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

Should you visit Chengdu or Aoraki Mount Cook?

Which is cheaper to visit? Which is more expensive for vacation?

Which city should you visit? Read on to compare the activities as well as the prices of travel for Chengdu and Aoraki Mount Cook. We'll break down costs for accommodation, food, transportation and more to help you learn more about these two destinations. Then, you can figure out if either of these two places are accessible based on your travel budget, schedule, and interests. So, let's dig into it.

Where Should I go: Chengdu or Aoraki Mount Cook?

Chengdu

Chengdu is in China's Sichuan Provence and is in what is known as the Red Basin. It is a particularly fertile region in China that is known for its agriculture. For this reason it is sometimes referred to as the "Land of Milk and Honey". The Funan River cuts through the city but has almost no boat traffic anymore. The city itself has a wonderful relaxed vibe compared to the rest of China and is filled with green parks and places to relax. It is considered one of the most livable cities in China.

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 Cultural Tours in China, The Best Luxury Tours to China, The Best Romantic Tours for Couples in New Zealand, and The Best Luxury Tours to New Zealand.


Which place is cheaper, Aoraki Mount Cook or Chengdu?

These are the overall average travel costs for the two destinations. These travel costs come from the actual spending of real travelers.

The average daily cost (per person) in Chengdu is $67, while the average daily cost in Aoraki Mount Cook is $124. 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 Chengdu and Aoraki Mount Cook in more detail.



Accommodation
  • Accommodation Hotel or hostel for one person
    Chengdu $21
    Aoraki Mount Cook $59
  • Accommodation Typical double-occupancy room
    Chengdu $42
    Aoraki Mount Cook $118
Compare Hotels in Chengdu and Aoraki Mount Cook

Looking for a hotel in Chengdu 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 Chengdu


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.
    Chengdu $6.02
    Aoraki Mount Cook $27

Hired Cars and Shuttles in Chengdu

Some specific examples of transportation prices in Chengdu:

  • Chengdu 3-Day Self-Guided Jiuzhaigou&Huanglong with Transfer: $412
  • Algou Valley Hiking Tour with Roundtrip Transfer: $289
  • Chengdu Airport to Hotel: Private Transfer for up to 40 pax: $230
  • 1-Day Chengdu Layover Tour: Leshan Giant buddha with Round Airport Transfer: $205
  • Private Transfer from Chengdu to Mount Emei and Stops at Leshan Giant Buddha: $160
  • Leshan Buddha Optional Tours w/ Transfer or Guide: $156
  • Chengdu Private Round Trip Transfer to Emei Mountain: $128
  • Chengdu Airport to Hotel: Private Transfer for up to 5 pax: $120
  • Round-Trip Private Transfer between Emei Shan and Chengdu City: $113
  • Private Airport Transfer – Chengdu Tianfu: $110
  • Downtown to Sichuan Opera round way transfer: $99
  • Sichuan Face Changing Opera With Door to Door Private Transfer: $75

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

Prices for flights to both Aoraki Mount Cook and Chengdu 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
    Chengdu $38
    Aoraki Mount Cook $46

Food Tours and Cooking Classes in Chengdu

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

  • Chengdu Night: VIP Seat Opera Show or Back Alley Food Tour: $40
  • Discovery more Chengdu evening food tour with locals : $55
  • Chengdu Hidden Street Food Tour Spice Trails: $60
  • Eat Like a Local! Food Tour in the Hidden Alleys: $67
  • Tuktuk Food Tour Through Chengdu's Local Eats: $69
  • Half-Day Professional Mapo Tofu Cooking with a Local Market Visit: $69
  • Market Tour and Sichuan Cooking Class: $70
  • Half-Day Chengdu Cooking Class with a Local Market Visit: $75
  • Half day Sichuan Cuisine Cooking Class Tour(Cooking 3 dishes): $75
  • Evening Food Tour with Local Guide: $78
  • Chengdu Evening Food Tour: $79
  • Half-Day Private Hot-Pot Cooking Class with a Local Market Visit: $80

Entertainment
  • Entertainment Entrance tickets, shows, etc.
    Chengdu $16
    Aoraki Mount Cook $23

Tours and Activities in Chengdu

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

  • 3-Hour Private Tour of Antique Furniture and Flea Market : $51
  • Chengdu Leshan Buddha and Drop off off Railway Station Day Tour: $226
  • Chengdu Private Day Tour to the Leshan Giant Buddha and Huanglongxi Old Town: $248
  • Chinese Traditional Massage Experience with Healthy Lunch: $68
  • Dujiangyan Irrigation System and Panda Base Day tour: $238
  • Private Chengdu Panda Base and Sichuan Cuisine Museum Day Tour: $120
  • Private Day Tour Chengdu Panda Base and The Leshan Giant Buddha: $230
  • Private Full Day Chengdu Panda Base and Jinsha Site Museum Tour: $136
  • Private Leshan Buddha Day Tour with Local Market visiting: $227
  • 1 Day Panda Breeding Center Plus Chengdu City Tour: $175
  • 1 Day Tea Trip in Mount Mengding with Tea Making Experience: $135
  • 1 Day Wolong Panda Nature Reserve Tour: $218

Tours and Activities in Aoraki Mount Cook

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

  • Moeraki Boulders Self Guided Audio Tour: $5.99
  • Gibbston Valley Wines - Cave Tour : $17
  • Guided Tour with Cheese & Wine Pairing: $21
  • Twizel Stargazing Experience with a Guide (Carbon Positive): $59
  • Half-Day Self-Guided Ride and Wine Bike Tour from Arrowtown: $59
  • Queenstown Sightseeing Tour: Highlights of Queenstown: $89
  • Tekapo to Mt. Cook National Park Day Tour with Driver: $97
  • Mt Cook to Lake Tekapo Small Group Tour (one-way): $98
  • Mt Cook to Christchurch One-Way Small Group Tour via Lake Tekapo: $107
  • Mt Cook to Queenstown Small Group Tour (One-Way): $107
  • Day Tours from Mount Cook: $119
  • Mt Cook Small Group Scenic Day Tour from Queenstown: $149

Alcohol
  • Alcohol Drinks for one day
    Chengdu $3.99
    Aoraki Mount Cook $20

Sample the Local Flavors in Chengdu

Also in Chengdu, these are the prices for nightlife and alcohol related activities from various tour providers:

  • Tipsy Travel: Chengdu Local Food and Bar Crawl Night Tour : $128

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: Classic Central Otago Wine Tasting Experience: $15
  • Gibbston Valley Wine Tour - Self-Guided Audio Tour: $24
  • Kinross Winery: Premium Central Otago Wine Tasting Experience: $45


When we compare the travel costs of actual travelers between Chengdu and Aoraki Mount Cook, we can see that Aoraki Mount Cook is more expensive. And not only is Chengdu much less expensive, but it is actually a significantly cheaper destination. Since Chengdu 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 Chengdu would let you spend less money overall. Or, you could decide to spend more money in Chengdu 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 Chengdu.

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