Which place is cheaper, Melbourne or Pokhara?
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 Pokhara or Melbourne?
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 Pokhara and Melbourne can help you decide which place is right for you.
Where Should I go: Pokhara or Melbourne?
Pokhara
Pokhara is the second largest city in Nepal and is strategically located near the popular Annapurna Circuit. The Annapurna Circuit, or the "Apple Pie Trail", is a popular trek through the Annapurna Valley that makes a circular route through stunning mountainous landscapes. Several other trekking options can be found in this region, too. Many people use Pohkara as a place to prepare or recover from their recently completed treks because it is less intimidating than the larger city of Kathmandu.
Melbourne
Melbourne is the second largest city in Australia, after Sydney. It is also the capital city of the state of Victoria, in southeastern Australia. Melbourne is arguably the best city to experience culture and the arts in Australia. There is a friendly rivalry between Melbourne and Sydney over livability and popularity and Melbourne is definitely the city to visit for its parks, shopping, restaurants, galleries and theaters. Like Sydney, it is situated on the water, at the head of Port Phillip Bay. It's a beautiful city, and although it lacks the major sights that you'll find in Sydney such as the Sydney Opera House or the Harbour Bridge, you will never find yourself lacking for entertainment. It is also a wonderful base for exploring many of the nearby highlights, including Grampians National Park, The Great Ocean Road, and Phillip Island where you can view the penguin parade.
For some great organized tour ideas, see The Best Hiking & Trekking Tours in Nepal, The Best 10-Day Tours in Nepal, The Best Scuba Diving Tours in Australia, and The Best Family-Friendly Tours to Australia.
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Pokhara Prices
Nepal PricesMelbourne Prices
Australia Prices -
Average Daily Cost Per person, per dayPokhara $21Melbourne $208
The average daily cost (per person) in Pokhara is $21, while the average daily cost in Melbourne is $208. 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 Pokhara and Melbourne in more detail.
Accommodation
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Accommodation Hotel or hostel for one personPokhara $3.37Melbourne $127
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Accommodation Typical double-occupancy roomPokhara $6.74Melbourne $254
Compare Hotels in Pokhara and Melbourne
Looking for a hotel in Pokhara or Melbourne? 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: Pokhara Hotel Prices and Melbourne Hotel Prices.
Local Transportation
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Local Transportation Taxis, local buses, subway, etc.Pokhara $6.58Melbourne $21
Typical Local Transportation Prices in Pokhara
Here are some examples of typical transportation prices from actual travelers in Pokhara:
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Short Taxi Ride$0.65
Hired Cars and Shuttles in Pokhara
Some specific examples of transportation prices in Pokhara:
- Transfer to Lower Mustang (Jomsom): $205
- Private Transfer:- Pokhara to Chitwan (Sauraha) by car: $68
- Private Transfer: Kathmandu ↔ Pokhara by Car, Jeep & Hiace: $73
- Private Transfer from Pokhara to Kathmandu: $120
- White Water Rafting Half Day with Hotel Transfers: $70
- Transfer To Kathmandu (VIP Sofa Tourist Bus) & Back: $12
- Paragliding and Rafting Adventure with Transfers: $129
- Paragliding Experience with Hotel Transfers: $139
- One way transfer To or From Chitwan: $73
- Kusma Swing Jumping Experience with Transfer: $150
- Annapurna Foothills Day Hike with Transfers: $38
- Airport Transfer by Private Car: $11
Typical Local Transportation Prices in Melbourne
Below are a few samples from actual travelers for transportation costs in Melbourne:
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Airport Bus$11
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Tram Ride$2.65
Hired Cars and Shuttles in Melbourne
Also for Melbourne, here are a few examples of actual transportation services:
- Airport Transfers: $151
- Airport Transfers & Day Tours in a Chauffeur-Driven Luxury Van: $134
- Airport to City Private Transfers: $134
- Arrival Transfer Melbourne Airport MEL to Melbourne in Sedan: $120
- Arrival Transfer from Melbourne Airport MEL to Melbourne in Van: $170
- Avalon Airport Transfers: $177
- Ballarat - Melbourne Airport Transfers: $189
- CBD to Melbourne Airport Private Transfer - 11 traveler's: $129
- Express Bus Transfer to or from Melbourne City Center: $20
- Melbourne Airport (MEL) to Melbourne hotels - Arrival Private Transfer: $86
- Melbourne Airport Arrival Or Departure Luxury Car Transfers: $117
- Melbourne Airport Departure Transfer | Up to 6: $103
Is it cheaper to fly into Pokhara or Melbourne?
Prices for flights to both Melbourne and Pokhara 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 dayPokhara $12Melbourne $56
Typical Food Prices in Pokhara
Below are a few samples from actual travelers for food and meal costs in Pokhara:
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Dinner for Two$3.88
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Dessert (for 2)$2.59
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Pastries$1.29
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Dinner$5.50
Food Tours and Cooking Classes in Pokhara
Also, here are some specific examples of food and dining related activities in Pokhara.
