Which place is cheaper, New South Wales or Queensland?
These are the overall average travel costs for the two destinations.
Jump to 
Should you visit Queensland or New South Wales?
Which is cheaper to visit? Which is more expensive for vacation?
If you're trying to decide where to visit between Queensland or New South Wales, this travel comparison, which includes costs, can help. The overall cost of travel is usually a consideration when deciding where to go next, and the cost comparison down below can help you decide based on the average prices from other travelers along with your own travel budget.
Where Should I go: Queensland or New South Wales?
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.
New South Wales
In the south of Australia is a place full of every and any tourist activity you can dream of. With Sydney under its belt, New South Wales is the center of Australian culture and tourism.
Just south of Queensland and north of Victoria, the state of New South Wales is home to approximately 6.7 million people. It is easily the continent's most populous state. This region is the core of the British colonialism of 1788. Its capital, Sydney, is the oldest and largest city in the state. Today, it is home to shopping, art, entertainment, history, beaches, and plenty of adventures.
When planning a trip to the land down under, remember that their seasons are just opposite of ours. So if you want to go for Christmas, throw that bathing suit in your bag.
For some great organized tour ideas, see The Best One Week (7-Day) Tours in Australia, The Best 10-Day Tours in Australia, The Best 2-Week Tours in Australia, and The Best 3-Week Tours in Australia.
-
Average Daily Cost Per person, per dayQueensland $0.00New South Wales $163
The average daily cost (per person) in Queensland is $0.00, while the average daily cost in New South Wales is $163. 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 Queensland and New South Wales in more detail.
Accommodation
-
Accommodation Hotel or hostel for one personQueensland -New South Wales $80
-
Accommodation Typical double-occupancy roomQueensland $0.00New South Wales $160
Compare Hotels in Queensland and New South Wales
Looking for a hotel in Queensland or New South Wales? 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
-
Local Transportation Taxis, local buses, subway, etc.Queensland -New South Wales $22
Hired Cars and Shuttles in Queensland
Some specific examples of transportation prices in Queensland:
- Airport Transfers between Cairns Airport and Cairns City: $14
- One Way Only - Airport Transfer share shuttle service: $16
- Sunshine Coast Airport Arrival transfer to Hotels: $19
- Sunshine Coast Airport Departure Transfer from Hotels: $19
- Airport Transfers between Cairns Airport and Palm Cove: $20
- Private Transfer From Cairns Cruise Port to Cairns City Hotels: $21
- Private Transfer from Cairns City Hotels to Cairns Cruise Port: $21
- Return Mossman Gorge from Port Douglas Transfers: $21
- Movie World To Brisbane Hotel One Way Transfer: $27
- Airport Transfers - Return (round fare) share shuttle service: $28
- Sunshine Coast and Noosa Eumundi Markets Bus Transfer: $30
- MOSSMAN GORGE TRANSFER between Port Douglas and Mossman Gorge (return): $30
Hired Cars and Shuttles in New South Wales
Some specific examples of transportation prices in New South Wales:
- Airport Transfer: Sydney Airport SYD to Sydney by Business Car: $103
- Airport Transfer: Sydney Airport SYD to Sydney by Luxury Van: $114
- Airport Transfer: Sydney to Sydney Airport SYD by Business Car: $103
- Airport Transfer: Sydney to Sydney Airport SYD by Luxury Van: $114
- Arrival Transfer from Sydney Airport SYD to Sydney in Luxury Van : $146
- Arrival Transfer: Sydney Airport SYD to Sydney in Business Car: $103
- Baunti Fish Fry Tour with Hotel Transfers: $63
- Departure Transfer: Sydney to Sydney Airport SYD in Business Car: $103
- Departure Transfer: Sydney to Sydney Airport SYD in Luxury Van: $114
- Family Sydney Airport Departure Transfer: $86
- Island Orientation Package incl. Return Airport Transfers & Tour: $20
- Island Orientation Tour with Airport Transfer Norfolk Island: $20
Is it cheaper to fly into Queensland or New South Wales?
Prices for flights to both New South Wales and Queensland 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 dayQueensland -New South Wales $41
Food Tours and Cooking Classes in Queensland
Also, here are some specific examples of food and dining related activities in Queensland.
- Smithy's Outback Dinner and Show: $59
- Gold Coast Buffet Dinner Sightseeing Cruise: $79
- Whitsundays Segway Sunset and Boardwalk Tour with Dinner: $82
- Cairns Luxury Catamaran Harbor and Dinner Cruise: $86
- Drover's Sunset Cruise includes Smithy's Outback Dinner and Show: $99
- Silver-Tails Rail Sunset With Smithy's Dinner and Show: $112
- Cooking Classes on Witta Maleny Sunshine Coast: $120
- Small-Group Afternoon Cairns City Tour with Harbour Dinner Cruise: $156
Food Tours and Cooking Classes in New South Wales
Also, here are some specific examples of food and dining related activities in New South Wales.
