Which place is cheaper, Melbourne or Xi'an?
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 Xi'an or Melbourne?
Which is cheaper to visit? Which is more expensive for vacation?
Trying to figure out where to travel next? This travel comparison between Xi'an and Melbourne can help. It includes a travel cost comparison in addition to other factors. For many travelers, the cost of a destination is a primary consideration when choosing where to go.
Where Should I go: Xi'an or Melbourne?
Xi'an
Xi'an is an ancient city in the Shaanxi Province in China. Today it is most notable as the location of the Terracotta Warriors, but for visitors who choose to linger, there is so much more to see and do in the area. The city itself is more than 3,000 years old and for about one thousand years, through 13 dynasties and 73 emperors, it was the capital. Because of its rich history there are many historical ruins and a strong culture in the city. Today the city is a pleasant place to visit, although much of it's influence and power has dwindled. The city has both cosmopolitan and modern areas as well as historic and culturally rich areas. The neighborhoods are diverse and by exploring the city in depth you can learn a little more about what China really has to offer.
Melbourne
Melbourne is the second largest city in Australia, after Sydney. It is also the capital city of the state of Victoria, in southeastern Australia. Melbourne is arguably the best city to experience culture and the arts in Australia. There is a friendly rivalry between Melbourne and Sydney over livability and popularity and Melbourne is definitely the city to visit for its parks, shopping, restaurants, galleries and theaters. Like Sydney, it is situated on the water, at the head of Port Phillip Bay. It's a beautiful city, and although it lacks the major sights that you'll find in Sydney such as the Sydney Opera House or the Harbour Bridge, you will never find yourself lacking for entertainment. It is also a wonderful base for exploring many of the nearby highlights, including Grampians National Park, The Great Ocean Road, and Phillip Island where you can view the penguin parade.
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 Scuba Diving Tours in Australia, and The Best Family-Friendly Tours to Australia.
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Xi'an Prices
China PricesMelbourne Prices
Australia Prices -
Average Daily Cost Per person, per dayXi'an $105Melbourne $195
The average daily cost (per person) in Xi'an is $105, while the average daily cost in Melbourne is $195. 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 Xi'an and Melbourne in more detail.
Accommodation
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Accommodation Hotel or hostel for one personXi'an $61Melbourne $119
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Accommodation Typical double-occupancy roomXi'an $122Melbourne $238
Compare Hotels in Xi'an and Melbourne
Looking for a hotel in Xi'an or Melbourne? 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: Melbourne Hotel Prices.
Local Transportation
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Local Transportation Taxis, local buses, subway, etc.Xi'an $12Melbourne $20
Hired Cars and Shuttles in Xi'an
Some specific examples of transportation prices in Xi'an:
- seat in coach Terracotta army within 3rd ring transfers W lunch: $70
- Xian to Xian Xianyang Airport (XIY) - Departure Private Transfer: $29
- Xian Xianyang International Airport (XIY) Private Departure Transfer: $40
- Xian Xianyang International Airport (XIY) Private Arrival Transfer: $40
- Xian Xianyang Airport (XIY) to Xian City - Arrival Private Transfer: $28
- Xian Xianyang Airport (XIY) to Xian - Round-Trip Private Transfer: $58
- Xian Xianyang Airport (XIY) to Xian - Arrival Private Transfer: $29
- Xian Terracotta Warriors and City Wall Tour with Airport Transfer: $254
- Xian Terracotta Warriors Tour with Airport Transfer: $216
- Xian Terracotta Warriors Museum Tour with Airport Transfer: $214
- Xian Private Day Tour with Airport Transfer: Terracotta Warriors and City Wall: $225
- Xian Highlights Private Tour With Airport Transfer: $245
Typical Local Transportation Prices in Melbourne
Below are a few samples from actual travelers for transportation costs in Melbourne:
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Airport Bus$10
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Tram Ride$2.49
Hired Cars and Shuttles in Melbourne
Also for Melbourne, here are a few examples of actual transportation services:
- Airport Transfers & Day Tours in a Chauffeur-Driven Luxury Van: $128
- Airport to City Private Transfers : $128
- Avalon Airport Transfers: $168
- Ballarat - Melbourne Airport Transfers: $178
- CBD to Melbourne Airport Private Transfer - 11 traveler's: $129
- Express Bus Transfer to or from Melbourne City Center: $19
- From Mt. Buller Sightseeing Day Trip Transfers: $92
- Luxury Airport Transfer to Melbourne CBD : $85
- Luxury Private Airport Transfer Melbourne: $104
- MEL Airport Transfer to Melbourne CBD Private Van Hire: $201
- MEL Airport to CBD Private transfers 4 or more: $33
- Melbourne (Tullamarine) Airport: Shared Transfer to Melbourne: $33
Is it cheaper to fly into Xi'an or Melbourne?
Prices for flights to both Melbourne and Xi'an 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 dayXi'an $22Melbourne $53
Food Tours and Cooking Classes in Xi'an
Also, here are some specific examples of food and dining related activities in Xi'an.
