Which place is cheaper, Queenstown or Lima?
These are the overall average travel costs for the two destinations. These travel costs come from the actual spending of real travelers.
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Should you visit Lima or Queenstown?
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 Lima and Queenstown. 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: Lima or Queenstown?
Lima
Lima, the capital city of Peru, is likely to be your point of entry for the country. Lima was founded in 1535 and was the seat of the Spanish rule for 300 years. It's a surprisingly modern city despite its rich history, but many beautiful churches and colonial architecture remain today. There are also large slum areas that highlight the poverty that exists in the city. The city and its surrounding metropolitan area have a population of about 8.5 million people, many of whom came from the Andes Mountains in search of work. Unfortunately the work opportunities are limited and the poverty is obvious as you arrive in Lima.
Queenstown
Queenstown is a popular tourist destination on New Zealand's South Island. It is beautifully surrounded by the Southern Alps and sits on the banks of Lake Wakatipu. Across the lake you will find a stunning view of the Remarkables, a dramatic mountain range. The town itself is quite touristy, but prices still remain reasonable. There are options for all travel budgets, whether you're a backpacker hoping to save a few dollars or a family looking for some luxury accommodation. Despite its natural and tranquil setting, Queenstown is actually very much a party town, particularly during the peak seasons. Don't be surprised to find people out enjoying themselves until the early hours of the morning. If you're not into the party scene and are hoping to get a decent night's sleep, consider staying a little outside of town. About an hour outside of Queenstown you'll find Wanaka, which is a much smaller and peaceful town without the party scene.
For some great organized tour ideas, see Tours for Outdoor and Nature Lovers in Peru, The Best Adventure Tours to Peru, The Best Bicycle Tours in New Zealand, and Tours for Outdoor and Nature Lovers in New Zealand.
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Lima Prices
Peru PricesQueenstown Prices
New Zealand Prices -
Average Daily Cost Per person, per dayLima $97Queenstown $131
The average daily cost (per person) in Lima is $97, while the average daily cost in Queenstown is $131. 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 Lima and Queenstown in more detail.
Accommodation
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Accommodation Hotel or hostel for one personLima $53Queenstown $56
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Accommodation Typical double-occupancy roomLima $106Queenstown $112
Compare Hotels in Lima and Queenstown
Looking for a hotel in Lima or Queenstown? 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: Lima Hotel Prices and Queenstown Hotel Prices.
Local Transportation
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Local Transportation Taxis, local buses, subway, etc.Lima $6.21Queenstown $10
Typical Local Transportation Prices in Lima
Some typical examples of transportation costs in Lima are as follows:
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Taxi Ride$5.88
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Taxi Ride$5.88
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Short Taxi Ride$4.41
Hired Cars and Shuttles in Lima
Some specific examples of transportation prices in Lima:
- QuickLlama: Door-to-door transfer from Miraflores to Lima Airport: $5.95
- QuickLlama: Transfer from Lima Airport to Miraflores Kennedy Park: $5.95
- Lima Airport One Way Private Transfer LIM to Lima City Center: $12
- Lima Airport Transfer Service Available 24 7: $15
- Transfer: Jorge Chavez Airport (LIM) to Lima City Center: $15
- Private Transfer from Lima Airport (LIM) to Callao Port: $17
- Private Transfer from Callao Cruise Port to Lima city hotels: $18
- Private Transfer from Callao Port to Jorge Chavez Airport (LIM): $18
- Transfer To Lima Airport: $20
- Lima Hotels to Lima Airport (LIM)- Departure Private Transfer: $21
- Lima Jorge Chavez Airport (LIM) to Lima -Arrival Private Transfer: $21
- Lima to Jorge Chavez Airport (LIM) - Departure Private Transfer: $21
Hired Cars and Shuttles in Queenstown
Some specific examples of transportation prices in Queenstown:
- ZQN Airport to Downtown|Hotels Private Transfer: $27
- QUEENSTOWN:Private 1 way Airport transfer to/from CBD Hotels: $52
- One way transfer to Remarkable or Coronet Peak Ski Fields: $59
- Private Queenstown Airport to Hotel Transfers: $72
- Queenstown private transfer: $87
- Queenstown Airport to/from Wanaka Hassle Free Private Transfer: $100
- Queenstown to Mt Cook One Way Scenic Transfer: $115
- From Cardrona Ski/Snowboard Rentals & Transfer: $152
- Private Transfers from Queenstown Airport to Wanaka: $175
- Private Transfer from Wanaka to Queenstown Airport: $175
- Private Return Luxury Transfers Queenstown to Gibbston Vineyard: $255
- Milford Sound Cruise with Helicopter Transfer: $748
Is it cheaper to fly into Lima or Queenstown?
Prices for flights to both Queenstown and Lima 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 dayLima $33Queenstown $62
Typical Food Prices in Lima
Some typical examples of dining costs in Lima are as follows:
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Lunch for Two$4.71
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Ice cream$3.82
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Coffee$3.24
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Donut$1.03
Food Tours and Cooking Classes in Lima
Also, here are some specific examples of food and dining related activities in Lima.
