Should you visit Sydney or Noosa Heads?
If you're trying to decide where to visit between Sydney or Noosa Heads, 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.
Sydney
Sydney, known as the harbour city, is the most famous and frequently visited city in Australia. It is at the economical and cultural heart of the country, and is one of the most beautiful and livable cities in the world. It's situated on the water with stunning views of the famous harbour throughout the city. It's most famous landmarks include the Sydney Opera House and the Sydney Harbour Bridge. It is also very close wonderful beaches, parks, and nature.
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.
Which city is cheaper, Noosa Heads or Sydney?
These are the overall average travel costs for the two destinations.
The average daily cost (per person) in Sydney is $147, while the average daily cost in Noosa Heads is $99. 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 Sydney and Noosa Heads in more detail.
Accommodation
A hotel room in Sydney is about $178 This assumes double occupancy and modest accommodations.
Travelers usually pay around $106 for a double occupancy room in Noosa Heads If you want to be in a premiere location or have high end amenities, you can expect to pay a bit more.
Food
In Sydney travelers spend around $34 a day on food. You can save money by choosing casual restaurants or food stalls, or you can spend plenty more by dining in nicer restaurants at every meal.
Noosa Heads food costs typically run travelers around $30 per day. Eating every meal in a nicer restaurant will drive the cost up, and grabbing fast food or casual meals will help you save money.
-
Food
Meals for one day
Sydney $34
Noosa Heads $30
Typical Food prices in Sydney
Below are a few samples from actual travelers for food and meal costs in Sydney:
-
Tea
$2.94
-
Lunch Special
$11
-
Food/Drink Coogie Beach
$11
-
Meat Pies
$3.68
Food Tours and Cooking Classes in Sydney
Also, here are some specific examples of food and dining related activities in Sydney.
-
Private Pizza Making Class in Hunter Valley:
$48
-
Sydney Opera House Tour and Opera Bar Lunch or Dinner:
$52
-
Retro Dinner Cruise on Sydney Harbour:
$59
-
Dinner Christmas Party! Nov&Dec:
$62
-
Vivid Dinner Cruise Sydney Harbour:
$63
-
Pizza Paddle Sunset Kayak Tour in Bateman's Bay:
$66
-
Latino Dinner Cruise on Sydney Harbour:
$67
-
Sydney Harbour 4-Hour Latino Dinner Cruise:
$69
-
Harbour Dinner Cruise with 3 or 6-Course Menu:
$70
-
Sydney Harbour Sunset Dinner Cruise:
$71
-
Dinner Cruise at Sydney Harbour with Optional Mast Climb Experience:
$72
-
Cairns Dinner Cruise by Spirit of Cairns:
$73
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:
-
Private Pizza Making Class in Hunter Valley:
$48
-
Pizza Paddle Sunset Kayak Tour in Bateman's Bay:
$66
-
Dinner Cruise at Sydney Harbour with Optional Mast Climb Experience:
$72
-
Cairns Dinner Cruise by Spirit of Cairns:
$73
-
Australian Outback Spectacular Dinner Show Ticket:
$74
-
Charles Darwin Dinner Cruise:
$75
-
Sydney Harbour Sunset Dinner Cruise by Captain Cook:
$77
-
Dumpling Cooking Class in Melbourne:
$80
-
Cairns Aquarium Twilight Tour with 3-Course Dinner:
$88
-
Pinnacles Sunset Dinner and Stargazing Tour:
$109
-
Private Cooking School in the Hunter Valley:
$114
-
Mexican Cooking Class in Melbourne:
$122
Local Transportation
While taxis and private drivers typically cost much more than public transportation, people usually spend around $13 per day to get around in Sydney.
Public transportation tends to be much less expensive in Noosa Heads than paying for a taxi or private car service, as is expected. Typically, people spend $15 on transportation in Noosa Heads on average per day.
