Quick answer
At The Wild Lotus in Palmerston North, tattoos are $150 an hour with a $100 minimum. What you pay depends on how long your piece takes: our real examples below range from about $300 for a 2 hour chest script to about $2,250 for a 15 hour full back piece. You get a clear quote before anything begins.
Most tattoo websites avoid putting a number on it. We would rather show you. Below are six pieces from our portfolio, with what each one is, where it sits on the body, roughly how long Mo took to tattoo it, and what that time comes to at our current rate. Every new piece is quoted individually, but these give you a real sense of what to expect.
How tattoo pricing works at The Wild Lotus
| Service | Price |
|---|---|
| Tattoos and custom designs | $150 an hour, $100 minimum |
| Reiki-infused tattoo session | $150 an hour, $100 minimum, with Reiki included |
| Targeted Reiki session (no tattoo) | $50 per 30 minutes |
| Reiki massage (no tattoo) | $50 per 30 minutes |
- Hourly rate. You pay for the time your tattoo takes, so a bigger or more detailed piece costs more and a small, simple one costs less.
- Minimum charge. Small pieces are charged at the $100 minimum or by the hour, whichever is more.
- Reiki is included. A Reiki-infused tattoo session costs the same as a standard one.
- A quote first. We go through your idea at a consultation and give you a clear quote, so you know the cost before we begin.
Full details of each service are on our tattoo and Reiki services page.
Real tattoo prices: six examples from our studio
These are real pieces Mo has tattooed, shown with the clients' permission. The times are Mo's own estimates, and the cost is that time at our current rate of $150 an hour. Large pieces like a full back are done over several sessions.
| Piece | Placement | Time | Cost at $150/hr |
|---|---|---|---|
| Latin script | Across the chest | About 2 hours | About $300 |
| Snake and dagger with peonies | Upper arm | About 4 hours | About $600 |
| Rose, spider web and spider | Underbust | About 4 hours | About $600 |
| Two koi fish in a circle | Ribs | About 4 hours | About $600 |
| Pagoda, tiger and cherry blossom | Upper and centre back | About 5 hours | About $750 |
| Medusa with snakes and a skull | Full back | About 15 hours | About $2,250 |
Latin script across the chest
- Placement
- Chest
- Approx. time
- 2 hours
- Approx. cost
- $300
A single line of bold Latin lettering, reading Faber est suae quisque fortunae, set across the collarbones. Script is one of the quicker styles because it is one line of text rather than a full composition, but spacing and letter shapes still have to be exact across a wide, curved area.
Snake and dagger with peonies on the upper arm
- Placement
- Upper arm
- Approx. time
- 4 hours
- Approx. cost
- $600
A snake coiled around a dagger, framed by peonies and leaves, running from the shoulder down the outer upper arm in black and grey. A medium sized piece with a lot of detail in the scales and petals.
Rose, spider web and spider on the underbust
- Placement
- Underbust
- Approx. time
- 4 hours
- Approx. cost
- $600
A yellow rose with leaves at the centre of a spider web, with a spider hanging below, placed under the bust and over the upper stomach. Mostly black and grey, with colour in the rose.
Two koi fish in a circle on the ribs
- Placement
- Ribs
- Approx. time
- 4 hours
- Approx. cost
- $600
Two koi fish swimming in a circle, drawn in fine line along the side of the ribs, with flowing fins and tails. Fine line work is delicate, so even a medium sized piece takes careful, steady time.
Pagoda, tiger and cherry blossom on the back
- Placement
- Back
- Approx. time
- 5 hours
- Approx. cost
- $750
A tall pagoda running down the centre of the back, with a tiger and cherry blossom at its base, in black and grey with touches of colour in the blossom. A large piece in height, with open space around it that keeps the time down compared with a fully covered back.
Medusa with snakes and a skull on the full back
- Placement
- Full back
- Approx. time
- 15 hours
- Approx. cost
- $2,250
Medusa with a crown of snakes and a skull below, covering the whole back in black and grey realism. Realism builds depth through layers of shading, and covering the full back means much of the time goes into that shading. A piece this size is split across several sessions, with healing time between them.