- Sydney Street Art & Food Tour: $53
- Christmas in July Dinner Cruise on Sydney Harbour: $56
- Twilight Dinner Cruise on Coral Trekker: $59
- Norfolk Island Progressive Dinner to Island Homes: $60
- Progressive Dinner to Island Homes: $63
- Ghost Tour & Dinner Norfolk Island: $64
- Commandants Dinner & Show: $66
- Who Killed the Surveyor Mystery Dinner: $66
- Latino Dinner Cruise on Sydney Harbour: $70
- Batemans Bay Sunset Pizza Kayak Tour - Float and Feast: $72
- Sydney Harbour Tall Ship Twilight Dinner Cruise: $72
- Sydney Harbour Sunset Dinner Cruise: $76
Entertainment
-
Entertainment Entrance tickets, shows, etc.Queensland -New South Wales $29
Tours and Activities in Queensland
Here are a few actual costs in Queensland for available activities, ticket prices, and tours:
- Skip the Line: Cairns Museum Single Admission Ticket: $9.96
- Kuranda Koala Gardens General Entry Ticket: $14
- Spring Brook National Park Self Guided Driving Tour: $15
- Port Douglas Self-Guided Audio Tour: $15
- Camel Farm Tour and Taste: $17
- Taste of the Tropics Tour: $19
- Day Entry ticket: $19
- Private Airlie Beach Tuk-Tuk Tours: $20
- 2 Hours Sunset Experience on Noosa River: $21
- Skip the Line:Wax Museum Ticket-World in Wax & Guided Tour of Chamber of Horrors: $22
- Ipswich Cemetery Ghost Tour: $23
- Ultimate Daintree Rainforest Wildlife Experience Cruise: $23
Tours and Activities in New South Wales
Some specific costs of activities, tours, and entrance tickets for New South Wales are as follows:
- Wine & Cheese Tasting Experience in Hunter Valley: $9.86
- Skip the Line: Handmade Cheese, Fruit Paste & Gourmet Bread & Wafers Lunch: $16
- Australian National Maritime Museum Entry Ticket - See it All: $17
- Broken Bay Pearl & Oyster Farm Tours: $17
- Fun & Informative 2hr Sydney Harbour Bridge Audio+Puzzle Tour: $17
- Allianz Stadium Guided Walking Tour: $17
- Self-Guided Walking Tour in Hidden Trails of The Rocks of Sydney: $17
- 3hr Audio+Puzzle Tour of The Rocks, Sydney Harbour & The Bridge: $17
- Sydney Harbour Hopper Sightseeing Cruise: $21
- Behind The Scenes: Sydney Cricket Ground (SCG) Guided Walking Tour: $22
- Newcastle Dark Stories True Crime Tour: $22
- Jervis Bay Dolphin Cruise: $23
Alcohol
-
Alcohol Drinks for one dayQueensland -New South Wales $14
Sample the Local Flavors in Queensland
Here are a few nightlife and alcohol tours and activities from local tour providers in Queensland:
- Rum Distillery Tour: $13
- XXXX Brewery Tour: $25
- Sirromet Cellar Door Wine Tasting Public Tour with Lunch: $43
- City Winery Wine Tasting Tour with Lunch: $50
- Eumundi Market and Distillery Experience Market Days Wednesday & Saturday: $93
- Wine tasting tour to Tamborine Mountain: $102
- Half Day Gold Coast Brewery Tour: $105
- Afternoon Brisbane Half-Day Brewery Tour: $106
- Gold Coast Full Day Brewery Tour: $132
- Brisbane Brewery Full Day Tour with Lunch: $132
- Full-Day Guided Wine Tour in Mt Tamborine From Gold Coast : $132
- Mount Tamborine Wine Tasting Tour from Brisbane or the Gold Coast: $133
Sample the Local Flavors in New South Wales
Here are a few nightlife and alcohol tours and activities from local tour providers in New South Wales:
- Ivanhoe Wines: Trip Advisor Seated Wine Tasting Masterclass: $9.86
- Tulloch Wines - Wine Tasting paired with Local Handmade Chocolates: $20
- 30-Minute Distillery Guided Tour in Carrington : $23
- Cheese and Wine Tasting Experience in Pokolbin: $26
- Sydney's Haunted Pub Tour with a Licensed Guide: $26
- Tintilla Estate: Wine Tasting with a Meat and Cheese Platter: $26
- Tulloch Wines Hunter Heroes Wine Tasting with Local Cheese & Charcuterie Board: $33
- Tulloch Wines- Mystery Wine Tasting Experience with Local Cheese and Charcuterie: $33
- Premium Wine Tasting Experience in Pokolbin: $49
- Snapshot Half Day Hunter Valley Wine Tour: $72
- Beach and Brew - Hike and Brewery (Men and Women): $73
- The Rocks Pub Walking Tour: $77
When we compare the travel costs of actual travelers between Queensland and New South Wales, we can see that New South Wales 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 New South Wales would naturally cost you much more money, so you would probably want to keep your budget a little tighter in New South Wales 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 Queensland Expensive? and Is New South Wales Expensive?.
Which has a larger population, Queensland or New South Wales?
New South Wales has a larger population, and is about 60% larger than the population of Queensland. When comparing the sizes of Queensland and New South Wales, 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.