Should you visit Surfers Paradise or Cairns?
If you're trying to decide where to visit between Surfers Paradise or Cairns, this travel cost comparison can help. The overall cost of travel is usually a consideration when deciding where to go next, and the cost comparison below can help you decide based on the average prices from other travelers along with your own travel budget.
Surfers Paradise
A tourist mecca, Surfers Paradise is one of the most popular travel destinations along Australia's famed Gold Coast. The beach stretches for miles and there is an endless supply of almost constant parties. You'll find high rise apartments lined up along the shore and plenty of shopping areas, restaurants, nightclubs, and bars. Travelers from around the world visit the area, and it's a right of passage for Australia's teens to vacation in or near Surfers Paradise. For many travelers, Surfers Paradise comes across as little more than a mass marketed, over commercialized, party destination, but for others it is a vacation dream. Prices are highly inflated so you have to keep your whits about you to avoid being ripped off. Surfers Paradise is a destination of extremes and it conjures up extreme emotions in many travelers, be it positive or negative.
Cairns
Most travelers go to Cairns specifically to visit Great Barrier Reef. The city itself is surprisingly large and cosmopolitan with a population of approximately 140,000. The city's economy is almost exclusively based on tourism, although you will find some jobs centered around agriculture, or more specifically sugar cane, bananas, coffee, tea, wine, and some tropical fruits. The city itself is surrounded by rainforest and makes a great base for exploring Kuranda, with the Barron Gorge National Park and the Daintree offering a quieter tropical getaway than Cairns.
Which city is cheaper, Cairns or Surfers Paradise?
These are the overall average travel costs for the two destinations.
The average daily cost (per person) in Surfers Paradise is $96, while the average daily cost in Cairns is $87. 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 Surfers Paradise and Cairns in more detail.
Accommodation
The prices for places to stay in Surfers Paradise can vary by date, location, and type. Generally, the average cost for accommodation per person is $61, while a typical double-occupancy hotel room for two people will cost around $122.
An average hotel room with basic furnishings costs about $78 in Cairns For the most convenient locations and nicer amenities you can expect to pay a bit more.
Food
Food in Surfers Paradise costs travelers about $24 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 in Cairns costs travelers about $26 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.
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Food
Meals for one day
Surfers Paradise $24
Cairns $26
Food Tours and Cooking Classes in Surfers Paradise
For Surfers Paradise, here are some samples of tours and activities related to meals and dining experiences:
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Surfers Paradise Sunset Kayak and Dinner:
$40
-
Dinner Buffet Cruise on the Gold Coast:
$70
Food Tours and Cooking Classes in Cairns
For Cairns, here are some samples of tours and activities related to meals and dining experiences:
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Spirit of Dinner Cruise:
$77
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Cairns Aquarium by Twilight with 3 Course Dinner:
$99
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Small-Group Afternoon Cairns City Tour with Harbour Dinner Cruise:
$154
Local Transportation
Surfers Paradise's transportation costs can vary by the type of transport chosen by visitors. Naturally, taxis and private drivers cost much more than public transportation options. On average, visitors spend $10 per person, per day on transportation in Surfers Paradise.
Cairns's transportation costs can vary by the type of transport chosen by visitors. Naturally, taxis and private drivers cost much more than public transportation options. On average, visitors spend $11 per person, per day on transportation in Cairns.
Hired Cars and Shuttles in Surfers Paradise
Also for Surfers Paradise, here are a few examples of actual transportation services:
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Private Brisbane Airport Departure Transfer From Gold Coast:
$177
-
Gold Coast Theme Parks: Shared Hotel Transfers:
$13
Hired Cars and Shuttles in Cairns
Also for Cairns, here are a few examples of actual transportation services:
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Premium, private bus transfer. Cairns City - Cairns Airport.:
$135
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Premium Van, Private Transfer, Cairns City - Cairns Airport:
$89
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Premium Van, Private Transfer, Cairns Airport - Trinity Beach:
$107
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Premium Van, Private Transfer, Cairns Airport - Port Douglas.:
$244
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Premium Van, Private Transfer, Cairns Airport - Palm Cove.:
$125
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Port Douglas Transfers from Cairns:
$49
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Port Douglas Transfers between Cairns Airport & Port Douglas (Private Chauffeur):
$118
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Luxury Van, Private Transfer, Cairns City - Cairns Airport:
$62
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Luxury Van, Private Transfer, Cairns Airport -Trinity Beach.:
$71
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Luxury Van, Private Transfer, Cairns Airport - Port Douglas.:
$171
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Luxury Van, Private Transfer, Cairns Airport - Palm Cove.:
$89
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Express Private Transfer from Cairns Airport to Cairns City:
$22
Is it cheaper to fly into Surfers Paradise or Cairns?
