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The Costs of Accommodation in New Zealand
New Zealand has everything from remote, exclusive eco-resorts to an endless supply of campgrounds, meaning there are plenty of places to stay that will suit your accommodation budget.
Whatever accommodation you choose, it’s likely to leave quite the hole in your holiday savings. We suggest the following budget for accommodation:
- For a dorm bed or campsite: NZ$30−50 per night
- A double room in a mid-range hotel or motel: NZ$120–210
- A double room in a luxury hotel: from NZ$230-450
The Costs of Food in New Zealand
There’s a huge difference between cooking up a simple campfire or hostel dinner and dining in at one of New Zealand’s premier restaurants.
Supermarkets are easily your most affordable destination for food but you can’t miss out on sampling the local crayfish, hokey pokey ice cream, and pavlova.
On average, you can put aside roughly NZ$110 per day for meals. Expect to pay the following price per meal:
- A budget meal at a cafe or fast food joint: NZ$16 - 24
- A main course at a mid-range restaurant: NZ$25 - 35
- A three-course meal at a high-end restaurant: NZ$100
Thankfully, it’s easy to save money on food in NZ by following some of these tips:
- Split a meal. Portions are typically huge so you should still be satiated even when sharing one dish.
- Get takeaway. If you have a fridge in your motel or a kitchen at your Airbnb, request a box for your leftovers and save them for another meal.
- Cook your own food. Accommodation options from Airbnbs to hostels often have kitchens you can use to prepare your meals.
The typical traveller spends between NZ$24 - NZ$34 per day on food. If you want to save some pennies, it’s best to avoid tourist traps by venturing away from the most well-known tourist attractions.
The Costs of Transport in New Zealand
With a wealth of destinations spread across New Zealand’s two main islands, it’s natural to assume your trip will take you beyond Auckland, Wellington, or Christchurch.
On average, travellers spend about NZ$45 daily on local transport and NZ$135 on public transport between cities.
New Zealand has a single bus network and a limited railway network, making car and campervan hire the most common option.
The only fully national coach service is InterCity, which has affordable single-journey tickets as well as bus passes. A Flexipass costs NZ$169 for 15 hours or NZ$518 for 60 hours of travel.
New Zealand has 25 domestic airports, making flying between islands and even between cities very feasible. Just note that journeys that could be travelled by car in less than 4 hours are usually quite pricey. A flight between Auckland and Christchurch starts at about NZ$100.
Taking a road trip through New Zealand is THE thing to do, so it makes sense you might want to hire a car or, even better, a campervan.
The costs for car rental and campervan hire vary dramatically depending on
- The season you’re travelling
- The type of vehicle you want to hire
- The hire company
- Any additional inclusions
For car hire, expect to spend anywhere from NZ$30 a day for the cheapest models to NZ$170 a day for larger vans during the high season.
For campervan rental, it’ll be anything between NZ$80 for the more affordable vehicles and NZ$300 for the best RVs during high season.
The Costs of Activities in NZ
New Zealand is considered one of the biggest adventure destinations in the world so you may find yourself having to choose between the multitude of activities.
From DIY hikes to skiing holidays, New Zealand has plenty on offer to cater to every budget. If you want an action-packed holiday, you can use the following costs as a budget guide:
- Skyline Queenstown Gondola: NZ$64 per adult
- Auckland Sky Tower: NZ$47 per adult
- A bungy jump: NZ$260–300
- A heli-hike on Fox Glacier: from NZ$699
- Hobbiton Movie Set Tour: NZ$120 per adult
Fortunately, New Zealand has plenty of natural beauty, which can be appreciated for free if you’re a keen hiker.
