A Travel Price Comparison for Families, Couples, and Backpackers Napier vs. Shangri-La for Vacations, Tours, and Honeymoons

Should you visit Napier or Shangri-La?

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

Which city is more affordable and which is best for your travel style? If you're trying to figure out where to go next, comparing the travel costs between Napier and Shangri-La can help you decide which place is right for you.

Where Should I go: Napier or Shangri-La?

Napier

Napier is city on the eastern coast of the North Island of New Zealand. It is part of the Hawke's Bay Region, a famous area for wine vineyards. Napier has a population of 61,000 people and is known for its Art Deco architecture and of course, wine.

Shangri-La

The original Shangri-La existed in the fictional world of James Hilton's novel "The Lost Horizon." It was a hidden paradise, a place so beautiful that it couldn't possibly exist on earth. The Shangri-La that exists in Yunnan, China today was renamed from its former title Zhongdian in 2001 in order to associate the place with the mystical allure created in Hilton's novel. Visitors come to admire the traditional monasteries and temples set against a backdrop of mountain preserves and pristine lakes.

For some great organized tour ideas, see The Best Contiki Tours to New Zealand, The Best G Adventures Tours to New Zealand, The Best 2-Week Tours from Beijing, and The Best Family-Friendly Tours to China.


Which place is cheaper, Shangri-La or Napier?

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

The average daily cost (per person) in Napier is $167, while the average daily cost in Shangri-La is $46. 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 Napier and Shangri-La in more detail.



Accommodation
  • Accommodation Hotel or hostel for one person
    Napier $101
    Shangri-La $19
  • Accommodation Typical double-occupancy room
    Napier $202
    Shangri-La $38
Compare Hotels in Napier and Shangri-La

Looking for a hotel in Napier or Shangri-La? 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 Napier


Hotels in Shangri-La


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: Napier Hotel Prices.

Local Transportation
  • Local Transportation Taxis, local buses, subway, etc.
    Napier $30
    Shangri-La $10

Hired Cars and Shuttles in Shangri-La

Some specific examples of transportation prices in Shangri-La:

  • Private Transfer from Shangri-la(Diqing) hotel to Lijiang/Shuhe hotel : $149
  • Private Transfer from Shangri-La to Lijiang and Stops at Tiger Leaping Gorge: $160

Is it cheaper to fly into Napier or Shangri-La?

Prices for flights to both Shangri-La and Napier 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
    Napier $36
    Shangri-La $19
Typical Food Prices in Napier

For Napier, here are some examples of average food and meal prices for travelers:


  • Casural Lunch
    $8.32

Entertainment
  • Entertainment Entrance tickets, shows, etc.
    Napier $27
    Shangri-La $16

Tours and Activities in Napier

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

  • Self-Guided Earthquake Audio Tour: $14
  • Art Deco Self-Guided Audio Walking Tour: $14
  • Hastings Earthquake Self-Guided Audio Tour: $15
  • Napier Earthquake Self-Guided Audio Tour: $15
  • Napier Art Deco Self-Guided Audio Tour: $15
  • Hawkes Bay Wineries Self-Guided Bike Tour: $36
  • National Aquarium of New Zealand in Napier Native Icons Tour: $36
  • Hawke's Bay: Self Guided Coastal Winery Cycle Tour: $48
  • Cape Coast Wineries Self-Guided Scenic Bike Tour from Napier: $49
  • Cape Kidnappers Gannet, Nature & Sightseeing Tour: $57
  • Small Group 2.5-Hour Napier History and Art Deco Tour : $58
  • 2.5-Hour Napier Art Deco Tour: $58

Tours and Activities in Shangri-La

Some specific costs of activities, tours, and entrance tickets for Shangri-La are as follows:

  • 1 Day Shangri-la City Tour with Pudacuo National Park: $209
  • 1 day Shangri-La Highlights Mini Private Tour: $117
  • 1-Day Shangri-La Private Tour: Potatso National Park and Baiji Temple: $169
  • 1-Day Shangri-La Tour to Ganden Monastery, Nixi Pottery Village and Tibetan Town: $185
  • 1-Day Shangri-La tour with Ganden Monastery, Napahai Lake and Tibetan Town: $190
  • Private tour Songzanlin Monastry & Tibetan lunch from Zhongdian: $199

Alcohol
  • Alcohol Drinks for one day
    Napier $16
    Shangri-La $13
Typical Alcohol Prices in Napier

Some typical examples of the costs for nightlife and alcohol in Napier are as follows:


  • Wine
    $12

Sample the Local Flavors in Napier

Some specific costs for nightlife related activities in Napier:

  • Half Day Small-Group Hawkes Bay Wine Tour: $94
  • Wine Tour and Tastings in Hawkes Bay: $167
  • Private Sightseeing Tour + Wine Tasting: $627


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

If you're trying to decide if either of these two destinations are within your price range, also see Is Napier Expensive? and Is Shangri-La Expensive?.