A Travel Price Comparison for Families, Couples, and Backpackers Lijiang vs. Newcastle for Vacations, Tours, and Honeymoons

Should you visit Lijiang or Newcastle?

Which is cheaper to visit? Which is more expensive for vacation?

Which city is more affordable and which is best for your travel style? If you're trying to figure out where to go next, comparing the travel costs between Lijiang and Newcastle can help you decide which place is right for you.

Where Should I go: Lijiang or Newcastle?

Lijiang

Lijiang is a city in Southwestern China with a history of rule under the Mu family during the Ming and Qing dynasties. It played a key role along the Ancient Southern Silk Road, which started from Burma, crossed Lijiang, Shangri-La County, Tibet, journeyed through Iran, the Fertile Crescent, and ultimately to the Mediterranean Sea. The area was once a center for trade, politics, culture, and education, which is still evident in the rich culture seen today. Lijiang has also been the home of centuries to the Naxi people who still inhabit the area.

Newcastle

Newcastle is 150 kilometers north of Sydney in New South Wales. It is also the second largest city in the state, and serves as a central point to explore the area's beaches, wineries, and beautiful natural landscape. North of the city is Stockton beach, which has many miles of isolated, beautiful beaches, stretching all the way up to Nelson Bay. The wineries are inland to the west and have some of Australia's finest wine which you can taste. If you want to see rainforests, you can head northwest to Barrington Tops National Park, which has great rainforests and freshwater streams. You may even get to see a platypus. The city also has the country's oldest sea port. In the past the city's economy was centered around the steel industry, but today the University of Newcastle is one of the area's most important employers.

For some great organized tour ideas, see The Best 2-Week Tours from Beijing, The Best Family-Friendly Tours to China, The Best 4-Week (1-Month) Tours in Australia, and The Best Budget Tours to Australia.


Which place is cheaper, Newcastle or Lijiang?

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 Lijiang is $55, while the average daily cost in Newcastle is $117. 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 Lijiang and Newcastle in more detail.



Accommodation
  • Accommodation Hotel or hostel for one person
    Lijiang $16
    Newcastle $45
  • Accommodation Typical double-occupancy room
    Lijiang $32
    Newcastle $90
Compare Hotels in Lijiang and Newcastle

Looking for a hotel in Lijiang or Newcastle? 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 Lijiang


Hotels in Newcastle


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: Newcastle Hotel Prices.

Local Transportation
  • Local Transportation Taxis, local buses, subway, etc.
    Lijiang $5.67
    Newcastle $8.41

Hired Cars and Shuttles in Lijiang

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

  • Lijiang Sanyi International Airport Chauffeur Service,Lijiang Airport Transfer: $57
  • Ethnic Costume Photoshoot with Hotel Transfers: $131
  • Private Transfer from Lijiang hotel/airport(LJG) to Dali : $149
  • Private Transfer from Lijiang to Shangri-La and Stops at Tiger Leaping Gorge: $159
  • Private Transfer from Lijiang/Shuhe hotel to Dali and Stops at Shaxi Old Town: $160

Hired Cars and Shuttles in Newcastle

Some specific examples of transportation prices in Newcastle:

  • Private Transfer from Newcastle Port to Newcastle Airport (NTL): $82
  • Private Transfer from Newcastle City Hotels to Newcastle Port: $80
  • Newcastle to Newcastle Airport (NTL) - Departure Private Transfer: $74
  • Newcastle Airport to Newcastle - Round-Trip Private Transfer: $148
  • Newcastle Airport (NTL) to Newcastle - Arrival Private Transfer: $74

Is it cheaper to fly into Lijiang or Newcastle?

