A Travel Price Comparison for Families, Couples, and Backpackers Mandalay vs. Napier for Vacations, Tours, and Honeymoons

Should you visit Mandalay or Napier?

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

If you're trying to decide where to visit between Mandalay or Napier, this travel comparison, which includes costs, can help. The overall cost of travel is usually a consideration when deciding where to go next, and the cost comparison down below can help you decide based on the average prices from other travelers along with your own travel budget.

Where Should I go: Mandalay or Napier?

Mandalay

Located in Myanmar (formerly known as Burma) on the banks of the Irawaddy River, Mandalay is the nation's second largest city behind Yangon. It is centered on the restored Royal Palace and has a large population of Buddhist monks who frequent the city's many temples and monasteries.

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 Contiki Tours to New Zealand, and The Best G Adventures Tours to New Zealand.


Which place is cheaper, Napier or Mandalay?

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 Mandalay is $19, 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 Mandalay and Napier in more detail.



Accommodation
  • Accommodation Hotel or hostel for one person
    Mandalay $8.65
    Napier $101
  • Accommodation Typical double-occupancy room
    Mandalay $17
    Napier $202
Compare Hotels in Mandalay and Napier

Looking for a hotel in Mandalay 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.

Hotels in Mandalay


Hotels in Napier


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: Napier Hotel Prices.

Local Transportation
  • Local Transportation Taxis, local buses, subway, etc.
    Mandalay -
    Napier $30

Hired Cars and Shuttles in Mandalay

Some specific examples of transportation prices in Mandalay:

  • Private Transfer Of Mandalay To Bagan: $150
  • Private Mandalay Airport Transfer: $27
  • Private Land Transfer : Mandalay to Bagan: $139
  • Mandalay To Bagan Transfer Tour: $150
  • Mandalay Airport Private Transfer : $55
  • Inle [Heho] Airport Private Transfer : $46
  • From Mandalay To Kalaw-NyaungShwe-Inle Lake Private Transfer: $200
  • Bagan Land Transfer form Mandalay: $103
  • Around Mandalay in 2 Day and Next Day to Transfer Bagan: $200
  • 2 Days in Mandalay Region, 3 Night in Monywa and 4 Days to transfer Bagan: $260

Is it cheaper to fly into Mandalay or Napier?

Prices for flights to both Napier and Mandalay 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
    Mandalay $10
    Napier $63

Food Tours and Cooking Classes in Mandalay

Also, here are some specific examples of food and dining related activities in Mandalay.

  • Myanmar traditional cooking class with local: $26
  • Bamboo Bike Food Tour: $42
  • Bicycle Food Tour in Mandalay: $45

Typical Food Prices in Napier

For Napier, here are some examples of average food and meal prices for travelers:


  • 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
  • Entertainment Entrance tickets, shows, etc.
    Mandalay -
    Napier $27

Tours and Activities in Mandalay

Here are a few actual costs in Mandalay for available activities, ticket prices, and tours:

  • Kayah Villages Full Day Tour (Pan Pet & Hta Nee La): $260
  • 2 Days Private Tour in Mandalay: $176
  • A Little Adventure Village Explore: $17
  • Adventure to Dee Dote Waterfalls from Mandalay: $63
  • Amarapura,Mingun,Sagaing,Innwa Sightseeing Tour: $85
  • Amarapura,Sagaing,Innwa Sightseeing Tour: $75
  • Amarapura,Sagging,Innwa/Ava Sightseeing : $75
  • Ancient Cities, Pagodas, and Sunset Tour from Mandalay: $194
  • Day Tour Of Mingun/Sagaing/Amarapura: $75
  • Day Trip Tour From Mandalay To Pyin Oo Lwin: $105
  • Full Day Adventure: $153
  • Full Day Mandalay Tour: $130

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
  • Alcohol Drinks for one day
    Mandalay -
    Napier $16

Typical Alcohol Prices in Napier

Some typical examples of the costs for nightlife and alcohol in Napier are as follows:


  • 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 Mandalay and Napier, we can see that Napier is more expensive. And not only is Mandalay much less expensive, but it is actually a significantly cheaper destination. Since Mandalay 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 Mandalay would let you spend less money overall. Or, you could decide to spend more money in Mandalay 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 Mandalay.

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


Which is Bigger, Mandalay or Napier?

Mandalay has a larger population, and is about 20 times larger than the population of Napier. When comparing the sizes of Mandalay 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.