How much does a trip to New Zealand cost?

If you are planning to travel to New Zealand in the near future, the question of budget will probably come up unless you are lucky enough to have plenty of money to spend. I had just returned from a three-week road trip around New Zealand, which naturally made me want to share the budget needed for this type of trip. As with my detailed article about the budget needed for a trip to French Polynesia, I will try to do the same here.

Working out your travel budget when planning a trip abroad is always complicated, and every traveler will have different priorities depending on their income, the length of their trip, what they want to do, and so on. Some people enjoy the entire preparation process, including planning their budget, while others prefer to arrive with a backpack and simply look forward to discovering new places and meeting new people. Here, I will give you an overview of the main expenses you are likely to encounter during your trip to New Zealand. Do you like to plan everything before leaving, or are you simply looking forward to the adventure?

Whether you are traveling around the world and hoping to discover the Pacific Islands or simply planning your first trip to New Zealand, this article is for you. A road trip here remains a classic part of many round-the-world journeys. Many backpackers even stop for several months to work in the country on a Working Holiday Visa. They often continue their journey through Southeast Asia, New Caledonia, Easter Island, or South America. So, how much does a trip to this distant island nation cost?

French citizens traveling without a visa must obtain an NZeTA before departure and meet the conditions of the visa-waiver program. The current cost is NZ$17 through the official app or NZ$23 through the website, plus the NZ$100 International Visitor Conservation and Tourism Levy.

If you are looking for activities at competitive prices, I usually compare offers on this website.

How much does a trip to New Zealand cost? In my opinion, there are six main expenses to include in your budget: flights, travel between the two main islands, transportation within the country, accommodation, activities, and food.

There will also be additional expenses, of course, such as souvenirs, travel insurance, gifts, and bank withdrawal fees—in short, all the usual costs that come with traveling around the world.

For reference, NZ$1 was worth approximately €0.50 in June 2026 (€0.58 when I visited)

If you live in Europe, you can find flights with stopovers to New Zealand from most major cities. Current return fares generally start at around €900–1,100 when you are flexible, although prices of €1,200–1,600 are also common depending on the season and departure airport. Take a look at this flight comparison site, which I have been using for more than ten years to find cheap flights.

From the United States, most major cities also offer flights to New Zealand. Current return fares generally start at around US$800–1,100, while direct flights from the West Coast often cost around US$1,000–1,600. Airports such as San Francisco and Los Angeles often provide the most direct options, while Hawaii can sometimes offer lower fares. You can compare current flights from the United States here and departures from Honolulu here.

For Canadian travelers, current return fares generally start at around C$1,200–1,500, although direct or peak-season flights can easily exceed C$2,000. You can compare current fares through this website.

It is also worth noting that New Zealand can often be included in a round-the-world ticket. Something to consider!

I spent three weeks in New Zealand, entirely on the North Island, because I now prefer to travel at a more leisurely pace.

Traveling between the North and South islands is another expense to consider when calculating the cost of your trip. There are several options available:

By ferry

• If you are traveling with a vehicle such as a car, campervan, or motorhome, you will need to take a ferry between Wellington and Picton. The crossing is also an opportunity to enjoy the beautiful scenery. The two ferry companies are Interislander and Bluebridge. Current fares vary by date, sailing, vehicle length, and fare conditions, so you need to run a live search for your exact crossing.

• If you are traveling on foot, seasonal Interislander fares can start at around NZ$50 per adult, but standard prices vary throughout the year.

By plane

If you are traveling around the country by bus or hitchhiking, you do not have to take the ferry to reach the other island. Flying can sometimes be cheaper than taking the ferry, particularly if you are not traveling with a vehicle. Domestic fares now vary too much by route, date, baggage allowance, and airline to provide a reliable fixed list, so check the current price for your exact journey.

If you are looking for cheap domestic flights between New Zealand’s major cities, you can use this flight comparison site, which I have used for years.

Depending on how you choose to travel and what you plan to do, this is where your budget can quickly increase and you may end up spending more than expected. There are plenty of options available, whatever your budget, from the most economical to the most expensive. I have already written an article about driving in New Zealand, where you will find plenty of useful information. Here, I will focus on the three forms of transportation most travelers choose.

Renting a car in New Zealand

As anywhere else, car rental prices vary considerably depending on several factors: the driver’s age and experience, the age and mileage of the car, its maintenance, and the type of insurance selected. I particularly recommend this website. I have booked through this car rental comparison site twice and found very good prices.

Current car rental prices vary considerably by season, pickup location, vehicle category, insurance, and booking date. As a general estimate, a small or medium-sized car can cost around NZ$20–50 per day in the low season and NZ$80–150 per day during the busiest months. I will share my own historical car rental costs and experience at the end of this article.

