A Travel Price Comparison for Families, Couples, and Backpackers Kunming vs. Noosa Heads for Vacations, Tours, and Honeymoons

Should you visit Kunming or Noosa Heads?

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 Kunming and Noosa Heads. 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: Kunming or Noosa Heads?

Kunming

Kunming, located in southern China, is the modern capital city of the Yunnan province. It is a transportation hub for visitors entering the region, and good transfer point to just about everywhere else in the province by train or bus. Within the city itself there are many things to see and do with a full range of parks and zoos, museums, temples, theatres, and scenic areas.

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.

For some great organized tour ideas, see The Best 2-Week Tours from Beijing, The Best Family-Friendly Tours to China, The Best Vineyard & Wine Tours in Australia, and The Best Romantic Tours for Couples in Australia.


Which place is cheaper, Noosa Heads or Kunming?

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

The average daily cost (per person) in Kunming is $85, while the average daily cost in Noosa Heads is $135. 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 Kunming and Noosa Heads in more detail.



Accommodation
  • Accommodation Hotel or hostel for one person
    Kunming $33
    Noosa Heads $58
  • Accommodation Typical double-occupancy room
    Kunming $66
    Noosa Heads $116
Compare Hotels in Kunming and Noosa Heads

Looking for a hotel in Kunming or Noosa Heads? 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 Kunming


Hotels in Noosa Heads


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: Noosa Heads Hotel Prices.

Local Transportation
  • Local Transportation Taxis, local buses, subway, etc.
    Kunming $14
    Noosa Heads $17
Typical Local Transportation Prices in Kunming

Below are a few samples from actual travelers for transportation costs in Kunming:


  • Taxi Ride
    $1.54

Hired Cars and Shuttles in Kunming

Also for Kunming, here are a few examples of actual transportation services:

  • Kunming Private Round Trip Transfer to Fuxianhu Lake: $90
  • Kunming Changshui Airport Chauffeur Service, Kunming Airport Transfer, Pickup: $83
  • Kunming Airport Private Transfer - Charge by Vehicle: $48
  • [Airport Transfer] Kunming Changshui Airport ⇔ Kunming City Transfer ☆ High reputation for service! <Charter charter>: $36

Hired Cars and Shuttles in Noosa Heads

Also for Noosa Heads, here are a few examples of actual transportation services:

  • Private Transfer from Sunshine Coast Airport to Hotels 13 pax: $262
  • Private Transfer from Sunshine Coast Airport to Hotels 11 pax: $238
  • Private Transfers from Sunshine Coast Airport to Noosa (2pax): $97
  • Australia Zoo Transfer from Noosa and Sunshine Coast: $91
  • Private Morning Transfer From Noosa to Rainbow Beach: $91
  • Eumundi Markets Bus Transfer: Mooloolaba Sunshine Coast & Noosa : $32

Is it cheaper to fly into Kunming or Noosa Heads?

Prices for flights to both Noosa Heads and Kunming 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
    Kunming $39
    Noosa Heads $58

Food Tours and Cooking Classes in Kunming

For Kunming, here are some samples of tours and activities related to meals and dining experiences:

  • Discovery more Kunming evening Food Tour with Local Guide: $78
  • Private Kunming Night Tour with Dinner: $88

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:

  • Cooking Classes on Witta Maleny Sunshine Coast: $121

Entertainment
  • Entertainment Entrance tickets, shows, etc.
    Kunming $18
    Noosa Heads $40

Tours and Activities in Kunming

Also, here are some specific examples of entertainment, tickets, and activities for Kunming.

  • 1-Day Self-Guided Stone Forest Geological Park Tour from Kunming: $106
  • Kunming Private Day Tour to Jiuxiang Cave with Boat Ride : $209
  • 1 Day Stone Forest & Jiuxiang Cave Tour: $290
  • 1-Day Dongchuan Red Land Photography Private Tour from Kunming: $269
  • 1-Day Kunming Scenery Tour: $122
  • 1-Day Kunming tour with the Green Lake,Bird & Flower market and Yuantong Temple: $201
  • 1-Day Private Tour:Stone Forest and Western Hill(Dragon Gate) from Kunming: $245
  • 2 Days Kunming City Tour with Professional Private Tour Guide: $226
  • All inclusive Dongchuan red earth tour start from Kunming: $150
  • Dongchuan Red Land Private Tour: $123
  • Essences of Kunming Downtown Day Tour: $189
  • From 15-Day Private Tour to Guilin and Yangshuo: $3,149

Typical Entertainment Prices in Noosa Heads

For Noosa Heads, here are some examples of average entertainment and activity prices from previous travelers:


  • Surf Lesson
    $43
  • Sea Kayak Tour (for 2)
    $85
  • Sunset Cruise (for 2)
    $13

Tours and Activities in Noosa Heads

Also, here are some specific examples of entertainment, tickets, and activities for Noosa Heads.

  • AAA NOOSA Whale watching experience in Noosa Whalesongsnoosa: $64
  • Noosa Queen Sunset Cruise River: $22
  • 1 Hour Tour Mooloolaba Sunset Cruise: $24
  • AAA Noosa National Park tour and Dolphin Safari Whalesongsnoosa: $60
  • Aquaduck Sunshine Coast - 1hr Mooloolaba Amphibious Tour: $34
  • Booloumba Falls & Booloumba Creek Adventure, Conondale Nat. Park: $235
  • Buderim Forest Flight Owl Encounter and Tour: $77
  • Epic Kayak With Dolphins & Wildlife - 4WD Beach Adventure Noosa: $108
  • Eumundi Markets and Noosa Everglades Tour with Eco Safari: $214
  • Everglades Explorer - Noosa Everglades Tour: $111
  • Fliteboard eFoil Group Experience in Noosa: $151
  • From Noosa: Stand Up Paddle Wildlife & Beach 4X4 Adventure: $108

Alcohol
  • Alcohol Drinks for one day
    Kunming $18
    Noosa Heads $10

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:

  • Sunshine Coast Bar Crawl Sippin on Sunshine: $15
  • Sunshine Coast Brewery Tour with Lunch: $164
  • Hinterland Cheese & Wine Tasting Tour - with 2 course lunch included: $188


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

If you're trying to decide if either of these two destinations are within your price range, also see Is Kunming Expensive? and Is Noosa Heads Expensive?.


Which is Bigger, Kunming or Noosa Heads?

Kunming has a larger population, and is about 100 times larger than the population of Noosa Heads. When comparing the sizes of Kunming and Noosa Heads, 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.