Should you visit Kaikoura or Dunedin?
Should I visit Kaikoura or Dunedin? This is a common question asked by many travelers. By figuring out which city is more affordable, you'll understand where you can get more bang for your buck. So, let's dive into the data, which all comes from actual travelers.
Kaikoura
Kaikoura is a town on the east coast of the South Island, situated between Christchurch and Belnheim. It has a permanent resident population of 1,971. The Seaward Kaikoura Mountains that surround this town collide with the Pacific Ocean, and the continental shelf edge is just offshore. The ocean in Kaikoura is very rich in marine life, especially seals and whales.
Dunedin
Dunedin is the second largest city on the South Island of New Zealand. It is situated on the southeast coast and is largely Scottish in its heritage. It is part of the Otago region and has mild temperatures during the spring and summer, but extremely cold temperatures during the end of fall and winter. Dunedin is a university town; The University of Otago is the oldest in New Zealand, established in 1869. The students make up over a tenth of the entire city's population.
Which city is cheaper, Dunedin or Kaikoura?
These are the overall average travel costs for the two destinations.
The average daily cost (per person) in Kaikoura is $129, while the average daily cost in Dunedin is $98. 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 Kaikoura and Dunedin in more detail.
Accommodation
If you're traveling alone, you may be able to find a budget hotel or hostel for around $46. But for two people in a standard two-person hotel room in Kaikoura the cost is $92 on average.
If you're traveling alone, you may be able to find a budget hotel or hostel for around $49. But for two people in a standard two-person hotel room in Dunedin the cost is $98 on average.
Food
The average traveler spends about $36 per day in Kaikoura for food, but obviously this is dependent on the type of restaurant and the amount of food ordered. To save money you can grab a lighter lunch or dinner, or you can try fast food or street food.
In Dunedin travelers spend around $27 a day on food. You can save money by choosing casual restaurants or food stalls, or you can spend plenty more by dining in nicer restaurants at every meal.
-
Food
Meals for one day
Kaikoura $36
Dunedin $27
Food Tours and Cooking Classes in Kaikoura
Also, here are some specific examples of food and dining related activities in Kaikoura.
-
Queenstown Skyline Gondola and Luge Ride with Optional Buffet Lunch or Dinner:
$47
-
Taste Auckland Group Food Tour:
$98
-
Auckland Harbour Dinner Cruise:
$102
-
Sunset / Night Kayak to Rangitoto Island with BBQ Dinner:
$138
-
Queenstown Wine and Food Tour:
$141
Food Tours and Cooking Classes in Dunedin
Also, here are some specific examples of food and dining related activities in Dunedin.
-
Queenstown Skyline Gondola and Luge Ride with Optional Buffet Lunch or Dinner:
$47
-
Taste Auckland Group Food Tour:
$98
-
Auckland Harbour Dinner Cruise:
$102
-
Sunset / Night Kayak to Rangitoto Island with BBQ Dinner:
$138
-
Queenstown Wine and Food Tour:
$141
Local Transportation
The average price of local transportation around Kaikoura is $17 per person, per day. As this average includes both taxis and public transport, keep in mind that the prices of private drivers and taxis are significantly more expensive than public transportation.
While taxis and private drivers typically cost much more than public transportation, people usually spend around $26 per day to get around in Dunedin.
Hired Cars and Shuttles in Kaikoura
Some specific examples of transportation prices in Kaikoura:
-
SEA LIFE Kelly Tarlton's Aquarium Entry Ticket and Auckland Airport (AKL) Express Transfer:
$40
-
Private Luxury Transfers to Coronet Peak:
$375
-
Private Luxury Transfers to The Remarkables:
$445
-
Private Return Transfers from Queenstown to Coronet Peak:
$389
-
Private Return Transfers from Queenstown to The Remarkables:
$431
-
Private Transfers to Cardrona Ski Field or Treble Cone Ski Field:
$629
-
Shared Queenstown Airport (ZQN) Transfers for Queenstown CBD:
$11
-
Shared and Private Auckland Airport (AKL) Transfers to/from Auckland CBD:
$18
-
Shared and Private Christchurch Airport (CHC) Transfers for Christchurch CBD:
$13
-
Shared and Private Dunedin Airport (DUD) Transfers for Dunedin CBD:
$14
-
Shared and Private Nelson Airport (NSN) Transfers for Nelson CBD:
$7.09
-
Shared and Private Rotorua Airport (ROT) Transfers for Rotorua CBD:
$16
Hired Cars and Shuttles in Dunedin
Some specific examples of transportation prices in Dunedin:
-
Shared and Private Nelson Airport (NSN) Transfers for Nelson CBD:
$7.09
-
SkyBus Auckland Airport (AKL) Express Transfer Ticket:
$11
-
Shared and Private Wellington Airport (WLG) Transfers for Wellington CBD:
$11
-
Shared Queenstown Airport (ZQN) Transfers for Queenstown CBD:
$11
-
Shared and Private Christchurch Airport (CHC) Transfers for Christchurch CBD:
$13
-
Shared and Private Dunedin Airport (DUD) Transfers for Dunedin CBD:
$14
-
Shared and Private Rotorua Airport (ROT) Transfers for Rotorua CBD:
$16
-
Arrival Transfer: Dunedin Airport to Central Dunedin City Centre Hotels:
$17
-
Departure Transfer: Dunedin Central City Centre Hotels to Dunedin Airport:
$17
-
Shared and Private Auckland Airport (AKL) Transfers to/from Auckland CBD:
$18
-
SEA LIFE Kelly Tarlton's Aquarium Entry Ticket and Auckland Airport (AKL) Express Transfer:
$40
-
Private Luxury Transfers to Coronet Peak:
$375
Is it cheaper to fly into Kaikoura or Dunedin?
