NZ Travel Budget: How Much Does a Trip to New Zealand Cost? [2021]

A Complete Guide to the New Zealand Travel Cost

How much does it cost to travel to New Zealand? Well, the answer is different for everyone depending on the transport taken, how many people are in the group, the type of activities done, and whether they self-cater or eat out. In this New Zealand travel budget guide, we’ve compiled the average prices for every single aspect of your trip to New Zealand. That way, you’ll be able to make a note of the prices that apply to your trip to curate your own New Zealand travel budget. Check out the most accurate travel budget to New Zealand on the internet with this guide to how much a trip to New Zealand costs.

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How Much Does a Trip to New Zealand Cost: Budgets for Travelling New Zealand

We can’t stress enough how everyone’s budget will be different for travelling in New Zealand. That’s why we strongly encourage you to look at the prices in the below guide to determine what prices apply to your trip so that you can budget more accurately. Nevertheless, because we know that many of you like the average cost for a trip to New Zealand, here is an example of a New Zealand travel budget.

Car rental (inc fuel): NZ$90 per day + Private room: NZ$90 per day + Food (self-catering and restaurants): NZ$50 + Activities (paid and free): NZ$100 = NZ$330 per day

How much does it cost to go to New Zealand for one week? NZ$2,310

How much does it cost to go to New Zealand for two weeks? NZ$4,620

How much does it cost to go to New Zealand for three weeks? NZ$6,930

How much does it cost to go to New Zealand for one month? NZ$9,900

NZ Travel Budget: How Much Does a Trip to New Zealand Cost?

The Cost of Transport in New Zealand

The cost of transport to get around New Zealand depends on what type of transport you’ve chosen. If you haven’t picked a way to get around just yet, start with What is the Best Way to Get Around New Zealand?

The cost of transport is also determined by the seasons, with summer showing the highest prices while winter offers the lowest. Get a more detailed transport cost breakdown in The Cheapest Ways to Travel Around New Zealand. Otherwise, the below prices give you an idea of the cost of travelling in New Zealand.

Car hire/ day: NZ$30-$150
2-berth campervan hire/ day: NZ$60-$260
Petrol/ litre (0.3 gallons): NZ$1.90-$2.50 (Check out weekly fuel price data on the MBIE website)
Diesel/ litre (0.3 gallons): NZ$1.40 (Check out weekly fuel price data on the MBIE website)
Road User Charge (diesel tax)/ 1,000km (621 miles): NZ$76-$352 (Check out the price per vehicle weight on the NZ Transport Agency website)
Vehicle hire one-way fee: Free-NZ$250
National coach bus/ 4-hour trip: NZ$30-$80
Hop-on hop-off bus national pass/ year: NZ$1,000-$2,000
Guided bus tour/ 10 days: NZ$2,000-$10,000
Secondhand car (15+ years old): NZ$2,000-$5,000
Secondhand 2-berth campervan (15+ years old): NZ$3,500-$15,000
Domestic flights/ one way: NZ$50-$240
National train/ one way: NZ$100-$260
City bus travel/ zone: NZ$3.50
City train travel/ zone: NZ$3.50
Taxi fare start tariff: NZ$3
Taxi fare/ km (0.6 miles): NZ$3

How Much Does it Cost to Travel New Zealand?

The Cost of Accommodation in New Zealand

The price range on accommodation in New Zealand is broad, from cheap campsites to luxury lodges being available. Below, we have given the prices of accommodation that most travellers in New Zealand use so you can work out how much does a trip to New Zealand cost.

Hostel dorm bed/ night: NZ$27-$35
Hostel or holiday park double room with shared bathroom/ night: NZ$80-$90
Hostel, motel or holiday park ensuite double room/ night: NZ$90-$120
Motel self-contained unit/ night: NZ$140 two people/NZ$150-$250 four people
Hotel room/ night: NZ$160 double/NZ$200-$350 family
Family apartment or holiday home/ night: NZ$190-$370
Holiday Park campervan powered site: NZ$22-$40 two adults / NZ$50-$80 family of four
Department of Conservation (DOC) campsite/ person per night: NZ$15 adult/NZ$7.50 child
Freedom camping with a self-contained vehicle: Free

The Cost of Food in New Zealand

Food is essential to factor into your New Zealand travel budget. Self-catering will save you greatly on the cost of travelling New Zealand, while eating out for most meals can be expensive. See the below prices for an idea of the cost of food in New Zealand.

