Which place is cheaper, Airlie Beach or Chongqing?
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 Chongqing or Airlie Beach?
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 Chongqing and Airlie Beach. 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: Chongqing or Airlie Beach?
Chongqing
Chongqing, China is a large city in central China and one of only four cities in the country that are not part of a province. While Chongqing is famous for being an economically important city, brush away its industrial surface and you'll find a naturally beautiful city with plenty of hidden wonders. Although you'll find many expats in the city, English is rarely spoken, meaning knowing some basic Mandarin will come in handy.
Airlie Beach
Airlie Beach, in Queensland, offers the closest port to the Whitsunday Islands on the Great Barrier Reef. It's a small town of only 25,000 and has grown out of the area's popularity as a tourist destination. It's main industry remains tourism and, as such, there are many venues set up to accommodate travelers hoping to make trips to the Whitsunday Islands and the Outer Great Barrier Reef. The town has the feel of a vacation destination. While in the past Airlie Beach appealed specifically to the backpacker crowd, it's popularity has spread and now there are facilities catering to all travel types. The area has become more commercialized and there are plenty of large resorts to choose from. Even so, you'll still find no shortage of affordable accommodation around town.
For some great organized tour ideas, see The Best 10-Day Tours in China, The Best One Week (7-Day) Tours in China, The Best Romantic Tours for Couples in Australia, and The Best Honeymoon Tours in Australia.
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Chongqing Prices
China PricesAirlie Beach Prices
Australia Prices -
Average Daily Cost Per person, per dayChongqing $106Airlie Beach $165
The average daily cost (per person) in Chongqing is $106, while the average daily cost in Airlie Beach is $165. 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 Chongqing and Airlie Beach in more detail.
Accommodation
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Accommodation Hotel or hostel for one personChongqing $50Airlie Beach $59
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Accommodation Typical double-occupancy roomChongqing $100Airlie Beach $118
Compare Hotels in Chongqing and Airlie Beach
Looking for a hotel in Chongqing or Airlie Beach? 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: Airlie Beach Hotel Prices.
Local Transportation
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Local Transportation Taxis, local buses, subway, etc.Chongqing $19Airlie Beach $19
Hired Cars and Shuttles in Chongqing
Some specific examples of transportation prices in Chongqing:
- Chongqing Airport Private Transfer : $22
- [Airport Transfer] Chongqing Airport ⇔ Chongqing City Transfer ☆ High reputation for service! <Charter charter>: $23
- Private Departure Transfer: Hotel to Any Railway Station in Chongqing: $24
- Chongqing Jiangbei Airport (CKG) private round-trip transfer: $25
- Private Arrival Transfer: Chongqing Jiangbei Airport (CKG) to Hotel: $27
- Private Arrival Transfer: Chongqing Chaotianmen Cruise Pier to Hotel: $39
- Private Departure Transfer: Hotel to Chongqing Chaotianmen Cruise Pier: $39
- Datong Yungang Airport Chauffeur Service , to Datong Transfer: $40
- Private Round-Trip Transfer: Chongqing Jiangbei International Airport(CKG) : $60
- Private One Way Transfer (English Service) between Airport & Hotel & Cruise Port: $99
- Chongqing Private Round Trip Transfer to Dazu Rock Carvings: $134
- Chongqing Private Round Trip Transfer to Wulong National Park: $156
Hired Cars and Shuttles in Airlie Beach
Some specific examples of transportation prices in Airlie Beach:
- Transfer from Whitsunday Coast Airport: $17
- Airport Transfer to Shute Harbour / Renta Yacht / Freedom Shores: $32
- Established Return Airport Transfer Proserpine to Airlie Beach: $28
- One Way Airport Transfer: Proserpine-Airlie Beach (or vice versa): $17
- Private Transfer to/from Shute Harbour: $134
- Private Transfer to/from Whitsunday Coast Airport: $148
- Whitsundays: Airport Transfer to/from Airlie Beach: $16
Is it cheaper to fly into Chongqing or Airlie Beach?
Prices for flights to both Airlie Beach and Chongqing 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 dayChongqing $43Airlie Beach $55
Food Tours and Cooking Classes in Chongqing
Also, here are some specific examples of food and dining related activities in Chongqing.
- Qingyu Banquet Experience with Show and Dinner: $51
- Half-Day Cultural Immersion with Cooking Class: $80
- Food Tour with Old Town and Magical Night Views: $93
- Chongqing Food Tour: $93
- 3 HR Chongqing Food Tour: $110
- Chongqing City Private Night Tour with Hot Pot Dinner: $158
- Magical Chongqing Art Performance and Food Tour: $297
Food Tours and Cooking Classes in Airlie Beach
Also, here are some specific examples of food and dining related activities in Airlie Beach.
- 3-Hour Sunset Segway Tour with Dinner: $82
- Whitsundays Segway Sunset and Boardwalk Tour with Dinner: $83
Entertainment
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Entertainment Entrance tickets, shows, etc.Chongqing $14Airlie Beach $161
Tours and Activities in Chongqing
Here are a few actual costs in Chongqing for available activities, ticket prices, and tours:
- Chongqing private luxury city tour: Must-sees All in One: $10
- Chongqing Private Tour Pandas City Must See Hot Pot All in one: $10
- Chongqing Luxury Hot Spring and Massage Luxury Meal Private Tour: $10
- Chongqing Wulong National Park Private Nature Tour: $10
- 520m-high Eye Skyview Deck Ticket for Adult: $26
- Two Rivers Night Cruise- Yangtze & Jialing Rivers: $40
- Chongqing 1949 Ticket Epic Historical Spectacle: $41
- Historical Blocks, Temple, and Mountain Tour: $69
- Magic Night View and Secret Viewing Spots Tour: $71
- ChongQing Guanyinqiao: A 3-Hour Urban Adventure: $80
- Hidden City Walking Tour with Local Guide: $80
- Baduanjin Qigong Experience in a Serene Temple: $81
Tours and Activities in Airlie Beach
Some specific costs of activities, tours, and entrance tickets for Airlie Beach are as follows:
- Private Airlie Beach Tuk-Tuk Tours: $20
- 2-Hour Sunset Cruise with Sparkling Wine: $45
- Roundtrip Tour to Cedar Creek.: $45
- Sundowner Sunset Cruise Airlie Beach: $46
- Whisper Cruises - One-Hour Turtle Spotting Bay Cruise: $46
- Airlie Beach Sunset Cruise : $46
- Airlie Beach Trike Tours: $50
- Whitsundays Sunset Sailing Cruise: $57
- Glass-Bottom Boat Tour: $59
- Airlie Beach Glass Bottom Boat Tour: $59
- #1 Sightseeing Explorer 3hr tour.: $62
- Half Day Turtle Tour Sea Kayaking Adventure: $65
Alcohol
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Alcohol Drinks for one dayChongqing $7.01Airlie Beach $9.06
When we compare the travel costs of actual travelers between Chongqing and Airlie Beach, we can see that Airlie Beach is more expensive. And not only is Chongqing much less expensive, but it is actually a significantly cheaper destination. Since Chongqing is in Asia and Airlie Beach 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 Chongqing would let you spend less money overall. Or, you could decide to spend more money in Chongqing 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 Airlie Beach would naturally cost you much more money, so you would probably want to keep your budget a little tighter in Airlie Beach than you might in Chongqing.
If you're trying to decide if either of these two destinations are within your price range, also see Is Chongqing Expensive? and Is Airlie Beach 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.