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

Should you visit Johor Bahru or Te Anau?

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

Should I visit Johor Bahru or Te Anau? This is a common question asked by many travelers. By figuring out which city has activities that align with your interests along with knowing which is more affordable, you'll understand where you can get more bang for your buck. So, let's dive into the details and the data, which all comes from actual travelers.

Where Should I go: Johor Bahru or Te Anau?

Johor Bahru

Johor Bahru is the capital of the state of Johor in Southern Malaysia. Though it is largely industrial and does not typically cater to tourists, especially compared to the grandeur of neighboring Singapore, the city does have some opportunities for shopping, dining, and entertainment.

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 Family-Friendly Tours to Malaysia, The Best Hiking & Trekking Tours in Malaysia, Tours for Outdoor and Nature Lovers in New Zealand, and The Best Adventure Tours to New Zealand.


Which place is cheaper, Te Anau or Johor Bahru?

These are the overall average travel costs for the two destinations. These travel costs come from the actual spending of real travelers.

The average daily cost (per person) in Johor Bahru is $64, while the average daily cost in Te Anau is $118. 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 Johor Bahru and Te Anau in more detail.



Accommodation
  • Accommodation Hotel or hostel for one person
    Johor Bahru $40
    Te Anau $44
  • Accommodation Typical double-occupancy room
    Johor Bahru $80
    Te Anau $88
Compare Hotels in Johor Bahru and Te Anau

Looking for a hotel in Johor Bahru 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 Johor Bahru


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: Johor Bahru Hotel Prices and Te Anau Hotel Prices.

Local Transportation
  • Local Transportation Taxis, local buses, subway, etc.
    Johor Bahru $13
    Te Anau $27

Hired Cars and Shuttles in Johor Bahru

Some specific examples of transportation prices in Johor Bahru:

  • ~Chauffeur: Johor Bahru to Singapore Van Transfer: $38
  • ~Chauffeur: Johor Bahru to Singapore MPV Transfer: $99
  • Universal Studios Singapore + Roundtrip Transfers: $119
  • Singapore Universal Studio & S.E.A Aquarium-COMBO One-Day Pass(Shared transfer): $208
  • Private Transfer from Legoland (Malaysia) to Singapore Changi Airport (SIN): $164
  • Private Transfer from Johor Bahru City Center to Singapore Hotels: $99
  • Private Transfer : Johor Bharu (JB) to Kuala Lumpur (KL): $131
  • Legoland Johor Bahru to Kuala Lumpur 1-way Transfer: $103
  • Legoland Johor Bahru to Kuala Lumpur 1-way Transfer: $125
  • LEGOLAND Malaysia to Kuala Lumpur City One-way Transfer: $105
  • LEGOLAND Malaysia to Kuala Lumpur City Hotels One-way Transfer: $105
  • LEGOLAND Malaysia Admission Ticket with Return Transfer from Kuala Lumpur: $182

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: $17
  • Te Anau to Invercargill Small Group Transfer: $54
  • Lake Marian Guided Hike with Transfers, Lunch & Morning Tea: $185

Is it cheaper to fly into Johor Bahru or Te Anau?

Prices for flights to both Te Anau and Johor Bahru 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
    Johor Bahru $16
    Te Anau $46

Entertainment
  • Entertainment Entrance tickets, shows, etc.
    Johor Bahru $7.81
    Te Anau $47

Tours and Activities in Johor Bahru

Some specific costs of activities, tours, and entrance tickets for Johor Bahru are as follows:

  • Adventure Cove Water Park Entry ticket sentosa Island singpore: $50
  • Sentosa 4D Adventureland Admission Ticket in Singapore: $29
  • #11Hrs Singapore Escorted Van Tour from Johor Bahru w' Tour Guide: $113
  • *15Hrs Kuala Lumpur Van Tour from Johor Bahru w' Tour Guide: $132
  • Adventure Waterpark Desaru Coast Johor Admission Ticket: $35
  • Adventure Waterpark Desaru Coast Ticket: $40
  • Brooklyn Cruise at Puteri Harbour, Johor Bahru (Direct Entry): $25
  • Desaru Coast Adventure Waterpark Admission Ticket: $22
  • Experience Brooklyn Cruise at Puteri Harbour: $21
  • Firefly Tour Johor Bahru@Kota Tinggi Firefly Park: $6.32
  • HydroDash Singapore Ticket: $45
  • Johor Bahru : Seadoo JetSki 30mins Self Ride Tour (Double): $86

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: $75
  • Te Anau Glow Worm Caves Tour: $77
  • Evening Champagne Cruise on Historic 1935 Motor Yacht.: $84
  • Scenic Cruise & Guided walk on Historic Motor Yacht Lake Te Anau: $86
  • Scenic Cruise & Guided Walk on Historic Motor Yacht Lake Te Anau: $86
  • Champagne Sightseeing Cruise on Lake Te Anau: $98
  • From Milford Sound Coach Tour and Cruise: $119
  • Fiordland: Jet Boat & Nature Walk Experience from Te Anau: $119
  • Milford Sound Coach & Cruise Tour from Te Anau : $122
  • From Milford Sound Cruise & Scenic Coach Tour: $126
  • Milford Sound Day Tour from Te Anau: $130
  • From Milford Sound Cruise and Coach Day Trip: $133

Alcohol
  • Alcohol Drinks for one day
    Johor Bahru $5.09
    Te Anau $14


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

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


Which is Bigger, Johor Bahru or Te Anau?

Johor Bahru has a larger population, and is about 390 times larger than the population of Te Anau. When comparing the sizes of Johor Bahru 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.