- Food tours on the forbidden side of Lima (Min. 3 Guests – Max. 6): $15
- Dinner at Café del Museo Larco restaurant: $30
- Lima Street Food Tour: Taste Authentic Peruvian Delights: $45
- Lima Food Tour with Ceviche, Pisco, and Grilled Chicken: $45
- Dinner at Mangos Larcomar Restaurant: $48
- Food Tour and Market Experience: 12 Peruvian Snacks: $50
- Private Guided Walking Street Food Tour in Lima: $55
- Lima Market Tour & Ceviche Cooking Class with Pisco Sour: $59
- #1 Rated Lima Cooking Class: Make Ceviche, Causa & Pisco Sours!: $59
- Dinner at the Cala Restaurant in Lima: $63
- Lima Market Food Tour: $65
- Dinner at the Huaca Pucllana Restaurant: $67
Food Tours and Cooking Classes in Queenstown
Also, here are some specific examples of food and dining related activities in Queenstown.
- Bar Crawl with 5 Free Shots and Pizza: $17
- Dinner at Walter Peak High Country Farm and Cruise from Queenstown: $112
- Wine & Food Tour, Scenic Tastings & Paired Lunch: $138
- Queenstown Wine & Food Tour: Scenery, Tastings & Delicious Lunch!: $148
Entertainment
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Entertainment Entrance tickets, shows, etc.Lima $9.39Queenstown $22
Typical Entertainment Prices in Lima
Some typical examples of activities, tours, and entrance ticket prices in Lima are as follows:
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Entrance to Museo Larco (for 2)$18
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Movie Tickets$2.50
Tours and Activities in Lima
Some specific costs of activities, tours, and entrance tickets for Lima are as follows:
- Miraflores Guided Walking Tour and Surquillo Market Experience: $5.00
- Adventure at the Airport of Peru: $10
- Lima Cathedral Museum Entrance Ticket: $10
- Beach tour and surfboards for rent in Lima, Peru: $14
- Jogging Activity through Tourist Places facing the Sea in Lima: $15
- Walking Tour in the Historical Centre and China Town: $18
- Miraflores and Barranco Private Bike Tour: $19
- Private Bike Tour in Lima: $19
- Tour in Lima with Visit to the Catacombs of San Francisco: $20
- Tour around Lima City: $20
- A Journey Through Time: Lima's Historic Center & Catacombs Tour: $20
- Skip the Line: Larco Museum Admission Ticket: $21
Typical Entertainment Prices in Queenstown
Some typical examples of activities, tours, and entrance ticket prices in Queenstown are as follows:
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Skyline Gondola (for 2)$30
Tours and Activities in Queenstown
Some specific costs of activities, tours, and entrance tickets for Queenstown are as follows:
- Queenstown to Wānaka: A Self-Guided Gibbston Valley Driving Tour: $7.99
- Queenstown Self Guided Walking Tour with an APP: $9.99
- Underwater Theatre Experience Entry Ticket: $12
- From the Green to the Grave: An Audio Tour of Queenstown: $12
- Augmented Reality Escape Adventure: $20
- Fear Factory Haunted House Admission Ticket: $23
- Private Race Car Simulation Experience: $26
- Minus 5 Ice Bar Experience with Drink Options: $29
- Odysseum Expierence Pass - 1 Hour Adventure: $29
- Onsen Adventure at Bathe by Aluume Queenstown: $33
- Kiwi Park Admission Ticket: $35
- Lake Wakatipu Scenic Cruise: $40
Alcohol
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Alcohol Drinks for one dayLima $6.10Queenstown $8.96
Typical Alcohol Prices in Lima
Some typical examples of the costs for nightlife and alcohol in Lima are as follows:
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Bottle of Wine$7.91
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Beer$4.41
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Cocktail$3.53
Sample the Local Flavors in Lima
Some specific costs for nightlife related activities in Lima:
- Free Pub Crawl: $5.00
- Discover Barranco's Nightlife with Bar Crawl Lima: $20
- Bar Crawl Night Tour in Miraflores: $38
- Lima Nightlife Tour & Society – Cultural Pub Crawl: $50
- Local Wine Tour: $77
- From Lima Paracas and Huacachina Oasis Dunes and Wine Tour: $89
Sample the Local Flavors in Queenstown
Some specific costs for nightlife related activities in Queenstown:
- Ice Bar Crawl: $23
- Queenstown Wine Tour - Self Guided Audio Tour (Driving): $30
- Hop on Hop off Wine Tours Queenstown: $62
- Queenstown & Gibbston Valley: Hop-On Hop-Off Wine Tours: $75
- Craft Beer Brewery Tour with Lunch: $107
- Queenstown's Original Wine Tour Celebrating 33 Years: $113
- Classic Wine Tour: $127
- Central Otago Wine Tour: $132
- Award Winning Premium Wine Tour Queenstown Tasting at 4 Wineries: $141
- Wine Tasting Tour: $144
- Premium Wine Tasting Tour: $150
- Queenstown Guided E-bike Wine Tour: $161
When we compare the travel costs of actual travelers between Lima and Queenstown, we can see that Queenstown is more expensive. And not only is Lima much less expensive, but it is actually a significantly cheaper destination. Since Lima is in South America and Queenstown 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 Lima would let you spend less money overall. Or, you could decide to spend more money in Lima 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 Queenstown would naturally cost you much more money, so you would probably want to keep your budget a little tighter in Queenstown than you might in Lima.
If you're trying to decide if either of these two destinations are within your price range, also see Is Lima Expensive? and Is Queenstown Expensive?.
Which is Bigger, Lima or Queenstown?
Lima has a larger population, and is about 740 times larger than the population of Queenstown. When comparing the sizes of Lima and Queenstown, keep in mind that a larger population does not always imply the destination has more attractions or better activities. So, always research the type of place that you want to visit along with the activities and attractions that interest you.
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.