Cost of Living Comparison Between Ashburton and Dunedin Cost of Living Comparison Between Ashburton and Dunedin

Monthly Cost of Living

A single person spends $1,846 per month in Ashburton vs $1,795 in Dunedin, rent included.

A couple spends around $2,878 per month in Ashburton vs $2,789 in Dunedin, rent included.

A family of three spends $3,909 per month in Ashburton vs $3,783 in Dunedin, rent included.

Ashburton costs about 3% more than Dunedin, driven mainly by Eating Out.

Both Ashburton and Dunedin sit above the global median – Ashburton by 39%, Dunedin by 35%.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$17.19 NZ$29.13

$11.86 NZ$20.10

44.94%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$72.2 NZ$122

$73.0 NZ$124

-1.07%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$9.94 NZ$16.84

$10.87 NZ$18.43

-8.56%

Cappuccino

$3.34 NZ$5.66

$3.48 NZ$5.89

-4.02%

Coke/Pepsi/Fanta/Sprite (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.35 NZ$3.98

$2.28 NZ$3.86

3.07%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.03 NZ$3.45

$2.00 NZ$3.39

1.50%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$7.23 NZ$12.25

$7.12 NZ$12.07

1.54%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$7.22 NZ$12.24

$5.90 NZ$10.01

22.37%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.89 NZ$3.21

$2.17 NZ$3.68

-12.90%

White Bread (500g)

$1.94 NZ$3.29

$1.99 NZ$3.38

-2.51%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.68 NZ$2.85

$1.91 NZ$3.24

-12.04%

Eggs

$6.30 NZ$10.69

$5.59 NZ$9.47

12.70%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$8.26 NZ$14.00

$8.36 NZ$14.17

-1.20%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$9.50 NZ$16.10

$10.65 NZ$18.05

-10.80%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$12.72 NZ$21.56

$12.90 NZ$21.86

-1.40%

Apples (1kg)

$3.02 NZ$5.13

$2.88 NZ$4.88

4.86%

Banana (1kg)

$2.04 NZ$3.47

$2.25 NZ$3.81

-9.33%

Oranges (1kg)

$3.05 NZ$5.18

$3.38 NZ$5.73

-9.76%

Tomato (1kg)

$3.41 NZ$5.77

$4.65 NZ$7.89

-26.67%

Potato (1kg)

$2.11 NZ$3.58

$1.89 NZ$3.21

11.64%

Onion (1kg)

$2.24 NZ$3.80

$2.07 NZ$3.51

8.21%

Lettuce (1 head)

$3.02 NZ$5.12

$2.53 NZ$4.30

19.37%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$1.46 NZ$2.48

$1.12 NZ$1.89

30.36%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$24.17 NZ$40.97

$24.48 NZ$41.50

-1.27%

Wine (Bottle)

$8.47 NZ$14.36

$8.96 NZ$15.18

-5.47%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$3.75 NZ$6.36

$2.52 NZ$4.27

48.81%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$4.82 NZ$8.17

$3.57 NZ$6.05

35.01%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$2.13 NZ$3.61

$1.24 NZ$2.10

71.77%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$63.3 NZ$107

$71.9 NZ$122

-12.01%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$2.69 NZ$4.56

$5.93 NZ$10.05

-54.64%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.72 NZ$2.92

$1.10 NZ$1.87

56.36%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$29.80 NZ$50.5

$30.03 NZ$50.9

-0.77%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.69 NZ$2.86

$1.66 NZ$2.81

1.81%

Midsize Hatchback 1.4l (Volkswagen Golf, Toyota Prius, Honda Civic, etc)

$27.3K NZ$46.3K

$19.7K NZ$33.3K

38.78%

Compact Sedan 1.6l (Toyota Corolla, Mazda3, Kia K4, Hyundai Elantra, etc)

