How is contact paper different than peel and stick wall paper?

I would try a small sample of the contact paper and see if it holds up and stays on the wall. It may be a lower tack (sticky-ness) than the wall paper.

it is the same thing except in larger size to cover bigger area the difference will be in quality you buy the lower price point will of course not be made as well, not have as good adhesives,not be washable. also matters what you are trying to stick them on what surfaces are made of and how much moisture area gets.

Contac paper is harder to remove and reposition than peel and stick wallpaper. Regular Contac paper has far more adhesion than peel and stick wallpaper. It is thicker than peel and stick wallpaper. You may find that when you want to remove regular Contac paper it may damage what it has been stuck to and leave behind very sticky adhesive that is hard to remove. There is a new version of Contac paper that is thinner than regular Contac paper and is more easily removed and able to be repositioned however it does tear easily because it is so thin. It comes in a few different patterns and is very reasonably priced. I found it at WalMart in the kitchen section. It is very similar to peel and stick wallpaper but the quality is not the best. I used it in my open kitchen cabinets on the back wall of the cabinets and in my hutch on the back wall. It worked well for that situation because the area was small.