Typical Local Transportation prices in Sydney
Here are some examples of typical transportation prices from actual travelers in Sydney:
-
Taxi Ride
$15
-
Taxi to Airport
$18
Hired Cars and Shuttles in Sydney
Some specific examples of transportation prices in Sydney:
-
1-hour Sydney CBD to Sydney Airport Transfer in Party Limo:
$435
-
Sydney Harbour: Private Helicopter Flight with Transfer:
$425
-
Blue Mountains Limousine Transfer:
$371
-
Private 24 Seat Mini Bus Sydney CBD To Penrith Stadium Transfer:
$315
-
Private 13 Seat Mini Bus Sydney CBD To Penrith Stadium Transfer:
$284
-
Private 24 Seat Mini Bus Sydney CBD To BankWest Stadium Transfer:
$268
-
Private 13 Seat Mini Bus Sydney CBD To BankWest Stadium Transfer:
$236
-
Private 24 Seat Mini Bus Sydney CBD To Taronga Zoo Transfer:
$205
-
[Promotion: Adult at Kids Price] Hot Air Balloon Experience with Round-trip Transfers & Vineyard Champagne Breakfast in Gold Coast:
$191
-
Hot Air Balloon Experience with Round-trip Transfers & Vineyard Champagne Breakfast in Brisbane:
$191
-
[Promotion: Adult at Kids Price] Hot Air Balloon Experience in Cairns with Round-trip Transfers:
$176
-
Transfer from Sydney Airport to Sydney Central Business District - ROUND TRIP:
$176
Hired Cars and Shuttles in Noosa Heads
Also for Noosa Heads, here are a few examples of actual transportation services:
-
WhiteWater World Return Shared Transfer from Gold Coast Hotels:
$18
-
Avalon Airport (AVV) Express Transfer by SkyBus for Melbourne City:
$15
-
Dreamworld Return Shared Transfer from Gold Coast Hotels:
$18
-
Fitzroy Island Ferry Transfer Ticket from Cairns:
$49
-
Harbour Town Premium Outlets Shared Shuttle Transfer from Gold Coast Hotels:
$18
-
Hobart International Airport (HBA) Express Bus Transfers by SkyBus:
$14
-
Hot Air Balloon Experience with Round-trip Transfers & Vineyard Champagne Breakfast in Brisbane:
$191
-
Movie World Shared Shuttle Transfer from Gold Coast Hotels:
$18
-
Paradise Country Shared Shuttle Transfer from Gold Coast Hotels:
$18
-
Private Adelaide Airport (ADL) Transfers for Adelaide CBD:
$66
-
Private Alice Springs Airport (ASP) Transfers for Alice Springs CBD:
$75
-
Private Brisbane Airport (BNE) Transfers for Brisbane CBD:
$57
Is it cheaper to fly into Sydney or Noosa Heads?
Prices for flights to both Noosa Heads and Sydney 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
Activities, things to do, and other forms of entertainment usually cost around $30 per person, per day in Sydney. This cost includes the price of admission tickets to attractions and museums as well as daily tours.
Sightseeing expenses in Noosa Heads, including the cost of admission tickets for day tours, museums, and attractions, usually cost an average of $36 per day, per person.
Typical Entertainment prices in Sydney
Here are a few typical costs in Sydney for activities, ticket prices, and tours that come from previous visitors:
Tours and Activities in Sydney
Here are a few actual costs in Sydney for available activities, ticket prices, and tours:
-
Abseiling Adventure in Adelaide :
$73
-
Half Day Kayak Tour in Bateman's Bay + FREE Paddle Pack:
$95
-
Hunter Valley Scenic Wine and Cheese Tour from Sydney:
$125
-
Nowra Treetop and Zipline Adventure:
$32
-
Yarra Valley Hot Air Balloon Flight and Winery Tour:
$385
-
'Have a Go' Clay Target Shooting Experience in Brisbane:
$110
-
1 Hour Northern Beaches Trike Tour:
$127
-
10-Day Surf Adventure from Sydney to Brisbane Including Coffs Harbour, Byron Bay and Gold Coast:
$2,371
-
12 Apostles, Otways & Great Ocean Road Hiking Adventure from Melbourne:
$132
-
1D1N Kangaroo Island Road to Recovery Tour:
$514
-
2 Hours Running Tour in Sydney:
$170
-
2-Day Combo: Blue Mountains Experience and Sydney City Tour:
$353
Typical Entertainment prices in Noosa Heads
For Noosa Heads, here are some examples of average entertainment and activity prices from previous travelers:
-
Surf Lesson
$48
-
Sea Kayak Tour (for 2)
$96
-
Sunset Cruise (for 2)
$15
Tours and Activities in Noosa Heads
Also, here are some specific examples of entertainment, tickets, and activities for Noosa Heads.
