: $167
- Private Transfers Cairns Airport to Port Douglas: $220
- Private Transfers - Cairns Airport to Palm Cove: $103
- Private Transfer: Airport BNE or Brisbane City to Cruise Port: $126
- Private Transfer to/from Whitsunday Coast Airport: $158
- Private Transfer to/from Shute Harbour: $172
- Private Transfer to Gold Coast /OOL Airport from Brisbane /BNE Airport (1-7 Pax): $248
- Private Transfer from Port Douglas hotels to Cairns Cruise Port: $176
- Private Transfer from Port Douglas Cruise to Cairns hotels: $158
Is it cheaper to fly into Northern Territory or Queensland?
Prices for flights to both Queensland and Northern Territory 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 dayNorthern Territory $952Queensland $57
Food Tours and Cooking Classes in Northern Territory
For Northern Territory, here are some samples of tours and activities related to meals and dining experiences:
- From Ayers Rock Resort: Uluru Sunset Barbecue Dinner: $107
- Charles Darwin Dinner Cruise: $111
- Sunset 3-Hour Cruise from Darwin with Dinner and Sparkling Wine: $136
- Cape Adieu Darwin Sunset Dinner Cruise: $136
- Uluru (Ayers Rock) Base and Sunset Half-Day Trip with Opt Outback BBQ Dinner: $143
- Uluru BBQ Dinner Under the Stars: $164
- Nitmiluk (Katherine) Gorge 3.5-Hour Sunset Dinner Boat Tour: $193
- Uluru (Ayers Rock) Sunset + Outback Barbecue Dinner & Star Talk: $236
- Uluru Experience with BBQ Dinner: $241
- Mt Conner 4WD Small Group Tour from Ayers Rock Resort inc Dinner: $286
- Ayers Rock Day Trip from Alice Springs Including BBQ Dinner: $293
Food Tours and Cooking Classes in Queensland
Also, here are some specific examples of food and dining related activities in Queensland.
- Longreach: Country Classics Buffet Dinner: $35
- Smithy's Outback Dinner & Show in Longreach: $71
- Brisbane/Gold Coast: Sunset, Dinner, Stars/Premium Telescope: $85
- Gold Coast Buffet Dinner Sightseeing Cruise: $100
- Cairns Catamaran Harbour and Dinner Cruise: $104
- Silver-Tails Rail Sunset With Smithy's Dinner & Show in Longreach: $122
- Drover's Sunset Cruise incl. Smithy's Dinner & Show in Longreach: $122
- Cooking Classes on Witta Maleny Sunshine Coast: $129
Entertainment
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Entertainment Entrance tickets, shows, etc.Northern Territory $849Queensland $39
Tours and Activities in Northern Territory
For Northern Territory, here are a few prices for actual activities, tours, and tickets provided by various companies:
- Alice Springs School of the Air Guided Tour Ticket: $12
- Uluru Audio Tour App: $14
- Royal Flying Doctor Service Alice Springs Tourist Facility: $17
- Larrakia Cultural Centre General Entry Ticket: $22
- Alice Springs Desert Park General Entry Ticket: $28
- Alice Springs Desert Park Nocturnal Tour: $30
- Cutta Cutta Caves Nature Park Guided Tours: $32
- Darwin Hop-on Hop-off Bus Tour: $35
- Darwin Shore Excursion: Hop-on Hop-off Bus Tour: $35
- Darwin: Adelaide River Queen Original Jumping Crocodile Cruise: $39
- 1 Hour Jumping Crocodile Cruise on the Adelaide River: $39
- Adelaide River Cruises - Jumping Crocodile Experience: $43
Tours and Activities in Queensland
Here are a few actual costs in Queensland for available activities, ticket prices, and tours:
- 1 Hour Tour Mooloolaba Sunset Cruise: $29
- 1-Hour Cairns Botanic Gardens Evening Family Experience: $43
- 1-Hour Daintree River wildlife cruise: $28
- 1.5 Hour Jet Ski Coastline Tour, Cairns to Palm Cove Return: $190
- 1.5 hr Jet Ski Safari tour to South Stradbroke Island!: $215
- 1770 Coastline Tour by LARC Amphibious Vehicle Including Picnic Lunch: $63
- 2 Day Great Barrier Reef and Kuranda Scenic Train & Skyrail Tour: $273
- 2 Hour Ultimate Learn to Surf Adventure: $47
- 2.5 hr Jet Ski Safaris tour - Ultimate Adventure + island stop: $286
- 3 Hours Private Brisbane Walking Tour: $215
- 30 min Jetski Tour Cairns: $79
- 4H Snorkeling and Fishing Cruise on Magnetic Island: $104
Alcohol
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Alcohol Drinks for one dayNorthern Territory $425Queensland $13
Sample the Local Flavors in Queensland
Here are a few nightlife and alcohol tours and activities from local tour providers in Queensland:
- An Epic Bar Crawl Sunshine Coast: Sippin on Sunshine: $15
- Rum Distillery Tour: $16
- Tamborine Mountain Distillery Tour & Tasting: $22
- XXXX Brewery Tour: $29
- Cairns Party Bus Pub Crawl Night Out Experience: $47
- Craft Distillery and Brewery Tour on Gold Coast: $83
- Afternoon Brisbane Half-Day Brewery Tour: $114
- Brewery Tour and Beer Tasting in Brisbane: $129
- Full Day Guided Wine Tour in Mt Tamborine From Brisbane: $144
- Hinterland Heritage Wine Tour: $144
- Full-Day Guided Wine Tour in Mt Tamborine From Gold Coast: $144
- Brisbane Brewery Full Day Tour with Lunch: $150
When we compare the travel costs of actual travelers between Northern Territory and Queensland, we can see that Northern Territory is more expensive. And not only is Queensland much less expensive, but it is actually a significantly cheaper destination. So, traveling to Queensland would let you spend less money overall. Or, you could decide to spend more money in Queensland 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 Northern Territory would naturally cost you much more money, so you would probably want to keep your budget a little tighter in Northern Territory than you might in Queensland.
If you're trying to decide if either of these two destinations are within your price range, also see Is Northern Territory Expensive? and Is Queensland Expensive?.
Which has a larger population, Northern Territory or Queensland?
Queensland has a larger population, and is about 20 times larger than the population of Northern Territory. When comparing the sizes of Northern Territory and Queensland, 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.