A Travel Price Comparison for Families, Couples, and Backpackers Ubud vs. Te Anau for Vacations, Tours, and Honeymoons

Should you visit Ubud or Te Anau?

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

Which city should you visit? Read on to compare the activities as well as the prices of travel for Ubud and Te Anau. We'll break down costs for accommodation, food, transportation and more to help you learn more about these two destinations. Then, you can figure out if either of these two places are accessible based on your travel budget, schedule, and interests. So, let's dig into it.

Where Should I go: Ubud or Te Anau?

Ubud

Made popular by the film Eat Pray Love, Ubud is located in the uplands of Bali, Indonesia. Beautiful Hindu temples and iconic rice fields are the sight to see in this popular cultural, artistic and religious hub on the island.

Though Ubud is hot and humid during the day, it is still cooler than coastal areas. Still, temperatures linger between mid-70's and low 90's year-round, so it is likely you'll experience warm weather, regardless of when you visit.

Ubud's wet season is from November to June, which makes it an unpopular time for travelers. January and February are when Ubud experiences the heaviest rainfall, so it may be wise to avoid visiting at this time, especially since weather will limit activities, bring out insects, and cause landslides and possible flooding.

Dry season runs from July through October, which is high season for travel. Even during dry season, Ubud is extremely humid, so pack lightweight clothing that breathes and lots of sunblock.

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.

For some great organized tour ideas, see The Best Romantic Tours for Couples in Indonesia, The Best Budget Tours to Indonesia, The Best G Adventures Tours to New Zealand, and The Best One-Week (7-Day) Tours from Auckland.


Which place is cheaper, Te Anau or Ubud?

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

The average daily cost (per person) in Ubud is $150, while the average daily cost in Te Anau is $98. 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 Ubud and Te Anau in more detail.



Accommodation
  • Accommodation Hotel or hostel for one person
    Ubud $133
    Te Anau $44
  • Accommodation Typical double-occupancy room
    Ubud $266
    Te Anau $88
Compare Hotels in Ubud and Te Anau

Looking for a hotel in Ubud or Te Anau? 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 Ubud


Hotels in Te Anau


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: Ubud Hotel Prices and Te Anau Hotel Prices.

Local Transportation
  • Local Transportation Taxis, local buses, subway, etc.
    Ubud $1.82
    Te Anau $27

Hired Cars and Shuttles in Ubud

Some specific examples of transportation prices in Ubud:

  • Whitewater Rafting Ayung River with Return Transfer In Ubud Bali: $55
  • White Water Rafting Ubud Bali With Hotel Transfer: $24
  • White Water Rafting Adventure with Lunch and Return Transfer Including: $36
  • Waterbom Bali Tickets with Private Transfers: $70
  • Waterbom Bali Day Pass With Hotel Transfer: $55
  • Warm Stone Massage For 2 hours Including Transfers: $70
  • Vip Airport Transfer : $32
  • Quad Bike ATV Guided Tour with Transfer: $38
  • 1 Hour Beach Horse Riding with Transfer: $61
  • Ubud to Bali (DPS) Airport Private Transfer: $20
  • Ubud Transfers: Best Ubud Ground Transport: $35
  • Ubud Transfer Service: $32

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

Is it cheaper to fly into Ubud or Te Anau?

Prices for flights to both Te Anau and Ubud 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
    Ubud $12
    Te Anau $27

Food Tours and Cooking Classes in Ubud

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

  • Canggu: Drag Show with Dinner: $10
  • Jimbaran Bay Sunset Dinner with Discount Voucher and Return Transport : $12
  • Munduk authentic cooking class & banyumala waterfall: $19
  • Uluwatu Sunset & Romantic Dinner: $20
  • Balinese Traditional Cooking Classes with Market Tour: $22
  • Balinese Traditional Cooking Class with Market Tour: $22
  • Ubud Cooking : All Inclusive Cooking Class: $23
  • Balinese Cooking Class and Market Tour with Transfers: $23
  • Cooking Class with Transfers and Optional Market Visit: $23
  • Balinese Cooking Class with Hotel Transfers: $26
  • Best of Ubud with Cooking Class Experience: $26
  • Jimbaran Beach Candle Light Dinner : $26

Entertainment
  • Entertainment Entrance tickets, shows, etc.
    Ubud $10
    Te Anau $47

Tours and Activities in Ubud

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

  • 1 DAY Valley Trekking at Hidden Canyon Bejiguwang + Sightseeing/Private Tour 8 Hours/English/Japanese Driver Included: $37
  • All Inclusive Tour in Nusa Lembongan Islands : $145
  • BALI INSTAGRAM TOUR Private Tour with Wifi onboard: $87
  • Bali : Best Private Day Tour with Private Driver : $26
  • Bali : Customized Tour Sekumpul Waterfalls & Handara gate Heaven: $36
  • Bali : Mount Batur Sunrise Jeep 4WD Experience: $38
  • Bali PrivateTanahlot Sunset Tour: $110
  • Bali Royal palaces (observe tour): $88
  • Barong Dance and Waterfall tour in Bali: $35
  • Best Ubud Tours -All inclusive with private driver: $35
  • Best of Ubud Tours with Jungle Swing ( All Inclusive ): $83
  • Gate Of Heaven Lempuyang Temple Tours with Blue Lagoon Snorkeling: $35

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: $87
  • Champagne Sightseeing Cruise on Lake Te Anau: $87
  • Morning Tea Cruise on Historic Motor Yacht from 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

Alcohol
  • Alcohol Drinks for one day
    Ubud $6.88
    Te Anau $14


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

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


Which is Bigger, Ubud or Te Anau?

Ubud has a larger population, and is about 10 times larger than the population of Te Anau. When comparing the sizes of Ubud and Te Anau, 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.