Should you visit Perth or Darwin?
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 Perth and Darwin can help you decide which place is right for you.
Perth
Capital of Western Australia, Perth is a city that sits where the Swan River meets the sea, and given its ocean side location there is plenty to see and do on the water and beyond. Spend a day on Perth's sandy beaches or get lost in its parks and gardens, sail down the river or enjoy the city's history and culture visiting museums and historic sites, shopping, dining, and much more.
Darwin
Darwin is a tropical city set against the Timor Sea in north central Australia. It is also the capital city of the Northern Territory. Despite being a relatively small city, Darwin is very diverse with residents from all over the world. The city itself has a very relaxed vibe with plenty to do. Visitors can enjoy everything from traditionally Asian style markets to culturally diverse events such as concerts, festivals or art shows.
Which city is cheaper, Darwin or Perth?
These are the overall average travel costs for the two destinations.
The average daily cost (per person) in Perth is $120, while the average daily cost in Darwin is $102. 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 city. Below is a breakdown of travel costs for Perth and Darwin in more detail.
Accommodation
Double occupancy rooms typically run around $138 in Perth For nicer amenities and a premiere location, you can expect to pay a bit more.
A hotel room in Darwin is about $114 This assumes double occupancy and modest accommodations.
Food
While meal prices in Perth can vary, the average travelers spends about $33 per day on food. Based on the spending habits of previous travelers, when dining out, an average meal in Perth should cost around $13 per person. Breakfast prices are usually a little cheaper than lunch or dinner. The price of food in sit-down restaurants in Perth is often higher than fast food prices or street food prices.
Food in Darwin costs travelers about $34 per day on average. Restaurants can vary significantly in price, so choose wisely if you're trying to save money. Fast food and street stalls are typically your cheapest options, which sit down restaurants can be significantly more expensive.
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Food
Meals for one day
Perth $33
Darwin $34
Food Tours and Cooking Classes in Perth
For Perth, here are some samples of tours and activities related to meals and dining experiences:
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Perth Classic Bites & Local Flavors: Food Tour:
$71
-
Swan Valley Half-Day Food Tour and Wine Trail from Perth:
$75
-
Half-Day Low and Slow BBQ Food Tour in Perth:
$91
-
Perth City of Lights Dinner Cruise:
$104
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Perth Swan River Dinner Cruise:
$110
-
Withlocals The 10 Tastings: Perth Private Food Tour:
$118
-
Pinnacles Sunset Dinner and Wildlife Experience a Small Group Tour:
$130
Local Transportation
To get around in Perth, the average visitor spends $23 per day, per person. This includes the costs of taxi rides and private drivers as well as public transportation, which tends to be much more affordable.
The average price of local transportation around Darwin is $11 per person, per day. As this average includes both taxis and public transport, keep in mind that the prices of private drivers and taxis are significantly more expensive than public transportation.
Hired Cars and Shuttles in Perth
Also for Perth, here are a few examples of actual transportation services:
-
Private Sedan Transfer from Perth CBD Hotel to Perth Airport:
$47
-
Private Departure Transfer: Hotel to Perth Airport:
$48
-
Rottnest Island Same-Day Round-Trip Ferry Transfers:
$55
-
Perth Departure Transfer by Private Chauffeur: Perth City Center to Airport:
$59
-
Perth Airport Transfer - group booking:
$198
Typical Local Transportation prices in Darwin
Below are a few samples from actual travelers for transportation costs in Darwin:
-
Shuttle to Train Station
$11
Hired Cars and Shuttles in Darwin
Some specific examples of transportation prices in Darwin:
-
Wildman Fishing Tours - Fishing + Scenic Flight Transfer:
$1,146
-
Private Arrival Transfer: Darwin Airport to Hotel:
$142
-
Private Departure Transfer: Hotel to Darwin Airport:
$142
Is it cheaper to fly into Perth or Darwin?
Prices for flights to both Darwin and Perth 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.
Entertainment
In Perth, the costs for things to do, activities, admission tickets, and other sightseeing expenses are on average $13 per person, per day.
Darwin's costs for entertainment, tickets, attractions, and tours will often cost around $14 per person, per day. This cost can vary widely by the type of activity, however, as this includes admission tickets, day tours, museums, and other things to do.
