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

Should you visit Tanah Rata or Napier?

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

Should I visit Tanah Rata 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: Tanah Rata or Napier?

Tanah Rata

Tanah Rata is one of the main tourist towns in the Cameron Highlands. The Cameron Highlands are in western Malaysia and are a popular retreat for Malaysian residents and international travelers alike. The area's higher elevation offers an often much needed break from the country's oppressive heat. It also has a beautiful setting that is rich in agriculture and has rolling hills that are beautifully covered in tea plantations. Tanah Rata has many of the area's tourist amenities. ATMS, banks, and the area's main hospital are all found in town. For some, the area feels too touristy, but if you linger longer, and explore on your own, you can easily escape the mass tourism and see the area for what it is.

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 10-Day Tours in Malaysia, The Best 2-Week Tours in Malaysia, The Best Contiki Tours to New Zealand, and The Best G Adventures Tours to New Zealand.


Which place is cheaper, Napier or Tanah Rata?

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 Tanah Rata is $192, 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 Tanah Rata and Napier in more detail.



Accommodation
  • Accommodation Hotel or hostel for one person
    Tanah Rata $76
    Napier $101
  • Accommodation Typical double-occupancy room
    Tanah Rata $152
    Napier $202
Compare Hotels in Tanah Rata and Napier

Looking for a hotel in Tanah Rata 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 Tanah Rata


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: Tanah Rata Hotel Prices and Napier Hotel Prices.

Local Transportation
  • Local Transportation Taxis, local buses, subway, etc.
    Tanah Rata $33
    Napier $30

Hired Cars and Shuttles in Tanah Rata

Some specific examples of transportation prices in Tanah Rata:

  • Shared Transfer : Cameron Highland to Taman Negara via Kuala Tembeling Jetty: $154
  • Private Transfer Service Cameron Highlands to Kuala Lumpur: $229
  • Departure Transfer from Cameron Highland to KLIA/KLIA2: $169
  • Chauffeur: Cameron Highlands to Singapore Van Transfer: $125
  • CameronHighland CityHotel to KualaLumpur Airport One-way Transfer: $109
  • Cameron Highlands to Kuala Lumpur City 1-way Transfer: $93
  • Cameron Highlands to Kuala Lumpur City 1-way Transfer: $93
  • Cameron Highlands to Kuala Lumpur Airport Departure Transfer: $110
  • Cameron Highlands to Ipoh Hotel Transfer: $65
  • Cameron Highlands Hotels to Kuala Lumpur City 1-way Transfer: $94
  • Cameron Highlands City to Kuala Lumpur City One-way Transfer: $92
  • Cameron Highlands City To Kuala Lumpur City Transfer: $94

Is it cheaper to fly into Tanah Rata or Napier?

Prices for flights to both Napier and Tanah Rata 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
    Tanah Rata $87
    Napier $63
Typical Food Prices in Tanah Rata

Below are a few samples from actual travelers for food and meal costs in Tanah Rata:


  • Dinner for Two
    $6.42
  • Dessert
    $0.71
  • Lunch
    $4.52
  • Afternoon tea
    $4.40

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.
    Tanah Rata $39
    Napier $27
Typical Entertainment Prices in Tanah Rata

Here are a few typical costs in Tanah Rata for activities, ticket prices, and tours that come from previous visitors:


  • Tea Factory Visit
    $6.42
  • Tour of Orang Asli Village
    $24

Tours and Activities in Tanah Rata

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

  • Cameron Highlands Sightseing Tour: $35
  • Cameron Highlands City Hotels to Kuala Lumpur Airport EN-ROUTE Batu Caves Tour: $110
  • Cameron Highlands City to Kuala Lumpur Airport EN-ROUTE Batu Caves Tour: $109
  • Cameron Highlands Full Day Join in Tour: $49
  • Cameron Highlands Full Day Tour: $75
  • Cameron Highlands Private Sightseeing Tour : $211
  • Cameron Highlands to Kuala Lumpur International Airport EN-ROUTE Batu Caves Tour: $110
  • Cameron Highlands: Agro Tour: $61
  • Cameron Highlands: Mossy Forest Tour: $30
  • Special Cameron Highlands ~ Day tour;Solo;Couple;Group: $292

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
    Tanah Rata $21
    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 comparing the travel costs between Tanah Rata and Napier, we can see that Napier is more expensive. However, the two cities are actually relatively comparable in price, as the difference is somewhat minimal. Generally, this means that you could travel with generally the same travel style and level of luxury in each place. Even though Tanah Rata is in Asia and Napier is in Pacific, both of these destinations have relatively similar prices of travel. Generally, the levels of luxury and expenses are the same for these cities even though they are geographically far apart.

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


Which is Bigger, Tanah Rata or Napier?

Napier has a larger population, and is about 8 times larger than the population of Tanah Rata. When comparing the sizes of Tanah Rata 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.