- Nepali cultural dinner night in Pokhara: $21
- Nepali Nights: Dinner & Cultural Dance Delight in Pokhara: $26
- MoMo or Dal Bhat Cooking Class at Aama Kitchen in Pokhara: $29
- Nepalese Kitchen in Momos or Dal Bhat Cooking Class: $29
- 3 Hour MoMo cooking class: $31
- Nepali Cooking Class and Momo Making Workshop: $42
- 3 Hour Authentic Nepali Thakali Dish Cooking Class: $45
- Thakali food Cooking Class in Pokhara: $50
- Nepali Cooking Class in Pokhara with a Local Family: $60
- 1 Day Momo making cooking class: $75
- Tour with Dinner to Trout Fish Farm - Bhujung River: $98
Typical Food Prices in Melbourne
For Melbourne, here are some examples of average food and meal prices for travelers:
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Coffee$2.79
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Pizza$4.88
Food Tours and Cooking Classes in Melbourne
For Melbourne, here are some samples of tours and activities related to meals and dining experiences:
- Melbourne Flavors: Queen Victoria Market Food Tour: $40
- Queen Victoria Market: 'Flavours of Australia' Food Tour: $52
- BACCHUS MARSH: Eynesbury Homestead Dinner and Ghost Tour: $57
- Progressive Day/Night Food Tour - Chinatown & Laneways: $70
- Inner North Street Food Tour: $72
- Sunset Kayak Tour with Dinner: $79
- Melbourne Best Street Food Tour With A Local Guide: $86
- Street Food Tour in Melbourne's Inner North: $88
- Best of Little Italy Dinner Tour: $92
- Chinese Dumpling Cooking Class with a Drink: $99
- Secret Food Tour: $109
- Pizza Making Party: $113
Entertainment
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Entertainment Entrance tickets, shows, etc.Pokhara $6.26Melbourne $29
Tours and Activities in Pokhara
Here are a few actual costs in Pokhara for available activities, ticket prices, and tours:
- "Pokhara Day Bus Sightseeing 8 points": $20
- "Pokhara Pumdikot Tour: Eagle Eye Views of Stunning Pokhara": $29
- "Sunrise and Scenic Day Hike in A Perfect Adventure: $84
- 1-Day Private Dhampus Trekking Tour: $67
- 110 Meters Bungee Jumping Tour in Pokhara: $105
- 2 Day Private Panchase Trek Tour from Pokhara: $140
- 2 Days Palpa-Tansen Hill station tour from Pokhara: $260
- 2 Iconic Suspension Bridge Tour in Pokhara: $29
- 2-Day Private Trekking Tour to Australian Camp & Dhampus: $99
- 2-Day Scenic Mustang Tour: Pokhara to Jomsom, Kagbeni & Muktinath: $239
- 3 Day Pokhara and Himalayan Sunrise Private Tour: $239
- 3 Days Hiking Tour in Astam, Hyanjakot & Dhampus from Pokhara: $245
Tours and Activities in Melbourne
For Melbourne, here are a few prices for actual activities, tours, and tickets provided by various companies:
- Self Guided Tour of Melbourne's Best Kept Secrets: $1.12
- Melbourne Scavenger Hunt and Highlights Self Guided Walking Tour: $3.42
- Fitzroy Noir Mystery Crimes and the Occult Tour: $3.54
- Melbourne Self-Guided City Walking Tour & Scavenger Hunt: $3.54
- Melbourne St Kilda Self-Guided Walking City Tour & Scavenger Hunt: $4.95
- Melbourne Vampire Quest: Self-Guided Gothic Adventure: $7.20
- Melbourne Gardens Explorer Minibus Tour: $9.92
- Immigration Museum Entry Ticket: $9.92
- Scienceworks Entry Ticket: $9.92
- Self Guided Walking Tour in Melbourne St Kilda Penguins: $9.99
- Melbourne City Magic Self Guided Walking Tour with an App: $9.99
- Como House: Guided House Tour: $11
Alcohol
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Alcohol Drinks for one dayPokhara $5.65Melbourne $18
Typical Alcohol Prices in Melbourne
Here are a few samples of the prices for alcohol and nightlife in Melbourne from other travelers:
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Bottle of Wine$5.41
Sample the Local Flavors in Melbourne
Also in Melbourne, these are the prices for nightlife and alcohol related activities from various tour providers:
- Weekly Bar Crawl: 5 Free shots, Club Entry: $20
- Melbourne Pub Crawl (Batmania Tours): $21
- Melbourne Pub Crawl: $25
- Tuesday Melbourne Bar Crawl: $25
- Saturday Melbourne Bar Crawl: $25
- Yarra Valley Wine Tour - Self-Guided GPS Audio Guide: $25
- Spirits and Ales Haunted Pub Walking Tour: $26
- Melbourne Music Venue Pub Crawl with History + 2 Free Drinks: $26
- MELBOURNE Spirits and Ales Haunted Pub Tour: $28
- Rock'n'roll venues pub crawl including 2 free drinks and history: $57
- Relaxed Half Day Yarra Valley Wine Tasting Tour from Melbourne: $84
- New Chocolate and wine tasting tour in the Yarra Valley: $89
When we compare the travel costs of actual travelers between Pokhara and Melbourne, we can see that Melbourne is more expensive. And not only is Pokhara much less expensive, but it is actually a significantly cheaper destination. Since Pokhara is in Asia and Melbourne 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 Pokhara would let you spend less money overall. Or, you could decide to spend more money in Pokhara 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 Melbourne would naturally cost you much more money, so you would probably want to keep your budget a little tighter in Melbourne than you might in Pokhara.
If you're trying to decide if either of these two destinations are within your price range, also see Is Pokhara Expensive? and Is Melbourne Expensive?.
Which is Bigger, Pokhara or Melbourne?
Melbourne has a larger population, and is about 20 times larger than the population of Pokhara. When comparing the sizes of Pokhara and Melbourne, 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.