Which place is cheaper, Shangri-La or Te Anau?
These are the overall average travel costs for the two destinations.
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Should you visit Te Anau or Shangri-La?
Which is cheaper to visit? Which is more expensive for vacation?
Trying to figure out where to travel next? This travel comparison between Te Anau and Shangri-La 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: Te Anau or Shangri-La?
Te Anau
Te Anau is a town on the South Island of New Zealand, best-known as a gateway to Fiordland National Park and Milford Sound. The region is a major destination for ecotourism as it is home to rare species like the endangered flightless takahe bird and natural features like caves, waterfalls, forests, lakes, glacial valleys, and mountains.
Shangri-La
The original Shangri-La existed in the fictional world of James Hilton's novel "The Lost Horizon." It was a hidden paradise, a place so beautiful that it couldn't possibly exist on earth. The Shangri-La that exists in Yunnan, China today was renamed from its former title Zhongdian in 2001 in order to associate the place with the mystical allure created in Hilton's novel. Visitors come to admire the traditional monasteries and temples set against a backdrop of mountain preserves and pristine lakes.
For some great organized tour ideas, see Tours for Outdoor and Nature Lovers in New Zealand, The Best Adventure Tours to New Zealand, The Best 2-Week Tours from Beijing, and The Best Family-Friendly Tours to China.
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Average Daily Cost Per person, per dayTe Anau $98Shangri-La $46
The average daily cost (per person) in Te Anau is $98, while the average daily cost in Shangri-La is $46. 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 Te Anau and Shangri-La in more detail.
Accommodation
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Accommodation Hotel or hostel for one personTe Anau $44Shangri-La $19
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Accommodation Typical double-occupancy roomTe Anau $88Shangri-La $38
Compare Hotels in Te Anau and Shangri-La
Looking for a hotel in Te Anau or Shangri-La? 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: Te Anau Hotel Prices.
Local Transportation
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Local Transportation Taxis, local buses, subway, etc.Te Anau $27Shangri-La $10
Hired Cars and Shuttles in Te Anau
Also for Te Anau, here are a few examples of actual transportation services:
- Kepler Water Taxi Transfer across Lake Te Anau: $15
Hired Cars and Shuttles in Shangri-La
Some specific examples of transportation prices in Shangri-La:
- Private Transfer from Shangri-la(Diqing) hotel to Lijiang/Shuhe hotel : $149
- Private Transfer from Shangri-La to Lijiang and Stops at Tiger Leaping Gorge: $160
Is it cheaper to fly into Te Anau or Shangri-La?
Prices for flights to both Shangri-La and Te Anau 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 dayTe Anau $27Shangri-La $19
Entertainment
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Entertainment Entrance tickets, shows, etc.Te Anau $47Shangri-La $16
Tours and Activities in Te Anau
For Te Anau, here are a few prices for actual activities, tours, and tickets provided by various companies:
- Glowworm Caves Guided Tour: $71
- Te Anau Glow Worm Caves Tour: $72
- Evening Scenic Cruise: $86
- Lake 3-Hour Boat Cruise with Guided Walk: $86
- Afternoon Te Anau Cruise on Historic Motor Yacht: $88
- Morning Tea Cruise on Historic Motor Yacht from Te Anau: $88
- Champagne Sightseeing Cruise on Lake Te Anau: $88
- Fiordland: Jet Boat & Nature Walk Experience from Te Anau: $106
- Full-Day National Park Tour with Cruise and Lunch: $110
- From Milford Sound Coach Tour and Cruise: $110
- Milford Sound Coach & Cruise Tour from Te Anau : $113
- Premium Milford Sound Full Day Tour & Cruise: $118
Tours and Activities in Shangri-La
Some specific costs of activities, tours, and entrance tickets for Shangri-La are as follows:
- 1 Day Shangri-la City Tour with Pudacuo National Park: $209
- 1 day Shangri-La Highlights Mini Private Tour: $117
- 1-Day Shangri-La Private Tour: Potatso National Park and Baiji Temple: $169
- 1-Day Shangri-La Tour to Ganden Monastery, Nixi Pottery Village and Tibetan Town: $185
- 1-Day Shangri-La tour with Ganden Monastery, Napahai Lake and Tibetan Town: $190
- Private tour Songzanlin Monastry & Tibetan lunch from Zhongdian: $199
Alcohol
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Alcohol Drinks for one dayTe Anau $14Shangri-La $13
When we compare the travel costs of actual travelers between Te Anau and Shangri-La, we can see that Te Anau is more expensive. And not only is Shangri-La much less expensive, but it is actually a significantly cheaper destination. Since Te Anau is in Pacific and Shangri-La is in Asia, 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 Shangri-La would let you spend less money overall. Or, you could decide to spend more money in Shangri-La 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 Te Anau would naturally cost you much more money, so you would probably want to keep your budget a little tighter in Te Anau than you might in Shangri-La.
If you're trying to decide if either of these two destinations are within your price range, also see Is Te Anau Expensive? and Is Shangri-La 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.