Which place is cheaper, Aoraki Mount Cook or Tanah Rata?
These are the overall average travel costs for the two destinations.
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Should you visit Tanah Rata or Aoraki Mount Cook?
Which is cheaper to visit? Which is more expensive for vacation?
Should I visit Tanah Rata or Aoraki Mount Cook? 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: Tanah Rata or Aoraki Mount Cook?
Tanah Rata
Tanah Rata is one of the main tourist towns in the Cameron Highlands. The Cameron Highlands are in western Malaysia and are a popular retreat for Malaysian residents and international travelers alike. The area's higher elevation offers an often much needed break from the country's oppressive heat. It also has a beautiful setting that is rich in agriculture and has rolling hills that are beautifully covered in tea plantations. Tanah Rata has many of the area's tourist amenities. ATMS, banks, and the area's main hospital are all found in town. For some, the area feels too touristy, but if you linger longer, and explore on your own, you can easily escape the mass tourism and see the area for what it is.
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 10-Day Tours in Malaysia, The Best 2-Week Tours in Malaysia, 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 dayTanah Rata $137Aoraki Mount Cook $105
The average daily cost (per person) in Tanah Rata is $137, 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 Tanah Rata and Aoraki Mount Cook in more detail.
Accommodation
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Accommodation Hotel or hostel for one personTanah Rata $67Aoraki Mount Cook $59
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Accommodation Typical double-occupancy roomTanah Rata $134Aoraki Mount Cook $118
Compare Hotels in Tanah Rata and Aoraki Mount Cook
Looking for a hotel in Tanah Rata 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.
Our Analysis
We've analyzed the average and typical hotel prices based on guest reviews, star ratings, and hotel amenities here: Tanah Rata Hotel Prices.
Local Transportation
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Local Transportation Taxis, local buses, subway, etc.Tanah Rata $29Aoraki Mount Cook $27
Hired Cars and Shuttles in Tanah Rata
Some specific examples of transportation prices in Tanah Rata:
- Departure Transfer from Cameron Highland to KLIA/KLIA2: $169
- Cameron Highland to KUL Hotel (One Way Transfer): $153
- Chauffeur: Cameron Highlands to Singapore Van Transfer: $118
- Cameron Highlands to Kuala Lumpur Airport Departure Transfer: $110
- CameronHighland CityHotel to KualaLumpur Airport One-way Transfer: $109
- Cameron Highlands City To Kuala Lumpur City Transfer: $94
- Cameron Highlands Hotels to Kuala Lumpur City 1-way Transfer: $94
- Cameron Highlands to Kuala Lumpur City 1-way Transfer: $93
- Cameron Highlands to Kuala Lumpur City 1-way Transfer: $93
- Cameron Highlands City to Kuala Lumpur City One-way Transfer: $92
Is it cheaper to fly into Tanah Rata or Aoraki Mount Cook?
Prices for flights to both Aoraki Mount Cook and Tanah Rata 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 dayTanah Rata $44Aoraki Mount Cook $26
Typical Food Prices in Tanah Rata
Below are a few samples from actual travelers for food and meal costs in Tanah Rata:
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Dinner for Two$5.66
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Dessert$0.63
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Lunch$3.98
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Afternoon tea$3.88
Entertainment
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Entertainment Entrance tickets, shows, etc.Tanah Rata $34Aoraki Mount Cook $23
Typical Entertainment Prices in Tanah Rata
Here are a few typical costs in Tanah Rata for activities, ticket prices, and tours that come from previous visitors:
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Tea Factory Visit$5.66
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Tour of Orang Asli Village$21
Tours and Activities in Tanah Rata
Here are a few actual costs in Tanah Rata for available activities, ticket prices, and tours:
- Cameron Highlands Sightseing Tour: $33
- Cameron Highlands City Hotels to Kuala Lumpur Airport EN-ROUTE Batu Caves Tour: $110
- Cameron Highlands City to Kuala Lumpur Airport EN-ROUTE Batu Caves Tour: $109
- Cameron Highlands Full Day Tour: $75
- Cameron Highlands to Kuala Lumpur International Airport EN-ROUTE Batu Caves Tour: $110
- Cameron Highlands: Agro Delight Tour: $61
- Special Cameron Highlands ~ Day tour;Solo;Couple;Group: $292
Tours and Activities in Aoraki Mount Cook
Also, here are some specific examples of entertainment, tickets, and activities for Aoraki Mount Cook.
- Fox Glacier Nature Tour: $54
- Franz Josef Nature Tour: $54
- Mt. Cook to Queenstown Small Group Tour (1-way) : $106
- From Christchurch: Mount Cook One-Way Discovery Tour: $118
- Mt Cook to Christchurch via Lake Tekapo Small Group Tour 1 way: $120
- Mount Cook to Queenstown Day Tour: $148
- Day Tours from Mount Cook: $151
- Mt Cook Small Group Tour from Queenstown with Optional Activities : $152
- Mt Cook & Hooker Valley Hike Small Group Tour from Queenstown: $152
- (MT) Mount Cook & Lake Tekapo Day Tour from Christchurch: $178
- Gold Hunting Adventures: $223
- 45-Minute Mount Cook Ski Plane and Helicopter Combo Tour: $289
Alcohol
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Alcohol Drinks for one dayTanah Rata $19Aoraki 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
- Kinross Winery: Valli Wine Tasting Experience: $27
- Kinross Winery: Premium Central Otago Wine Tasting Experience: $45
When we compare the travel costs of actual travelers between Tanah Rata and Aoraki Mount Cook, we can see that Tanah Rata is more expensive. And not only is Aoraki Mount Cook much less expensive, but it is actually a significantly cheaper destination. Since Tanah Rata 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 Aoraki Mount Cook would let you spend less money overall. Or, you could decide to spend more money in Aoraki Mount Cook 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 Tanah Rata would naturally cost you much more money, so you would probably want to keep your budget a little tighter in Tanah Rata than you might in Aoraki Mount Cook.
If you're trying to decide if either of these two destinations are within your price range, also see Is Tanah Rata 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.