Our road trip through New Zealand was a spontaneous decision. I had planned on doing the road trip solo in October 2018, but I didn’t want to lose the chance to experience the trip with a great friend. The last piece of my decision was the budget. I knew I’d save up a bit of cash while I was working in Brisbane (retail pay rates are absolutely wonderful compared to the US,) and after I set some saving goals, I booked the flight and was on my way to New Zealand.

What I didn’t do beforehand was realistically think about the cost of gas, food, and excursions. Sleeping in a car at campsites sounds like a low-budget trip, but there are many expenses that come alongside camping and traveling. (Luckily, I was able to freelance on the road trip and support myself while I was traveling.) I certainly spent more than I thought, so if you are planning a road trip throughout New Zealand, be sure to budget carefully before getting a car.

What to Consider When Making a Budget for a New Zealand Road Trip

Transportation

There are a few options for getting around New Zealand, including hop-on, hop-off tour buses or good old hitchhiking. Most people rent a campervan to save on accommodation. We decided to buy a car and sell it back at the end of our trip.

Becky and I bought a 1992 Toyota Estima in December for NZD 3000. Prices fluctuate based on the season, and we had a lot of competition when buying our car.  The car fit two people comfortably and came with most cooking and camping amenities, so we were able to save on stuff like utensils and a tent. (We did, however, buy NZD 5 sporks. Long live the sporks.)

The cost of your car (and accommodation) will depend on whether you buy or rent, and whether or not its self-contained. Read more about these different options on my FAQ post (coming soon!) Basically, if you are traveling for a long time, shell out more to buy a self-contained vehicle with all of the bells and whistles. Ilana was not self-contained.

We were hoping to make the money back, but we sold the car (to pretty much the first buyer we talked to) at the end of the peak season. It had some mechanical issues that developed over the trip/we didn’t see initially. Taking into account how much we spent on the car and how much we sold it for, the two of us spent NZD 1500 on our car. I haven’t met anyone who didn’t lose money on a car in New Zealand, so be realistic if you’re buying. We didn’t regret buying a car (we spent way less than we would if we rented,) but I think if I were to do the trip again, I would have taken this into account.

If you are looking to travel through the Kiwi Experience or a Contiki tour, budgeting will probably be a bit easier, but you’ll end up paying more money. Packages vary based on the type of trip you want to take, but can quickly add up.

Petrol

A full tank of petrol (gas) (petrol) (whatever) for Ilana was usually around NZD 100, and it took about six hours of straight driving for her to use it all up. On days where we drove 3-4 hours to get to our next destination, the cost of petrol made us gag a bit. If you’re mapping out your route, it’s a good idea to budget out how much petrol you’ll be using and how much it will cost to fill up your tank.

Ferry

Becky and I started the trip in Auckland and circled up and down both Islands to fly out of Auckland six weeks later, so we had to take the ferry. Twice. The ferry is cheaper without a car (NZD 120 for two people), but having a vehicle onboard makes things pricy. Budget around NZD 270 for two people and a vehicle each way. The late ferries are usually cheaper, and save you money on accommodation and parking in Wellington (worth it,) so I recommend choosing that option.

Accommodation

If you have a self-contained vehicle, you will have a much easier time finding free accommodation along your route. If you don’t, there are tricks to getting free places to stay, but you run the risk of getting in trouble or getting a fine. (Basically, hide in residential parking or outside of hotels/hostels. Risk the fines. We didn’t do it, but a lot of other people did.)

Campsites in New Zealand range from costing nothing to costing quite a bit. If, for example, you want to park in Abel Tasman, expect to shell out NZ 15 per person. Other campsites are totally free. Your best resources will be the DOC website and Rankers.

if you’re looking to book a hostel, budget out NZD 35 a night. You can find hostels for cheaper, but if you are booking last-minute, you might have limited options.

If you want to religiously follow Ilana’s route through New Zealand and see how much we spent on accommodation, stay tuned for my North Island and South Island itineraries.

Budgeting Out Food

Food is another cost that depends on your van and how you prefer to travel. We were lucky enough to have a gas cooker included in our van and were able to make meals (okay, a heated can of NZD 1 beans,) while we were camping. Some fancier vans have sinks and ovens and crazy kitchen stuff, so look into available amenities and think about how often you’ll be cooking over eating out.

There aren’t really any bucket list New Zealand foods that I can think of. Becky and I budgeted for Fergberger in Queenstown, but that’s about it. (The Holier Than Thou tempeh tofu burger there is the best thing I’ll ever eat and I’ll never have nightmares again because I’ve been blessed with that burger. Budget out NZD 20 for a burger and chips or a burger and a beer.)

Activities and Tours

There are tons of tours to take in New Zealand. You can swim with dolphins in Kaikoura and do Hobbit stuff in Hobbiton (I’ve never watched Lord of the Rings in full. Sue me.) Guided tours aren’t suitable for a backpacker budget, so research specific tours that you want to do ahead of time.

One of the top tours that I recommend is at Milford Sound. Milford Sound is in the Fiordland National Park and is known for some of the most breathtaking waterfalls. They’re huge, they’re magical, and they are worth taking a tour through. Tour companies in Te Anau tried to get us to shell out over NZD 200

each for a boat cruise, but we found a better option. The JUCY cruise through Milford Sound was only NZ 45 per person, and worth every penny. The two-hour cruise offers free breakfast and takes you through a dozen or so spots around Milford Sound. We got to see penguins, seals, and dolphins that morning, and the whole experience was magical.

Does that souuuund good to you? (GET IT?) Check out Doubtful Sound as well. Same deal…most tours are going to charge a pretty penny, but you’ll get some damn pretty pictures.

Bucket List Items

Bungy jumping and skydiving aren’t backpacker-budget friendly, but…it’s bungy jumping. And skydiving. I decided to bungy jump in New Zealand because it’s always been one of my top fears. There are a few options for bungy jumping, but by far the most popular option is to jump with AJ Hackett in Queenstown. Take a look at their list of activities and prices before you get started on your journey. Budget out NZD 300, even if you’re just doing the smaller jump. You’ll want souvenirs and pictures, after all!

Skydiving is usually more expensive. My friend went skydiving around Abel Tasman and has the most beautiful view of the coast..you can see both the North and South Islands with this jump. He paid around NZD 600 for the highest jump and a photo package.

Tips for Budgeting in New Zealand

If you can’t be asked to consider every single expense, I would think about factoring out an average of NZD 60 a day, plus big ticket items like the ferry or skydiving. And that’s coming from someone who named her blog Beat, Broke, Backpacking. So.

More tips!

• If you’re also going to Australia, open an ANZ account to avoid ATM fees.
• Disconnect. One of our biggest headaches was finding cafes with outlets so I could charge my laptop and get some work done. Sure, the costs balanced out when I got my work done, but if I would plan the trip again, I’d have more in my budget and take the whole trip off as a holiday.
• Stay tuned for my post about enjoying the best New Zealand wine all day for under $10.
• Talk to your road trip partners about what you want to spend money on. If your friend wants to spend more money at cafes and another friend would rather spend that money on tours, you may run into conflicts during the trip.

Let’s talk road trip budgets. What expenses did you encounter in New Zealand? What are your best budget tips? Leave a comment below!