Dunedin City Council community life general manager Graeme Hall said yesterday the garden was expected to take $1000 a day once it opened, but had averaged $2300 a day, despite bad weather.
The income was from entry fees, food sales, merchandise from the shop and from tours.
While some of the money came from $15 season tickets, which would only provide early one-off payments, those made up less than half the tickets sold.
Good returns were expected to continue as summer began, the cruise ship season started, and more tours of the garden were provided.
The early success may be good news for ratepayers.
The total expected budget for this financial year was $629,000, with $364,000 to come from revenue and $265,000 from rates, but it appeared more than the entire budget could be covered by revenue.
It was up to councillors to decide what to do with any savings, but usually they would be used to pay off loans, he said.
"It should be self-sustaining."
The council's i-SITE visitor centre had put together a package offering entry to the Chinese garden, Glenfalloch Woodland Garden, Larnach Castle garden and the Otago Museum's tropical forest exhibition, he said.
