Massage prices in Auckland: what you pay, and what for

Look at three spa menus in Auckland and you will find three different prices for "a one-hour massage", sometimes on the same street. Nobody is being sneaky. Massage prices in Auckland come down to five fairly ordinary things: where the spa is, how long you book, which treatment you choose, how many of you there are, and what day it is.

Our own menu makes a useful worked example. At Siri, a 60-minute massage is $105 at St Heliers and $115 at the Viaduct. The cheapest way in is 30 minutes, from $60. The dearest massage for one person, two hours of candle therapy at the Viaduct, is $250, and the packages run up to $295. Everything in between is set out below.

What actually sets the price of a massage

Take away the warm towels and the quiet music and a massage price is mostly paying for a trained person's undivided time, in a private room, in a particular part of the city. Each part of that moves the number.

Where the spa is

Rent is the big one. As a general rule, CBD spas tend to cost more than suburban ones, because floor space in the middle of the city costs more. You can see it on our own menu: the treatments, oils and durations are the same at both branches, and the Viaduct, by the harbour in the CBD, is a little dearer than St Heliers on Tamaki Drive. The gap is ten dollars on a 60-minute massage and twenty on 90 minutes.

How long you book

Obvious, but the price does not rise in a straight line. More on that below.

Which treatment

Most massage styles share one price. Traditional Thai, aromatherapy, Swedish, deep tissue and warm coconut oil all cost the same at each branch. Treatments with heat built in cost more and only come in long sessions: hot stone massage uses heated stones, and the Thai herbal compress uses a steamed bundle of herbs. Both start at 90 minutes, at $160 at St Heliers and $175 at the Viaduct, against $145 and $165 for a standard 90.

How many of you

A couple massage is priced for two people sharing a private room. At both branches it works out slightly cheaper than booking two of the standard massages separately: ten dollars less in most cases, and twenty less for two hours at St Heliers.

What day it is

Public holidays carry a 15% surcharge on all treatments at both spas. We are closed on Good Friday, Christmas Day, Boxing Day and New Year's Day, and until 1.00pm on ANZAC Day. If you are booking around a long weekend, the official list of New Zealand public holiday dates tells you which days are public holidays, including Auckland Anniversary Day.

Massage prices in Auckland: our full list, both branches

Prices below are St Heliers first, then the Viaduct. Every treatment and length is also on the St Heliers pricing page and the Viaduct pricing page.

• Traditional Thai, aromatherapy, Swedish, deep tissue, warm coconut oil — 30 min $60 / $65 · 60 min $105 / $115 · 90 min $145 / $165 · 120 min $195 / $220
• Back & shoulder, reflexology foot massage — 30 min $60 / $65 · 45 min $85 / $95 · 60 min $105 / $115
• Hot stone, Thai herbal compress — 90 min $160 / $175 · 120 min $210 / $235
• Couple massage, price for two — 60 min $200 / $220 · 90 min $280 / $320 · 120 min $370 / $430
• Facial, 60 min — $130 / $140
• Candle therapy massage, Viaduct only — 60 min $140 · 90 min $195 · 120 min $250
• Body scrub on its own, Viaduct only — 1 hour $125
• Infrared sauna, St Heliers only — 45 min plus shower, $60 for one, $90 for two
• Packages — St Heliers $225, or $280 with the infrared sauna or a mini facial added; Viaduct $245, or $295 with a facial added

Value per minute: the sum nobody does

Per minute, a 30-minute session is the most expensive way to buy massage. The reason is simple: every booking carries the same fixed parts, such as settling in, a short conversation about what you need and getting dressed again, however long the massage itself is. On our menu an hour costs less than two half-hours at both branches: $105 against two lots of $60 at St Heliers, and $115 against two lots of $65 at the Viaduct.

Go longer and the cost per minute keeps falling. Ninety minutes gives you half as much time again as an hour for roughly two-fifths more money, and it is the cheapest massage per minute at St Heliers. At the Viaduct, 90 and 120 minutes work out exactly the same per minute.

That does not mean everyone should book 90 minutes. Per-minute value only matters if you needed the minutes. Our guide to choosing between a 60 and 90 minute massage goes through what each length actually covers.

"The best-value massage is the one aimed at the thing you came in for. Thirty minutes on the right shoulder beats ninety spread thinly over everything."

Siri therapist team

How to choose a massage for your budget

Work backwards from what you are comfortable spending, then match it to the problem rather than to the most impressive name on the menu.

• $60 to $65 — 30 minutes on one area. A back and shoulder massage at the Viaduct or St Heliers, or a reflexology foot massage, is the best use of a half-hour. A 30-minute full-body booking can only ever be a quick pass.
• $85 to $95 — 45 minutes of back and shoulder or reflexology: $85 at St Heliers, $95 at the Viaduct. One area, done properly, without hurrying.
• $105 to $115 — an hour of any of the five main styles. The sensible default for a full-body massage, and the right first booking for most people.
• $145 to $175 — 90 minutes. A standard massage is $145 at St Heliers and $165 at the Viaduct; hot stone or herbal compress is $160 and $175.
• $195 and up — two hours, candle therapy, or a package. This is occasion territory, and it is often where a gift voucher lands.

If you live between the two branches, St Heliers is the same menu for a little less. If you work in the city, the time saved by walking to the Viaduct may be worth more than the difference.

Cheap massage in the Auckland CBD: what to check

We are not the cheapest massage in Auckland, and we do not try to be. If price is your main filter, that is a perfectly reasonable way to choose. Just make sure you are comparing like with like. Wherever you book, three questions are worth asking:

1. What is the treatment, exactly? "Thai massage" can mean traditional Thai, done clothed with stretches and acupressure and no oil, or an oil massage with a Thai name. Both are fine. They are not the same thing.
2. Will anyone ask about your health first? A therapist who wants to know about injuries, pregnancy, blood pressure or recent surgery before starting is doing the job properly.
3. Is the price the price? Check for surcharges before you book. Ours is 15%, on public holidays.

In the CBD, the lowest-cost booking we offer is a 30-minute massage at the Viaduct for $65. If you can get out to the eastern bays, the same half-hour is $60 at St Heliers.

What you won't pay for

No tip. New Zealand is not a tipping country, and nobody at either spa expects one. A rebooking or a recommendation to a friend is worth far more to us.

If you are paying for someone else, gift vouchers are sold at both branches and can be for a set treatment or a set value, so you can pick an amount that suits your budget rather than guessing at theirs.

Ready to book? Choose the branch that suits your day first. Our comparison of the Viaduct and St Heliers spas helps if you are torn. Then pick the treatment and length from the pricing page. Both spas are open seven days, 10.00am to 8.00pm.

Common questions