Which place is cheaper, Queenstown or Luang Prabang?
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 Luang Prabang or Queenstown?
Which is cheaper to visit? Which is more expensive for vacation?
If you're trying to decide where to visit between Luang Prabang or Queenstown, this travel comparison, which includes costs, can help. The overall cost of travel is usually a consideration when deciding where to go next, and the cost comparison down below can help you decide based on the average prices from other travelers along with your own travel budget.
Where Should I go: Luang Prabang or Queenstown?
Luang Prabang
Southeast Asia is a region full of mystical wonders and cultural charm, but nowhere is as charming as the city of Luang Prabang. As the former capital of Laos, Luang Prabang was reopened to tourism in 1989. With that move the city experienced an upswing in revenue and was able to restore and rebuild the beautiful colonial mansions to serve as guesthouses and hotels for the new swarm of tourists.
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 The Best Hiking & Trekking Tours in Laos, The Best One Week (7-Day) Tours in Laos, The Best Bicycle Tours in New Zealand, and Tours for Outdoor and Nature Lovers in New Zealand.
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Luang Prabang Prices
Laos PricesQueenstown Prices
New Zealand Prices -
Average Daily Cost Per person, per dayLuang Prabang $17Queenstown $126
The average daily cost (per person) in Luang Prabang is $17, while the average daily cost in Queenstown is $126. 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 Luang Prabang and Queenstown in more detail.
Accommodation
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Accommodation Hotel or hostel for one personLuang Prabang $5.50Queenstown $53
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Accommodation Typical double-occupancy roomLuang Prabang $11Queenstown $106
Compare Hotels in Luang Prabang and Queenstown
Looking for a hotel in Luang Prabang 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: Luang Prabang Hotel Prices and Queenstown Hotel Prices.
Local Transportation
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Local Transportation Taxis, local buses, subway, etc.Luang Prabang $2.03Queenstown $9.84
Typical Local Transportation Prices in Luang Prabang
Some typical examples of transportation costs in Luang Prabang are as follows:
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Tuk Tuk Ride$2.27
Hired Cars and Shuttles in Luang Prabang
Also for Luang Prabang, here are a few examples of actual transportation services:
- Luang Prabang Private Airport transfers: $9.00
- Luang Prabang Private Transfers: Hotel -Railway Station - Airport: $9.60
- LPQ Airport: Private Transfer to/from Luang Prabang City: $20
- 2D Transfer to Huay Xai by Slow Boat: $60
- 2-Day Private Tour with Airport Transfers: $165
- From 3-Day Oudomxay Town Trip with Transfers: $580
Hired Cars and Shuttles in Queenstown
Some specific examples of transportation prices in Queenstown:
- Tasman Glacier Helihike with Flight Transfers: $1,016
- Milford Sound Cruise with Helicopter Transfer: $901
- One way transfer to Remarkable or Coronet Peak Ski Fields: $189
- Private Transfers from Queenstown Airport to Wanaka: $172
- Private Transfer from Wanaka to Queenstown Airport: $172
- From Cardrona Ski/Snowboard Rentals & Transfer: $165
- Queenstown to Mt Cook One Way Scenic Transfer: $121
- Queenstown Airport to/from Wanaka Hassle Free Private Transfer: $98
- Queenstown private transfer: $76
- Queenstown Airport to Towncenter Transfer: $76
- QUEENSTOWN Best Private Airport Transfer:1 Way from/to Hotel: $51
- Queenstown International Airport To and From City Center Transfer: $44
Is it cheaper to fly into Luang Prabang or Queenstown?
