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

Should you visit Napier or Whitsundays?

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

Which city is more affordable and which is best for your travel style? If you're trying to figure out where to go next, comparing the travel costs between Napier and Whitsundays can help you decide which place is right for you.

Where Should I go: Napier or Whitsundays?

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.

Whitsundays

Just off the coast of Queensland, Australia is a cluster of 74 different islands. These islands, the Whitsunday Islands, welcome over a half a million visitors every year to see one of the Seven Wonders of the World - the Great Barrier Reef.

As one of the most famous destinations in the world, it's not uncommon to see expensive yachts sailing around among the private ferries. Most of the islands are designated as national parks with access to snorkeling and diving in the coral reefs, or just to lay in the sand on the famous Whitehaven Beach.

For some great organized tour ideas, see The Best Contiki Tours to New Zealand, The Best G Adventures Tours to New Zealand, The Best One-Week (7-Day) Tours from Melbourne, and The Best One Week (7-Day) Tours in Australia.


Which place is cheaper, Whitsundays or Napier?

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 Napier is $193, while the average daily cost in Whitsundays is $155. 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 Napier and Whitsundays in more detail.



Accommodation
  • Accommodation Hotel or hostel for one person
    Napier $101
    Whitsundays $69
  • Accommodation Typical double-occupancy room
    Napier $202
    Whitsundays $138
Compare Hotels in Napier and Whitsundays

Looking for a hotel in Napier or Whitsundays? 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 Napier


Hotels in Whitsundays


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.
    Napier $30
    Whitsundays $55

Is it cheaper to fly into Napier or Whitsundays?

Prices for flights to both Whitsundays and Napier 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
    Napier $63
    Whitsundays $52
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

Food Tours and Cooking Classes in Whitsundays

For Whitsundays, here are some samples of tours and activities related to meals and dining experiences:

  • Hamilton Island: Whitsundays Sunset Dinner Cruise: $99

Entertainment
  • Entertainment Entrance tickets, shows, etc.
    Napier $27
    Whitsundays $25

Tours and Activities in Napier

For Napier, here are a few prices for actual activities, tours, and tickets provided by various companies:

  • Shore excursion - Napier sight seeing/Art Deco Tour, : $53
  • 3 hour Napier City + Premium Winery Tour: $87
  • Art Deco Walking Private Tour from Napier Cruise Port: $249
  • Cape Winery Cycle Tour - 6 wineries, self-guided: $69
  • Coast to Vineyards Self-Guided Scenic Cycle Tour from Napier: $48
  • Deco City Black Cab Tours and Shuttles: $104
  • Discover Napier Earthquake: Self-Guided Audio Tour: $15
  • Half Day Sightseeing and Taste Tour: $95
  • Hawke's Bay Historic Wineries Tour - Featuring NZ oldest Winery: $118
  • Hawke's Bay: Self Guided Coast to Vineyards Cycle Tour: $46
  • Hawke's bay: Chocolate, Honey, and Ice Cream Tour: $124
  • Hawkes Bay Wine & Local Producers Tour | Award Winning | 6 hours: $164

Tours and Activities in Whitsundays

Also, here are some specific examples of entertainment, tickets, and activities for Whitsundays.

  • Airlie Beach: Whitsundays Full-Day Camira Sailing Adventure: $164
  • MILADY Whitsundays 2-Night Private Yacht Sailing Cruise: $4,953

Alcohol
  • Alcohol Drinks for one day
    Napier $16
    Whitsundays $12
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 Napier and Whitsundays, we can see that Napier is more expensive. And not only is Whitsundays much less expensive, but it is actually a significantly cheaper destination. So, traveling to Whitsundays would let you spend less money overall. Or, you could decide to spend more money in Whitsundays 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 Whitsundays.

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