Which place is cheaper, Shangri-La or Auckland?
These are the overall average travel costs for the two destinations.
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Should you visit Auckland or Shangri-La?
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 Auckland and Shangri-La can help you decide which place is right for you.
Where Should I go: Auckland or Shangri-La?
Auckland
Auckland is located on the North Island of New Zealand on an isthmus between the Northland Peninsula and the other parts of the North Island. Auckland is not only a city but also a region. In 2010 New Zealand combined what had previously been four separate cities into one region. These cities include the southern city of Manukau, the western city of Waitakere, the North Shore in the north, and Auckland City. The City of Auckland is the largest city in Polynesia and is very diverse with many expatriates from elsewhere in Polynesia. This diversity becomes most apparent in Auckland's many festivals and sporting events.
Shangri-La
The original Shangri-La existed in the fictional world of James Hilton's novel "The Lost Horizon." It was a hidden paradise, a place so beautiful that it couldn't possibly exist on earth. The Shangri-La that exists in Yunnan, China today was renamed from its former title Zhongdian in 2001 in order to associate the place with the mystical allure created in Hilton's novel. Visitors come to admire the traditional monasteries and temples set against a backdrop of mountain preserves and pristine lakes.
For some great organized tour ideas, see The Best Wildlife Tours to New Zealand, The Best Hiking & Trekking Tours in New Zealand, The Best 2-Week Tours from Beijing, and The Best Family-Friendly Tours to China.
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Average Daily Cost Per person, per dayAuckland $149Shangri-La $48
The average daily cost (per person) in Auckland is $149, while the average daily cost in Shangri-La is $48. 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 Auckland and Shangri-La in more detail.
Accommodation
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Accommodation Hotel or hostel for one personAuckland $93Shangri-La $19
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Accommodation Typical double-occupancy roomAuckland $186Shangri-La $38
Compare Hotels in Auckland and Shangri-La
Looking for a hotel in Auckland or Shangri-La? 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: Auckland Hotel Prices.
Local Transportation
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Local Transportation Taxis, local buses, subway, etc.Auckland $17Shangri-La $11
Typical Local Transportation Prices in Auckland
Below are a few samples from actual travelers for transportation costs in Auckland:
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Bus from Airport$10
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Airport Shuttle$16
Hired Cars and Shuttles in Auckland
Also for Auckland, here are a few examples of actual transportation services:
- Departure Transfer: Auckland Central City Centre to Auckland Airport: $26
- Private 1-Way Transfer to/from Airport: $27
- Auckland:City Hotel Transfers to/from Cruise Ship in Minivan: $27
- [Stevong] 24 HRs Auckland Airport Transfer (Hotel <-> Airport): $37
- Private Transfer from Auckland Cruise Port to Auckland city: $40
- Auckland Airport (AKL) to Downtown hotels - Arrival Private Transfer: $42
- Cheap airport transfer: $55
- Private Transfer from Auckland Port to Auckland Airport (AKL): $56
- Try find your better than us ! Airport transfer service Auckland HTL-APT (AKL): $58
- Private Transfer From Auckland City To Auckland Airport Oaks: $59
- Private Transfer From Auckland Airport Oaks To Auckland City: $59
- Auckland:Private 1 way Airport transfer to/from CBD Minivan: $61
Hired Cars and Shuttles in Shangri-La
Some specific examples of transportation prices in Shangri-La:
- Private Transfer from Shangri-la(Diqing) hotel to Lijiang/Shuhe hotel : $149
- Private Transfer from Shangri-La to Lijiang and Stops at Tiger Leaping Gorge: $160
Is it cheaper to fly into Auckland or Shangri-La?
