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

Monthly Cost of Living

A single person spends $1,929 per month in Ashburton vs $1,872 in Dunedin, rent included.

A couple spends around $2,945 per month in Ashburton vs $2,733 in Dunedin, rent included.

A family of three spends $3,962 per month in Ashburton vs $3,595 in Dunedin, rent included.

Ashburton costs about 3% more than Dunedin, driven mainly by Groceries & Markets.

Both Ashburton and Dunedin sit above the global median – Ashburton by 41%, Dunedin by 37%.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$14.25 NZ$24.90

$14.32 NZ$25.04

-0.49%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$70.5 NZ$123

$63.2 NZ$110

11.58%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$9.51 NZ$16.62

$11.37 NZ$19.88

-16.36%

Cappuccino

$3.40 NZ$5.94

$3.50 NZ$6.12

-2.86%

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

$2.38 NZ$4.16

$2.20 NZ$3.85

8.18%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.91 NZ$3.34

$2.11 NZ$3.69

-9.48%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$7.03 NZ$12.28

$7.11 NZ$12.42

-1.13%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$6.78 NZ$11.86

$6.26 NZ$10.95

8.31%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.78 NZ$3.12

$2.13 NZ$3.72

-16.43%

White Bread (500g)

$1.93 NZ$3.38

$2.06 NZ$3.60

-6.31%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.50 NZ$2.62

$1.74 NZ$3.05

-13.79%

Eggs

$6.13 NZ$10.72

$5.83 NZ$10.19

5.15%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$7.72 NZ$13.49

$8.77 NZ$15.33

-11.97%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$9.74 NZ$17.03

$9.80 NZ$17.13

-0.61%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$14.04 NZ$24.55

$16.66 NZ$29.13

-15.73%

Apples (1kg)

$2.58 NZ$4.51

$2.94 NZ$5.14

-12.24%

Banana (1kg)

$1.95 NZ$3.42

$2.43 NZ$4.24

-19.75%

Oranges (1kg)

$2.71 NZ$4.75

$3.23 NZ$5.64

-16.10%

Tomato (1kg)

$3.25 NZ$5.68

$5.18 NZ$9.06

-37.26%

Potato (1kg)

$1.61 NZ$2.81

$1.86 NZ$3.25

-13.44%

Onion (1kg)

$1.52 NZ$2.66

$1.83 NZ$3.20

-16.94%

Lettuce (1 head)

$2.23 NZ$3.90

$2.42 NZ$4.24

-7.85%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$1.36 NZ$2.38

$0.57 NZ$1.00

138.60%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$24.71 NZ$43.20

$21.71 NZ$37.96

13.82%

Wine (Bottle)

$8.89 NZ$15.54

$9.25 NZ$16.18

-3.89%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$3.52 NZ$6.15

$3.18 NZ$5.55

10.69%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$4.44 NZ$7.77

$1.23 NZ$2.15

260.98%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$1.49 NZ$2.61

$1.13 NZ$1.97

31.86%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$78.2 NZ$137

$70.5 NZ$123

10.92%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$2.58 NZ$4.51

$5.79 NZ$10.11

-55.44%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.71 NZ$2.99

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$29.33 NZ$51.3

$29.15 NZ$51.0

0.62%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.93 NZ$3.37

$1.73 NZ$3.02

11.56%

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

$26.4K NZ$46.2K

$26.0K NZ$45.5K

1.48%

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

$25.0K NZ$43.7K

$25.7K NZ$45.0K

-2.86%

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

$166 NZ$290

$113 NZ$197

47.00%

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

$23.82 NZ$41.64

$28.94 NZ$50.6

-17.69%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$46.09 NZ$80.6

$52.8 NZ$92.4

-12.76%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$37.79 NZ$66.1

$49.64 NZ$86.8

-23.87%

Cinema Ticket

$11.49 NZ$20.08

$10.52 NZ$18.40

9.22%

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

$683 NZ$1,193

$610 NZ$1,066

11.94%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$22.5K NZ$39.3K

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$59.8 NZ$105

$60.5 NZ$106

-1.17%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$40.64 NZ$71.1

$36.21 NZ$63.3

12.23%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$104 NZ$182

$94.7 NZ$166

10.03%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$125 NZ$219

$141 NZ$246

-11.18%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,002 NZ$1,751

$893 NZ$1,560

12.22%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$942 NZ$1,646

$760 NZ$1,328

23.99%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,494 NZ$2,611

$1,510 NZ$2,640

-1.08%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,527 NZ$2,669

$1,196 NZ$2,091

27.64%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$5,215 NZ$9,116

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$3,892 NZ$6,805

$2,242 NZ$3,919

73.64%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$2,586 NZ$4,521

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

5.91

7.07

-16.41%

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

Last update for Ashburton: September 14, 2026

Last update for Dunedin: September 12, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A central one-bedroom costs $1,002 in Ashburton versus $893 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 $71.0 in Ashburton versus $63.0 in Dunedin. Groceries tell a different story – $311 in Ashburton vs $328 in Dunedin – so Ashburton wins on supermarket bills even if dining out costs more.

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: $1,929 in Ashburton, $1,872 in Dunedin – roughly 3% apart. Ashburton costs more across the board, with Groceries & Markets showing the biggest gap.

For a comfortable life, plan on about $2,894 per month in Ashburton and $2,808 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 6% 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 $71.0 in Ashburton and $63.0 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 $1,872, than in Ashburton at $1,929. 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.