Prices for flights to both Newcastle and Lijiang 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
    Lijiang $30
    Newcastle $61
Typical Food Prices in Lijiang

For Lijiang, here are some examples of average food and meal prices for travelers:


  • Lunch for Two
    $4.21

Food Tours and Cooking Classes in Lijiang

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

  • Lijiang Naxi Cuisine Cooking Class & Market Visit: $59

Food Tours and Cooking Classes in Newcastle

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

  • Harbour Dinner Cruise with Live Music: $69
  • Earp Distilling Co: Date Night with Blending Class & Dinner: $73
  • Cooking Classes at the Yellow Door Kitchen: $96

Entertainment
  • Entertainment Entrance tickets, shows, etc.
    Lijiang $20
    Newcastle $15

Tours and Activities in Lijiang

For Lijiang, here are a few prices for actual activities, tours, and tickets provided by various companies:

  • Via Ferrata with Zipline Experience in Lijiang: $42
  • Biking tour&guide visit Lijiang baisha village market park: $50
  • 4 Hour Private Lijiang City Highlights Walking Tour: $72
  • Tiger Leaping Gorge with Lijiang Private Tour: $112
  • Lijiang to Shangri-La HuXiang Road Private Scenic Tour: $116
  • Lijiang:Yulong Snow Mountain Yakniuping Cableway Day Tour: $117
  • Lijiang to Shangri-La Scenic Drive Tour with Tiger Leaping Gorge: $119
  • Baisha, Naxi Village, Lashi Wetlands Private Tour: $120
  • Ethnic-Style Travel Photoshoot Immersive Experience: $131
  • 1 Day Private Tour to Shaxi Ancient Town from Lijiang or Dali: $165
  • 1 Day Tiger Teaping Gorge Private Tour from Lijiang or Shangri-La: $170
  • Beautiful Country road Biking tour to Xinhua village Heqing start from Lijiang: $173

Tours and Activities in Newcastle

Some specific costs of activities, tours, and entrance tickets for Newcastle are as follows:

  • 3- Hour Wine and Harvest the Hunter Horse Tour in Pokolbin: $93
  • Shared Newcastle Harbor Cruise: $43
  • 3-Hour Hunter Valley Scenic Helicopter Tour Including 3-Course Lunch from Cessnock: $270
  • Audrey Wilkinson Vineyard - Sweet Indulgence Experience: $40
  • Audrey Wilkinson Vineyard: Fromage and Fortified Wine Experience: $53
  • Award Winning Full Day Wine and Food Experience: $150
  • Christmas Lunch Cruise on Newcastle Harbour: $57
  • Coastal 2.5-hour Adventure Boat Tour from Newcastle: $83
  • From Hunter Valley Beer & Wine Group Tour: $165
  • From Sydney: Tandem Skydive Experience over Newcastle Beach: $264
  • From Sydney: Tandem Skydive Experience over Newcastle Beach: $266
  • Humpback Whale Encounter Tour from Newcastle: $83

Alcohol
  • Alcohol Drinks for one day
    Lijiang $7.98
    Newcastle $10

Sample the Local Flavors in Newcastle

Here are a few nightlife and alcohol tours and activities from local tour providers in Newcastle:

  • Cael’s Gate Wine Tasting in Hunter Valley: $6.66
  • Ivanhoe Wines: Trip Advisor Seated Wine Tasting : $10
  • Boutique Wine Tasting Experience in Pokolbin: $11
  • Newcastle Bar Crawl Experience: $15
  • Tulloch Wines - Wine Tasting paired with Local Handmade Chocolates: $23
  • Cheese and Wine Tasting Experience in Pokolbin: $26
  • Wonnarua Sparkling Wine Tasting: $30
  • Ivanhoe Wines: Trip Advisor Premium Wine Tasting: $30
  • Tintilla Estate: Wine Tasting with a Meat and Cheese Platter: $33
  • Tulloch Wines- Mystery Wine Tasting Experience with Local Cheese and Charcuterie: $35
  • Tulloch Wines Hunter Heroes Wine Tasting with Local Cheese & Charcuterie Board: $35
  • Premium Wine Tasting Experience in Pokolbin: $50


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

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


Which is Bigger, Lijiang or Newcastle?

Lijiang has a larger population, and is about 2 times larger than the population of Newcastle. When comparing the sizes of Lijiang and Newcastle, 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.