-
North Stradbroke Island Water Taxi Ferry Ticket:
$7.95
-
Bridestowe Lavender Estate Tour:
$8.85
-
Searoad Ferry Tickets between Queenscliff and Sorrento:
$8.85
-
Koala Conservation Reserve Tickets in Phillip Island:
$9.95
-
Margaret River Region Lighthouse Tours:
$11
-
Hunter Valley Wine Theatre Experience:
$11
-
Sydney Self-Guided Audio Walking Tour with Mobile App:
$12
-
Melbourne Sports Lovers Tours:
$13
-
Phillip Island Chocolate Factory Ticket:
$13
-
Kuranda Bird World General Admission Ticket in Cairns:
$13
-
Private Hunter Valley Wine Barrel Rolling Experience:
$13
-
Kuranda Koala Gardens General Admission Ticket in Cairns:
$13
Alcohol
While the amount that someone spends on alcohol while visiting Sydney may vary from person to person, on average a person spends $14 per day on alcoholic beverages.
Alcoholic beverages can often be a significant portion of a traveler's budget, and the costs can vary greatly from person to person. In Noosa Heads, the average amount that a visitor spends on alcoholic beverages per day is $9.25.
Typical Alcohol prices in Sydney
Below are a few samples from actual travelers for alcohol and nightlife costs in Sydney:
Sample the Local Flavors in Sydney
Here are a few nightlife and alcohol tours and activities from local tour providers in Sydney:
-
Savannah Estate Wine Tasting in Hunter Valley:
$3.69
-
Hunter’s Dream Estate Wine Tasting in Hunter Valley:
$3.69
-
Pokolbin Estate Wine Tasting Experience:
$3.69
-
Tintilla Estate Wine Tasting in Hunter Valley:
$3.69
-
Misty Glen Wine Tasting in Hunter Valley:
$3.69
-
Hanging Tree Wines Wine Tasting in Hunter Valley:
$3.69
-
Capercaillie Wine Tasting in Hunter Valley:
$3.69
-
Tempus Two Wine Tasting Experience:
$3.69
-
Red Door Collective Wine Tasting in Hunter Valley (Adults Only):
$7.39
-
Talits Estate Cellar Door Wine Tasting Experience:
$7.39
-
Wine Tasting at Thomas Wines:
$7.39
-
Wine Tasting at Tulloch Wines in Hunter Valley:
$7.39
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:
-
Savannah Estate Wine Tasting in Hunter Valley:
$3.69
-
Tempus Two Wine Tasting Experience:
$3.69
-
Hanging Tree Wines Wine Tasting in Hunter Valley:
$3.69
-
Capercaillie Wine Tasting in Hunter Valley:
$3.69
-
Misty Glen Wine Tasting in Hunter Valley:
$3.69
-
Tintilla Estate Wine Tasting in Hunter Valley:
$3.69
-
Hunter’s Dream Estate Wine Tasting in Hunter Valley:
$3.69
-
Pokolbin Estate Wine Tasting Experience:
$3.69
-
Wine Tasting at Horner Wines in Hunter Valley:
$7.39
-
Talits Estate Cellar Door Wine Tasting Experience:
$7.39
-
Wine Tasting at Wine House in Hunter Valley:
$7.39
-
Glandore Estate Wine Tasting in Hunter Valley:
$7.39
When we compare the travel costs of actual travelers between Sydney and Noosa Heads, we can see that Sydney is more expensive. And not only is Noosa Heads much less expensive, but it is actually a significantly cheaper destination. So, traveling to Noosa Heads would let you spend less money overall. Or, you could decide to spend more money in Noosa Heads 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 Sydney would naturally cost you much more money, so you would probably want to keep your budget a little tighter in Sydney than you might in Noosa Heads.
Related Articles for Sydney
Related Articles for Noosa Heads
