Which place is cheaper, Aoraki Mount Cook or Chengdu?
These are the overall average travel costs for the two destinations.
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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 Adventure Tours to New Zealand, and The Best Eco Tours in New Zealand.
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Average Daily Cost Per person, per dayChengdu $52Aoraki Mount Cook $112
The average daily cost (per person) in Chengdu is $52, 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 Chengdu and Aoraki Mount Cook in more detail.
Accommodation
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Accommodation Hotel or hostel for one personChengdu $21Aoraki Mount Cook $63
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Accommodation Typical double-occupancy roomChengdu $42Aoraki Mount Cook $126
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.
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
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Local Transportation Taxis, local buses, subway, etc.Chengdu $6.09Aoraki Mount Cook $29
Hired Cars and Shuttles in Chengdu
Some specific examples of transportation prices in Chengdu:
- 1-Day Chengdu Layover Tour: Panda Base, city central with Round Airport Transfer: $240
- Chengdu Panda & Giant Buddha Day Tour With Private Transfer: $240
- 1-Day Chengdu Layover Tour: Leshan Giant buddha with Round Airport Transfer: $205
- Downtown to Leshan round way transfer for one day service: $172
- Private Transfer from Chengdu to TFU or CTU Airport: $171
- Private Transfer from Chengdu to Sanxingdui Museum: $143
- Private Transfer from Chengdu Downtown to Airport: $140
- Private Transfer to Leshan Giant Buddha: $138
- Chengdu Tianfu Airport Private Transfer: $119
- Round-Trip Private Transfer between Emei Shan and Chengdu City: $113
- Arrival Transfer Chengdu Airport CTU to Chengdu by Luxury Sedan: $91
- Chengdu panda ticket with one way private transfer: $70
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 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
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Food Meals for one dayChengdu $22Aoraki Mount Cook $28
Food Tours and Cooking Classes in Chengdu
Also, here are some specific examples of food and dining related activities in Chengdu.
- Sichuan Opera Face-Changing Show And Hotpot Dinner Evening Tour: $40
- Discovery more Chengdu evening food tour with locals : $55
- Eat with Locals Chengdu Dinner Tour : $61
- Tuktuk Food Tour Through Chengdu's Local Eats: $69
- Half-Day Professional Mapo Tofu Cooking Class with Local Spice Market Visit: $69
- Half Day Chengdu Tofu Making Class with Mapo Tofu Cooking: $72
- Half day Sichuan Cuisine Cooking Class Tour(Cooking 3 dishes): $75
- Half-Day Chengdu Cooking Class with Local Market Visit: $75
- Chengdu Evening Food Tour: $76
- Tuk Tuk Food Tour with Unlimited Beer and Soda: $79
- Half-Day Chinese Bun Cooking Class with Local Spice Market Visit: $80
- Spicy Local Food Tour through Chengdu: $80
Entertainment
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Entertainment Entrance tickets, shows, etc.Chengdu $16Aoraki Mount Cook $25
Tours and Activities in Chengdu
Here are a few actual costs in Chengdu for available activities, ticket prices, and tours:
- 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 In Chengdu: $90
- Private Chengdu Panda Base and Sichuan Cuisine Museum Day Tour: $120
- Private Chengdu day Tour of panda base with Leshan giant Buddha: $298
- Private Full Day Chengdu Panda Base and Jinsha Site Museum Tour: $136
- Private Leshan Buddha Day Tour with Local Market visiting: $160
- 1 Day Wolong Panda Nature Reserve Tour: $218
- 1 day Chengdu City Highlights Mini Group tour: $102
- 1-Day Chengdu Ancient History and Culture City Tour: $179
- 1-Day Chengdu Cultural Discovery:Jinsha,Shu Brocade Museum & Dufu Cottage Tour : $189
- 1-Day Chengdu Leshan Giant Buddha Private Tour With the Lunch and Boat tour: $242
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
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Alcohol Drinks for one dayChengdu $4.04Aoraki 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 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?.
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.