A Guide to Cheap Weekly Accommodation in Taupo
Situated on the shores of New Zealand’s largest lake and in amongst a geothermal area, you can bet there are plenty of ways to spend your time in the town of Taupo. Whether you’re here to check out the natural hot springs and bike trails for a while or work as part of your working holiday, you’re going to need to find some cheap long-term accommodation in Taupo. This cheap weekly accommodation guide to Taupo covers accommodation for both short-term stays and longer-term stays.
Taupo is not a huge town but it is split into different suburbs. We’ve put together a quick list of the suburbs where you are likely to find some cheap rental accommodation, as well as outlining how far away they are from Taupo’s centre. This cheap long-term accommodation guide to Taupo is also split into accommodation types, so you can just skip straight to your preferred style.
So, find a place to stay in Taupo using our nifty guide to cheap long-term accommodation in Taupo.
Which Taupo Suburb to Find Long-Term Accommodation?
There is accommodation found all over Taupo. Here’s a quick rundown on what to expect in each Taupo suburb in relation to Taupo’s centre. For more about Taupo, check out Taupo – Guide for Backpackers.
- Taupo Central – Location: city centre. Distance from centre: you’re in it. Average weekly rent for a room: NZ$190.
- Nukuhau – Location: north of city centre. Distance from centre: 2min drive/15min walk. Average weekly rent for a room: NZ$160.
- Hilltop – Location: southeast of the city centre. Distance from centre: 5min drive/33min walk. Average weekly rent for a room: NZ$160.
- Acacia Bay – Location: southwest of the city centre. Distance from centre: 6min drive/1hour walk. Average weekly rent for a room: NZ$180.
- Invergarry – Location: east of the city centre. Distance from centre: 7min drive/50min walk. Average weekly rent for a room: NZ$150.
- Rainbow Point – Location: south of city centre. Distance from centre: 7min drive/1hour walk. Average weekly rent for a room: NZ$150.
- Rangatira Park – Location: north of city centre. Distance from centre: 3min drive/35min walk. Average weekly rent for a room: NZ$200.
- Richmond Heights – Location: south of city centre. Distance from centre: 7min drive/1hour walk. Average weekly rent for a room: NZ$200.
- Tauhara – Location: northeast of the city centre. Distance from centre: 5min drive/45min walk. Average weekly rent for a room: NZ$160.
- Waipahihi – Location: southeast of the city centre. Distance from centre: 5min drive/45min walk. Average weekly rent for a room: NZ$170.
- Wharewaka – Location: south of city centre. Distance from centre: 9min drive/1h20min walk. Average weekly rent for a room: NZ$200.
Note that prices are approximate and are subject to change.
© NZPocketGuide.comHostels in Taupo
Hostels are a good place to start when looking for cheap long-term accommodation in Taupo. Not only do they provide an affordable base for rental-hunting but many also offer weekly rates.
There are 9+ backpacker hostels in Taupo, all of which are found all over the town centre. There’s a good variety of hostels from the large and basic hostels to the flashpackers to the characterful hostels.
Hostel prices in Taupo start from NZ$19-$26 per bed per night. We always recommend booking your bed a week or two in advance during the busy summer season, especially for the popular hostels recommended in the 10 Best Backpacker Hostels in Taupo.
An extra tip: you can always keep the cost of living down along with an extended stay by working for accommodation in a Taupo hostel. For advice, have a look at How to Find Work for Accommodation in New Zealand.
© pexelsRenting a Room in Taupo
Renting a room is common practice in Taupo to keep the price to a minimum when staying for the long term, usually done if you have landed a job in Taupo as part of a working holiday.
Rent prices in Taupo are pretty reasonable. Expect a room to rent in Taupo to be between NZ$150 to NZ$200 per week. Note that prices are approximate and are subject to change. That’s a room to yourself in a flatshare or houseshare.
For advice on how to find a room to rent in Taupo, have a look at our 6 Resources to Find a Room to Rent in New Zealand. Renting a room involves a more complicated process than staying in short-term accommodation, so get clued up by reading The Paperwork Process of Renting or Flatting in New Zealand.
© pxhereAirbnb in Taupo
Stay with a local Taupo-dweller! Airbnb, the online network of people’s spare rooms available for accommodation, is relatively popular in Taupo.
You can find Airbnb rooms mostly in the town centre, Nukuhau, Hilltop, Waipahihi, Richmond Heights and Rainbow Point. However, at an average of NZ$330 per room per night, you’ll struggle to find an Airbnb room in Taupo for ultra-cheap. There are limited NZ$55-$90 rooms in Nukuhau, Hilltop and Waipahihi. Note that prices are approximate and are subject to change.
Consider using Airbnb for an alternative experience to hostels by spending time with locals, plus, they may just be located in more convenient suburbs for your needs. Plus, like hostels, Airbnb stays can provide a cheap room while finding something long term. Alternatively, some Airbnb hosts offer weekly rates for cheap long-term accommodation in Taupo.
For more information on Airbnb, check out Everything You Need to Know About Airbnb in New Zealand and 10 Tips to Make the Most of Airbnb in New Zealand.
© NZPocketGuide.comCampgrounds and Holiday Parks in Taupo
Taupo is a great place to bring your campervan or pitch a tent thanks to the offering of both holiday parks and freedom camping grounds. Check out the full list of campsites in Taupo in Where to Camp in Taupo.
Holiday parks with powered sites and tent sites include:
- Taupo DeBretts in Hilltop with prices starting from NZ$32 per person per night
- Lake Taupo Holiday Resort in Tauhara with prices starting from NZ$54 for two people per night
Note that prices are approximate and are subject to change.
Freedom campers can make use of the following campgrounds and freedom camping areas:
- Reid’s Farm Recreational Reserve in the Rangatira Park area allows non-self-contained vehicles and tents
Take a look at the 5 Free Camping Spots in Taupo for more information.
For information about camping, check out Camping in New Zealand and Accommodation Guide to Holiday Parks in New Zealand.
More About Taupo
That’s it for our guide to cheap long-term accommodation in Taupo. Here’s everything else you need to know about staying in Taupo:
Sources:
The information in this guide has been compiled from our extensive research, travel and experiences across New Zealand and the South Pacific, accumulated over more than a decade of numerous visits to each destination. Additional sources for this guide include the following:
- Tourism New Zealand (General travel advice - Updated [2024])
- Tourism Export Council New Zealand (Tourism trade association - Updated [2024])
- TIA (Independent tourism association - Updated [2024])
- NZ Māori Tourism (Official Māori Tourism platform - Updated [2024])
- Department of Conservation (Tracks, hikes, campsites and more - Updated [2024])
- Council websites and freedom camping maps (Local travel advice region by region - Updated [2024])
- Tiaki Promise (Care for people place and culture - Updated [2024])
Our editorial standards: At NZ Pocket Guide, we uphold strict editorial standards to ensure accurate and quality content.
