Should you visit Arrowtown or Cromwell?
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 Arrowtown and Cromwell can help you decide which place is right for you.
Arrowtown
Historically, Arrowtown is an old gold mining town that is located on the South Island of New Zealand. The town was established during the Otago gold rush of 1862. It is very close to Queenstown, which is a very popular destination among travelers, and it is definitely worth visiting if you are in the Otago region of New Zealand. It is a very tiny town, with a population of just over 2,000 people. The town has a lot of character and history and is a perfect place to go if you wish to get out of the touristy areas like Queenstown.
Cromwell
Cromwell is a town in the Otago region of the South Island of New Zealand. It is situated between two of the main highways on the South Island and is close to Queenstown and Wanaka. Luckily, the town is surrounded by Lake Dunstan, which is good for those who love being near water as Cromwell is the furthest point from the sea in the entire country.
Which city is cheaper, Cromwell or Arrowtown?
These are the overall average travel costs for the two destinations.
The average daily cost (per person) in Arrowtown is $105, while the average daily cost in Cromwell is $75. 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 city. Below is a breakdown of travel costs for Arrowtown and Cromwell in more detail.
Accommodation
Double occupancy rooms typically run around $122 in Arrowtown For nicer amenities and a premiere location, you can expect to pay a bit more.
Travelers usually pay around $70 for a double occupancy room in Cromwell If you want to be in a premiere location or have high end amenities, you can expect to pay a bit more.
Food
Food in Arrowtown costs travelers about $28 per day on average. Restaurants can vary significantly in price, so choose wisely if you're trying to save money. Fast food and street stalls are typically your cheapest options, which sit down restaurants can be significantly more expensive.
While meal prices in Cromwell can vary, the average travelers spends about $24 per day on food. Based on the spending habits of previous travelers, when dining out, an average meal in Cromwell should cost around $9.60 per person. Breakfast prices are usually a little cheaper than lunch or dinner. The price of food in sit-down restaurants in Cromwell is often higher than fast food prices or street food prices.
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Food
Meals for one day
Arrowtown $28
Cromwell $24
Local Transportation
To get around in Arrowtown, the average visitor spends $25 per day, per person. This includes the costs of taxi rides and private drivers as well as public transportation, which tends to be much more affordable.
Public transportation tends to be much less expensive in Cromwell than paying for a taxi or private car service, as is expected. Typically, people spend $23 on transportation in Cromwell on average per day.
Is it cheaper to fly into Arrowtown or Cromwell?
Prices for flights to both Cromwell and Arrowtown 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.
Entertainment
In Arrowtown, the costs for things to do, activities, admission tickets, and other sightseeing expenses are on average $13 per person, per day.
Sightseeing expenses in Cromwell, including the cost of admission tickets for day tours, museums, and attractions, usually cost an average of $15 per day, per person.
Tours and Activities in Arrowtown
For Arrowtown, here are a few prices for actual activities, tours, and tickets provided by various companies:
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Queenstown: Self-Guided Biking Experience from Arrowtown:
$31
Tours and Activities in Cromwell
Also, here are some specific examples of entertainment, tickets, and activities for Cromwell.
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Go Karts - Highlands Motorsport and Tourism Park:
$37
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Highlands Taxi - Highlands Motorsport and Tourism Park:
$98
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Mustang V8 U-Drive - Highlands Motorsport and Tourism Park:
$300
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Radical U-Drive - Highlands Motorsport and Tourism Park:
$326
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Supercar Fast Dash - Highlands Motorsport and Tourism Park:
$136
Alcohol
Typically, people visiting Arrowtown spend on average $12 on alcoholic beverages per person, per day.
Alcoholic beverages can often be a significant portion of a traveler's budget, and the costs can vary greatly from person to person. In Cromwell, the average amount that a visitor spends on alcoholic beverages per day is $8.37.
Sample the Local Flavors in Cromwell
Also in Cromwell, these are the prices for nightlife and alcohol related activities from various tour providers:
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THE TIGER TOUR - Full-Day Guided Wine Tour of the Central Otago Wine Region.:
$186
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Wine Tasting at Altitude:
$1,111
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Heli Jeep Wine Tour from Cromwell, Central Otago:
$2,371
When we compare the travel costs of actual travelers between Arrowtown and Cromwell, we can see that Arrowtown is more expensive. And not only is Cromwell much less expensive, but it is actually a significantly cheaper destination. So, traveling to Cromwell would let you spend less money overall. Or, you could decide to spend more money in Cromwell 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 Arrowtown would naturally cost you much more money, so you would probably want to keep your budget a little tighter in Arrowtown than you might in Cromwell.
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