Per room per night. YHA/hostel dorms: ~$25–45. Airbnb: ~$100–200. DOC huts on Great Walks: ~$65–130 (in-season). Luxury lodges (Blanket Bay, Huka Lodge): $700–2,000+. Queenstown commands a 20–40% premium over the NZ average.
Café breakfast: ~$18–28. Fish & chips: ~$12–18 — a NZ institution. Pub dinner: ~$22–35pp. Supermarkets: Countdown (Woolworths NZ) / New World for self-catering. Marlborough Sauvignon Blanc at source: ~$15 a bottle. World-class flat whites from ~$5.
City buses (Auckland/Wellington): ~$3–5/trip. Car hire: from ~$65/day + fuel (petrol ~NZ$2.20/L). InterCity buses: ~$25–80/route. Interislander ferry (Wellington→Picton): ~$70–130. Domestic flights (Air NZ): from ~$80 Auckland–Queenstown. Averaged across trip length.
Tongariro Alpine Crossing: free (+ ~$40 shuttle). Hobbiton: ~$90. Milford Sound cruise: ~$140–200. Bungy Queenstown: from ~$165. Abel Tasman kayak day: ~$130. Franz Josef heli-hike: ~$430–550. Great Walk DOC hut fees: ~$65–130/night (in-season, book separately). Averaged across trip.
Merino wool products (Icebreaker, Untouched World): $80–250+. Pounamu (greenstone) jewellery: $30–500+. Manuka honey: $25–80. Farmers' Markets: fresh local produce from $5. Arrowtown vintage market: great for unique finds. Averaged as a daily figure across your trip.
Craft beer at a Queenstown bar: ~$10–14. Cocktails: ~$18–22. Club entry: ~$15–25. Cinema (Event Cinemas): ~$18. Te Papa Museum: free entry. Zealandia at dusk: ~$25. Most beach sunsets and coastal walks cost nothing at all.
NZ SIM card (Vodafone/2degrees): ~$30 prepay with data. Pharmacy/sunscreen: $15–30. Tipping is not expected in NZ. Travel insurance: allocate separately (~$5–12/day for Australians). ACC: covers most accidents for free in NZ. Always keep a 10–15% contingency.