A Travel Price Comparison for Families, Couples, and Backpackers Pyeongchang vs. Aoraki Mount Cook for Vacations, Tours, and Honeymoons

Should you visit Pyeongchang or Aoraki Mount Cook?

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

If you're trying to decide where to visit between Pyeongchang or Aoraki Mount Cook, 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: Pyeongchang or Aoraki Mount Cook?

Pyeongchang

Pyeongchang is a county of South Korea situated in the Taebaek Mountains in Gangwon Province. A popular location for winter sports, it was chosen as the host city for the 2018 Winter Olympics. Other attractions include Buddhist temples, parks, villages, and natural scenery.

Aoraki Mount Cook

Aoraki Mount Cook National Park is located on the South Island of New Zealand. It was declared a national park in 1953 to protect and preserve the landscape. The park is home to the country's highest peak, Aoraki/Mount Cook. In Maori, Aoraki means, "cloud piercer", and the English name, Mt Cook, refers to the navigator James Cook, who discovered New Zealand in the 18th century. Mt Cook was the training location for Sir Edmund Hillary, who was the first person to summit Everest in 1953. Other peaks in the park include Mount Tasman, Mount Sefton, and Mount Hicks. Not only can you find lush greenery all over the park, but also, glaciers cover 40% of the parks area.

For some great organized tour ideas, see The Best One-Week (7-Day) Tours from Seoul, The Best 10-Day Tours from Seoul, The Best Romantic Tours for Couples in New Zealand, and The Best Luxury Tours to New Zealand.


Which place is cheaper, Aoraki Mount Cook or Pyeongchang?

These are the overall average travel costs for the two destinations. These travel costs come from the actual spending of real travelers.

The average daily cost (per person) in Pyeongchang is $133, while the average daily cost in Aoraki Mount Cook is $124. 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 Pyeongchang and Aoraki Mount Cook in more detail.



Accommodation
  • Accommodation Hotel or hostel for one person
    Pyeongchang $61
    Aoraki Mount Cook $59
  • Accommodation Typical double-occupancy room
    Pyeongchang $122
    Aoraki Mount Cook $118
Compare Hotels in Pyeongchang and Aoraki Mount Cook

Looking for a hotel in Pyeongchang or Aoraki Mount Cook? 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 Pyeongchang


Hotels in Aoraki Mount Cook


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: Pyeongchang Hotel Prices.

Local Transportation
  • Local Transportation Taxis, local buses, subway, etc.
    Pyeongchang $24
    Aoraki Mount Cook $27

Is it cheaper to fly into Pyeongchang or Aoraki Mount Cook?

Prices for flights to both Aoraki Mount Cook and Pyeongchang 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
    Pyeongchang $47
    Aoraki Mount Cook $46

Entertainment
  • Entertainment Entrance tickets, shows, etc.
    Pyeongchang $50
    Aoraki Mount Cook $23

Tours and Activities in Pyeongchang

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

  • Alpensia 2D1N Ski Lift Tour: $141
  • Balwangsan Cable Car & Samyang Ranch One Day Tour: $78

Tours and Activities in Aoraki Mount Cook

Also, here are some specific examples of entertainment, tickets, and activities for Aoraki Mount Cook.

  • 45-Minute Mount Cook Ski Plane and Helicopter Combo Tour: $296
  • Day Tours from Mount Cook: $119
  • Gibbston Valley Wines - Cave Tour : $17
  • Guided Tour with Cheese & Wine Pairing: $21
  • Half-Day Self-Guided Ride and Wine Bike Tour from Arrowtown: $59
  • Moeraki Boulders Self Guided Audio Tour: $5.99
  • Mt Cook & Tasman Glacier lookout Small Group Tour from Queenstown: $149
  • Mt Cook Small Group Scenic Day Tour from Queenstown: $149
  • Mt Cook Tour: Finish at Christchurch, Queenstown or Dunedin: $1,042
  • Mt Cook Tour: Finish at Queenstown, Christchurch or Dunedin: $1,040
  • Mt Cook to Christchurch One-Way Small Group Tour via Lake Tekapo: $107
  • Mt Cook to Lake Tekapo Small Group Tour (one-way): $98

Alcohol
  • Alcohol Drinks for one day
    Pyeongchang $8.69
    Aoraki Mount Cook $20

Sample the Local Flavors in Aoraki Mount Cook

Here are a few nightlife and alcohol tours and activities from local tour providers in Aoraki Mount Cook:

  • Kinross Winery: Classic Central Otago Wine Tasting Experience: $15
  • Gibbston Valley Wine Tour - Self-Guided Audio Tour: $24
  • Kinross Winery: Premium Central Otago Wine Tasting Experience: $45


When comparing the travel costs between Pyeongchang and Aoraki Mount Cook, we can see that Pyeongchang is more expensive. However, the two cities are actually relatively comparable in price, as the difference is somewhat minimal. Generally, this means that you could travel with generally the same travel style and level of luxury in each place. Even though Pyeongchang is in Asia and Aoraki Mount Cook is in Pacific, both of these destinations have relatively similar prices of travel. Generally, the levels of luxury and expenses are the same for these cities even though they are geographically far apart.

If you're trying to decide if either of these two destinations are within your price range, also see Is Pyeongchang Expensive? and Is Aoraki Mount Cook Expensive?.