Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Auckland and Burnaby

For one person, living is cheaper in Auckland: $2,421 a month against $2,678 in Burnaby, rent and utilities included – about $3,100 less a year. Rent and utilities account for about half of the difference.

117

Cost of Living Index in Auckland
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Auckland Living Index
128

Cost of Living Index in Burnaby
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Burnaby Living Index

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Auckland

🇳🇿 New Zealand

$2,421

/mo nomad

Burnaby

🇨🇦 Canada

$2,678

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

How much you'll spend in Auckland and in Burnaby

Real prices from locals and on-the-ground checks – rent, groceries, transit and the daily extras. Here's what a month in Auckland and in Burnaby actually costs, broken down by who's living it.

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $2,421 in Auckland versus $2,678 in Burnaby.

Auckland $2,421
Burnaby $2,678

Estimated couple costs with rent: $3,382 in Auckland versus $3,827 in Burnaby.

Auckland $3,382
Burnaby $3,827

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $4,343 in Auckland versus $4,976 in Burnaby.

Auckland $4,343
Burnaby $4,976

Living in Auckland costs roughly 10% less than in Burnaby, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in groceries.

Both cities are pricier than the global median: Auckland 78% above, Burnaby 97% above.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$14.26 NZ$25.42

$21.23 CA$29.79

-32.83%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$67.0 NZ$119

$86.5 CA$121

-22.58%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$9.12 NZ$16.26

$9.53 CA$13.37

-4.30%

Cappuccino

$3.47 NZ$6.19

$4.67 CA$6.56

-25.70%

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

$2.04 NZ$3.63

$2.45 CA$3.44

-16.73%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.75 NZ$3.11

$1.80 CA$2.52

-2.78%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$6.79 NZ$12.10

$8.57 CA$12.03

-20.77%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$6.78 NZ$12.08

$6.18 CA$8.67

9.71%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.92 NZ$3.41

$2.34 CA$3.28

-17.95%

White Bread (500g)

$2.17 NZ$3.87

$2.76 CA$3.88

-21.38%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.83 NZ$3.27

$3.52 CA$4.95

-48.01%

Eggs

$6.16 NZ$10.99

$3.17 CA$4.45

94.32%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$8.97 NZ$15.99

$14.05 CA$19.72

-36.16%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$9.99 NZ$17.80

$14.07 CA$19.75

-29.00%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$17.72 NZ$31.59

$25.31 CA$35.52

-29.99%

Apples (1kg)

$2.97 NZ$5.29

$4.42 CA$6.20

-32.81%

Banana (1kg)

$2.08 NZ$3.71

$1.28 CA$1.80

62.50%

Oranges (1kg)

$3.07 NZ$5.48

$4.61 CA$6.47

-33.41%

Tomato (1kg)

$5.72 NZ$10.19

$4.61 CA$6.48

24.08%

Potato (1kg)

$2.17 NZ$3.86

$2.81 CA$3.95

-22.78%

Onion (1kg)

$1.54 NZ$2.75

$3.54 CA$4.96

-56.50%

Lettuce (1 head)

$2.04 NZ$3.64

$2.74 CA$3.84

-25.55%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$1.10 NZ$1.96

$2.10 CA$2.95

-47.62%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$27.07 NZ$48.24

$14.23 CA$19.96

90.23%

Wine (Bottle)

