A Travel Price Comparison for Families, Couples, and Backpackers Pingyao vs. Noosa Heads for Vacations, Tours, and Honeymoons

Should you visit Pingyao or Noosa Heads?

Which is cheaper to visit? Which is more expensive for vacation?

Which city should you visit? Read on to compare the activities as well as the prices of travel for Pingyao and Noosa Heads. We'll break down costs for accommodation, food, transportation and more to help you learn more about these two destinations. Then, you can figure out if either of these two places are accessible based on your travel budget, schedule, and interests. So, let's dig into it.

Where Should I go: Pingyao or Noosa Heads?

Pingyao

Pingyao is a small city in the Shanxi Province of China, dating back over 2700 years. The city is most famous for their old town, which is listed as a UNESCO World Heritage Site. The old town is one of the best preserved ancient walled cities in the world dating back to the Ming and Qing Dynasties.

The climate in Pingyao is influenced by monsoons, and therefore gets hot and humid summers and chillier springs. Autumn is a great time to visit as temperatures are fairly mild-in the 50-60's Fahrenheit- and you can avoid the heavy rains of summer. Winter is also a pleasant time to visit, especially since temperatures tend not to dip below 30 and there is not much snow or bad weather.

Noosa Heads

A town and suburb located on Queensland, Australia's Sunshine Coast, Noosa is best known as a destination of pleasant weather, beautiful beachside scenery, shopping, dining, and outdoor adventure. Some of the top attractions of the area include Noosa National Park and Sunshine Beach.

For some great organized tour ideas, see The Best Historical Tours in China, The Best 10-Day Tours in China, The Best Vineyard & Wine Tours in Australia, and The Best Romantic Tours for Couples in Australia.


Which place is cheaper, Noosa Heads or Pingyao?

These are the overall average travel costs for the two destinations. These travel costs come from the actual spending of real travelers.

The average daily cost (per person) in Pingyao is $69, while the average daily cost in Noosa Heads is $135. 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 Pingyao and Noosa Heads in more detail.



Accommodation
  • Accommodation Hotel or hostel for one person
    Pingyao $23
    Noosa Heads $58
  • Accommodation Typical double-occupancy room
    Pingyao $46
    Noosa Heads $116
Compare Hotels in Pingyao and Noosa Heads

Looking for a hotel in Pingyao or Noosa Heads? 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.

Hotels in Pingyao


Hotels in Noosa Heads


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: Noosa Heads Hotel Prices.

Local Transportation
  • Local Transportation Taxis, local buses, subway, etc.
    Pingyao $13
    Noosa Heads $17
Typical Local Transportation Prices in Pingyao

Below are a few samples from actual travelers for transportation costs in Pingyao:


  • Taxi to Train Station
    $1.40

Hired Cars and Shuttles in Noosa Heads

Also for Noosa Heads, here are a few examples of actual transportation services:

  • Eumundi Markets Bus Transfer: Mooloolaba Sunshine Coast & Noosa : $32
  • Australia Zoo Transfer from Noosa and Sunshine Coast: $91
  • Private Morning Transfer From Noosa to Rainbow Beach: $91
  • Private Transfers from Sunshine Coast Airport to Noosa (2pax): $97
  • Private Transfer from Sunshine Coast Airport to Hotels 11 pax: $238
  • Private Transfer from Sunshine Coast Airport to Hotels 13 pax: $262

Is it cheaper to fly into Pingyao or Noosa Heads?

Prices for flights to both Noosa Heads and Pingyao 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 day
    Pingyao $34
    Noosa Heads $58
Typical Food Prices in Pingyao

Some typical examples of dining costs in Pingyao are as follows:


  • Casual Lunch (for 2)
    $5.05
  • Mango Juice
    $0.70

Food Tours and Cooking Classes in Noosa Heads

For Noosa Heads, here are some samples of tours and activities related to meals and dining experiences:

  • Cooking Classes on Witta Maleny Sunshine Coast: $121

Entertainment
  • Entertainment Entrance tickets, shows, etc.
    Pingyao $19
    Noosa Heads $40
Typical Entertainment Prices in Pingyao

Some typical examples of activities, tours, and entrance ticket prices in Pingyao are as follows:


  • All Day Bike Rental (for 2)
    $2.80
  • Temple Entrance Fee (for 2)
    $7.01
  • Bike Parking Fee (for 2)
    $0.56

Tours and Activities in Pingyao

Some specific costs of activities, tours, and entrance tickets for Pingyao are as follows:

  • Pingyao Ancient City Full-Day Walking Tour: $145
  • Shuanglin Temple Tour or Entry Ticket Only Option: $18

Typical Entertainment Prices in Noosa Heads

For Noosa Heads, here are some examples of average entertainment and activity prices from previous travelers:


  • Surf Lesson
    $43
  • Sea Kayak Tour (for 2)
    $85
  • Sunset Cruise (for 2)
    $13

Tours and Activities in Noosa Heads

Also, here are some specific examples of entertainment, tickets, and activities for Noosa Heads.

  • Noosa Queen Sunset Cruise River: $22
  • 1 Hour Tour Mooloolaba Sunset Cruise: $24
  • The Original 1-Hour Mooloolaba Canal Cruise: $24
  • SEA LIFE Sunshine Coast Aquarium Entrance Ticket: $26
  • Maleny Botanic Gardens Bird Aviary Experience Ticket: $32
  • Sunset Cruise Mooloolaba: $33
  • Aquaduck Sunshine Coast - 1hr Mooloolaba Amphibious Tour: $34
  • The Ginger Factory Play, Taste & Discover Bundle Experience: $36
  • Stillwater Luxury Noosa Sunset Cruise : $37
  • Noosa Stand Up Paddle & Mangrove Tunnel Tour (Self Guided): $39
  • Seafood Lunch Cruise: $46
  • Sunshine Coast Adventure Park TreeTop Challenge: $47

Alcohol
  • Alcohol Drinks for one day
    Pingyao $14
    Noosa Heads $10

Sample the Local Flavors in Noosa Heads

Also in Noosa Heads, these are the prices for nightlife and alcohol related activities from various tour providers:

  • Sunshine Coast Bar Crawl Sippin on Sunshine: $15
  • Sunshine Coast Brewery Tour with Lunch: $164
  • Hinterland Cheese & Wine Tasting Tour - with 2 course lunch included: $188


When we compare the travel costs of actual travelers between Pingyao and Noosa Heads, we can see that Noosa Heads is more expensive. And not only is Pingyao much less expensive, but it is actually a significantly cheaper destination. Since Pingyao is in Asia and Noosa Heads 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 Pingyao would let you spend less money overall. Or, you could decide to spend more money in Pingyao 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 Noosa Heads would naturally cost you much more money, so you would probably want to keep your budget a little tighter in Noosa Heads than you might in Pingyao.

If you're trying to decide if either of these two destinations are within your price range, also see Is Pingyao Expensive? and Is Noosa Heads Expensive?.


Which is Bigger, Pingyao or Noosa Heads?

Pingyao has a larger population, and is about 4 times larger than the population of Noosa Heads. When comparing the sizes of Pingyao and Noosa Heads, 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.