Should you visit Te Anau or Taupo?
Trying to figure out where to travel next? This travel cost comparison between Te Anau and Taupo can help. For many travelers, the cost of a destination is a primary consideration when choosing where to go.
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.
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.
Which city is cheaper, Taupo or Te Anau?
These are the overall average travel costs for the two destinations.
The average daily cost (per person) in Te Anau is $86, while the average daily cost in Taupo is $97. 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 Te Anau and Taupo in more detail.
Accommodation
Travelers usually pay around $76 for a double occupancy room in Te Anau If you want to be in a premiere location or have high end amenities, you can expect to pay a bit more.
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.
Local Transportation
Public transportation tends to be much less expensive in Te Anau than paying for a taxi or private car service, as is expected. Typically, people spend $24 on transportation in Te Anau on average per day.
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.
Hired Cars and Shuttles in Te Anau
Also for Te Anau, here are a few examples of actual transportation services:
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Te Anau to Queenstown Transfer:
$39
Is it cheaper to fly into Te Anau or Taupo?
Prices for flights to both Taupo 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
The price of a meal in Te Anau can vary widely. However, the average price for food per day is $23 per person, and a typical meal will cost around $9.20 based on the spending of previous visitors. Less expensive dining options can be found by eating street food or at fast food restaurants.
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.
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Food
Meals for one day
Te Anau $23
Taupo $20
Entertainment
Sightseeing expenses in Te Anau, including the cost of admission tickets for day tours, museums, and attractions, usually cost an average of $41 per day, per person.
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.
Tours and Activities in Te Anau
For Te Anau, here are a few prices for actual activities, tours, and tickets provided by various companies:
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Te Anau Glow Worm Caves Tour:
$73
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Morning Tea Cruise on Historic Motor Yacht from Te Anau:
$94
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Afternoon Te Anau Cruise on Historic Motor Yacht:
$94
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Champagne Sightseeing Cruise on Lake Te Anau:
$94
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Milford Sound Full-Day Tour from Te Anau:
$96
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Milford Sound Coach and Nature Cruise with Picnic Lunch from Te Anau:
$103
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Full-Day Milford Sound Hiking Tour with Cruise:
$103
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Milford Sound Coach and Scenic Cruise from Te Anau with Picnic Lunch:
$103
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Lord of the Rings and Te Anau Highlights Small Group Tour from Te Anau:
$111
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VIP Milford Sound All Inclusive Tour:
$117
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Milford Sound Experience Full Day from Te Anau:
$124
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Full-Day Milford Sound Extraordinaire Tour from Te Anau:
$132
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
Alcohol
Typically, people visiting Te Anau spend on average $12 on alcoholic beverages per person, per day.
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.
Typical Alcohol prices in Taupo
Here are a few samples of the prices for alcohol and nightlife in Taupo from other travelers:
When comparing the travel costs between Te Anau and Taupo, we can see that Taupo is more expensive. However, the two cities are actually relatively comparable in price, as the difference is somewhat minimal. Generally, this means that you could travel with generally the same travel style and level of luxury in each place. Since both cities are in Pacific, it's no surprise that their costs are relatively close, as many destinations here have somewhat similar travel prices overall.
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