What affects the cost of a tattoo
Because we charge by the hour, anything that adds time adds cost. The examples above show the pattern: a 2 hour script, several 4 hour medium pieces, and a 15 hour full back.
| Factor | How it affects the price |
|---|---|
| Size | The biggest factor. More skin covered means more hours. |
| Detail and shading | Realism and dense shading take longer than open linework or lettering. |
| Colour | Colour can add time, depending on how much of the design is filled. |
| Placement | Placement can change how long a piece takes. Mo will talk you through this at your consultation. |
| Custom design | Every piece is drawn for you. Your deposit covers the time spent on your design. |
| Cover-ups and reworks | Covering or fixing an old tattoo is planned around the existing ink, so it is quoted individually. |
| Number of sessions | Large pieces are split across sessions, so the total is spread over several appointments. |
Deposits and cancellations
- A deposit secures your booking. As our FAQs explain, it is non-refundable and is taken off your final session cost.
- It covers your design. The deposit pays for the time spent drawing your custom piece and holds your space in our calendar. Deposit details are given at your consultation.
- 48 hours notice to cancel or reschedule. Cancelling within 48 hours forfeits the deposit, because the time cannot be offered to anyone else. If you have a genuine emergency, talk to us.
Choosing a tattoo on more than price
A tattoo is permanent, so the artist's work matters more than shaving an hour off the bill. Look at their portfolio, healed work and reviews, and choose someone whose style you love. Fixing a tattoo you are unhappy with usually means a cover-up, and a cover-up is often a bigger piece than the one you started with.
Before your session, read how to prepare for your first tattoo, and afterwards how long a tattoo takes to heal. Looking for ideas? Our lotus tattoo guide is a good place to start.
How to get a quote
Tell us about your idea, where you want it and roughly how big through our contact page, and include reference images if you have them. We will talk it through at a consultation and give you a clear quote. Walk-ins are welcome too. You can also read our tattoo FAQs for more on booking.
Frequently Asked Questions
How much does a tattoo cost in NZ?
At The Wild Lotus in Palmerston North, tattoos are $150 an hour with a $100 minimum, so the cost depends on how long your piece takes. Our real examples range from about $300 for a 2 hour chest script to about $2,250 for a 15 hour full back piece. Every piece is quoted at your consultation.
How much is a small tattoo?
Small tattoos are charged at our $100 minimum or by the hour at $150, whichever is more. A simple piece costs less than one with heavy shading or colour, because it takes less time. Send us your idea through our contact page and we will give you a clear quote before you book.
How much does a full back tattoo cost?
It depends on the design and level of detail. Our Medusa full back piece in black and grey realism took about 15 hours, which comes to about $2,250 at our current rate of $150 an hour. A piece that size is done over several sessions, with healing time between them, so the cost is spread out.
Do you charge by the hour or per tattoo?
We charge by the hour, at $150 an hour with a $100 minimum. That means you pay for the time your tattoo actually takes. We go through your design at a consultation and give you a clear quote first, so you know what to expect before we start.
Do I need to pay a deposit?
Yes. A non-refundable deposit secures your booking and is taken off your final session cost. It covers the time spent drawing your custom design and holds your space in our calendar. Deposit details are given at your consultation, and cancelling within 48 hours of your appointment forfeits the deposit.
Does a Reiki-infused tattoo cost more?
No. A Reiki-infused tattoo session costs the same as a standard tattoo, $150 an hour with a $100 minimum, with Reiki included. If you would like Reiki on its own without a tattoo, a targeted Reiki session or Reiki massage is $50 per 30 minutes.
How do I get a tattoo quote?
Send us your idea, the placement and roughly how big you want it through our contact page, with any reference images. We will talk it through with you at a consultation and give you a clear quote based on how long the piece will take, before anything is booked in.