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 $116, while the average daily cost in Darwin is $99. 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 $134 in Perth For nicer amenities and a premiere location, you can expect to pay a bit more.
A hotel room in Darwin is about $110 This assumes double occupancy and modest accommodations.
Food
While meal prices in Perth can vary, the average travelers spends about $32 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 $33 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.
-
Food
Meals for one day
Perth $32
Darwin $33
Food Tours and Cooking Classes in Perth
For Perth, here are some samples of tours and activities related to meals and dining experiences:
-
Private Pizza Making Class in Hunter Valley:
$48
-
Pizza Paddle Sunset Kayak Tour in Bateman's Bay:
$66
-
Perth Classic Bites & Local Flavors: Food Tour:
$71
-
Dinner Cruise at Sydney Harbour with Optional Mast Climb Experience:
$72
-
Cairns Dinner Cruise by Spirit of Cairns:
$73
-
Australian Outback Spectacular Dinner Show Ticket:
$74
-
Charles Darwin Dinner Cruise:
$75
-
Swan Valley Half-Day Food Tour and Wine Trail from Perth:
$75
-
Sydney Harbour Sunset Dinner Cruise by Captain Cook:
$77
-
Dumpling Cooking Class in Melbourne:
$80
-
Cairns Aquarium Twilight Tour with 3-Course Dinner:
$88
-
Half-Day Low and Slow BBQ Food Tour in Perth:
$91
Food Tours and Cooking Classes in Darwin
Also, here are some specific examples of food and dining related activities in Darwin.
-
Private Pizza Making Class in Hunter Valley:
$48
-
Pizza Paddle Sunset Kayak Tour in Bateman's Bay:
$66
-
Dinner Cruise at Sydney Harbour with Optional Mast Climb Experience:
$72
-
Cairns Dinner Cruise by Spirit of Cairns:
$73
-
Australian Outback Spectacular Dinner Show Ticket:
$74
-
Charles Darwin Dinner Cruise:
$75
-
Sydney Harbour Sunset Dinner Cruise by Captain Cook:
$77
-
Dumpling Cooking Class in Melbourne:
$80
-
Cairns Aquarium Twilight Tour with 3-Course Dinner:
$88
-
Pinnacles Sunset Dinner and Stargazing Tour:
$109
-
Private Cooking School in the Hunter Valley:
$114
-
Mexican Cooking Class in Melbourne:
$122
Local Transportation
To get around in Perth, the average visitor spends $22 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:
-
Shared City Transfers from Darwin to Stokes Hill Wharf:
$6.65
-
SkyBus Melbourne Tullamarine Airport (MEL) Express Transfer Ticket:
$11
-
Shared Sunshine Coast Airport Transfers (MCY) for Sunshine Coast:
$12
-
Shared Cairns Airport Transfer (CNS) from and to Cairns, Port Douglas, Palm Cove:
$13
-
Shared Sydney Airport Transfers (SYD) for Sydney:
$13
-
Hobart International Airport (HBA) Express Bus Transfers by SkyBus:
$14
-
Shared Brisbane Airport Transfers (BNE) for Brisbane :
$15
-
Sea World Shared Shuttle Transfer from Gold Coast Hotels:
$15
-
Avalon Airport (AVV) Express Transfer by SkyBus for Melbourne City:
$15
-
Shared Gold Coast Airport Transfers (OOL) for Gold Coast:
$17
-
Paradise Country Shared Shuttle Transfer from Gold Coast Hotels:
$18
-
Wet'n'Wild Return Shared Shuttle Transfer from Gold Coast Hotels:
$18
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
-
Hot Air Balloon Experience with Round-trip Transfers & Vineyard Champagne Breakfast in Brisbane:
$191
-
[Promotion: Adult at Kids Price] Hot Air Balloon Experience with Round-trip Transfers & Vineyard Champagne Breakfast in Gold Coast:
$191
-
[Promotion: Adult at Kids Price] Hot Air Balloon Experience in Cairns with Round-trip Transfers:
$176
-
Private Departure Transfer: Hotel to Darwin Airport:
$142
-
Private Arrival Transfer: Darwin Airport to Hotel:
$142
-
Shared Shuttle Bus Transfers between Alice Springs and Ayers Rock:
$133
-
Shared Shuttle Bus Transfers from Kings Canyon to Alice Springs:
$133
-
Shared Shuttle Bus Transfers between Ayers Rock and Kings Canyon:
$110
-
Private Sunshine Coast Airport (MCY) Transfers for Sunshine Coast CBD:
$84
-
Thredbo Day Trip with Round Trip Transfer from Sydney by Brighton Coach:
$81
-
Private Alice Springs Airport (ASP) Transfers for Alice Springs CBD:
$75
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 $12 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.