$10.21 NZ$18.20

$13.39 CA$18.79

-23.75%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$2.87 NZ$5.11

$2.05 CA$2.88

40.00%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.38 NZ$6.03

$2.33 CA$3.27

45.06%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$1.93 NZ$3.44

$2.54 CA$3.56

-24.02%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$123 NZ$219

$81.6 CA$115

50.62%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$2.29 NZ$4.08

$2.88 CA$4.04

-20.49%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$2.02 NZ$3.60

$1.51 CA$2.12

33.77%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$32.32 NZ$57.6

$26.45 CA$37.12

22.19%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.83 NZ$3.27

$1.37 CA$1.92

33.58%

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

$27.2K NZ$48.5K

$28.5K CA$40.1K

-4.61%

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

$22.2K NZ$39.5K

$20.9K CA$29.4K

5.75%

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

$184 NZ$329

$126 CA$177

46.06%

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

$26.77 NZ$47.72

$44.96 CA$63.1

-40.46%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$51.6 NZ$91.9

$52.7 CA$74.0

-2.20%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$42.05 NZ$74.9

$31.23 CA$43.83

34.65%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$18.31 NZ$32.63

$10.52 CA$14.77

74.05%

Cinema Ticket

$12.18 NZ$21.70

$14.23 CA$19.97

-14.41%

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

$1,063 NZ$1,895

$649 CA$910

63.92%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$19.5K NZ$34.8K

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$80.3 NZ$143

$52.2 CA$73.3

53.85%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$39.90 NZ$71.1

$51.4 CA$72.1

-22.36%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$92.7 NZ$165

$103 CA$145

-10.40%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$113 NZ$201

$79.0 CA$111

42.74%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,271 NZ$2,265

$1,693 CA$2,376

-24.94%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,213 NZ$2,161

$1,406 CA$1,973

-13.76%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$2,222 NZ$3,960

$2,623 CA$3,681

-15.29%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,658 NZ$2,955

$1,985 CA$2,786

-16.49%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$7,413 NZ$13.2K

$6,886 CA$9,663

7.66%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$5,429 NZ$9,675

$5,338 CA$7,491

1.70%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$2,958 NZ$5,271

$3,149 CA$4,419

-6.06%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

5.37

4.76

12.82%

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

Last update for Auckland: October 24, 2026

Last update for Burnaby: October 26, 2026

Monthly budget structure

Share of the monthly basket for one person, rent included.

Accommodation & Living

Auckland

$1.2K 50.1%

Burnaby

$1.4K 52.5% 16% $194

Groceries & Markets

Auckland

$344 14.2%

Burnaby

$431 16.1% 25.4% $87

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Auckland

$263 10.9%

Burnaby

$224 8.4% 14.8% $39

Eating Out

Auckland

$246 10.2%

Burnaby

$327 12.2% 32.9% $81

Clothing & Footwear

Auckland

$147 6.1%

Burnaby

$129 4.8% 12.2% $18

Getting Around

Auckland

$143 5.9%

Burnaby

$102 3.8% 28.5% $41

Sport & Entertainment

Auckland

$66 2.7%

Burnaby

$60 2.2% 10.1% $6.7

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $1,271 in Auckland and $1,693 in Burnaby. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Burnaby pays 6% 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: $67 in Auckland vs $87 in Burnaby for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $344 vs $431 per month, with Auckland cheaper across the board.

Good to know

🇳🇿 Auckland

🇨🇦 Burnaby

🕒 Local time

05:48 5:48 AM

09:48 9:48 AM

20 h behind Auckland

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

1,463,000

249,125

💱 Currency

New Zealand Dollar NZD $

Canadian Dollar CAD $

📈 Exchange rate

1 NZD = 0.561 USD

1 NZD = 0.504 EUR

1 CAD = 0.713 USD

1 CAD = 0.64 EUR

Exchange rates and currency converter

CAD, USD, EUR to NZD – New Zealand Dollar Converter

🇺🇸 United States Dollar ($)

🇳🇿 New Zealand Dollar ($)

New Zealand Dollar exchange rates as of October 28, 2026: 1 USD = 1.78 NZD (1 NZD = 0.561 USD). 1 EUR = 1.98 NZD (1 NZD = 0.504 EUR).

Canadian Dollar exchange rates as of October 28, 2026: 1 USD = 1.4 CAD (1 CAD = 0.713 USD). 1 EUR = 1.56 CAD (1 CAD = 0.64 EUR).

USD to NZD in detail →

On the map

Lowest

Highest

Between locations

Auckland Burnaby 11,360 km ≈ 15 h nonstop flight

From you

Auckland
Burnaby

Distances are measured in a straight line. Your location is detected approximately.

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 10% 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, salaries run 6% lower in Auckland. 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: $1,271 in Auckland versus $1,693 in Burnaby. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Childcare runs $1,063 in Auckland versus $649 in Burnaby. Over years of preschool, even a modest monthly gap compounds into a major financial factor for families.

Supermarket bills run roughly 25% higher in Burnaby. For households that cook at home regularly, that difference adds up over a month.

Both cities are expensive relative to $2,000. Auckland is the more realistic option, but even there you’ll need to be disciplined with housing, food, and fun money.

Both cities offer a good standard of living with different trade-offs. Neither is objectively better – the right pick depends on what matters most: affordability, career, cultural scene, or climate.

It comes down to priorities – Auckland wins on affordability, Burnaby on earning potential. Factor in climate, language, visa rules, and proximity to places that matter to you before deciding.