Which place is cheaper, Melbourne or Tiger Leaping Gorge?
These are the overall average travel costs for the two destinations. These travel costs come from the actual spending of real travelers.
Jump to 
Should you visit Tiger Leaping Gorge or Melbourne?
Which is cheaper to visit? Which is more expensive for vacation?
Which city should you visit? Read on to compare the activities as well as the prices of travel for Tiger Leaping Gorge and Melbourne. We'll break down costs for accommodation, food, transportation and more to help you learn more about these two destinations. Then, you can figure out if either of these two places are accessible based on your travel budget, schedule, and interests. So, let's dig into it.
Where Should I go: Tiger Leaping Gorge or Melbourne?
Tiger Leaping Gorge
One of the deepest gorges in the world, Tiger Leaping Gorge gets its name from legend, where a tiger used a great rock in the center of the gorge as a stepping stone to leap from one side to the other. It is surrounded by stunning mountain scenery on either side with the Yangtze River rushing down through its center. Visitors come to Tiger Leaping Gorge to hike and witness its natural beauty.
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 One-Week (7-Day) Tours from Beijing, The Best One-Week (7-Day) Tours from Lhasa, The Best Scuba Diving Tours in Australia, and The Best Family-Friendly Tours to Australia.
-
Tiger Leaping Gorge Prices
China PricesMelbourne Prices
Australia Prices -
Average Daily Cost Per person, per dayTiger Leaping Gorge $54Melbourne $195
The average daily cost (per person) in Tiger Leaping Gorge is $54, while the average daily cost in Melbourne is $195. 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 Tiger Leaping Gorge and Melbourne in more detail.
Accommodation
-
Accommodation Hotel or hostel for one personTiger Leaping Gorge $13Melbourne $119
-
Accommodation Typical double-occupancy roomTiger Leaping Gorge $26Melbourne $238
Compare Hotels in Tiger Leaping Gorge and Melbourne
Looking for a hotel in Tiger Leaping Gorge 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: Melbourne Hotel Prices.
Local Transportation
-
Local Transportation Taxis, local buses, subway, etc.Tiger Leaping Gorge $17Melbourne $20
Typical Local Transportation Prices in Melbourne
Below are a few samples from actual travelers for transportation costs in Melbourne:
-
Airport Bus$10
-
Tram Ride$2.49
Hired Cars and Shuttles in Melbourne
Also for Melbourne, here are a few examples of actual transportation services:
- Airport Transfers & Day Tours in a Chauffeur-Driven Luxury Van: $128
- Airport to City Private Transfers : $128
- Avalon Airport Transfers: $168
- Ballarat - Melbourne Airport Transfers: $178
- CBD to Melbourne Airport Private Transfer - 11 traveler's: $129
- Express Bus Transfer to or from Melbourne City Center: $19
- From Mt. Buller Sightseeing Day Trip Transfers: $92
- Luxury Airport Transfer to Melbourne CBD : $85
- Luxury Private Airport Transfer Melbourne: $104
- MEL Airport Transfer to Melbourne CBD Private Van Hire: $201
- MEL Airport to CBD Private transfers 4 or more: $33
- Melbourne (Tullamarine) Airport: Shared Transfer to Melbourne: $33
Is it cheaper to fly into Tiger Leaping Gorge or Melbourne?
Prices for flights to both Melbourne and Tiger Leaping Gorge 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 dayTiger Leaping Gorge $28Melbourne $53
Typical Food Prices in Melbourne
For Melbourne, here are some examples of average food and meal prices for travelers:
-
Coffee$2.62
-
Pizza$4.58
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: $49
- Multicultural Markets Food Tour – Melbourne’s Global Tastes: $51
- Queen Victoria Market: 'Flavours of Australia' Food Tour: $52
- Queen Victoria Market Early Access Food Tour: $53
- Eynesbury Homestead Dinner and Ghost Tour: $54
- Inner North Street Food Tour: $72
- Sunset Kayak Tour with Dinner: $79
- Melbourne Sunset Kayaking Experience with Dinner: $81
- Melbourne Private Multicultural Markets Food Tour: $86
- Best of Little Italy Dinner Tour: $92
- Carlton a Little Italy Dinner Tour: $93
- Chinese Dumpling Cooking Class with a Drink: $98
Entertainment
-
Entertainment Entrance tickets, shows, etc.Tiger Leaping Gorge $15Melbourne $27
Tours and Activities in Melbourne
For Melbourne, here are a few prices for actual activities, tours, and tickets provided by various companies:
- Melbourne Scavenger Hunt and Highlights Self-Guided Tour: $4.81
- Melbourne (St Kilda) Scavenger Hunt and Sights Self-Guided Tour: $6.45
- Melbourne City Centre Scavenger Hunt and Sights Self-Guided Tour: $6.45
- Melbourne Vampire Quest: Self-Guided Gothic Adventure: $7.20
- Melbourne Self Guided Audio Experience: $9.00
- Melbourne Gardens Explorer Minibus Tour: $9.89
- Immigration Museum Entry Ticket: $9.89
- Scienceworks Entry Ticket: $9.89
- Questo Self-guided Haunted Melbourne Walking Tour: $11
- Melbourne Museum Entry Ticket: $12
- Upside Down House Photo Experience in Australia: $13
- Melbourne Museum Entry Ticket: $13
Alcohol
-
Alcohol Drinks for one dayTiger Leaping Gorge $6.46Melbourne $17
Typical Alcohol Prices in Melbourne
Here are a few samples of the prices for alcohol and nightlife in Melbourne from other travelers:
-
Bottle of Wine$5.07
Sample the Local Flavors in Melbourne
Also in Melbourne, these are the prices for nightlife and alcohol related activities from various tour providers:
- Melbourne Christmas Bar Crawl: $15
- Melbourne Pub Crawl (Batmania Tours): $19
- Weekly Bar Crawl: 5 Free shots, Club Entry: $20
- Melbourne Halloween Bar Crawl: $24
- Spirits and Ales Haunted Pub Walking Tour: $26
- MELBOURNE Spirits and Ales Haunted Pub Tour: $26
- Melbourne Music Venue Pub Crawl with History + 2 Free Drinks: $26
- Laid back, Yarra Valley Wine Tour: Wine, Cider, Gin, Beer + Choc: $87
- New Chocolate and wine tasting tour in the Yarra Valley: $89
- Cruise Ship Friendly Yarra Valley Wine Tour with Port Pickup: $114
- Yarra Valley: Bus Wine Tour with Lunch and a Glass of Wine: $115
- Yarra Valley Wine Tour & Lunch & Gin/Beer Option: $128
When we compare the travel costs of actual travelers between Tiger Leaping Gorge and Melbourne, we can see that Melbourne is more expensive. And not only is Tiger Leaping Gorge much less expensive, but it is actually a significantly cheaper destination. Since Tiger Leaping Gorge 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 Tiger Leaping Gorge would let you spend less money overall. Or, you could decide to spend more money in Tiger Leaping Gorge 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 Tiger Leaping Gorge.
If you're trying to decide if either of these two destinations are within your price range, also see Is Tiger Leaping Gorge Expensive? and Is Melbourne Expensive?.
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.