$20.1K NZ$34.1K

$25.6K NZ$43.4K

-21.37%

Utilities for 2 People in 2-bedroom Apartment (Heating, Electricity, Gas, Water, Garbage) (85m2)

$114 NZ$194

$102 NZ$172

12.60%

SIM Card Monthly Plan (Calls and 10GB+ Data)

$31.78 NZ$53.9

$35.32 NZ$59.9

-10.02%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$53.6 NZ$90.9

$54.6 NZ$92.5

-1.74%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$36.37 NZ$61.7

$51.1 NZ$86.7

-28.88%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$12.27 NZ$20.80

$6.13 NZ$10.40

100.16%

Cinema Ticket

$11.13 NZ$18.86

$9.69 NZ$16.42

14.86%

Preschool or Kindergarten, Full Day, Private, 1 Child (Monthly)

$629 NZ$1,066

$575 NZ$974

9.43%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$9,255 NZ$15.7K

$11.9K NZ$20.1K

-22.13%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$30.53 NZ$51.8

$66.0 NZ$112

-53.76%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$43.05 NZ$73.0

$34.51 NZ$58.5

24.75%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$91.7 NZ$155

$94.8 NZ$161

-3.34%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$151 NZ$256

$121 NZ$206

24.62%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$965 NZ$1,636

$885 NZ$1,500

9.04%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$785 NZ$1,330

$758 NZ$1,285

3.48%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,558 NZ$2,641

$1,500 NZ$2,544

3.81%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,442 NZ$2,444

$1,347 NZ$2,284

6.99%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$5,392 NZ$9,141

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$2,988 NZ$5,066

$2,237 NZ$3,792

33.59%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$2,582 NZ$4,377

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

6.74

7.07

-4.67%

CityCost data is based on AI and user input – minor inaccuracies may occur.

Last update for Ashburton: July 28, 2026

Last update for Dunedin: July 26, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A central one-bedroom costs $965 in Ashburton versus $885 in Dunedin. Rent is usually the largest line item in a monthly budget, so the gap here sets the tone for the overall comparison.

A mid-range dinner for two costs $72.0 in Ashburton versus $73.0 in Dunedin. Monthly groceries follow the same trend: $323 vs $324 – making Ashburton the more affordable choice for daily food spending.

City Median Internet Speeds Comparison (Updated April 2026)

The chart highlights the Precision Threshold for mobile and fixed broadband internet speeds, updated quarterly.

Digital Nomad Cost of Living Index

Ashburton vs Dunedin: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Monthly costs with rent: $1,846 in Ashburton, $1,795 in Dunedin – roughly 3% apart. Ashburton costs more across the board, with Eating Out showing the biggest gap.

For a comfortable life, plan on about $2,769 per month in Ashburton and $2,692 in Dunedin. That covers rent, food, utilities, transport, and enough left over to feel settled – not just surviving.

Rent is clearly cheaper in Dunedin, especially for central apartments. Housing is actually the single biggest factor behind the overall cost gap between these two cities.

Interestingly, groceries are about 0% cheaper in Ashburton – one category where the pricier city actually offers better value, probably thanks to stronger retail competition or local farming.

A mid-range dinner for two costs $72.0 in Ashburton and $73.0 in Dunedin. That's a good indicator of the overall restaurant and café pricing gap between the two cities.

A $3,000 monthly budget goes further in Dunedin, where all-in costs run around $1,795, than in Ashburton at $1,846. In Dunedin it covers expenses comfortably, while in Ashburton it requires careful planning or may not stretch far enough.

Families tend to lean toward Dunedin – lower housing and cheaper childcare make a real difference, especially on a single income or when paying for private education.

Both have safer and rougher neighborhoods, but overall safety is comparable to other large cities. Neighborhood choice matters more than the city-level comparison – central, well-trafficked areas feel secure in both.

If budget matters most, go with Dunedin. If higher salaries, better infrastructure, or specific career opportunities are the priority, Ashburton makes more sense. Both are solid long-term options with distinct trade-offs.