Prices for flights to both Shangri-La and Auckland 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 dayAuckland $28Shangri-La $19
Typical Food Prices in Auckland
For Auckland, here are some examples of average food and meal prices for travelers:
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Breakfast$5.07
Food Tours and Cooking Classes in Auckland
For Auckland, here are some samples of tours and activities related to meals and dining experiences:
- Auckland:: Japanese Home Cooking: $80
- Auckland Harbour 3-Course Dinner Cruise with Welcome Drink: $98
- Auckland Harbour Sailboat Cruise Including Three Course Dinner: $99
- Flavours of the City Walking Food Tour: $107
- Private Street Food Tour of Auckland with a Local Guide: $162
Entertainment
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Entertainment Entrance tickets, shows, etc.Auckland $29Shangri-La $16
Typical Entertainment Prices in Auckland
Below are a few sample prices from actual travelers for Auckland's activities, tours, and tickets:
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Auckland Sky Tour (for 2)$35
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Waiheke Island Tour (for 2)$128
Tours and Activities in Auckland
For Auckland, here are a few prices for actual activities, tours, and tickets provided by various companies:
- Auckland Self-Guided Audio Tour: $14
- Maritime Museum Entry Ticket: $15
- Join the locals: 2-Hour Precinct Tour of Dealer Art Galleries: $16
- Auckland War Memorial Museum Entry Ticket: $20
- Skip the Line: Auckland Museum General Admission Entry Ticket: $20
- Skip the Line: Odyssey Sensory Maze Entry Auckland Ticket: $20
- Auckland Takapuna: Escape Game Adventure: $24
- Auckland CBD: Escape Game Adventure: $24
- Auckland Sky Tower General Admission Ticket : $29
- All Blacks Experience - 'A New Zealand Experience': $36
- Wētā Workshop Unleashed Tour: $40
- Hop-On Hop-Off Explorer Bus Ticket: $40
Tours and Activities in Shangri-La
Some specific costs of activities, tours, and entrance tickets for Shangri-La are as follows:
- 1 Day Shangri-la City Tour with Pudacuo National Park: $209
- 1-Day Shangri-La Private Tour: Potatso National Park and Baiji Temple: $169
- 1-Day Shangri-La Tour to Ganden Monastery, Nixi Pottery Village and Tibetan Town: $185
- 1-Day Shangri-La tour with Ganden Monastery, Napahai Lake and Tibetan Town: $190
- Private tour Songzanlin Monastry & Tibetan lunch from Zhongdian: $199
Alcohol
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Alcohol Drinks for one dayAuckland $14Shangri-La $13
Sample the Local Flavors in Auckland
Also in Auckland, these are the prices for nightlife and alcohol related activities from various tour providers:
- Ultimate Late Night Bar Crawl: $21
- Full-Day Wine Tasting Tour in Auckland with 3-Course Vineyard Lunch: $106
- Waiheke Island: Scenic Wine Tour Tasting Wines on Waiheke: $113
- Waiheke Island: The Essence of Waiheke Wine Tour: $144
- Waiheke Island: Tour with Wine Tastings and Restaurant Lunch: $153
- From Waiheke Island Wine Tasting Tour with Lunch: $156
- Waiheke Island Gourmet Food and Wine Tour with Platter Lunch: $168
- Kumeu Wine Tour: $171
- Kumeu Wineries / Brewery : $177
- From Small Group Kumeu Wine Tour with Lunch: $183
- Small-Group Kumeu Wine Country Tour with Wine Tastings & Lunch: $186
- Scenic Wine Tastings Tour with Lunch: $214
When we compare the travel costs of actual travelers between Auckland and Shangri-La, we can see that Auckland is more expensive. And not only is Shangri-La much less expensive, but it is actually a significantly cheaper destination. Since Auckland is in Pacific and Shangri-La is in Asia, 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 Shangri-La would let you spend less money overall. Or, you could decide to spend more money in Shangri-La 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 Auckland would naturally cost you much more money, so you would probably want to keep your budget a little tighter in Auckland than you might in Shangri-La.
If you're trying to decide if either of these two destinations are within your price range, also see Is Auckland Expensive? and Is Shangri-La Expensive?.
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.