A Travel Price Comparison for Families, Couples, and Backpackers Chengdu vs. Uluru National Park (Ayers Rock) for Vacations, Tours, and Honeymoons

Should you visit Chengdu or Uluru National Park (Ayers Rock)?

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 Chengdu and Uluru National Park (Ayers Rock). 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: Chengdu or Uluru National Park (Ayers Rock)?

Chengdu

Chengdu is in China's Sichuan Provence and is in what is known as the Red Basin. It is a particularly fertile region in China that is known for its agriculture. For this reason it is sometimes referred to as the "Land of Milk and Honey". The Funan River cuts through the city but has almost no boat traffic anymore. The city itself has a wonderful relaxed vibe compared to the rest of China and is filled with green parks and places to relax. It is considered one of the most livable cities in China.

Uluru National Park (Ayers Rock)

The Australian countryside is a large and vast area just waiting to be explored. Located in the north of Australia, Uluru-Kata Tjuta National Park is a part of the Red Centre of the country. It is an UNESCO World Heritage Site, and, according to the Aborigines, it is a very sacred space. Amazing geological wonders and fascinating wildlife are just waiting for your visit.

For some great organized tour ideas, see The Best Cultural Tours in China, The Best Luxury Tours to China, The Best Water Sports Tour Packages in Australia, and The Best Food and Culinary Tours in Australia.


Which place is cheaper, Uluru National Park (Ayers Rock) or Chengdu?

These are the overall average travel costs for the two destinations. These travel costs come from the actual spending of real travelers.

  • Chengdu Prices
    China Prices
    Uluru National Park (Ayers Rock) Prices
    Australia Prices
  • Average Daily Cost Per person, per day
    Chengdu $67
    Uluru National Park (Ayers Rock) $186

The average daily cost (per person) in Chengdu is $67, while the average daily cost in Uluru National Park (Ayers Rock) is $186. 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 Chengdu and Uluru National Park (Ayers Rock) in more detail.



Accommodation
  • Accommodation Hotel or hostel for one person
    Chengdu $21
    Uluru National Park (Ayers Rock) $58
  • Accommodation Typical double-occupancy room
    Chengdu $42
    Uluru National Park (Ayers Rock) $116
Compare Hotels in Chengdu and Uluru National Park (Ayers Rock)

Looking for a hotel in Chengdu or Uluru National Park (Ayers Rock)? 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.

Hotels in Chengdu


Hotels in Uluru National Park (Ayers Rock)


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.
    Chengdu $6.02
    Uluru National Park (Ayers Rock) $75

Hired Cars and Shuttles in Chengdu

Some specific examples of transportation prices in Chengdu:

  • Sichuan Face Changing Opera With Door to Door Private Transfer: $75
  • Round-Trip Private Transfer between Emei Shan and Chengdu City: $113
  • Private Transfer from Chengdu to Mount Emei and Stops at Leshan Giant Buddha: $160
  • Private Transfer from Chengdu hotel to Chengdu Train Station: $27
  • Private Transfer from Chengdu Railway Station to City Hotel: $36
  • Private Transfer from Chengdu Hotel to Chengdu Shuangliu Airport: $52
  • Private Transfer from Chengdu City Hotels to Airport: $35
  • Private Departure Transfer:City Hotel to Any Railway Station in Chengdu : $28
  • Private Departure Transfer: Hotel to Chengdu Train Stations: $23
  • Private Departure Transfer: Hotel to Chengdu International Airport (CTU): $23
  • Private Chengdu International Airport Departure Transfer from City Hotels: $40
  • Private Arrival Transfer:Any Chengdu Railway Station to City Hotel: $28

Hired Cars and Shuttles in Uluru National Park (Ayers Rock)

Also for Uluru National Park (Ayers Rock), here are a few examples of actual transportation services:

  • Uluru (Ayers Rock) to Alice Springs Coach Transfer: $171

Is it cheaper to fly into Chengdu or Uluru National Park (Ayers Rock)?

Prices for flights to both Uluru National Park (Ayers Rock) and Chengdu 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 day
    Chengdu $38
    Uluru National Park (Ayers Rock) $81

Food Tours and Cooking Classes in Chengdu

Also, here are some specific examples of food and dining related activities in Chengdu.

