Cost of Living Comparison Between Auckland and Invercargill Cost of Living Comparison Between Auckland and Invercargill

Monthly Cost of Living

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $2,350 in Auckland versus $1,573 in Invercargill.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $3,502 in Auckland versus $2,446 in Invercargill.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $4,654 in Auckland versus $3,318 in Invercargill.

Living in Auckland is roughly 49% more expensive than in Invercargill, driven mainly by Getting Around.

Both cities are pricier than the global median: Auckland 76% above, Invercargill 18% above.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$15.30 NZ$26.58

$11.98 NZ$20.82

27.71%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$77.9 NZ$135

$72.6 NZ$126

7.26%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$9.91 NZ$17.21

$8.58 NZ$14.90

15.50%

Cappuccino

$3.40 NZ$5.91

$3.47 NZ$6.03

-2.02%

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

$2.36 NZ$4.10

$1.76 NZ$3.05

34.09%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.30 NZ$3.99

$1.44 NZ$2.49

59.72%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$7.16 NZ$12.44

$5.99 NZ$10.40

19.53%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$7.11 NZ$12.35

$4.78 NZ$8.31

48.74%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.74 NZ$3.03

$1.46 NZ$2.53

19.18%

White Bread (500g)

$2.13 NZ$3.70

$1.83 NZ$3.18

16.39%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$2.03 NZ$3.53

$1.71 NZ$2.98

18.71%

Eggs

$6.77 NZ$11.75

$5.70 NZ$9.90

18.77%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$8.62 NZ$14.98

$8.11 NZ$14.09

6.29%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$9.46 NZ$16.43

$9.17 NZ$15.94

3.16%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$12.78 NZ$22.20

$13.67 NZ$23.74

-6.51%

Apples (1kg)

$2.91 NZ$5.05

$2.72 NZ$4.73

6.99%

Banana (1kg)

$2.30 NZ$4.00

$2.36 NZ$4.10

-2.54%

Oranges (1kg)

$3.27 NZ$5.69

$2.59 NZ$4.50

26.25%

Tomato (1kg)

$4.14 NZ$7.20

$3.68 NZ$6.40

12.50%

Potato (1kg)

$1.99 NZ$3.45

$1.91 NZ$3.32

4.19%

Onion (1kg)

$1.62 NZ$2.82

$1.78 NZ$3.09

-8.99%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.90 NZ$3.30

$2.54 NZ$4.42

-25.20%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$1.27 NZ$2.21

$1.11 NZ$1.93

14.41%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$25.17 NZ$43.73

$22.53 NZ$39.14

11.72%

Wine (Bottle)

$10.13 NZ$17.60

$8.48 NZ$14.74

19.46%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$3.04 NZ$5.29

$4.05 NZ$7.03

-24.94%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.81 NZ$6.62

$3.71 NZ$6.44

2.70%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$2.70 NZ$4.69

$1.55 NZ$2.69

74.19%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$127 NZ$221

$63.8 NZ$111

99.55%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$2.17 NZ$3.77

$2.43 NZ$4.23

-10.70%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.94 NZ$3.37

$1.91 NZ$3.32

1.57%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$34.99 NZ$60.8

$30.39 NZ$52.8

15.14%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.69 NZ$2.94

$1.70 NZ$2.96

-0.59%

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

$28.2K NZ$49.0K

$25.3K NZ$43.9K

11.56%

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

$22.2K NZ$38.6K

$19.9K NZ$34.5K

11.71%

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

$145 NZ$252

$103 NZ$179

41.21%

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

$30.90 NZ$53.7

$36.03 NZ$62.6

-14.24%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$48.46 NZ$84.2

$50.6 NZ$87.9

-4.23%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$36.42 NZ$63.3

$29.14 NZ$50.6

24.98%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$16.45 NZ$28.58

$11.98 NZ$20.81

37.31%

Cinema Ticket

$15.21 NZ$26.42

$9.47 NZ$16.46

60.61%

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

$890 NZ$1,546

$595 NZ$1,034

49.57%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$13.8K NZ$24.0K

$12.2K NZ$21.1K

13.73%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$70.8 NZ$123

$67.5 NZ$117

4.87%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$49.61 NZ$86.2

$35.69 NZ$62.0

39.00%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$97.3 NZ$169

$82.9 NZ$144

17.35%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$123 NZ$214

$85.0 NZ$148

44.78%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,301 NZ$2,260

$653 NZ$1,134

99.25%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,148 NZ$1,993

$592 NZ$1,028

93.91%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$2,482 NZ$4,312

$868 NZ$1,508

185.96%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,827 NZ$3,174

$1,060 NZ$1,842

72.33%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$8,018 NZ$13.9K

$4,432 NZ$7,699

80.90%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$5,301 NZ$9,209

$3,432 NZ$5,961

54.47%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$3,128 NZ$5,434

$3,113 NZ$5,408

0.50%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

6.37

6.87

-7.28%

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

Last update for Auckland: June 15, 2026

Last update for Invercargill: June 16, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $1,301 in Auckland and $653 in Invercargill. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Auckland 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 $73.0 in Invercargill for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $323 vs $308 per month, with Invercargill cheaper across the board.

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 Invercargill: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Invercargill wins on cost – living expenses run 49% lower than in Auckland. Housing and daily spending are where you'll feel the difference most, making Invercargill the obvious pick if budget is a priority.

Average pay runs 0% higher in Auckland, 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: $1,301 in Auckland versus $653 in Invercargill. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Childcare runs $890 in Auckland versus $595 in Invercargill. Over years of preschool, even a modest monthly gap compounds into a major financial factor for families.

Supermarket bills run roughly 5% higher in Auckland. For households that cook at home regularly, that difference adds up over a month.

At $1,573 in Invercargill versus $2,350 in Auckland, a $1,000 budget is realistic in Invercargill but tight or insufficient in Auckland. The gap between the two cities makes Invercargill the clear choice for anyone on this budget.

Both work as nomad bases, but Invercargill delivers better value – similar infrastructure at $1,573 monthly. If stretching your runway or maximizing savings is the goal, the price difference makes Invercargill hard to pass up.

Safety-wise, Auckland and Invercargill 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 Invercargill gentler on the wallet – expenses run 49% less than in Auckland. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.