-
North Stradbroke Island Water Taxi Ferry Ticket:
$7.95
-
Searoad Ferry Tickets between Queenscliff and Sorrento:
$8.85
-
Bridestowe Lavender Estate Tour:
$8.85
-
Koala Conservation Reserve Tickets in Phillip Island:
$9.95
-
Margaret River Region Lighthouse Tours:
$11
-
Hunter Valley Wine Theatre Experience:
$11
-
Live Pearl Harvest Experience - Perth:
$12
-
Sydney Self-Guided Audio Walking Tour with Mobile App:
$12
-
Perth Self-Guided Audio Tour:
$13
-
Kuranda Koala Gardens General Admission Ticket in Cairns:
$13
-
Private Hunter Valley Wine Barrel Rolling Experience:
$13
-
Phillip Island Chocolate Factory Ticket:
$13
Tours and Activities in Darwin
Some specific costs of activities, tours, and entrance tickets for Darwin are as follows:
-
Abseiling Adventure in Adelaide :
$73
-
Half Day Kayak Tour in Bateman's Bay + FREE Paddle Pack:
$95
-
Hunter Valley Scenic Wine and Cheese Tour from Sydney:
$125
-
Nowra Treetop and Zipline Adventure:
$32
-
Yarra Valley Hot Air Balloon Flight and Winery Tour:
$385
-
'Have a Go' Clay Target Shooting Experience in Brisbane:
$110
-
1-Day Wetlands + Wildlife Adventure:
$114
-
1-Day Wildlife Park + Berry Springs experience:
$81
-
11-day Darwin to Cairns tour:
$1,580
-
12 Apostles, Otways & Great Ocean Road Hiking Adventure from Melbourne:
$132
-
1D1N Kangaroo Island Road to Recovery Tour:
$514
-
2-Day Kakadu and Arnhem Land Tour from Darwin:
$753
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 $6.63.
The average person spends about $11 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:
-
Savannah Estate Wine Tasting in Hunter Valley:
$3.69
-
Hunter’s Dream Estate Wine Tasting in Hunter Valley:
$3.69
-
Misty Glen Wine Tasting in Hunter Valley:
$3.69
-
Tintilla Estate Wine Tasting in Hunter Valley:
$3.69
-
Capercaillie Wine Tasting in Hunter Valley:
$3.69
-
Hanging Tree Wines Wine Tasting in Hunter Valley:
$3.69
-
Tempus Two Wine Tasting Experience:
$3.69
-
Pokolbin Estate Wine Tasting Experience:
$3.69
-
Krinklewood Vineyard Wine Tasting in Hunter Valley:
$7.39
-
Glandore Estate Wine Tasting in Hunter Valley:
$7.39
-
Hungerford Hill Wine Tasting in Hunter Valley :
$7.39
-
Red Door Collective Wine Tasting in Hunter Valley (Adults Only):
$7.39
Typical Alcohol prices in Darwin
Here are a few samples of the prices for alcohol and nightlife in Darwin from other travelers:
-
Evening at a Bar
$17
-
Glass of Wine
$5.08
Sample the Local Flavors in Darwin
Also in Darwin, these are the prices for nightlife and alcohol related activities from various tour providers:
-
Savannah Estate Wine Tasting in Hunter Valley:
$3.69
-
Tempus Two Wine Tasting Experience:
$3.69
-
Hanging Tree Wines Wine Tasting in Hunter Valley:
$3.69
-
Capercaillie Wine Tasting in Hunter Valley:
$3.69
-
Misty Glen Wine Tasting in Hunter Valley:
$3.69
-
Tintilla Estate Wine Tasting in Hunter Valley:
$3.69
-
Hunter’s Dream Estate Wine Tasting in Hunter Valley:
$3.69
-
Pokolbin Estate Wine Tasting Experience:
$3.69
-
Wine Tasting at Horner Wines in Hunter Valley:
$7.39
-
Talits Estate Cellar Door Wine Tasting Experience:
$7.39
-
Wine Tasting at Wine House in Hunter Valley:
$7.39
-
Glandore Estate Wine Tasting in Hunter Valley:
$7.39
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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