Which place is cheaper, New South Wales or South Australia?
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 South Australia or New South Wales?
Which is cheaper to visit? Which is more expensive for vacation?
Should I visit South Australia or New South Wales? This is a common question asked by many travelers. By figuring out which city has activities that align with your interests along with knowing which is more affordable, you'll understand where you can get more bang for your buck. So, let's dive into the details and the data, which all comes from actual travelers.
Where Should I go: South Australia or New South Wales?
South Australia
Millions of travelers are attracted to Australia for a variety of reasons. Sure there are adventures waiting around ever Aussie corner, but sometimes you just want to sit back and relax. That's when it's time to visit South Australia.
Nestled between Western Australia and Queensland, this state is home to 1.6 million people. Even with that many people, however, it's still less than 10 percent of the entire country's population. With less tourists, infamous wine, delectable produce and an untouched environment, Southern Australia is the perfect spot to kickback in the outback.
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 Scuba Diving Tours in Australia, The Best Family-Friendly Tours to Australia, The Best Hiking & Trekking Tours in Australia, and The Best Walking Tours in Australia.
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South Australia Prices
Australia PricesNew South Wales Prices
Australia Prices -
Average Daily Cost Per person, per daySouth Australia $172New South Wales $189
The average daily cost (per person) in South Australia is $172, while the average daily cost in New South Wales is $189. 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 South Australia and New South Wales in more detail.
Accommodation
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Accommodation Hotel or hostel for one personSouth Australia $68New South Wales $86
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Accommodation Typical double-occupancy roomSouth Australia $136New South Wales $172
Compare Hotels in South Australia and New South Wales
Looking for a hotel in South Australia 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
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Local Transportation Taxis, local buses, subway, etc.South Australia $20New South Wales $24
Hired Cars and Shuttles in South Australia
Also for South Australia, here are a few examples of actual transportation services:
- Private Departure Transfer: Hotel to Adelaide Airport: $57
- Private Transfer from Adelaide Port to Adelaide Airport (ADL): $59
- Private Transfer from Adelaide Airport (ADL) to Adelaide Port: $59
- Private Transfer from Adelaide Cruise Port to Adelaide city: $59
- Private Transfer from Adelaide city to Adelaide Cruise Port: $59
- Adelaide Airport(ADL)to Adelaide city - Arrival Private Transfer: $65
- Private Arrival Transfer: Adelaide Airport to Hotel: $72
- Adelaide Chauffeur Airport Transfer: $87
- Adelaide Premium Chauffeur Airport Transfers Experience: $89
- Arrival Private Transfers: Adelaide Airport ADL to Adelaide in Luxury Van: $106
- Adelaide Airport Transfers : Airport ADL to Adelaide City in Luxury Van: $106
- Airport Transfer: Adelaide to Airport ADL by Luxury Van: $106
Hired Cars and Shuttles in New South Wales
Some specific examples of transportation prices in New South Wales:
- Premium Private Transfer FROM Sydney Airport to Sydney CBD/Downtown 1-11 people: $258
- Private Transfer from Sydney City Hotels to Newcastle Cruise Port: $247
- Luxury Mini Bus - Sydney Airport Transfers: $233
- Luxury Van - Sydney Airport Private Arrival Transfer: $177
- Sydney Airport Private Car Departure Transfer: $176
- Minivan Arrival Transfer from Sydney Airport SYD to Sydney City: $168
- Byron Bay Brewery & Distillery Tour: Tastings, Lunch & transfers: $164
- Private Transfer FROM Sydney Airport to Sydney CBD 1 to 5 people: $162
- Luxury Sydney Airport Arrival Transfer - Sedan/SUV: $147
- Newcastle Airport (NTL) to Newcastle - RoundTrip Private Transfer: $146
- Private Transfer FROM Sydney Airport to Sydney CBD for 1 to 2 pax: $140
- Sydney Airport (SYD) to Sydney hotel or address- Round-Trip Private Car Transfer: $136
Is it cheaper to fly into South Australia or New South Wales?
Prices for flights to both New South Wales and South Australia 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 daySouth Australia $54New South Wales $73
Food Tours and Cooking Classes in South Australia
For South Australia, here are some samples of tours and activities related to meals and dining experiences:
- A Taste of Adelaide Central Markets Food Tour: $42
- Tastes of Chinatown Adelaide food tour: $85
- Adelaide Nite Bites: An Evening Food Tour: $93
- Four Hours Cooking Class in Adelaide Hills: $133
- Cooking classes Goolwa: $140
- Small-Group River Murray Dark Sky and Sunset Tour with Dinner: $215
- Pipi Catching and Cooking Experience in Goolwa: $251
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 Harbour Discovery Dinner Cruise Scenic Sights and Buffet: $54
- Bangalow Native Bush Food Tour: $54
- Sydney Harbour Tall Ship Twilight Dinner Cruise: $64
- Commandants Dinner & Show: $72
- Who Killed the Surveyor Mystery Dinner: $72
- Progressive Dinner to Island Homes: $72
- Norfolk Island Progressive Dinner to Island Homes: $86
- Ghost Tour & Dinner Norfolk Island: $86
- Sydney Harbour 3 or 4-Course Early Dinner Cruise (Circular Quay): $93
- Sydney Harbour 3-Course Early Dinner Cruise from Darling Harbour: $93
- Christmas Eve Dinner Cruise: $93
- Cabaret Dinner Show at the Honeycomb Club: $97
Entertainment
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Entertainment Entrance tickets, shows, etc.South Australia $15New South Wales $31
Tours and Activities in South Australia
Also, here are some specific examples of entertainment, tickets, and activities for South Australia.
