Which place is cheaper, New South Wales or Queensland?
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 Queensland or New South Wales?
Which is cheaper to visit? Which is more expensive for vacation?
If you're trying to decide where to visit between Queensland or New South Wales, this travel comparison, which includes costs, can help. The overall cost of travel is usually a consideration when deciding where to go next, and the cost comparison down below can help you decide based on the average prices from other travelers along with your own travel budget.
Where Should I go: Queensland or New South Wales?
Queensland
If you're an adventurer and thrill seeker, it's likely that Queensland, Australia is on your list of dream destinations. This state comprises of most of the eastern coast, but its main draws are the famous Great Barrier Reef and the Daintree National Park. Travelers flock to the stunning Australian Gold Coast of Brisbane.
Queensland experiences a climate ranging from subtropical to tropical, but keep in mind that Australia experiences the opposite seasons than North America. When it's summer here, the Aussies are experiencing winter.
New South Wales
In the south of Australia is a place full of every and any tourist activity you can dream of. With Sydney under its belt, New South Wales is the center of Australian culture and tourism.
Just south of Queensland and north of Victoria, the state of New South Wales is home to approximately 6.7 million people. It is easily the continent's most populous state. This region is the core of the British colonialism of 1788. Its capital, Sydney, is the oldest and largest city in the state. Today, it is home to shopping, art, entertainment, history, beaches, and plenty of adventures.
When planning a trip to the land down under, remember that their seasons are just opposite of ours. So if you want to go for Christmas, throw that bathing suit in your bag.
For some great organized tour ideas, see The Best Luxury Tours to Australia, The Best Adventure Tours to Australia, Tours for Outdoor and Nature Lovers in Australia, and The Best Scuba Diving Tours in Australia.
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Queensland Prices
Australia PricesNew South Wales Prices
Australia Prices -
Average Daily Cost Per person, per dayQueensland $146New South Wales $176
The average daily cost (per person) in Queensland is $146, while the average daily cost in New South Wales is $176. 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 Queensland and New South Wales in more detail.
Accommodation
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Accommodation Hotel or hostel for one personQueensland $66New South Wales $80
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Accommodation Typical double-occupancy roomQueensland $132New South Wales $160
Compare Hotels in Queensland and New South Wales
Looking for a hotel in Queensland or New South Wales? 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.
Local Transportation
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Local Transportation Taxis, local buses, subway, etc.Queensland $24New South Wales $22
Hired Cars and Shuttles in Queensland
Some specific examples of transportation prices in Queensland:
- Cairns Airport Shared Transfer to Cairns: $15
- Airport Transfers between Cairns Airport and Cairns City: $15
- One Way Airport Transfer: Proserpine-Airlie Beach (or vice versa): $17
- Airlie Beach: Transfer from Whitsunday Coast Airport: $17
- Shuttle Bus Transfer - Kuranda to Cairns City: $20
- Airport Transfers between Cairns Airport and Palm Cove: $24
- Established Return Airport Transfer Proserpine to Airlie Beach: $28
- Eumundi Markets Bus Transfer: Mooloolaba Sunshine Coast & Noosa : $32
- Airport Transfer to Shute Harbour / Renta Yacht / Freedom Shores: $32
- AIRPORT TRANSFER between Cairns Airport & Port Douglas (6am-5pm): $40
- Airport Transfers between Cairns Airport and Port Douglas: $41
- Private Transfer Gold Coast Airport OOL to City Centre/Brisbane: $48
Hired Cars and Shuttles in New South Wales
Some specific examples of transportation prices in New South Wales:
- Airport Transfer from Sydney Airport to Hotels: $295
- Airport Transfer: Sydney Airport SYD to Sydney by Business Car: $113
- Airport Transfer: Sydney Airport SYD to Sydney by Luxury Van: $126
- Arrival Transfer from Sydney Airport SYD to Sydney city by Sedan: $90
- Arrival Transfer: Sydney Airport SYD to Sydney in Business Car: $113
- Baunti Fish Fry Tour with Hotel Transfers: $63
- Departure Transfer: Sydney to Sydney Airport SYD in Business Car: $113
- Featherdale Wildlife Park with Exclusive Private Transfers: $234
- Island Orientation Package incl. Return Airport Transfers & Tour: $20
- Island Orientation Tour with Airport Transfer Norfolk Island: $20
- Luxury Mini Bus - Sydney Airport Transfers: $218
- Luxury Van - Sydney Airport Private Arrival Transfer: $134
Is it cheaper to fly into Queensland or New South Wales?
Prices for flights to both New South Wales and Queensland 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 dayQueensland $53New South Wales $68
Food Tours and Cooking Classes in Queensland
Also, here are some specific examples of food and dining related activities in Queensland.