Renting a motorhome or campervan in New Zealand

This is an option many travelers choose, often for convenience. Based on what I heard during my three weeks in New Zealand, however, I did not find it to be the most economical way to travel around the country. That is another subject, and one I will discuss in an article about traveling around New Zealand on a limited budget. Current campervan and motorhome prices also vary considerably according to the season, vehicle size, equipment, insurance, and rental duration. A basic two-berth campervan can cost around NZ$60–100 per day in the low season and NZ$200–320 or more during the high season. Larger motorhomes generally cost around NZ$180–500 per day. Unless several people share the cost, I would not personally recommend one.

Traveling by bus in New Zealand

This is another possible option when traveling around New Zealand on a limited budget. However, over several weeks or months, it may not be the cheapest solution.

Two well-known companies are Kiwi Experience and Stray Travel. Kiwi Experience offers bus passes, while Stray currently focuses on organized tours rather than its former hop-on, hop-off network. Prices vary widely depending on the length and route.

Current prices depend on the operator and type of trip. As a more independent reference, InterCity FlexiPasses currently range from NZ$140 for 10 hours of travel to NZ$641 for 80 hours. Kiwi Experience prices vary by route, while Stray now mainly offers organized tours that include accommodation and some activities. This could suit travelers who want to see the main tourist attractions within a limited period. The downside is having less freedom and a trip that may feel more like an organized tour.

Hitchhiking and carpooling also seemed to work reasonably well in New Zealand and were certainly among the cheapest ways to travel. The main disadvantage was that they required more time and offered less certainty. Which way would you prefer to travel?

This is where things become more complicated. Depending on what you expect from your accommodation, you can find options ranging from very cheap to very expensive. Below are the main types of accommodation, from the least to the most expensive.

Camping in New Zealand

This was obviously the cheapest option and the one I chose during my trip. DOC Basic campgrounds are still free, while current Standard campground fees are generally NZ$10–20 per adult per night and Serviced campgrounds usually cost around NZ$25 per adult for an unpowered site. Prices vary at some locations. A useful app provides a map of campgrounds across the country.

There are also several free campgrounds scattered around New Zealand. I provide more details in my article about camping in New Zealand. Be careful with freedom camping, as it is strictly regulated.

Airbnb and bed and breakfasts in New Zealand

This is generally more expensive than camping, but it can still be fairly reasonable. A private room in an Airbnb or guesthouse now generally costs around NZ$35–60 per night at the lower end, while an entire apartment often costs around NZ$80–170 or more depending on the location and season.

It is still possible to find attractive rooms at reasonable prices.

Hostels

Hostels can be found in all medium-sized and large cities in New Zealand. Current dormitory prices are commonly around NZ$35–60 per night, while a private room in a hostel generally costs around NZ$75–150 depending on the city and season.

Looking back, I would have preferred to stay in an Airbnb in Auckland rather than at the Base Backpackers hostel.

Hotels

I did not personally stay in any hotels during this trip. A simple hotel or motel room now generally costs around NZ$120–180 per night for two people, while midrange hotels often cost around NZ$180–300 or more depending on the city and season.

This is generally the most expensive accommodation option, and if you are traveling on a limited budget, I would suggest choosing something else.

The cost of a trip to New Zealand will also depend on what you want to do there. I am not particularly interested in paid activities and do not think they are necessary to have a good time—quite the opposite, in fact. However, New Zealand knows how to charge for tourism, and many major attractions are not free.

There is a wide range of canyoning, rafting, bungee jumping, helicopter flights, climbing, boat trips, and other activities. To put it bluntly, activities in New Zealand are expensive.

Current activity prices vary greatly. Some entry tickets remain below NZ$50, while major attractions and adventure activities can easily cost NZ$100–400 per person. At those prices, you need to think carefully about what you really want to do, especially if you do not want to spend your entire budget on a few activities.

Discount cards and special offers were available on some websites, particularly for adventure activities and extreme sports. I will tell you more about them in my article about traveling cheaply in New Zealand.

Many tourist attractions also charge admission. Wai-O-Tapu currently costs around NZ$40–45 per adult, while the standard Hobbiton Signature Tour now costs NZ$130 per adult. Fans of Hobbits and Middle-earth often find it difficult to resist visiting the site.

It all adds up quickly.

