Which place is cheaper, Aoraki Mount Cook or Qingdao?
These are the overall average travel costs for the two destinations.
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Should you visit Qingdao 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 Qingdao 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: Qingdao or Aoraki Mount Cook?
Qingdao
Qingdao, China, located in the Shandong Province, is a very large city right on the Yellow Sea coast. The city, whose name means "The Green Island" due to it's gorgeous landscapes and interesting geography, was named China's most livable city in 2012. The city is rich in history, having almost become a German territory in 1897 and being occupied by the Japanese during WWI. Evidence of these occupiers is present in much of the architecture around the city, which includes a few Catholic and Protestant churches.
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 Cultural Tours in China, The Best Luxury Tours to China, The Best Romantic Tours for Couples in New Zealand, and The Best Luxury Tours to New Zealand.
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Average Daily Cost Per person, per dayQingdao $58Aoraki Mount Cook $105
The average daily cost (per person) in Qingdao is $58, while the average daily cost in Aoraki Mount Cook is $105. 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 Qingdao and Aoraki Mount Cook in more detail.
Accommodation
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Accommodation Hotel or hostel for one personQingdao $26Aoraki Mount Cook $59
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Accommodation Typical double-occupancy roomQingdao $52Aoraki Mount Cook $118
Compare Hotels in Qingdao and Aoraki Mount Cook
Looking for a hotel in Qingdao 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.
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.
Local Transportation
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Local Transportation Taxis, local buses, subway, etc.Qingdao $12Aoraki Mount Cook $27
Hired Cars and Shuttles in Qingdao
Also for Qingdao, here are a few examples of actual transportation services:
- Qingdao Liuting Airport Transfer Service by Minivan: $86
- Qingdao Private Transfer from Qingdao Airport (TAO) to central Qingdao: $83
- Qingdao Private Transfer from Qingdao central to Qingdao Airport (TAO): $83
- Qingdao Northern Railway Station Arrival Private One-Way Transfer: $42
- Qingdao Railway Station Depature Transfer from City Hotels: $36
- Qingdao Railway Station Arrival Transfer to City Hotel: $36
- Qingdao Cruise Port Departure Transfer from City Hotels: $36
- Private Departure Transfer: City Hotel to Qingdao Railway Station : $36
Hired Cars and Shuttles in Aoraki Mount Cook
Also for Aoraki Mount Cook, here are a few examples of actual transportation services:
- Private Transfer from Dunedin City Hotels to Chalmers Cruise Port: $44
Is it cheaper to fly into Qingdao or Aoraki Mount Cook?
Prices for flights to both Aoraki Mount Cook and Qingdao 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 dayQingdao $20Aoraki Mount Cook $26
Entertainment
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Entertainment Entrance tickets, shows, etc.Qingdao $20Aoraki Mount Cook $23
Tours and Activities in Qingdao
For Qingdao, here are a few prices for actual activities, tours, and tickets provided by various companies:
- Private Qingdao Essentials Tour: City Highlights and Beer Museum: $216
- All-Inclusive Private Day Tour: Qingdao Highlights with Lunch: $285
- Laoshan Mountain Full Day Private Activity Tour: $224
- Private Qingdao City tour with Lunch and Qingdao beer: $175
- Private Qingdao Historic architectural day tour with Tsingdao beer during Lunch: $190
- Private Qingdao Laoshan day tour with lunch& round way cable car: $240
- Private Qingdao Laoshan half day tour with one bottle of Tsingdao beer as gift: $199
- Qingdao Discover Tour to the Mount Laoshan and Tasting Famous Local Beer: $248
- Qingdao Private Day Tour to Laoshan Mountain with Lunch and Cable Car: $238
- Qingdao Private Tour: City Highlights and Laoshan Mountain with Lunch+Cable Car: $268
- Qingdao Shore Excursion: Private Full Day Laoshan Mountain Sightseeing Tour: $207
- Qingdao private half day tour with Tsingdao Beer Lunch : $202
Tours and Activities in Aoraki Mount Cook
Also, here are some specific examples of entertainment, tickets, and activities for Aoraki Mount Cook.
- (MT) Mount Cook & Lake Tekapo Day Tour from Christchurch: $178
- 45-Minute Mount Cook Ski Plane and Helicopter Combo Tour: $290
- Day Tours from Mount Cook: $152
- Fox Glacier Nature Tour: $55
- From Christchurch: Mount Cook One-Way Discovery Tour: $118
- From Queenstown: Mount Cook Private Day Tour: $1,188
- Gold Hunting Adventures: $225
- Lake Matheson Nature Tour: $55
- Mount Cook to Queenstown Day Tour: $148
- Mt Cook & Hooker Valley Hike Small Group Tour from Queenstown: $152
- Mt Cook Small Group Tour from Queenstown with Optional Activities : $152
- Mt Cook Tour: Return to Christchurch, Queenstown or Dunedin: $772
Alcohol
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Alcohol Drinks for one dayQingdao $14Aoraki 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:
- Classic Central Otago Wine Tasting Experience: $15
- Valli Wine Tasting Experience: $27
- Premium Central Otago Wine Tasting Experience: $46
- Wild Irishman Wine Tasting Experience: $46
When we compare the travel costs of actual travelers between Qingdao and Aoraki Mount Cook, we can see that Aoraki Mount Cook is more expensive. And not only is Qingdao much less expensive, but it is actually a significantly cheaper destination. Since Qingdao is in Asia and Aoraki Mount Cook 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 Qingdao would let you spend less money overall. Or, you could decide to spend more money in Qingdao 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 Aoraki Mount Cook would naturally cost you much more money, so you would probably want to keep your budget a little tighter in Aoraki Mount Cook than you might in Qingdao.
If you're trying to decide if either of these two destinations are within your price range, also see Is Qingdao Expensive? and Is Aoraki Mount Cook Expensive?.
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.