Cost of Living Comparison Between Auckland and Burnaby Cost of Living Comparison Between Auckland and Burnaby

Monthly Cost of Living

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $2,302 in Auckland versus $2,776 in Burnaby.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $3,464 in Auckland versus $4,068 in Burnaby.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $4,626 in Auckland versus $5,359 in Burnaby.

Living in Auckland costs roughly 17% less than in Burnaby, driven mainly by Groceries & Markets.

Both cities are pricier than the global median: Auckland 72% above, Burnaby 107% above.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$14.83 NZ$25.25

$14.75 CA$20.49

0.54%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$77.6 NZ$132

$73.9 CA$103

5.05%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$9.55 NZ$16.27

$8.95 CA$12.43

6.70%

Cappuccino

$3.50 NZ$5.97

$4.19 CA$5.82

-16.47%

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

$2.28 NZ$3.88

$1.81 CA$2.52

25.97%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.27 NZ$3.87

$1.33 CA$1.85

70.68%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$7.42 NZ$12.63

$5.91 CA$8.21

25.55%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$7.06 NZ$12.03

$5.56 CA$7.73

26.98%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.80 NZ$3.06

$2.55 CA$3.55

-29.41%

White Bread (500g)

$2.10 NZ$3.58

$2.77 CA$3.85

-24.19%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.99 NZ$3.39

$4.48 CA$6.23

-55.58%

Eggs

$6.74 NZ$11.48

$3.13 CA$4.34

115.34%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$8.44 NZ$14.38

$12.33 CA$17.13

-31.55%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$9.82 NZ$16.72

$11.98 CA$16.65

-18.03%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$12.92 NZ$22.00

$21.64 CA$30.06

-40.30%

Apples (1kg)

$2.91 NZ$4.96

$3.34 CA$4.64

-12.87%

Banana (1kg)

$2.22 NZ$3.79

$1.28 CA$1.78

73.44%

Oranges (1kg)

$3.22 NZ$5.48

$3.00 CA$4.17

7.33%

Tomato (1kg)

$4.11 NZ$7.00

$3.84 CA$5.33

7.03%

Potato (1kg)

$2.09 NZ$3.55

$2.89 CA$4.02

-27.68%

Onion (1kg)

$1.63 NZ$2.78

$3.00 CA$4.17

-45.67%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.90 NZ$3.23

$2.39 CA$3.32

-20.50%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$1.29 NZ$2.19

$1.89 CA$2.63

-31.75%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$25.66 NZ$43.69

$14.84 CA$20.61

72.91%

Wine (Bottle)

$9.98 NZ$17.00

$13.26 CA$18.42

-24.74%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$2.94 NZ$5.01

$2.41 CA$3.35

21.99%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.98 NZ$6.78

$2.52 CA$3.51

57.94%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$2.75 NZ$4.68

$2.28 CA$3.17

20.61%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$131 NZ$223

$77.2 CA$107

69.63%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$2.09 NZ$3.56

$2.80 CA$3.89

-25.36%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.95 NZ$3.32

$1.42 CA$1.97

37.32%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$35.65 NZ$60.7

$25.32 CA$35.18

40.80%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.69 NZ$2.88

$1.31 CA$1.82

29.01%

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

$28.4K NZ$48.3K

$25.3K CA$35.2K

11.97%

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

$22.2K NZ$37.8K

$20.4K CA$28.4K

8.63%

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

$146 NZ$249

$136 CA$188

7.77%

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

$30.66 NZ$52.2

$42.55 CA$59.1

-27.94%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$48.24 NZ$82.2

$55.6 CA$77.2

-13.21%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$36.08 NZ$61.5

$31.32 CA$43.52

15.20%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$16.60 NZ$28.28

$5.61 CA$7.80

195.90%

Cinema Ticket

$15.28 NZ$26.02

$16.29 CA$22.63

-6.20%

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

$922 NZ$1,571

$547 CA$760

68.55%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$13.6K NZ$23.2K

$8,127 CA$11.3K

67.86%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$70.8 NZ$121

$54.7 CA$76.0

29.51%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$49.43 NZ$84.2

$53.6 CA$74.5

-7.78%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$96.7 NZ$165

$93.6 CA$130

3.28%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$124 NZ$211

$96.4 CA$134

28.49%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,264 NZ$2,153

$1,909 CA$2,653

-33.77%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,158 NZ$1,971

$1,658 CA$2,304

-30.21%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$2,413 NZ$4,109

$3,989 CA$5,543

-39.51%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,862 NZ$3,170

$2,650 CA$3,682

-29.76%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$8,096 NZ$13.8K

$6,878 CA$9,556

17.71%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$5,456 NZ$9,291

$5,525 CA$7,676

-1.26%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$3,260 NZ$5,552

$3,275 CA$4,551

-0.46%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

6.37

6.54

-2.60%

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

Last update for Auckland: May 31, 2026

Last update for Burnaby: May 31, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $1,264 in Auckland and $1,909 in Burnaby. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Burnaby pays 0% more on average. The extra income cushions the higher costs, though housing choices and lifestyle decide how much of the gap is truly closed.

Dining out: $78.0 in Auckland vs $74.0 in Burnaby. Groceries flip the comparison at $324 vs $392, with Auckland cheaper for home cooking.

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

Auckland vs Burnaby: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Auckland wins on cost – living expenses run 21% lower than in Burnaby. Housing and daily spending are where you'll feel the difference most, making Auckland the obvious pick if budget is a priority.

On paper, Burnaby earns 0% less. That's worth factoring in alongside costs, though remote workers earning in a stronger currency may not notice the difference at all.

Rent for a central apartment: $1,264 in Auckland versus $1,909 in Burnaby. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Childcare runs $922 in Auckland versus $547 in Burnaby. Over years of preschool, even a modest monthly gap compounds into a major financial factor for families.

Supermarket bills run roughly 21% higher in Burnaby. For households that cook at home regularly, that difference adds up over a month.

At $2,302 in Auckland versus $2,776 in Burnaby, a $2,000 budget is realistic in Auckland but tight or insufficient in Burnaby. The gap between the two cities makes Auckland the clear choice for anyone on this budget.

Both work as nomad bases, but Auckland delivers better value – similar infrastructure at $2,302 monthly. If stretching your runway or maximizing savings is the goal, the price difference makes Auckland hard to pass up.

Safety-wise, Auckland and Burnaby are on par. Petty crime is typical for cities this size, and most residents feel comfortable going about their daily routines in either place.

Expats usually find Auckland gentler on the wallet – expenses run 21% less than in Burnaby. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.