Prices for flights to both Queenstown and Luang Prabang 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 dayLuang Prabang $9.10Queenstown $60
Food Tours and Cooking Classes in Luang Prabang
For Luang Prabang, here are some samples of tours and activities related to meals and dining experiences:
- Luang Prabang Local Market and Morning Food Tour with Drinks: $39
- Day-time Bamboo weaving & Cooking Classes join-in: $44
- Bamboo Weaving Workshop & Cooking Class: $44
- Luangprabang: Dinner with Lao Traditional Dance Performance: $45
- Mekong Meals Food Tour with 15+ Tastings: $45
- Cooking Class at the Former Royal Palace: $45
- Laos: Prabang Plates Food Tour with 15+ Tastings: $46
- Mekong Meals Food Tour with 15+ Tastings: $46
- Mekong Sunset Cruise & Lao Tasting Dinner: $49
- Evening Cooking Class & Local Baci Ceremony: $51
- Luang Prabang Mekong Sunset Cruise and Hot Pot Dinner: $55
- Full Day bamboo experience with cooking class & Kuang si waterfalls: $59
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
- Skyline Queenstown Gondola with Lunch or Dinner: $80
- Dinner at Walter Peak High Country Farm and Cruise from Queenstown: $110
- Wine & Food Tour, Scenic Tastings & Paired Lunch: $129
Entertainment
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Entertainment Entrance tickets, shows, etc.Luang Prabang $2.62Queenstown $21
Tours and Activities in Luang Prabang
Also, here are some specific examples of entertainment, tickets, and activities for Luang Prabang.
- Luang Prabang to Train Station Shared Minivan Ticket Or Private: $5.00
- Luang Prabang to Kuang Si Waterfalls Shared Minivan Ticket: $8.00
- Farm Tour and Buffalo Buffet Adventure: $9.00
- Laos Buffalo Dairy Tours Interact, Learn and Taste Fresh Flavors: $14
- Audio-Guided City Tour in Electric Car: $14
- Laos–China Railway: Easy Train Tickets, No Queues, No Worries: $28
- Luang Prabang Half Day Tour with Mekong River Sunset Cruise: $29
- Laos Railway: Train Tickets Easily - Skip the Lines - No worries: $30
- Small Group Half Day Luang Prabang city tour: $30
- Sunset Cruise Luang Prabang: $35
- Afternoon Kuang Si Waterfalls & Sunset Cruise: $35
- Unwind with a Sunset Cruise on the Mekong River: $35
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)$29
Tours and Activities in Queenstown
Some specific costs of activities, tours, and entrance tickets for Queenstown are as follows:
- 25-Minute Remarkables Helicopter Tour from Queenstown: $180
- 30-Minute High-Speed Thrill Queenstown Jet Boat Adventure: $63
- 5 Day South Island New Zealand Private Tour from Queenstown: $2,767
- Ale Trail: Wharehuanui Adventure with Queenstown Shuttles: $64
- Arrowtown & Queenstown Kiwi Special Tour, Local discovery tour.: $58
- Arrowtown and Wanaka Highlights Tour from Queenstown: $122
- Arrowtown to Queenstown Bike Tour with Shuttle: $67
- Arrowtown to Queenstown Full-Day Bike Adventure: $61
- Boutique Winery Half-Day Tour & Vineyard Platter-Style Lunch: $158
- Coach Farm Tour and Milford Sound Nature Cruise from Queenstown: $226
- Coronet Peak Snow Play Experience from Queenstown: $43
- Coronet Peak Snow Sightseeing Tour: $203
Alcohol
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Alcohol Drinks for one dayLuang Prabang $1.75Queenstown $8.60
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): $29
- Bike The Wineries (Full-Day) - Bike & Wine Tour: $67
- Queenstown & Gibbston Valley: Hop-On Hop-Off Wine Tours: $73
- Highlights Tour with Wine Tasting: $95
- Queenstown's Original Premium Half-Day Wine Tasting Tour: $101
- Queenstown Electric Bike and Wine Tour: $110
- Queenstown Classic Wine Tour: 3 Winery Visits, Cave Tour & Cheese: $125
- Small Group Highlights Tour with Wine Tasting: $129
- Classic Wine Tour: $135
- Arrowtown Wine Tour: $141
- Queenstown Boutique Wine Tour - All-Inclusive 4 Wineries & Lunch: $146
When we compare the travel costs of actual travelers between Luang Prabang and Queenstown, we can see that Queenstown is more expensive. And not only is Luang Prabang much less expensive, but it is actually a significantly cheaper destination. Since Luang Prabang is in Asia 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 Luang Prabang would let you spend less money overall. Or, you could decide to spend more money in Luang Prabang 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 Luang Prabang.
If you're trying to decide if either of these two destinations are within your price range, also see Is Luang Prabang Expensive? and Is Queenstown Expensive?.
Which is Bigger, Luang Prabang or Queenstown?
Luang Prabang has a larger population, and is about 5 times larger than the population of Queenstown. When comparing the sizes of Luang Prabang 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.