Prices for flights to both Dunedin and Kaikoura 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
Kaikoura's costs for entertainment, tickets, attractions, and tours will often cost around $146 per person, per day. This cost can vary widely by the type of activity, however, as this includes admission tickets, day tours, museums, and other things to do.
Activities, things to do, and other forms of entertainment usually cost around $16 per person, per day in Dunedin. This cost includes the price of admission tickets to attractions and museums as well as daily tours.
Tours and Activities in Kaikoura
Some specific costs of activities, tours, and entrance tickets for Kaikoura are as follows:
-
Time Tripper Queenstown Virtual Journey Through Time Experience:
$7.09
-
Te Papa Museum Ticket in Wellington:
$11
-
Devonport Ferry Tickets in Auckland:
$11
-
Putt and Glow Indoor Mini Golf Experience in Queenstown:
$12
-
Waikite Valley Thermal Pools Entry Ticket:
$14
-
Hamilton Gardens Guided Walking Tour:
$14
-
Auckland Zoo Ticket:
$16
-
3D Trick Art Gallery Entry Ticket:
$16
-
SheepWorld Admission Ticket:
$16
-
Puzzling World Ticket in Wanaka:
$17
-
Rotorua Heritage Farm Tour:
$17
-
Waitangi Treaty Grounds Experience Pass in Bay of Islands:
$18
Tours and Activities in Dunedin
Here are a few actual costs in Dunedin for available activities, ticket prices, and tours:
-
Otago Peninsula's remote and craggy coastline driving audio tour:
$5.00
-
Time Tripper Queenstown Virtual Journey Through Time Experience:
$7.09
-
Dunedin's Renowned OCHO Chocolate Tasting Experience:
$8.89
-
Te Papa Museum Ticket in Wellington:
$11
-
Devonport Ferry Tickets in Auckland:
$11
-
Putt and Glow Indoor Mini Golf Experience in Queenstown:
$12
-
Hamilton Gardens Guided Walking Tour:
$14
-
Waikite Valley Thermal Pools Entry Ticket:
$14
-
Self-Guided Street Art Adventure Game in Dunedin | The Tagger's Influence:
$15
-
Self-Guided City Adventure Game in Dunedin | The Tailor's Secrets:
$15
-
Self-Guided City Adventure Game in Dunedin | The Temporal Incident:
$15
-
3D Trick Art Gallery Entry Ticket:
$16
Alcohol
While the amount that someone spends on alcohol while visiting Dunedin may vary from person to person, on average a person spends $13 per day on alcoholic beverages.
Sample the Local Flavors in Kaikoura
Also in Kaikoura, these are the prices for nightlife and alcohol related activities from various tour providers:
-
Sip Marlborough Wine Tour:
$69
-
Wine Tours from Queenstown:
$71
-
Gibbston Valley Ride and Wine Tours:
$88
-
Bubbly Grape Marlborough Wine Tours:
$92
-
Afternoon Brewery Tour with Lunch in Queenstown:
$117
-
Wine Tasting Sampler Tour from Queenstown:
$119
-
Queenstown’s Original Wine Tour:
$119
-
Taste Marlborough Wine Tour:
$138
-
Queenstown E-Bikes Wine Tour:
$147
-
Spa and Wine Tasting Experience in Queenstown:
$293
-
Queenstown Private Helicopter and Wine Tour:
$672
Sample the Local Flavors in Dunedin
Here are a few nightlife and alcohol tours and activities from local tour providers in Dunedin:
-
Speight's Brewery Guided Tour with Tasting:
$18
-
Speight Brewery Small Group Guided Tour from Dunedin:
$19
-
Sip Marlborough Wine Tour:
$69
-
Wine Tours from Queenstown:
$71
-
Gibbston Valley Ride and Wine Tours:
$88
-
Bubbly Grape Marlborough Wine Tours:
$92
-
Afternoon Brewery Tour with Lunch in Queenstown:
$117
-
Wine Tasting Sampler Tour from Queenstown:
$119
-
Queenstown’s Original Wine Tour:
$119
-
Taste Marlborough Wine Tour:
$138
-
Queenstown E-Bikes Wine Tour:
$147
-
Spa and Wine Tasting Experience in Queenstown:
$293
When we compare the travel costs of actual travelers between Kaikoura and Dunedin, we can see that Kaikoura is more expensive. And not only is Dunedin much less expensive, but it is actually a significantly cheaper destination. So, traveling to Dunedin would let you spend less money overall. Or, you could decide to spend more money in Dunedin 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 Kaikoura would naturally cost you much more money, so you would probably want to keep your budget a little tighter in Kaikoura than you might in Dunedin.
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