- Smithy's Outback Dinner and Show: $66
- Ancient Egypt Sunset Tour with optional 3 Course Dinner : $66
- Ancient Egypt Night Tour with optional 2 Course Dinner: $66
- Brisbane/Gold Coast: Sunset, Dinner, Stars/Premium Telescope: $79
- Whitsundays Segway Sunset and Boardwalk Tour with Dinner: $83
- Gold Coast Buffet Dinner Sightseeing Cruise: $87
- Cairns Catamaran Harbour and Dinner Cruise: $93
- Drover's Sunset Cruise includes Smithy's Outback Dinner and Show: $106
- VIP Silver-Tails Rail Sunset With Smithy's Dinner and Show: $113
- Cooking Classes on Witta Maleny Sunshine Coast: $121
- Dinner on the Edge with Vertigo Brisbane: $168
- Small-Group Afternoon Cairns City Tour with Harbour Dinner Cruise: $174
Food Tours and Cooking Classes in New South Wales
Also, here are some specific examples of food and dining related activities in New South Wales.
- Bangalow Native Bush Food Tour: $50
- Sydney Harbour Discovery Dinner Cruise Scenic Sights and Buffet: $50
- Sydney's Little Italy Food Tour: $54
- Sydney Harbour Tall Ship Twilight Dinner Cruise: $60
- Norfolk Island Progressive Dinner to Island Homes: $63
- Progressive Dinner to Island Homes: $63
- Kids Cooking Classes: $64
- Taste of Sydney Fish Market Food Tour: $64
- Commandants Dinner & Show: $65
- Ghost Tour & Dinner Norfolk Island: $65
- Who Killed the Surveyor Mystery Dinner: $65
- 4-hour Vivid Latin Fiesta Dinner Cruise Shared Experience: $77
Entertainment
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Entertainment Entrance tickets, shows, etc.Queensland $37New South Wales $29
Tours and Activities in Queensland
Here are a few actual costs in Queensland for available activities, ticket prices, and tours:
- Escape to Coochiemudlo Island: A Self-Guided Audio Tour: $6.99
- Skip the Line: Cairns Museum Single Admission Ticket: $10
- Skip the Line: Cairns Museum Admission Ticket: $10
- Kuranda Koala Gardens General Entry Ticket: $15
- Spring Brook National Park Self Guided Driving Tour: $15
- Tour, Taste & Camel Encounter: $17
- Surfers Paradise Sightseeing Midday River Cruise: $19
- Day Entry ticket: $20
- Taste of the Tropics Tour: $20
- Private Airlie Beach Tuk-Tuk Tours: $20
- Noosa Queen Sunset Cruise River: $22
- SkyPoint Observation Deck Ticket: $23
Tours and Activities in New South Wales
Some specific costs of activities, tours, and entrance tickets for New South Wales are as follows:
- Sydney's Hidden Gems Self Guided City Tour: $1.79
- Sydney Scavenger Hunt and Highlights Self-Guided Tour: $7.20
- Sydney Cockatoo Island Escape: Convict Adventure Game: $7.20
- Sydney Walking Tour with Audioguide on Your Smartphone: $8.40
- Sydney Self-Guided Audio Tour: $9.00
- Haunted Sydney Self-Guided Audio Ghost Tour: $10
- Wine & Cheese Tasting Experience in Hunter Valley: $14
- Experience Sydney Audio Tour Adventure: $15
- Discover Sydney: Self-Guided Audio Tour: $16
- Sydney: Tours & Exhibitions at Art Gallery of New South Wales: $17
- Allianz Stadium Guided Walking Tour: $18
- Mead and Honey Tasting Experience: $19
Alcohol
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Alcohol Drinks for one dayQueensland $12New South Wales $14
Sample the Local Flavors in Queensland
Here are a few nightlife and alcohol tours and activities from local tour providers in Queensland:
- Rum Distillery Tour: $13
- Sunshine Coast Bar Crawl Sippin on Sunshine: $15
- XXXX Brewery Tour: $25
- Cairns Party Bus Pub Crawl Night Out Experience: $44
- Hop on Hop off Brewery Adventure : $66
- Craft Distillery and Brewery Tour on Gold Coast: $77
- Sirromet Wine Tasting and Blending Workshop for 2: $84
- Island Pub Crawl with Lunch and High Speed Boat Tour in Brisbane : $101
- Afternoon Brisbane Half-Day Brewery Tour: $107
- Hop on Hop off Wine tasting tour to Tamborine Mountain: $110
- Hinterland Heritage Wine Tour : $134
- Brisbane Brewery Full Day Tour with Lunch: $140
Sample the Local Flavors in New South Wales
Here are a few nightlife and alcohol tours and activities from local tour providers in New South Wales:
- 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
- Wollongong Bar Crawl Go Out with a Gong: $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
When we compare the travel costs of actual travelers between Queensland and New South Wales, we can see that New South Wales is more expensive. And not only is Queensland much less expensive, but it is actually a significantly cheaper destination. So, traveling to Queensland would let you spend less money overall. Or, you could decide to spend more money in Queensland 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 New South Wales would naturally cost you much more money, so you would probably want to keep your budget a little tighter in New South Wales than you might in Queensland.
If you're trying to decide if either of these two destinations are within your price range, also see Is Queensland Expensive? and Is New South Wales Expensive?.
Which has a larger population, Queensland or New South Wales?
New South Wales has a larger population, and is about 60% larger than the population of Queensland. When comparing the sizes of Queensland and New South Wales, 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.
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.