A Travel Price Comparison for Families, Couples, and Backpackers Suzhou vs. Lake Tekapo for Vacations, Tours, and Honeymoons

Should you visit Suzhou or Lake Tekapo?

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

Trying to figure out where to travel next? This travel comparison between Suzhou and Lake Tekapo can help. It includes a travel cost comparison in addition to other factors. For many travelers, the cost of a destination is a primary consideration when choosing where to go.

Where Should I go: Suzhou or Lake Tekapo?

Suzhou

Suzhou is a city in Jiangsu province famed for its beautiful gardens and traditional waterside architecture, featuring elaborate canals and bridges. Located on the Yangtze Delta, the city consists largely of waterways making Suzhou a kind of 'Venice of the Orient.' It is also a hub for scholars, artists, and skilled craftsmen.

Lake Tekapo

Tekapo is a lakeside town on the South Island of New Zealand, and it is part of the Mackenzie District of Canterbury. This is one of the bluest lakes in the country and is surrounded by the mighty mountains of the Southern Alps.

For some great organized tour ideas, see The Best One-Week (7-Day) Tours from Shanghai, The Best 2-Week Tours from Beijing, The Best Tours for Seniors to New Zealand, and The Best Contiki Tours to New Zealand.


Which place is cheaper, Lake Tekapo or Suzhou?

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

The average daily cost (per person) in Suzhou is $101, while the average daily cost in Lake Tekapo is $75. 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 Suzhou and Lake Tekapo in more detail.



Accommodation
  • Accommodation Hotel or hostel for one person
    Suzhou $38
    Lake Tekapo $59
  • Accommodation Typical double-occupancy room
    Suzhou $76
    Lake Tekapo $118
Compare Hotels in Suzhou and Lake Tekapo

Looking for a hotel in Suzhou or Lake Tekapo? 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 Suzhou


Hotels in Lake Tekapo


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: Lake Tekapo Hotel Prices.

Local Transportation
  • Local Transportation Taxis, local buses, subway, etc.
    Suzhou $57
    Lake Tekapo -

Hired Cars and Shuttles in Suzhou

Some specific examples of transportation prices in Suzhou:

  • Full-Day Suzhou Gardens Exploration with Hotel or Railway Station Transfer: $227
  • Hangzhou Private Transfer from Suzhou with Stop-over at Wuzhen Water Town : $143
  • Nanjing Downtown hotels to Lukou Intl Airport (NKG) - Departure Private Transfer: $33
  • Private Arrival Transfer: Suzhou Train Station to Hotels in Suzhou: $44
  • Private Day Tour: Suzhou Highlights with Hotel or Railway Station Transfer: $227
  • Private Round Trip Transfer from Suzhou to Luzhi Water Town: $64
  • Private Round-Trip Transfer between Tongli Water Town and Suzhou City : $58
  • Private Round-Trip Transfer between Zhouzhuang Water Town and Suzhou City: $58
  • Shanghai Hongqiao Airport to Suzhou Chauffeur Service, Shanghai Airport Transfer: $240
  • Shanghai Private Transfer from Suzhou with Stop-over at Tongli Water Town : $90
  • Shanghai Private Transfer from Suzhou with Stop-over at Zhouzhuang Water Town : $81
  • Shanghai Pudong Airport - Suzhou Chauffeur Service,Shanghai Airport Transfer: $280

Is it cheaper to fly into Suzhou or Lake Tekapo?

Prices for flights to both Lake Tekapo and Suzhou 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
    Suzhou $32
    Lake Tekapo $13

Food Tours and Cooking Classes in Suzhou

Also, here are some specific examples of food and dining related activities in Suzhou.

  • Suzhou Alleyway Walking Food Tour With Locals: $55
  • Half-Day Private Customized Suzhou Highlights with Lunch or Dinner Option: $123
  • Private Suzhou Night Tour:Master of the Nets Garden, Ancient Canal with Dinner: $145

Entertainment
  • Entertainment Entrance tickets, shows, etc.
    Suzhou $9.32
    Lake Tekapo -

Tours and Activities in Suzhou

Some specific costs of activities, tours, and entrance tickets for Suzhou are as follows:

  • Suzhou Self-Guided Tour with Private Car and Driver Service : $65
  • Zhouzhuang and Tongli Self-Guided Tour from Suzhou with Drop-off Options : $70
  • 4-Hour Suzhou Private Customized Tour: $71
  • Suzhou Private English Tour Guide Service: $91
  • Suzhou Private Walking Tour with Panmen Gate, City Moat and Yiyuan Garden: $101
  • 4-Hour Flexible Suzhou City Highlights Private Tour: $114
  • 4-Hour Suzhou Private Flexible Tour with Garden and Boat Ride Option: $125
  • Private Suzhou City Amazing Day Tour in Your Way : $127
  • 4-Hour Tongli Water Town Private Tour from Suzhou with Boat Ride : $127
  • 4-Hour Suzhou Private Tour: Humble Administrator’s Garden,Tiger Hill and Canal : $134
  • Nanjing Self-Guided Tour from Suzhou by Private Car with Drop-off Option : $137
  • Private Tour of Suzhou Museum, Humble Administrator's Garden and Pingjiang Road: $144

Tours and Activities in Lake Tekapo

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

  • Indoor Māori Cultural Astronomy Experience: $30
  • Dark Sky Indoor Cultural Astronomy Experience: $31
  • Dark Sky Virtual Stargazing Experience: $41
  • 45 Minutes Virtual Stargazing Experience in Lake Tekapo: $43
  • High Country Farm Tour - Lake Tekapo: $59
  • Alpine Stargazing Experience with a Guide: $59
  • Chameleon Stargazing Shared Tour: $60
  • 中文观星团 Chinese tour: $65
  • Stargazing Experience: $65
  • Crater Experience at Cowan's Observatory: $85
  • From Tekapo: Mt Cook day tour via Pukaki, Tasman Glacier: $100
  • Summit Experience - University of Canterbury Mt John Observatory: $115

Alcohol
  • Alcohol Drinks for one day
    Suzhou $6.40
    Lake Tekapo -


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

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


Which is Bigger, Suzhou or Lake Tekapo?

Suzhou has a larger population, and is about 4070 times larger than the population of Lake Tekapo. When comparing the sizes of Suzhou and Lake Tekapo, 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.