Prices for flights to both Cairns and Surfers Paradise 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
Sightseeing, admission tickets, things to do, and other entertainment expenses in Surfers Paradise can vary widely by price. On average, visitors spend around $22 per person, per day on entertainment and sightseeing here.
Sightseeing, admission tickets, things to do, and other entertainment expenses in Cairns can vary widely by price. On average, visitors spend around $34 per person, per day on entertainment and sightseeing here.
Typical Entertainment prices in Surfers Paradise
Below are a few sample prices from actual travelers for Surfers Paradise's activities, tours, and tickets:
Tours and Activities in Surfers Paradise
For Surfers Paradise, here are a few prices for actual activities, tours, and tickets provided by various companies:
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Aquaduck Gold Coast 1 hour City and River Tour:
$32
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Aquaduck Secrets, Scandals and Sunset Tour:
$47
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Body Massage Experience in Gold Coast:
$160
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Broadwater Adventure + Helicopter Tour Combo:
$113
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Byron Bay and the Crystal Castle Day Tour from Gold Coast:
$97
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Full Day Mount Tamborine Winery Tour from Gold Coast:
$126
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Full-Day Moreton Island 4x4 Sightseeing Tour:
$259
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Glow Worms Private Tour - Nocturnal Rainforest Walk:
$466
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Glow Worms Tour - Nocturnal Rainforest Walk - Small Group:
$78
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Gold Coast 1.5-Hour Sightseeing River Cruise from Surfers Paradise:
$20
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Gold Coast 1.5-Hour Sightseeing River Cruise from Surfers Paradise:
$21
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Gold Coast Hydrofoil Tours:
$131
Typical Entertainment prices in Cairns
Below are a few sample prices from actual travelers for Cairns's activities, tours, and tickets:
Tours and Activities in Cairns
For Cairns, here are a few prices for actual activities, tours, and tickets provided by various companies:
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1.5-Hour Segway Tour of Cairns and Botanic Gardens:
$72
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14-Day Cape York Camping Tour:
$2,350
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2 Day Liveaboard Yacht Great Barrier Reef Tour:
$358
-
2 Day Reef & Rainforest Adventure:
$619
-
2-Day Cape Tribulation and Daintree Rainforest Tour from Cairns /Port Douglas:
$221
-
2-Day Green Island Cruise and Kuranda Day Trip:
$316
-
ATV Buggy Adventure & Rainforest experience Half-Day Tour:
$102
-
Aboriginal Cultural Daintree Rainforest Tour from Cairns or Port Douglas:
$210
-
Atherton Tablelands Waterfalls and Rainforest Day Tour Departing Cairns:
$95
-
Barron Gorge and Kuranda National Park Half Day Rainforest and Waterfall 4WD Tour from Cairns:
$124
-
Barron River Half-Day Rafting Tour from Cairns:
$88
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Best of the Kuranda Rainforest Full-Day Tour:
$203
Alcohol
Typically, people visiting Surfers Paradise spend on average $10 on alcoholic beverages per person, per day.
Typically, people visiting Cairns spend on average $12 on alcoholic beverages per person, per day.
Sample the Local Flavors in Surfers Paradise
Here are a few nightlife and alcohol tours and activities from local tour providers in Surfers Paradise:
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Private Half Day Wine Tour from Gold Coast to Tamborine Mountain:
$119
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Hipster Sipster Brewery and Distillery Tour:
$154
Sample the Local Flavors in Cairns
Here are a few nightlife and alcohol tours and activities from local tour providers in Cairns:
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Tablelands Food & Wine Tour:
$233
When comparing the travel costs between Surfers Paradise and Cairns, we can see that Surfers Paradise 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.
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