Tours and Activities in Perth
Also, here are some specific examples of entertainment, tickets, and activities for Perth.
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Live Pearl Harvest Experience - Perth:
$12
-
Perth Self-Guided Audio Tour:
$13
-
Skip-the-Line: Perth Bell Tower Experience Ticket:
$14
-
Perth Bell Tower Ticket & Bell Chiming Experience:
$15
-
Skip the Line: Perth Video Game Console Museum Ticket:
$15
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Photo Walking Tour:
$17
-
1.5 hour Optus Stadium Guided Tour:
$18
-
Perth Self-Guided Audio Tour:
$20
-
The ANZAC Bell Tour:
$21
-
Perth Shore Excursion: Fremantle Hop-On Hop-Off Tram Tour:
$22
-
Fremantle Hop-On Hop-Off Tram Tour:
$24
-
Fremantle to Perth 1.5-Hour Scenic Swan River Cruise:
$24
Tours and Activities in Darwin
Some specific costs of activities, tours, and entrance tickets for Darwin are as follows:
-
1-Day Wetlands + Wildlife Adventure:
$114
-
1-Day Wildlife Park + Berry Springs experience:
$81
-
11-day Darwin to Cairns tour:
$1,580
-
2-Day Kakadu and Arnhem Land Tour from Darwin:
$753
-
3-Day Kakadu & Litchfield 4WD Glamping Tour:
$688
-
3-Day Kakadu National Park and Arnhem Land Explorer Tour from Darwin:
$1,028
-
4-Day Kakadu, Katherine & Litchfield 4WD Glamping Tour:
$1,030
-
5 Day Kakadu National Park and Arnhem Land Tour:
$2,837
-
9 Day Darwin to Broome Adventure:
$1,779
-
9-Day Kimberley Offroad Adventure from Darwin to Broome:
$1,580
-
Adelaide River Jumping Crocodile Cruise with Roundtrip Helicopter from Darwin:
$545
-
Arnhem Land Injalak Hill Full-Day Tour from Darwin:
$213
Alcohol
Alcoholic beverages can often be a significant portion of a traveler's budget, and the costs can vary greatly from person to person. In Perth, the average amount that a visitor spends on alcoholic beverages per day is $6.84.
The average person spends about $12 on alcoholic beverages in Darwin per day. The more you spend on alcohol, the more fun you might be having despite your higher budget.
Sample the Local Flavors in Perth
Some specific costs for nightlife related activities in Perth:
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Perth Bar Crawl:
$12
-
Afternoon Swan Valley Wine Tasting with Transportation:
$57
-
Afternoon Swan Valley Sundowner Wine Tour from Perth:
$63
-
Swan Valley Half-Day Food and Wine Tasting Tour:
$70
-
Swan Valley Half-Day Food & Wine Tasting Tour from Perth:
$72
-
Sunday Afternoon Swan Valley Wine & Brewery Tour from Perth:
$75
-
The Non-Touristy Swan Valley Private Day Trip & Wine Tastings:
$81
-
Swan Valley Sunset Wine Tour - Premium Small Group Tour:
$95
-
Half-Day Swan Valley Winery & Brewery:
$99
-
Small-Group Bickley Valley Wine Tour:
$107
-
Swan Valley Cruise & Wine Tasting Full-Day Tour from Perth:
$122
-
Wine Tasting Day Trip and Swan Valley River Cruise to Perth:
$123
Typical Alcohol prices in Darwin
Here are a few samples of the prices for alcohol and nightlife in Darwin from other travelers:
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Evening at a Bar
$18
-
Glass of Wine
$5.24
Sample the Local Flavors in Darwin
Also in Darwin, these are the prices for nightlife and alcohol related activities from various tour providers:
-
Heli Pub Crawl – 4 Pubs:
$782
When we compare the travel costs of actual travelers between Perth and Darwin, we can see that Perth is more expensive. And not only is Darwin much less expensive, but it is actually a significantly cheaper destination. So, traveling to Darwin would let you spend less money overall. Or, you could decide to spend more money in Darwin 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 Perth would naturally cost you much more money, so you would probably want to keep your budget a little tighter in Perth than you might in Darwin.
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