New Zealand Restaurant Prices

Main meal: NZ$30
Cafe sandwich: NZ$5-$8
Pint of beer: NZ$8
Small coffee: NZ$4.50
Fast food pizza: NZ$5
Big Mac: NZ$5.20

Typical Shopping List Essentials

1 litre (35fl oz) of milk: NZ$2.40
A dozen eggs: NZ$5.40
1kg (2.2lbs) of rice: NZ$2
500g (1.1lbs) pasta: NZ$1.20
A loaf of sliced bread: NZ$1.20
1kg (2.2lbs) cheese: NZ$11
100g (3.5oz) dry freeze coffee: NZ$7

New Zealand Fruit and Vegetable Prices

The price of fruit and vegetables differ across the country and between seasons.

1kg (2.2lbs) of apples: NZ$5
1kg (2.2lbs) of bananas: NZ$3
1kg (2.2lbs) of tomatoes: NZ$10
1kg (2.2lbs) of onions: NZ$2
1kg (2.2lbs) of potatoes: NZ$3

New Zealand Meat Prices

1kg (2.2lbs) of chicken: NZ$13
1kg (2.2lbs) of beef mince: NZ$13
1kg (2.2lbs) of pork: NZ$12
1kg (2.2lbs) of lamb: NZ$19

Learn more about grocery shopping in New Zealand here.

The Cost of Tours and Activities in New Zealand

Activities in New Zealand range from free natural attractions and hiking trails to extravagant experiences like glacier heli-hiking and bungy jumping. Jump into the types of activities and tours available starting with our 101 Things to Do in New Zealand: The Ultimate List. Otherwise, here is a quick overview of activity prices in New Zealand.

Walking/hiking trails: Free
Skydive from 15,000ft: NZ$360-$470
Bungy Jump: NZ$130-$275
White Water Rafting: NZ$100-$140 adult/NZ$80-$120 child
Jetboat: NZ$80-$130 adult/NZ$50-$70 child
Dolphin swimming: NZ$120-$220
Whale watching: NZ$120-$150 adult/NZ$60 child
Day kayak tour: NZ$125-$160
Glacier Hiking: NZ$480-$500
Cruise in Milford Sound: NZ$60-$105 adult/NZ$20-$30 child
Rotorua geothermal park: NZ$30-$70 adult/ Free-NZ$15 child
Horse Trekking: NZ$50-$160
Canyoning: NZ$150-$450
Hobbiton: NZ$90-$100 adult/Free-NZ$45 child (See how to get a discount in this guide)
Glowworm caving: NZ$150-$425
Great Walk DoC hut/night: NZ$15-$110 (See all of the Great Walk hut prices on the DoC website).

Other Expenses

Of course, there are other expenses to factor into your New Zealand travel budget. Some expenses are difficult to determine in this guide because they are priced on a case-by-case basis, such as flights, visas and travel insurance. Nevertheless, remember to do your own research on the following:

Flight: see how to book a cheap flight here
Visa: take a look at the Immigration New Zealand fee finder
NZeTA and IVL: see latest prices in What You Need to Know About the New Zealand ETA & Visitor Levy
Travel and medical insurance: our recommendation is Orbit Protect.

For more long-term and living expenses to determine how much does a trip to New Zealand cost, head over to How Expensive is New Zealand?

More About the Cost of a Trip to New Zealand Cost

That’s it for our guide answering the question, how much does a trip to New Zealand cost? For more New Zealand travel budget advice, check out the following articles:

Author

Robin C.

This article was reviewed and published by Robin, the co-founder of NZ Pocket Guide. He has lived, worked and travelled across 16 different countries before calling New Zealand home. He has now spent over a decade in the New Zealand tourism industry, clocking in more than 600 activities across the country. He is passionate about sharing those experiences and advice on NZ Pocket Guide and its YouTube channel. Robin is also the co-founder of several other South Pacific travel guides.

Contact Robin via our contact page