On the other hand, if you are traveling economically or simply love dramatic landscapes and wide-open spaces, there is plenty to enjoy without spending a fortune. Hiking among geysers, fjords, volcanoes, glaciers, rainforests, snow-covered peaks, and other remarkable landscapes can make a trip to New Zealand worthwhile without ruining your budget. The Coromandel Peninsula in the north of the country, for example, offers many hiking trails and beautiful sandy beaches, and you can get away from some of the country’s busiest tourist attractions. New Zealand’s national parks also provide plenty of opportunities to discover beautiful landscapes at a low cost.

The landscapes change considerably from north to south. The South Island is particularly well known for its wildlife and dramatic scenery, and I was told that it was a hiker’s paradise. So, do not focus entirely on paid activities. Take the time to enjoy the country’s natural attractions: lakes, hiking trails, penguins, sea lions, endemic wildlife and plants, hot springs, and much more. I hope to discover the beautiful regions of the South Island on my next visit.

The final point to consider when planning the budget for your trip to New Zealand is food.

Since I was living in Tahiti when I wrote this article, my opinion may differ from that of travelers living elsewhere. Overall, I found food relatively inexpensive. The French travelers I met there generally felt that groceries were slightly cheaper than in France. Even restaurants were relatively affordable.

Here are some current estimated food prices in New Zealand:

• A dish in a restaurant: between NZ$25 and NZ$40,
• A burger in a snack bar: around NZ$15 to NZ$20,
• A muffin in a supermarket: around NZ$2.50 to NZ$4,
• One liter of milk: around NZ$3 to NZ$4,
• Cheddar cheese, 1 kg: around NZ$14 to NZ$20,
• Pad Thai noodles: around NZ$2 to NZ$4 per package,
• A coffee from a roadside stop or café: around NZ$5 to NZ$7.

We now come to an overview of the budget for our own trip to New Zealand. First, I should clarify a few points:

• We traveled as a family of three: two adults and a two-year-old child.
• We chose what I considered the most economical option: a rental car and camping.
• We did not choose the smallest or cheapest car because we were traveling with a baby and wanted to avoid potential problems.
• We were generally used to traveling on a limited budget.
• We mainly stayed at better-equipped campgrounds with hot water, electricity, and internet access.
• We ate at restaurants only twice during the trip. The rest of the time, we bought groceries and cooked at the campgrounds.
• We did very few paid activities apart from visits to natural parks and similar attractions.
• We traveled in October and November, before the main tourist season.

Here were the main expenses of our trip:

• Flights: €600. We paid for only one ticket, as the second was covered with airline miles and the baby traveled free.
• Accommodation: €522, an average of €23.72 per night for 22 nights.
• Paid activities: €255.
• Car rental: €380 for 19 days, or approximately €20 per day.
• Fuel: €300.
• Food, coffee, and restaurants: €920, including expenses for the baby.

TOTAL: €2,980, including everything.

In the end, I think we managed fairly well considering that we stayed for three weeks and were traveling with a baby, which always involves some additional expenses.

If you are traveling from outside French Polynesia, your airfare will probably be higher because of the greater distance, and of course, I personally paid for only one ticket.

The other expenses could be similar if you rent a car, camp, and limit the number of paid activities. Another point to remember is that we drove 3,500 km in three weeks and stayed entirely on the North Island. If you plan to drive farther or visit the South Island, your budget will increase because of fuel and the ferry crossing. On the other hand, you may spend less on food if you are traveling without a baby or young child.

For a current estimate, a budget traveler can expect to spend around NZ$100–150 per person per day in New Zealand, excluding international flights. For two people over three weeks, that represents approximately NZ$4,200–6,300, or around €2,100–3,180 at the June 2026 exchange rate, before adding flights.

For two people, a current budget of roughly NZ$1,400–2,100 per week in the country is more realistic, depending on accommodation, transportation, food, and activities. It is still possible to spend less by staying at free campgrounds, cooking most meals, and limiting paid activities.

If you do not want to organize your trip around the South Pacific yourself, many travel agencies in New Zealand and elsewhere offer tailor-made trips or guided tours. Although that is not my preferred way to travel, it can help ensure that you do not miss the country’s main attractions. However, you lose some of the freedom to get off the beaten path.

I hope this article about the budget needed for a trip to New Zealand has given you some useful ideas. Good luck with your planning!

If you have any questions about the article, particularly about your travel budget, I will be happy to answer them. So, are you ready to discover New Zealand?

See you soon.

Written by Sylvain PONS

Living in French Polynesia at the time, I explored New Zealand from 2017 to 2020 during two road trips of two months each. As a family, we camped and discovered the beauty of these two islands.

Despite our care, a mistake may have slipped into this article. If you find any, please don't hesitate to let us know so we can correct it as soon as possible and keep our information up-to-date!