Which place is cheaper, Napier or Kota Kinabalu?
These are the overall average travel costs for the two destinations. These travel costs come from the actual spending of real travelers.
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Should you visit Kota Kinabalu or Napier?
Which is cheaper to visit? Which is more expensive for vacation?
Should I visit Kota Kinabalu or Napier? 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: Kota Kinabalu or Napier?
Kota Kinabalu
Kota Kinabalu, originally Jesselton, is the capital of Sabah, which is on the northern part of the island of Borneo. Kota Kinabalu is located just between the western side of the island and Tambunan Rafflesia Forest Reserve. Most of Kota Kinabalu's historic buildings were destroyed by bombing during World War II, so the city had to be rebuilt. KK, as it's commonly called, is a compact, but booming town today, with its new shopping centers, seaside condominiums, and bustling marketplaces.
Napier
Napier is city on the eastern coast of the North Island of New Zealand. It is part of the Hawke's Bay Region, a famous area for wine vineyards. Napier has a population of 61,000 people and is known for its Art Deco architecture and of course, wine.
For some great organized tour ideas, see The Best Luxury Tours to Malaysia, The Best Tours for Seniors to Malaysia, The Best Contiki Tours to New Zealand, and The Best G Adventures Tours to New Zealand.
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Kota Kinabalu Prices
Malaysia PricesNapier Prices
New Zealand Prices -
Average Daily Cost Per person, per dayKota Kinabalu $68Napier $193
The average daily cost (per person) in Kota Kinabalu is $68, while the average daily cost in Napier is $193. 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 Kota Kinabalu and Napier in more detail.
Accommodation
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Accommodation Hotel or hostel for one personKota Kinabalu $21Napier $101
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Accommodation Typical double-occupancy roomKota Kinabalu $42Napier $202
Compare Hotels in Kota Kinabalu and Napier
Looking for a hotel in Kota Kinabalu or Napier? 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.
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: Kota Kinabalu Hotel Prices and Napier Hotel Prices.
Local Transportation
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Local Transportation Taxis, local buses, subway, etc.Kota Kinabalu $25Napier $30
Hired Cars and Shuttles in Kota Kinabalu
Some specific examples of transportation prices in Kota Kinabalu:
- Transfer from Kota Kinabalu Airport BKI to Kota Kinabalu Port: $25
- Stand Up Paddle Boarding with Sunrise/Sunset Tour at Kota Kinabalu with transfer: $32
- Private Transfer: Kota Kinabalu International Airport to/from Hotel: $20
- Private Transfer- Kota Kinabalu Port to Kota Kinabalu Airport BKI: $25
- Private Transfer- Kota Kinabalu Airport BKI to Kota Kinabalu Port: $25
- Private Transfer from Kota Kinabalu Port to Kota Kinabalu hotels: $25
- Private Transfer from Kota Kinabalu Hotels to Kota Kinabalu Port: $25
- Private Arrival Transfer : Kota Kinabalu International Airport: $30
- Kota Kinabalu（BKI）: Private Transfer to City Center: $14
- Kota Kinabalu to Kota Kinab Airport: Departure Private Transfer: $24
- Kota Kinabalu Hotel to Jetty Round Trip Transfer: $53
- Kota Kinabalu Airport BKI to Borneo - Round-Trip Private Transfer: $77
Is it cheaper to fly into Kota Kinabalu or Napier?
Prices for flights to both Napier and Kota Kinabalu 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
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Food Meals for one dayKota Kinabalu $30Napier $63
Food Tours and Cooking Classes in Kota Kinabalu
Also, here are some specific examples of food and dining related activities in Kota Kinabalu.
