A Travel Price Comparison for Families, Couples, and Backpackers Malang vs. Te Anau for Vacations, Tours, and Honeymoons

Should you visit Malang or Te Anau?

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

Should I visit Malang or Te Anau? This is a common question asked by many travelers. By figuring out which city has activities that align with your interests along with knowing which is more affordable, you'll understand where you can get more bang for your buck. So, let's dive into the details and the data, which all comes from actual travelers.

Where Should I go: Malang or Te Anau?

Malang

Malang is a city in East Java, Indonesia. It's a cultured city with several important universities, and is home to a large student population. Prized by the Dutch for its mild highland climate, the city retains much of its colonial architecture. Established by the Dutch in the closing decades of the 18th century, Malang earned its first fortunes from coffee, which flourished on the surrounding hillsides. Today, the city's colonial grandeur is quickly disappearing behind the homogenous facades of more modern developments, but there's still much to admire. The Balai Kota building blends Indonesian and Dutch styles, and grand mansions line the main boulevard, Jalan Besar Ijen. To the east is Mt. Bromo, a volcano with hiking trails. The central area is not too large and quite walkable. And with a number of Hindu temples and sights outside the city, Malang makes an ideal base to explore this intriguing corner of east Java.

Te Anau

Te Anau is a town on the South Island of New Zealand, best-known as a gateway to Fiordland National Park and Milford Sound. The region is a major destination for ecotourism as it is home to rare species like the endangered flightless takahe bird and natural features like caves, waterfalls, forests, lakes, glacial valleys, and mountains.

For some great organized tour ideas, see The Best Budget Tours to Indonesia, The Best Tours for Seniors to Indonesia, The Best G Adventures Tours to New Zealand, and The Best One-Week (7-Day) Tours from Auckland.


Which place is cheaper, Te Anau or Malang?

These are the overall average travel costs for the two destinations.

The average daily cost (per person) in Malang is $66, while the average daily cost in Te Anau 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 destination. What follows is a categorical breakdown of travel costs for Malang and Te Anau in more detail.



Accommodation
  • Accommodation Hotel or hostel for one person
    Malang $45
    Te Anau $44
  • Accommodation Typical double-occupancy room
    Malang $90
    Te Anau $88
Compare Hotels in Malang and Te Anau

Looking for a hotel in Malang or Te Anau? 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 Malang


Hotels in Te Anau


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: Malang Hotel Prices and Te Anau Hotel Prices.

Local Transportation
  • Local Transportation Taxis, local buses, subway, etc.
    Malang $1.42
    Te Anau $27

Hired Cars and Shuttles in Malang

Some specific examples of transportation prices in Malang:

  • One Way Transfer from/to Yogyakarta-Surabaya-Malang-Bromo: $160
  • Mount Bromo: Sunrise Guided Tour with Optional Transfer: $145
  • South Beaches Tour with Private Transfer: $115

Hired Cars and Shuttles in Te Anau

Also for Te Anau, here are a few examples of actual transportation services:

  • Kepler Water Taxi Transfer across Lake Te Anau: $15

Is it cheaper to fly into Malang or Te Anau?

Prices for flights to both Te Anau and Malang 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
    Malang $17
    Te Anau $27

Entertainment
  • Entertainment Entrance tickets, shows, etc.
    Malang $8.88
    Te Anau $47

Tours and Activities in Malang

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

  • 1 Day - Amazing Bromo Sunrise tour with 7 spots // 00.30 -13.00: $43
  • 1 Day - Bromo Afternoon Siesta Tour start MALANG or SURABAYA // 11:00 - 18:00: $83
  • 1 Day - Tumpak Sewu, Kapas Biru Waterfall, Goa Tetes cave* Tour // 07:30 - 17:00: $70
  • 1 Day - ULTIMATE TOUR Tumpak Sewu Waterfall and Goa Tetes cave // 07:30 - 17:30: $54
  • 1Day - Bromo Non Sunrise Tour via Malang (to avoid crowd): $75
  • 1Day - Bromo Sunrise Tour via Malang (Sharing Trip): $45
  • 2 Days - Bromo Ijen Bali Ultimate Tour // D1 01.00 - D2 14.00: $174
  • 2 Days - Tumpak Sewu Waterfall & Mt Bromo Experience from Malang: $164
  • 2Days - Bromo Sunrise Ijen Adventure via Malang: $190
  • 3Days - Tumpaksewu Bromo Ijen Adventure via Malang: $267
  • Bromo Adventure: $75
  • Bromo Ijen Bali tour From Malang (2 Days): $292

Tours and Activities in Te Anau

For Te Anau, here are a few prices for actual activities, tours, and tickets provided by various companies:

  • Glowworm Caves Guided Tour: $71
  • Te Anau Glow Worm Caves Tour: $72
  • Evening Scenic Cruise: $86
  • Lake 3-Hour Boat Cruise with Guided Walk: $86
  • Afternoon Te Anau Cruise on Historic Motor Yacht: $87
  • Champagne Sightseeing Cruise on Lake Te Anau: $87
  • Morning Tea Cruise on Historic Motor Yacht from Te Anau: $88
  • Fiordland: Jet Boat & Nature Walk Experience from Te Anau: $106
  • Full-Day National Park Tour with Cruise and Lunch: $110
  • From Milford Sound Coach Tour and Cruise: $110
  • Milford Sound Coach & Cruise Tour from Te Anau : $113
  • Premium Milford Sound Full Day Tour & Cruise: $118

Alcohol
  • Alcohol Drinks for one day
    Malang -
    Te Anau $14


When we compare the travel costs of actual travelers between Malang and Te Anau, we can see that Te Anau is more expensive. And not only is Malang much less expensive, but it is actually a significantly cheaper destination. Since Malang is in Asia and Te Anau 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 Malang would let you spend less money overall. Or, you could decide to spend more money in Malang 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 Te Anau would naturally cost you much more money, so you would probably want to keep your budget a little tighter in Te Anau than you might in Malang.

If you're trying to decide if either of these two destinations are within your price range, also see Is Malang Expensive? and Is Te Anau Expensive?.


Which is Bigger, Malang or Te Anau?

Malang has a larger population, and is about 360 times larger than the population of Te Anau. When comparing the sizes of Malang and Te Anau, 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.