Which place is cheaper, Cairns or Kota Kinabalu?
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 Kota Kinabalu or Cairns?
Which is cheaper to visit? Which is more expensive for vacation?
Should I visit Kota Kinabalu or Cairns? This is a common question asked by many travelers. By figuring out which city has activities that align with your interests along with knowing which is more affordable, you'll understand where you can get more bang for your buck. So, let's dive into the details and the data, which all comes from actual travelers.
Where Should I go: Kota Kinabalu or Cairns?
Kota Kinabalu
Kota Kinabalu, originally Jesselton, is the capital of Sabah, which is on the northern part of the island of Borneo. Kota Kinabalu is located just between the western side of the island and Tambunan Rafflesia Forest Reserve. Most of Kota Kinabalu's historic buildings were destroyed by bombing during World War II, so the city had to be rebuilt. KK, as it's commonly called, is a compact, but booming town today, with its new shopping centers, seaside condominiums, and bustling marketplaces.
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.
For some great organized tour ideas, see The Best Luxury Tours to Malaysia, The Best Tours for Seniors to Malaysia, The Best 4-Week (1-Month) Tours in Australia, and The Best Budget Tours to Australia.
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Kota Kinabalu Prices
Malaysia PricesCairns Prices
Australia Prices -
Average Daily Cost Per person, per dayKota Kinabalu $68Cairns $116
The average daily cost (per person) in Kota Kinabalu is $68, while the average daily cost in Cairns is $116. 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 Kota Kinabalu and Cairns in more detail.
Accommodation
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Accommodation Hotel or hostel for one personKota Kinabalu $21Cairns $43
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Accommodation Typical double-occupancy roomKota Kinabalu $42Cairns $86
Compare Hotels in Kota Kinabalu and Cairns
Looking for a hotel in Kota Kinabalu or Cairns? 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: Kota Kinabalu Hotel Prices and Cairns Hotel Prices.
Local Transportation
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Local Transportation Taxis, local buses, subway, etc.Kota Kinabalu $25Cairns $12
Hired Cars and Shuttles in Kota Kinabalu
Some specific examples of transportation prices in Kota Kinabalu:
- Transfer from Kota Kinabalu Airport BKI to Kota Kinabalu Port: $25
- Stand Up Paddle Boarding with Sunrise/Sunset Tour at Kota Kinabalu with transfer: $32
- Private Transfer: Kota Kinabalu International Airport to/from Hotel: $20
- Private Transfer- Kota Kinabalu Port to Kota Kinabalu Airport BKI: $25
- Private Transfer- Kota Kinabalu Airport BKI to Kota Kinabalu Port: $25
- Private Transfer from Kota Kinabalu Port to Kota Kinabalu hotels: $25
- Private Transfer from Kota Kinabalu Hotels to Kota Kinabalu Port: $25
- Private Arrival Transfer : Kota Kinabalu International Airport: $30
- Kota Kinabalu（BKI）: Private Transfer to City Center: $14
- Kota Kinabalu to Kota Kinab Airport: Departure Private Transfer: $24
- Kota Kinabalu Hotel to Jetty Round Trip Transfer: $53
- Kota Kinabalu Airport BKI to Borneo - Round-Trip Private Transfer: $77
Hired Cars and Shuttles in Cairns
Also for Cairns, here are a few examples of actual transportation services:
- Shared Airport Transfer to/from City and Beaches: $15
- Cairns Airport: Shared Transfer: $15
- Cairns Airport Shared Transfer to Cairns: $15
- Airport Transfers between Cairns Airport and Cairns City: $15
- Shuttle Bus Transfer - Kuranda to Cairns City: $20
- Airport Transfers between Cairns Airport and Palm Cove: $24
- AIRPORT TRANSFER between Cairns Airport & Port Douglas (6am-5pm): $40
- Cairns airport to cairns city private Transfers ( one way ): $40
- CNS Airport to Cairns City Centre Private Transfer: $47
- Cairns Airport (CNS) to Cairns hotels - Arrival Private Transfer: $52
- Cairns hotels to Cairns Airport(CNS) - Departure Private Transfer: $52
- Australian Armour & Artillery Museum with Transfers: $69
Is it cheaper to fly into Kota Kinabalu or Cairns?
Prices for flights to both Cairns and Kota Kinabalu 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 dayKota Kinabalu $30Cairns $49
Food Tours and Cooking Classes in Kota Kinabalu
Also, here are some specific examples of food and dining related activities in Kota Kinabalu.