- Xi'An: Tang Dynasty Show Ticket w/ Transfer or Dinner: $33
- Top 3 Xian Sites to Terracotta Army & Dinner Show w/ Options: $35
- Xi'an Tang Dynasty Show Ticket Optional Dumplings or Royal Dinner: $37
- Skip the Line: Xi'an Tang Dynasty Show Ticket & Dumpling Dinner or Royal Banquet: $37
- Xian Tang Dynasty Show -Optional Dumpling Dinner or Royal Banquet: $38
- Xi'an Homemade Food Cooking Dumplings / BIANGBIANGNoodles: $58
- Xi’an: Market Tour and Cooking Class with Local Family: $59
- Xi'an Vegetarian Food Tour: $60
- Xi'an Muslim Quarter Walking Food Tour: $61
- Private Xi'an Food Tour: $65
- Xian: Morning Food Tour of the Muslim Quarter: $67
- Private Old Xi'an Authentic Local Beer Dinner Tour: $68
Typical Food Prices in Melbourne
For Melbourne, here are some examples of average food and meal prices for travelers:
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Coffee$2.62
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Pizza$4.58
Food Tours and Cooking Classes in Melbourne
For Melbourne, here are some samples of tours and activities related to meals and dining experiences:
- Melbourne Flavors: Queen Victoria Market Food Tour: $49
- Multicultural Markets Food Tour – Melbourne’s Global Tastes: $51
- Queen Victoria Market: 'Flavours of Australia' Food Tour: $52
- Queen Victoria Market Early Access Food Tour: $53
- Eynesbury Homestead Dinner and Ghost Tour: $54
- Inner North Street Food Tour: $72
- Sunset Kayak Tour with Dinner: $79
- Melbourne Sunset Kayaking Experience with Dinner: $81
- Melbourne Private Multicultural Markets Food Tour: $86
- Best of Little Italy Dinner Tour: $92
- Carlton a Little Italy Dinner Tour: $93
- Chinese Dumpling Cooking Class with a Drink: $98
Entertainment
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Entertainment Entrance tickets, shows, etc.Xi'an $36Melbourne $27
Tours and Activities in Xi'an
Here are a few actual costs in Xi'an for available activities, ticket prices, and tours:
- Group Tour to the Terra-cotta Warriors Museum & Lunch : $65
- Private Half Day Tour to The Terracotta Warriors Museum: $88
- 1 Day Beijing to Xi'an Terracotta Warriors Tour by Air: $779
- 1 Day Private Tour to Terracotta Army & Huaqing Pool, No Shopping: $129
- 1 Day Xian Group Tour: Terracotta Warriors & City Wall: $138
- 1 day Adventure Tour of Mount Hua in Xi'an: $85
- 1 day Xi'an Culture and History Discovery Mini Group tour: $112
- 1-Day Xi'an City Highlights and Hanyangling Museum Private Tour: $100
- 1-Day Xi'an Terracotta Warriors Museum and Banpo Neolithic Village Museum Tour: $100
- 2 Day Private Terracotta Warriors and Mount Huashan Tour: $265
- 2 Days Beijing Xian Private Tour by Bullet Trains with Hotel: $287
- 2 Days Xian Customized Tour for Terracotta Warriors and More: $235
Tours and Activities in Melbourne
For Melbourne, here are a few prices for actual activities, tours, and tickets provided by various companies:
- Melbourne Scavenger Hunt and Highlights Self-Guided Tour: $4.81
- Melbourne (St Kilda) Scavenger Hunt and Sights Self-Guided Tour: $6.45
- Melbourne City Centre Scavenger Hunt and Sights Self-Guided Tour: $6.45
- Melbourne Vampire Quest: Self-Guided Gothic Adventure: $7.20
- Melbourne Self Guided Audio Experience: $9.00
- Melbourne Gardens Explorer Minibus Tour: $9.89
- Immigration Museum Entry Ticket: $9.89
- Scienceworks Entry Ticket: $9.89
- Questo Self-guided Haunted Melbourne Walking Tour: $11
- Melbourne Museum Entry Ticket: $12
- Upside Down House Photo Experience in Australia: $13
- Melbourne Museum Entry Ticket: $13
Alcohol
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Alcohol Drinks for one dayXi'an $7.34Melbourne $17
Sample the Local Flavors in Xi'an
Here are a few nightlife and alcohol tours and activities from local tour providers in Xi'an:
- Xi'an Bar Crawl: Drink, Gaming, Snacks & Meet with Locals: $29
Typical Alcohol Prices in Melbourne
Here are a few samples of the prices for alcohol and nightlife in Melbourne from other travelers:
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Bottle of Wine$5.07
Sample the Local Flavors in Melbourne
Also in Melbourne, these are the prices for nightlife and alcohol related activities from various tour providers:
- Melbourne Christmas Bar Crawl: $15
- Melbourne Pub Crawl (Batmania Tours): $19
- Weekly Bar Crawl: 5 Free shots, Club Entry: $20
- Melbourne Halloween Bar Crawl: $24
- Spirits and Ales Haunted Pub Walking Tour: $26
- MELBOURNE Spirits and Ales Haunted Pub Tour: $26
- Melbourne Music Venue Pub Crawl with History + 2 Free Drinks: $26
- Laid back, Yarra Valley Wine Tour: Wine, Cider, Gin, Beer + Choc: $87
- New Chocolate and wine tasting tour in the Yarra Valley: $89
- Cruise Ship Friendly Yarra Valley Wine Tour with Port Pickup: $114
- Yarra Valley: Bus Wine Tour with Lunch and a Glass of Wine: $115
- Yarra Valley Wine Tour & Lunch & Gin/Beer Option: $128
When we compare the travel costs of actual travelers between Xi'an and Melbourne, we can see that Melbourne is more expensive. And not only is Xi'an much less expensive, but it is actually a significantly cheaper destination. Since Xi'an is in Asia and Melbourne 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 Xi'an would let you spend less money overall. Or, you could decide to spend more money in Xi'an 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 Melbourne would naturally cost you much more money, so you would probably want to keep your budget a little tighter in Melbourne than you might in Xi'an.
If you're trying to decide if either of these two destinations are within your price range, also see Is Xi'an Expensive? and Is Melbourne Expensive?.
Which is Bigger, Xi'an or Melbourne?
Melbourne has a larger population, and is about 16% larger than the population of Xi'an. When comparing the sizes of Xi'an and Melbourne, 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.