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

Should you visit Pai or Napier?

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

Which city should you visit? Read on to compare the activities as well as the prices of travel for Pai and Napier. We'll break down costs for accommodation, food, transportation and more to help you learn more about these two destinations. Then, you can figure out if either of these two places are accessible based on your travel budget, schedule, and interests. So, let's dig into it.

Where Should I go: Pai or Napier?

Pai

As the lush green mountains adorn the blue horizon amidst its creamy clouds, Pai, in northern Thailand, works as one of the many hubs for some of the world's most exciting cultural adventures and natural wonders. Within this small town just north of the Mae Hong Son Province, near the Myanmar border, Pai lays on the Pai River and holds a population of no more than 2,500. Despite its geographical insignificance, this town attracts a wide array of tourists. From breathtaking waterfalls to relaxing hot springs, you will find yourself astonished at how much this little city holds within its borders.

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 G Adventures Tours to Thailand, The Best 3-Day Tours from Phuket, The Best Contiki Tours to New Zealand, and The Best G Adventures Tours to New Zealand.


Which place is cheaper, Napier or Pai?

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 Pai is $91, 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 Pai and Napier in more detail.



Accommodation
  • Accommodation Hotel or hostel for one person
    Pai $16
    Napier $101
  • Accommodation Typical double-occupancy room
    Pai $32
    Napier $202
Compare Hotels in Pai and Napier

Looking for a hotel in Pai 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 Pai


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: Pai Hotel Prices and Napier Hotel Prices.

Local Transportation
  • Local Transportation Taxis, local buses, subway, etc.
    Pai $42
    Napier $30

Is it cheaper to fly into Pai or Napier?

Prices for flights to both Napier and Pai 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
    Pai $42
    Napier $63

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.
    Pai $46
    Napier $27

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: $47
  • Hawke's bay: Chocolate, Honey, and Ice Cream Tour: $126
  • Hawkes Bay Wine & Local Producers Tour | Award Winning | 6 hours: $164

Alcohol
  • Alcohol Drinks for one day
    Pai $15
    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: $87
  • 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: $114
  • Napier Art Deco & Distillery Tour with Tastings: $116
  • Art Deco Heritage & Gin Distillery Tour with Tasting: $127
  • 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 Pai and Napier, we can see that Napier is more expensive. And not only is Pai much less expensive, but it is actually a significantly cheaper destination. Since Pai 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 Pai would let you spend less money overall. Or, you could decide to spend more money in Pai 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 Pai.

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