- Beringgis Mangove Fireflies, Sunset Tour & Dinner: $33
- Sabah Traditional Authentic Cuisine Cooking Class 3 Hours: $45
- Klias River Cruise with Dinner and Fireflies: $55
- Kawa Mangrove Cruise & Fireflies with Dinner: $67
- Ethnic Cooking Class & Upside Down House & 3D Wonders Museum: $92
- Taste Of Borneo Cooking Class: $95
- North Borneo Sunset Dinner Cruise: $121
- Kota Kinabalu Night Tour with Dinner & Cultural Dance Show: $138
- Kota Kinabalu Sunset Cruise with Buffet Dinner: $187
Food Tours and Cooking Classes in Cairns
For Cairns, here are some samples of tours and activities related to meals and dining experiences:
- Ancient Egypt Sunset Tour with optional 3 Course Dinner : $66
- Ancient Egypt Night Tour with optional 2 Course Dinner: $66
- Dinner Cruise Experience: $92
- Cairns Catamaran Harbour and Dinner Cruise: $93
- Night at the Aquarium Guided Tour & 2 Course Dinner: $96
- Aquarium Guided Twilight Tour with 3-Course Dinner: $118
- Ancient Egypt Sunset Tour with 3 Course Dinner in Cairns: $124
- Ancient Egypt Night Tour with 2 Course Dinner in Cairns: $124
- City Sights Tour with Evening Dinner Cruise: $171
- Small-Group Afternoon Cairns City Tour with Harbour Dinner Cruise: $174
- Paronella Park Rainforest Full-Day Tour with Dinner: $66,130
Entertainment
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Entertainment Entrance tickets, shows, etc.Kota Kinabalu $6.43Cairns $37
Tours and Activities in Kota Kinabalu
Some specific costs of activities, tours, and entrance tickets for Kota Kinabalu are as follows:
- Sky-Mirror Photographing and Proboscis Monkey & Fireflies Watching River-Cruise: $46
- Bongawan River Cruise Proboscis Monkey, SkyMirror, Fireflies : $49
- Bongawan: River Safari Cruise, Private or Shared Ticket: $48
- Borneo (Klias) River Cruise & Fireflies Tour: $50
- Cowboy Town & Fireflies River Cruise: $62
- Day Trip to Kinabalu Park and Poring Hot Spring Guided Tour: $70
- From Kota Kinabalu : Kiulu White Water Rafting Tour + meal: $66
- Full Day Bongawan River Cruise with Proboscis Monkey Sightseeing: $55
- Indigenous Weaving Experience: $236
- Island Hopping Tour (2 Island) From Kota Kinabalu: $100
- Island Hopping Tour From Kota Kinabalu (2 island): $90
- Kinabalu National Park Tour: $135
Typical Entertainment Prices in Cairns
Below are a few sample prices from actual travelers for Cairns's activities, tours, and tickets:
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Scuba Diving$36
Tours and Activities in Cairns
For Cairns, here are a few prices for actual activities, tours, and tickets provided by various companies:
- Skip the Line: Cairns Museum Admission Ticket: $10
- Skip the Line: Cairns Museum Single Admission Ticket: $10
- Koalas and Creatures Entry Ticket: $13
- Kuranda Koala Gardens General Entry Ticket: $15
- Kuranda: Riverboat Tour: $20
- Kuranda Koala Gardens and Birdworld Admission Tickets: $26
- Hipster and Street Art Walking Tour: $29
- Tomb of the Pharaohs Entry Ticket: $32
- Cairns Tomb Of The Pharaohs General Admission Ticket: $32
- Cairns Pub & Club Tour: $34
- Cairns Koalas and Creatures Entry Ticket with Koala Photo: $37
- Cairns Aquarium General Admission Ticket: $38
Alcohol
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Alcohol Drinks for one dayKota Kinabalu $7.18Cairns $13
Sample the Local Flavors in Cairns
Here are a few nightlife and alcohol tours and activities from local tour providers in Cairns:
- Cairns Party Bus Pub Crawl Night Out Experience: $44
- From Atherton Tablelands Food and Wine Tasting Tour: $169
When we compare the travel costs of actual travelers between Kota Kinabalu and Cairns, we can see that Cairns is more expensive. And not only is Kota Kinabalu much less expensive, but it is actually a significantly cheaper destination. Since Kota Kinabalu is in Asia and Cairns 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 Kota Kinabalu would let you spend less money overall. Or, you could decide to spend more money in Kota Kinabalu 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 Cairns would naturally cost you much more money, so you would probably want to keep your budget a little tighter in Cairns than you might in Kota Kinabalu.
If you're trying to decide if either of these two destinations are within your price range, also see Is Kota Kinabalu Expensive? and Is Cairns Expensive?.
Which is Bigger, Kota Kinabalu or Cairns?
Kota Kinabalu has a larger population, and is about 3 times larger than the population of Cairns. When comparing the sizes of Kota Kinabalu and Cairns, keep in mind that a larger population does not always imply the destination has more attractions or better activities. So, always research the type of place that you want to visit along with the activities and attractions that interest you.
When is the best time to visit Kota Kinabalu or Cairns?
Cairns has a temperate climate with four distinct seasons, but Kota Kinabalu experiences a warm climate with fairly sunny weather most of the year.
Should I visit Kota Kinabalu or Cairns in the Summer?
Both Cairns and Kota Kinabalu during the summer are popular places to visit. Plenty of visitors come to Kota Kinabalu because of the warm climate and sunshine that lasts throughout the year. Furthermore, the beaches, snorkeling, the hiking, and the family-friendly experiences are the main draw to Cairns this time of year.
Kota Kinabalu is around the same temperature as Cairns in the summer. The daily temperature in Kota Kinabalu averages around 27°C (81°F) in July, and Cairns fluctuates around 29°C (84°F)in January.