- Beringgis Mangove Fireflies, Sunset Tour & Dinner: $33
- Sabah Traditional Authentic Cuisine Cooking Class 3 Hours: $45
- Klias River Cruise with Dinner and Fireflies: $55
- Kawa Mangrove Cruise & Fireflies with Dinner: $67
- Ethnic Cooking Class & Upside Down House & 3D Wonders Museum: $92
- Taste Of Borneo Cooking Class: $95
- North Borneo Sunset Dinner Cruise: $121
- Kota Kinabalu Night Tour with Dinner & Cultural Dance Show: $138
- Kota Kinabalu Sunset Cruise with Buffet Dinner: $187
Typical Food Prices in Napier
For Napier, here are some examples of average food and meal prices for travelers:
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Casural Lunch$8.28
Food Tours and Cooking Classes in Napier
For Napier, here are some samples of tours and activities related to meals and dining experiences:
- Taste Hawke's Bay - A Sweet treat food Tour: $115
Entertainment
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Entertainment Entrance tickets, shows, etc.Kota Kinabalu $6.43Napier $27
Tours and Activities in Kota Kinabalu
Some specific costs of activities, tours, and entrance tickets for Kota Kinabalu are as follows:
- Sky-Mirror Photographing and Proboscis Monkey & Fireflies Watching River-Cruise: $46
- Bongawan River Cruise Proboscis Monkey, SkyMirror, Fireflies : $49
- Bongawan: River Safari Cruise, Private or Shared Ticket: $48
- Borneo (Klias) River Cruise & Fireflies Tour: $50
- Cowboy Town & Fireflies River Cruise: $62
- Day Trip to Kinabalu Park and Poring Hot Spring Guided Tour: $70
- From Kota Kinabalu : Kiulu White Water Rafting Tour + meal: $66
- Full Day Bongawan River Cruise with Proboscis Monkey Sightseeing: $55
- Indigenous Weaving Experience: $236
- Island Hopping Tour (2 Island) From Kota Kinabalu: $100
- Island Hopping Tour From Kota Kinabalu (2 island): $90
- Kinabalu National Park Tour: $135
Tours and Activities in Napier
For Napier, here are a few prices for actual activities, tours, and tickets provided by various companies:
- Discover Napier Earthquake: Self-Guided Audio Tour: $15
- National Aquarium of New Zealand in Napier Native Icons Tour: $39
- Hawke's Bay: Self Guided Coast to Vineyards Cycle Tour: $46
- Coast to Vineyards Self-Guided Scenic Cycle Tour from Napier: $48
- Shore Excursion Cycle Winery Tour - Half Day, self-guided: $51
- Shore excursion - Napier sight seeing/Art Deco Tour, : $53
- Cape Kidnappers Gannet, Nature & Sightseeing Tour: $57
- Napier Discovery Tour: $60
- Small group - Napier City & Art Deco Tour, 2 hours: $65
- Cape Coast Winery Tour on Pedal or E-Bikes: $67
- Cape Winery Cycle Tour - 6 wineries, self-guided: $69
- Shore Excursion: 4-Hour Discover Hawkes Bay and Napier Tour: $75
Alcohol
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Alcohol Drinks for one dayKota Kinabalu $7.18Napier $16
Typical Alcohol Prices in Napier
Some typical examples of the costs for nightlife and alcohol in Napier are as follows:
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Wine$12
Sample the Local Flavors in Napier
Some specific costs for nightlife related activities in Napier:
- Art-Deco + Te Mata Peak+ Garden Walk + Wine Tasting: $86
- Deco Napier, Te Mata Peak, Garden Walk and Wine Tasting Tour: $89
- Half Day Small-Group Hawkes Bay Wine Tour: $101
- Wine Tasting Tour in Napier Region: $104
- Napier Cruise Excursion Art Deco Tour and Wine Tasting: $107
- From Hawke's Bay Small Group Wine Tour: $113
- Napier Art Deco & Distillery Tour with Tastings: $116
- Art Deco Heritage & Gin Distillery Tour with Tasting: $126
- Hawkes Bay - Scenic, luncheon, wine Tour: $131
- Wine Tour and Tastings in Hawkes Bay : $146
- Craggy Range Deluxe - Hawke's Bay Wine Tour : $150
When we compare the travel costs of actual travelers between Kota Kinabalu and Napier, we can see that Napier is more expensive. And not only is Kota Kinabalu much less expensive, but it is actually a significantly cheaper destination. Since Kota Kinabalu is in Asia and Napier 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 Kota Kinabalu would let you spend less money overall. Or, you could decide to spend more money in Kota Kinabalu 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 Napier would naturally cost you much more money, so you would probably want to keep your budget a little tighter in Napier than you might in Kota Kinabalu.
If you're trying to decide if either of these two destinations are within your price range, also see Is Kota Kinabalu Expensive? and Is Napier Expensive?.
Which is Bigger, Kota Kinabalu or Napier?
Kota Kinabalu has a larger population, and is about 8 times larger than the population of Napier. When comparing the sizes of Kota Kinabalu and Napier, 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.
Budget Your Trip is all about finding out how much everything costs so that you can travel cheaper and longer. Created by avid travelers Laurie and Bryan, our goal is to help you plan your next trip on the right budget. With average daily travel costs that are calculated from the budgets of real travelers, plus an analysis of hotel and tour prices, you can find out how much money you need to plan your next adventure. We also have plenty of travel advice, accommodation reviews, and activity suggestions.