A Travel Price Comparison for Families, Couples, and Backpackers Bagan vs. Aoraki Mount Cook for Vacations, Tours, and Honeymoons

Should you visit Bagan or Aoraki Mount Cook?

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 Bagan and Aoraki Mount Cook can help you decide which place is right for you.

Where Should I go: Bagan or Aoraki Mount Cook?

Bagan

Located in central Myanmar (formerly Burma), Bagan is an ancient city best known as the home to the largest and densest concentration of Buddhist temples, pagodas, stupas, and ruins in the world with many dating from the 11th and 12th centuries.

Aoraki Mount Cook

Aoraki Mount Cook National Park is located on the South Island of New Zealand. It was declared a national park in 1953 to protect and preserve the landscape. The park is home to the country's highest peak, Aoraki/Mount Cook. In Maori, Aoraki means, "cloud piercer", and the English name, Mt Cook, refers to the navigator James Cook, who discovered New Zealand in the 18th century. Mt Cook was the training location for Sir Edmund Hillary, who was the first person to summit Everest in 1953. Other peaks in the park include Mount Tasman, Mount Sefton, and Mount Hicks. Not only can you find lush greenery all over the park, but also, glaciers cover 40% of the parks area.

For some great organized tour ideas, see The Best One Week (7-Day) Tours in New Zealand, and The Best 2-Week Tours in New Zealand.


Which place is cheaper, Aoraki Mount Cook or Bagan?

These are the overall average travel costs for the two destinations.

The average daily cost (per person) in Bagan is $19, while the average daily cost in Aoraki Mount Cook is $112. 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 Bagan and Aoraki Mount Cook in more detail.



Accommodation
  • Accommodation Hotel or hostel for one person
    Bagan $4.76
    Aoraki Mount Cook $63
  • Accommodation Typical double-occupancy room
    Bagan $9.52
    Aoraki Mount Cook $126
Compare Hotels in Bagan and Aoraki Mount Cook

Looking for a hotel in Bagan or Aoraki Mount Cook? 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 Bagan


Hotels in Aoraki Mount Cook


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
  • Local Transportation Taxis, local buses, subway, etc.
    Bagan $2.31
    Aoraki Mount Cook $29

Hired Cars and Shuttles in Bagan

Some specific examples of transportation prices in Bagan:

  • From Bagan City To Mandalay Private Transfer: $150
  • Private Departure Transfer: Hotel to Bagan Nyaung-U Airport (NYU): $14

Hired Cars and Shuttles in Aoraki Mount Cook

Also for Aoraki Mount Cook, here are a few examples of actual transportation services:

  • Private Transfer from Dunedin City Hotels to Chalmers Cruise Port: $45

Is it cheaper to fly into Bagan or Aoraki Mount Cook?

Prices for flights to both Aoraki Mount Cook and Bagan 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
    Bagan $3.85
    Aoraki Mount Cook $28

Food Tours and Cooking Classes in Bagan

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

  • Romantic Sunset Dinner At Bagan Viewing Tower: $91

Entertainment
  • Entertainment Entrance tickets, shows, etc.
    Bagan $37
    Aoraki Mount Cook $25

Tours and Activities in Bagan

Here are a few actual costs in Bagan for available activities, ticket prices, and tours:

  • Acient Capitals of Myanmar Tour: $149
  • BAGAN TEMPLES FULL DAY GUIDED BY ELECTRIC BIKE ( Private Tour ): $64
  • Bagan Classics Private Temples Tour: $159
  • Bagan Instagram Photo Tour: $179
  • Bagan Sightseeing Tour with Horse Cart: $86
  • Bagan and Mount Popa Private Tour (2 Days): $90
  • Best Bagan One Day Tour With Tour Guide: $48
  • Day Cruise Bagan to Mandalay: $31
  • Excellent Private Guided Tour Around Bagan With Lunch: $88
  • Faces of Bagan Private Photography Tour: $199
  • Full Day tour In Bagan UNESCO World Heritage: $50
  • Full day Adventure Trip to Mt. Popa & Salay: $65

Tours and Activities in Aoraki Mount Cook

Also, here are some specific examples of entertainment, tickets, and activities for Aoraki Mount Cook.

  • Half-Day Self-Guided Ride and Wine Bike Tour from Arrowtown: $63
  • Half-Day Guided Sea Kayaking Tour from Anakiwa: $69
  • Mt Cook to Queenstown Small Group Tour (One-Way): $111
  • From Christchurch: Mount Cook One-Way Discovery Tour: $123
  • Mt Cook to Christchurch One-Way Small Group Tour via Lake Tekapo: $127
  • Mt Cook to Lake Tekapo One-Way Small Group Tour: $127
  • Mt Cook Small Group Tour from Queenstown with Optional Activities : $159
  • Mt Cook & Hooker Valley Hike Small Group Tour from Queenstown: $159
  • Mount Cook to Queenstown Day Tour: $169
  • Day Tours from Mount Cook: $175
  • (MT) Mount Cook & Lake Tekapo Day Tour from Christchurch: $216
  • Mt Cook Tour: Finish at Christchurch, Queenstown or Dunedin: $923

Alcohol
  • Alcohol Drinks for one day
    Bagan -
    Aoraki Mount Cook $22

Sample the Local Flavors in Aoraki Mount Cook

Here are a few nightlife and alcohol tours and activities from local tour providers in Aoraki Mount Cook:

  • Kinross Winery: Pinot Noir Wine Tasting Experience: $29
  • Kinross Winery: Valli Wine Tasting Experience: $29
  • Kinross Winery: Wild Irishman Wine Tasting Experience: $48
  • Kinross Winery: Premium Central Otago Wine Tasting Experience: $48


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

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