- Adelaide Historic Downtown Self Guided App Guided Walking Tour: $9.75
- Glenelg's Dark History: A Self-Guided Walking Tour: $9.99
- Adelaide "Firsts" Walking Tour - From Grid Plans to Great Wine: $18
- Hosted Tour of the Australian Wine Story: $19
- Adelaide Oval Stadium Tour: $21
- Adelaide River Torrens Sightseeing Cruise: $22
- Just Bliss Wine and Chocolate Experience in Barossa: $22
- Guided Koala Walk and Bushfire ecology tour: $29
- Adelaide River Torrens Devonshire Tea Cruise: $32
- ADELAIDE: Adelaide Gaol Ghost Tour and Paranormal Investigation: $33
- Yalumba Cooperage Tour: $37
- Hosted Tour & Tasting in Adelaide: $37
Tours and Activities in New South Wales
Some specific costs of activities, tours, and entrance tickets for New South Wales are as follows:
- 1 Day Perisher Snow Tour: $136
- 1 Day Thredbo Snow Tour From Sydney: $136
- 1 Hour Byron Bay Lighthouse Aboriginal Tour: $43
- 3- Hour Wine and Harvest the Hunter Horse Tour in Pokolbin: $114
- 3-Hour Kayak and Snorkeling Experience in Batemans Bay: $114
- 45-Minute Sydney Harbour Adventure Jet Boat Ride: $71
- 45-Minute Vivid Sydney Scenic Jet Boat Cruise Tour: $42
- 4Hr Sydney Tour including a Rocks Walking Tour & Bondi: $61
- All Inclusive Twilight Nights Little India Half Day Tour: $215
- Allianz Stadium Guided Walking Tour: $19
- Amazing Audio Tour: Experience Sydney Adventure: $15
- Army Truck Adventures - 3 Hour Guided Tour: $107
Alcohol
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Alcohol Drinks for one daySouth Australia $24New South Wales $15
Sample the Local Flavors in South Australia
Some specific costs for nightlife related activities in South Australia:
- Exquisite Unique Wine Tasting Experience: $22
- Pirate Life Brewery Tour: $32
- Gourmet Grazing Platter & Wine Tasting Experience for 2: $57
- McLaren Vale North Hop-On Hop-Off Wine Tour: $72
- Adelaide Hills & Hahndorf Hop-On Hop-Off Wine Tour: $72
- Barossa Valley Hop-On Hop-Off Wine Tour: $72
- Luke's McLaren Vale Wine Tour: $90
- Picnic and Wine Tasting Experience in the Barossa Valley: $111
- Discover Barossa: 4 Wine Tastings, Gourmet Lunch, and Hidden Gems: $111
- Adelaide Hills: Self-guided E-Bike wine tour with Lunch: $116
- Barossa Valley Food & Wine Tour: $121
- Barossa Premium Shared Wine Tour Barossa Pickup: $126
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: $11
- Boutique Wine Tasting Experience in Pokolbin: $12
- Amazing Bar Crawl in Wollongong: Go Out with a Gong: $15
- A Spectacular Bar Crawl in Newcastle: $15
- Cael's Gate Reserve Wine Tasting in Hunter Valley: $18
- The Wednesday Social Pub Crawl & Karaoke: $22
- Tulloch Wines - Wine Tasting paired with Local Handmade Chocolates: $25
- Cheese and Wine Tasting Experience in Pokolbin: $28
- Wonnarua Sparkling Wine Tasting: $32
- Ivanhoe Wines: Trip Advisor Premium Wine Tasting: $32
- Wine Tasting and Picnic Box: $34
- Big Night Out Pub Crawl: $35
When comparing the travel costs between South Australia and New South Wales, we can see that New South Wales is more expensive. However, the two cities are actually relatively comparable in price, as the difference is somewhat minimal. Generally, this means that you could travel with generally the same travel style and level of luxury in each place. Since both cities are in Pacific, it's no surprise that their costs are relatively close, as many destinations here have somewhat similar travel prices overall.
If you're trying to decide if either of these two destinations are within your price range, also see Is South Australia Expensive? and Is New South Wales Expensive?.
Which has a larger population, South Australia or New South Wales?
New South Wales has a larger population, and is about 4 times larger than the population of South Australia. When comparing the sizes of South Australia 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.