Cairns gets a good bit of rain this time of year. It rains a lot this time of the year in Kota Kinabalu. Kota Kinabalu usually gets less rain in July than Cairnsin January. Kota Kinabalu gets 255 mm (10 in) of rain, while Cairns receives 429 mm (16.9 in) of rain this time of the year. November to March is the rainy season in Cairns.
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Summer Average Temperatures July and JanuaryKota Kinabalu 27°C (81°F)Cairns 29°C (84°F)
Should I visit Kota Kinabalu or Cairns in the Autumn?
The autumn attracts plenty of travelers to both Kota Kinabalu and Cairns. Warm weather and sunshine bring visitors to Kota Kinabalu year-round. Furthermore, many travelers come to Cairns for the hiking trails and the shopping scene.
In the autumn, Kota Kinabalu is around the same temperature as Cairns. Typically, the autumn temperatures in Kota Kinabalu in October average around 27°C (81°F), and Cairns averages at about 27°C (80°F)in April.
Cairns receives a lot of rain in the autumn. Kota Kinabalu gets a good bit of rain this time of year. In October, Kota Kinabalu usually receives more rain than Cairnsin April. Kota Kinabalu gets 336 mm (13.2 in) of rain, while Cairns receives 273 mm (10.8 in) of rain each month for the autumn. April to October in Cairns is the dry season.
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Autumn Average Temperatures October and AprilKota Kinabalu 27°C (81°F)Cairns 27°C (80°F)
Should I visit Kota Kinabalu or Cairns in the Winter?
The winter brings many poeple to Kota Kinabalu as well as Cairns. Kota Kinabalu attracts visitors year-round for its warm weather and sunny climate. Additionally, many visitors come to Cairns in the winter for the museums, the shopping scene, and the cuisine.
In January, Kota Kinabalu is generally a little warmer than Cairnsin July. Daily temperatures in Kota Kinabalu average around 26°C (79°F), and Cairns fluctuates around 23°C (73°F).
Kota Kinabalu receives a lot of rain in the winter. Kota Kinabalu usually gets more rain in January than Cairnsin July. Kota Kinabalu gets 129 mm (5.1 in) of rain, while Cairns receives 35 mm (1.4 in) of rain this time of the year.
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Winter Average Temperatures January and JulyKota Kinabalu 26°C (79°F)Cairns 23°C (73°F)
Should I visit Kota Kinabalu or Cairns in the Spring?
Both Cairns and Kota Kinabalu are popular destinations to visit in the spring with plenty of activities. The warm climate attracts visitors to Kota Kinabalu throughout the year. Also, most visitors come to Cairns for the beaches during these months.
Kota Kinabalu is around the same temperature as Cairns in the spring. The daily temperature in Kota Kinabalu averages around 28°C (82°F) in April, and Cairns fluctuates around 27°C (80°F)in October.
It's quite rainy in Kota Kinabalu. In April, Kota Kinabalu usually receives more rain than Cairnsin October. Kota Kinabalu gets 112 mm (4.4 in) of rain, while Cairns receives 44 mm (1.7 in) of rain each month for the spring. The dry season in Cairns is April to October. The rainy season in Cairns is November to March.
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Spring Average Temperatures April and OctoberKota Kinabalu 28°C (82°F)Cairns 27°C (80°F)
Typical Weather for Cairns and Kota Kinabalu
| Kota Kinabalu | Cairns | |||
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| Temp (°C) | Rain (mm) | Temp (°C) | Rain (mm) | |
| Jan | 26°C (79°F) | 129 mm (5.1 in) | 29°C (84°F) | 429 mm (16.9 in) |
| Feb | 26°C (80°F) | 64 mm (2.5 in) | 29°C (83°F) | 469 mm (18.5 in) |
| Mar | 27°C (81°F) | 61 mm (2.4 in) | 28°C (82°F) | 471 mm (18.5 in) |
| Apr | 28°C (82°F) | 112 mm (4.4 in) | 27°C (80°F) | 273 mm (10.8 in) |
| May | 28°C (82°F) | 226 mm (8.9 in) | 25°C (78°F) | 118 mm (4.6 in) |
| Jun | 28°C (82°F) | 291 mm (11.5 in) | 23°C (74°F) | 62 mm (2.5 in) |
| Jul | 27°C (81°F) | 255 mm (10 in) | 23°C (73°F) | 35 mm (1.4 in) |
| Aug | 27°C (81°F) | 260 mm (10.2 in) | 24°C (75°F) | 34 mm (1.3 in) |
| Sep | 27°C (81°F) | 285 mm (11.2 in) | 25°C (77°F) | 40 mm (1.6 in) |
| Oct | 27°C (81°F) | 336 mm (13.2 in) | 27°C (80°F) | 44 mm (1.7 in) |
| Nov | 27°C (81°F) | 298 mm (11.7 in) | 28°C (82°F) | 104 mm (4.1 in) |
| Dec | 27°C (80°F) | 230 mm (9.1 in) | 29°C (83°F) | 211 mm (8.3 in) |
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.