Should you visit Taupo or Napier?
Should I visit Taupo or Napier? This is a common question asked by many travelers. By figuring out which city is more affordable, you'll understand where you can get more bang for your buck. So, let's dive into the data, which all comes from actual travelers.
Taupo
Taupo is a town located in the center of the North Island, situated on the shores of Lake Taupo, which is New Zealand's largest lake. It is also the caldera of the Taupo Volcano. It has a population of 23,700 people and is visited by many people interested in fishing, boating, and other water activities. There are many hiking and biking trails that take you around the water as well.
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.
Which city is cheaper, Napier or Taupo?
These are the overall average travel costs for the two destinations.
The average daily cost (per person) in Taupo is $97, while the average daily cost in Napier is $145. 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 city. Below is a breakdown of travel costs for Taupo and Napier in more detail.
Accommodation
If you're traveling alone, you may be able to find a budget hotel or hostel for around $55. But for two people in a standard two-person hotel room in Taupo the cost is $110 on average.
Double occupancy rooms typically run around $176 in Napier For nicer amenities and a premiere location, you can expect to pay a bit more.
Local Transportation
The average price of local transportation around Taupo is $22 per person, per day. As this average includes both taxis and public transport, keep in mind that the prices of private drivers and taxis are significantly more expensive than public transportation.
To get around in Napier, the average visitor spends $26 per day, per person. This includes the costs of taxi rides and private drivers as well as public transportation, which tends to be much more affordable.
Hired Cars and Shuttles in Napier
Also for Napier, here are a few examples of actual transportation services:
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Arrival Transfer: Hawkes Bay Airport to Central Napier City Centre:
$21
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Departure Transfer: Napier and Hastings City Centre to Hawkes Bay Airport:
$21
Is it cheaper to fly into Taupo or Napier?
Prices for flights to both Napier and Taupo 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
Taupo food costs typically run travelers around $20 per day. Eating every meal in a nicer restaurant will drive the cost up, and grabbing fast food or casual meals will help you save money.
Napier food costs typically run travelers around $32 per day. Eating every meal in a nicer restaurant will drive the cost up, and grabbing fast food or casual meals will help you save money.
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Food
Meals for one day
Taupo $20
Napier $32
Typical Food prices in Napier
For Napier, here are some examples of average food and meal prices for travelers:
Entertainment
Taupo's costs for entertainment, tickets, attractions, and tours will often cost around $30 per person, per day. This cost can vary widely by the type of activity, however, as this includes admission tickets, day tours, museums, and other things to do.
In Napier, the costs for things to do, activities, admission tickets, and other sightseeing expenses are on average $24 per person, per day.
Typical Entertainment prices in Taupo
Here are a few typical costs in Taupo for activities, ticket prices, and tours that come from previous visitors:
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Bungy Jumping
$165
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Jet Boating
$61
Tours and Activities in Taupo
Here are a few actual costs in Taupo for available activities, ticket prices, and tours:
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Cruise Kakariki to the Maori Rock Carvings:
$30
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Daily Scenic Maori Rock Carving Cruise Taupo:
$26
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Great Lake Trail Lake Taupo 2-Day Mountain Biking Tour:
$175
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Lake Taupo Maori Rock Carving 2.5-Hour Sailing Cruise:
$33
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Lake Maori Rock Carvings 1.5-Hour Scenic Cruise:
$23
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Maori Rock Carvings Scenic Cruise:
$26
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Self-Guided Geothermal Tour in Orakei Korako:
$30
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Taupo Highlights Tour - Go Explore Scenic:
$182
Tours and Activities in Napier
For Napier, here are a few prices for actual activities, tours, and tickets provided by various companies:
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Napier Earthquake Self-Guided Audio Tour:
$12
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Napier Art Deco Self-Guided Audio Tour:
$12
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Napier Prison Self-Guided Audio Tour:
$13
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Legacy and Winery Experience:
$26
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75-minute Art Deco City Highlights Tour:
$39
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Versatility of the Grape Experience in Napier:
$52
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2.5-Hour Napier Art Deco Tour:
$53
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Small Group 2.5-Hour Napier History and Art Deco Tour:
$53
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Cruise Ship Shore Excursion:
$68
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2-Hour Guided Bicycle Tour:
$71
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Shore Excursion: 4-Hour Discover Hawkes Bay and Napier Tour:
$76
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60-Minute Napier Deco City Tour by Vintage Car:
$76
Alcohol
While the amount that someone spends on alcohol while visiting Taupo may vary from person to person, on average a person spends $11 per day on alcoholic beverages.
Typically, people visiting Napier spend on average $14 on alcoholic beverages per person, per day.
Typical Alcohol prices in Taupo
Here are a few samples of the prices for alcohol and nightlife in Taupo from other travelers:
Typical Alcohol prices in Napier
Some typical examples of the costs for nightlife and alcohol in Napier are as follows:
Sample the Local Flavors in Napier
Some specific costs for nightlife related activities in Napier:
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Hawke's Bay Wine Tour Including Pick Up From Napier or Hastings:
$78
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Wine Tour - 3 wineries in an afternoon:
$81
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Half Day Small-Group Hawkes Bay Wine Tour:
$84
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Full Day Small-Group Hawke's Bay Wine Tour:
$95
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Napier Afternoon Wine Tour + Optional Beer Tasting:
$100
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Napier Gourmet Luncheon including Afternoon Wine Tour:
$133
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Small Group Hawke's Bay Premium Afternoon Wine Tour:
$144
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Small Group Half-Day Ultimate Wine Tour in Napier:
$171
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Hawke's Bay Morning Wine Tour and Te Mata Peak Including Winery Lunch:
$175
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Vintage Car & Wine Tasting Experience:
$220
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Private Tour & Wine Tasting (90 mins):
$293
When we compare the travel costs of actual travelers between Taupo and Napier, we can see that Napier is more expensive. And not only is Taupo much less expensive, but it is actually a significantly cheaper destination. So, traveling to Taupo would let you spend less money overall. Or, you could decide to spend more money in Taupo 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 Taupo.
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