  • Chengdu Night: VIP Seat Opera Show or Back Alley Food Tour: $40
  • Discovery more Chengdu evening food tour with locals : $55
  • Chengdu Hidden Street Food Tour Spice Trails: $60
  • Eat Like a Local! Food Tour in the Hidden Alleys: $67
  • Tuktuk Food Tour Through Chengdu's Local Eats: $69
  • Half-Day Professional Mapo Tofu Cooking with a Local Market Visit: $69
  • Market Tour and Sichuan Cooking Class: $70
  • Half-Day Chengdu Cooking Class with a Local Market Visit: $75
  • Half day Sichuan Cuisine Cooking Class Tour(Cooking 3 dishes): $75
  • Evening Food Tour with Local Guide: $78
  • Chengdu Evening Food Tour: $79
  • Half-Day Private Hot-Pot Cooking Class with a Local Market Visit: $80

Food Tours and Cooking Classes in Uluru National Park (Ayers Rock)

For Uluru National Park (Ayers Rock), here are some samples of tours and activities related to meals and dining experiences:

  • Uluru (Ayers Rock) Base and Sunset Half-Day Trip with Opt Outback BBQ Dinner: $134
  • Uluru (Ayers Rock) Sunset + Outback Barbecue Dinner & Star Talk : $197
  • Uluru Experience with BBQ Dinner: $219
  • Mt Conner 4WD Small Group Tour from Ayers Rock Resort inc Dinner: $258

Entertainment
  • Entertainment Entrance tickets, shows, etc.
    Chengdu $16
    Uluru National Park (Ayers Rock) $37

Tours and Activities in Chengdu

Here are a few actual costs in Chengdu for available activities, ticket prices, and tours:

  • 3-Hour Private Tour of Antique Furniture and Flea Market : $51
  • Chengdu Leshan Buddha and Drop off off Railway Station Day Tour: $226
  • Chengdu Private Day Tour to the Leshan Giant Buddha and Huanglongxi Old Town: $248
  • Chinese Traditional Massage Experience with Healthy Lunch: $68
  • Dujiangyan Irrigation System and Panda Base Day tour: $238
  • Private Chengdu Panda Base and Sichuan Cuisine Museum Day Tour: $120
  • Private Day Tour Chengdu Panda Base and The Leshan Giant Buddha: $230
  • Private Full Day Chengdu Panda Base and Jinsha Site Museum Tour: $136
  • Private Leshan Buddha Day Tour with Local Market visiting: $227
  • 1 Day Panda Breeding Center Plus Chengdu City Tour: $175
  • 1 Day Tea Trip in Mount Mengding with Tea Making Experience: $135
  • 1 Day Wolong Panda Nature Reserve Tour: $218

Tours and Activities in Uluru National Park (Ayers Rock)

For Uluru National Park (Ayers Rock), here are a few prices for actual activities, tours, and tickets provided by various companies:

  • Uluru Audio Tour App: $13
  • Uluru (Ayers Rock) Sunset Tour: $70
  • Small Group Uluru Sunset Viewing Tour: $73
  • Uluru (Ayers Rock) Field of Light Sunrise Tour: $73
  • Afternoon Kata Tjuta Small Group Tour: $117
  • Alice Springs Highlights Tour : $120
  • Kata Tjuta Small-Group Tour Including Sunrise and Breakfast: $160
  • Uluru Small Group Tour including Sunset: $160
  • Palm Valley 4WD Tour from Alice Springs: $174
  • Best of Alice Springs Full Day Tour: $178
  • Aboriginal Homelands Experience: $261

Alcohol
  • Alcohol Drinks for one day
    Chengdu $3.99
    Uluru National Park (Ayers Rock) $11

Sample the Local Flavors in Chengdu

Also in Chengdu, these are the prices for nightlife and alcohol related activities from various tour providers:

  • Tipsy Travel: Chengdu Local Food and Bar Crawl Night Tour : $128


When we compare the travel costs of actual travelers between Chengdu and Uluru National Park (Ayers Rock), we can see that Uluru National Park (Ayers Rock) is more expensive. And not only is Chengdu much less expensive, but it is actually a significantly cheaper destination. Since Chengdu is in Asia and Uluru National Park (Ayers Rock) 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 Chengdu would let you spend less money overall. Or, you could decide to spend more money in Chengdu 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 Uluru National Park (Ayers Rock) would naturally cost you much more money, so you would probably want to keep your budget a little tighter in Uluru National Park (Ayers Rock) than you might in Chengdu.

If you're trying to decide if either of these two destinations are within your price range, also see Is Chengdu Expensive? and Is Uluru National Park (Ayers Rock) Expensive?.