Cost of Living Comparison Between Auckland and Dunedin Cost of Living Comparison Between Auckland and Dunedin

Monthly Cost of Living

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $2,302 in Auckland versus $1,807 in Dunedin.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $3,464 in Auckland versus $2,801 in Dunedin.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $4,626 in Auckland versus $3,796 in Dunedin.

Living in Auckland is roughly 27% more expensive than Dunedin, driven mainly by Getting Around.

Both cities are pricier than the global median: Auckland 72% above, Dunedin 35% above.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$14.83 NZ$25.04

$12.23 NZ$20.65

21.26%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$77.6 NZ$131

$73.0 NZ$123

6.30%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$9.55 NZ$16.12

$10.87 NZ$18.35

-12.14%

Cappuccino

$3.50 NZ$5.92

$3.45 NZ$5.82

1.45%

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

$2.28 NZ$3.84

$2.18 NZ$3.67

4.59%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.27 NZ$3.84

$2.00 NZ$3.38

13.50%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$7.42 NZ$12.52

$7.20 NZ$12.16

3.06%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$7.06 NZ$11.92

$5.97 NZ$10.08

18.26%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.80 NZ$3.04

$2.07 NZ$3.49

-13.04%

White Bread (500g)

$2.10 NZ$3.55

$1.92 NZ$3.24

9.38%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.99 NZ$3.36

$1.87 NZ$3.16

6.42%

Eggs

$6.74 NZ$11.38

$5.73 NZ$9.67

17.63%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$8.44 NZ$14.25

$8.07 NZ$13.62

4.58%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$9.82 NZ$16.58

$10.84 NZ$18.30

-9.41%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$12.92 NZ$21.81

$13.17 NZ$22.23

-1.90%

Apples (1kg)

$2.91 NZ$4.91

$2.93 NZ$4.94

-0.68%

Banana (1kg)

$2.22 NZ$3.75

$2.25 NZ$3.81

-1.33%

Oranges (1kg)

$3.22 NZ$5.44

$3.43 NZ$5.78

-6.12%

Tomato (1kg)

$4.11 NZ$6.94

$4.45 NZ$7.51

-7.64%

Potato (1kg)

$2.09 NZ$3.52

$1.98 NZ$3.34

5.56%

Onion (1kg)

$1.63 NZ$2.76

$2.02 NZ$3.41

-19.31%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.90 NZ$3.21

$2.56 NZ$4.33

-25.78%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$1.29 NZ$2.17

$1.08 NZ$1.82

19.44%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$25.66 NZ$43.31

$23.76 NZ$40.11

8.00%

Wine (Bottle)

$9.98 NZ$16.85

$9.41 NZ$15.88

6.06%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$2.94 NZ$4.96

$2.55 NZ$4.31

15.29%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.98 NZ$6.73

$3.66 NZ$6.19

8.74%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$2.75 NZ$4.64

$1.23 NZ$2.08

123.58%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$131 NZ$221

$73.6 NZ$124

77.88%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$2.09 NZ$3.53

$6.14 NZ$10.36

-65.96%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.95 NZ$3.29

$1.15 NZ$1.94

69.57%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$35.65 NZ$60.2

$29.78 NZ$50.3

19.71%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.69 NZ$2.85

$1.66 NZ$2.81

1.81%

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

$28.4K NZ$47.9K

$20.0K NZ$33.7K

42.01%

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

$22.2K NZ$37.5K

$25.4K NZ$42.9K

-12.59%

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

$146 NZ$247

$102 NZ$173

42.91%

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

$30.66 NZ$51.8

$35.87 NZ$60.6

-14.52%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$48.24 NZ$81.4

$54.3 NZ$91.7

-11.21%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$36.08 NZ$60.9

$52.2 NZ$88.1

-30.88%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$16.60 NZ$28.03

$6.13 NZ$10.36

170.80%

Cinema Ticket

$15.28 NZ$25.79

$9.67 NZ$16.32

58.01%

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

$922 NZ$1,557

$575 NZ$971

60.36%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$13.6K NZ$23.0K

$11.9K NZ$20.1K

14.44%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$70.8 NZ$120

$67.2 NZ$114

5.34%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$49.43 NZ$83.5

$35.51 NZ$60.0

39.20%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$96.7 NZ$163

$94.2 NZ$159

2.62%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$124 NZ$209

$121 NZ$205

2.06%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,264 NZ$2,135

$884 NZ$1,493

42.96%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,158 NZ$1,954

$757 NZ$1,278

52.88%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$2,413 NZ$4,074

$1,481 NZ$2,501

62.90%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,862 NZ$3,143

$1,332 NZ$2,250

39.71%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$8,096 NZ$13.7K

$3,023 NZ$5,104

167.79%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$5,456 NZ$9,211

$2,045 NZ$3,452

166.83%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$3,260 NZ$5,504

$2,611 NZ$4,409

24.85%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

6.37

7.07

-9.90%

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

Last update for Auckland: May 31, 2026

Last update for Dunedin: June 1, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $1,264 in Auckland and $884 in Dunedin. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Auckland pays 25% 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 $73.0 in Dunedin. Groceries flip the comparison at $324 vs $324, 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 Dunedin: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Dunedin wins on cost – living expenses run 27% lower than in Auckland. Housing and daily spending are where you'll feel the difference most, making Dunedin the obvious pick if budget is a priority.

Auckland pays 25% more on average, which matters when comparing affordability. Whether that higher income actually nets you more depends on your spending habits and housing choices.

Rent for a central apartment: $1,264 in Auckland versus $884 in Dunedin. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Childcare runs $922 in Auckland versus $575 in Dunedin. Over years of preschool, even a modest monthly gap compounds into a major financial factor for families.

Shoppers in Auckland pay roughly 0% less for everyday groceries. It's an unusual reversal that partly offsets higher costs elsewhere.

At $1,807 in Dunedin versus $2,302 in Auckland, a $3,000 budget is realistic in Dunedin but tight or insufficient in Auckland. The gap between the two cities makes Dunedin the clear choice for anyone on this budget.

Both work as nomad bases, but Dunedin delivers better value – similar infrastructure at $1,807 monthly. If stretching your runway or maximizing savings is the goal, the price difference makes Dunedin hard to pass up.

Safety-wise, Auckland and Dunedin 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 Dunedin gentler on the wallet – expenses run 27% less than in Auckland. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.