Cost of Living Comparison Between Auckland and New Plymouth Cost of Living Comparison Between Auckland and New Plymouth

Monthly Cost of Living

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $2,355 in Auckland versus $1,843 in New Plymouth.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $3,474 in Auckland versus $2,770 in New Plymouth.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $4,594 in Auckland versus $3,698 in New Plymouth.

Living in Auckland is roughly 28% more expensive than New Plymouth, driven mainly by Getting Around.

Both cities are pricier than the global median: Auckland 75% above, New Plymouth 37% above.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$15.10 NZ$25.67

$15.27 NZ$25.96

-1.11%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$79.1 NZ$134

$77.7 NZ$132

1.80%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$9.45 NZ$16.07

$10.72 NZ$18.23

-11.85%

Cappuccino

$3.52 NZ$5.99

$3.76 NZ$6.39

-6.38%

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

$2.32 NZ$3.95

$2.37 NZ$4.02

-2.11%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.18 NZ$3.71

$2.06 NZ$3.50

5.83%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$7.10 NZ$12.07

$5.26 NZ$8.94

34.98%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$7.06 NZ$12.00

$7.37 NZ$12.53

-4.21%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.82 NZ$3.10

$2.03 NZ$3.45

-10.34%

White Bread (500g)

$2.02 NZ$3.44

$1.47 NZ$2.50

37.41%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.93 NZ$3.28

$1.82 NZ$3.10

6.04%

Eggs

$6.83 NZ$11.61

$6.10 NZ$10.37

11.97%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$8.91 NZ$15.14

$7.53 NZ$12.79

18.33%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$9.85 NZ$16.74

$13.02 NZ$22.14

-24.35%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$12.80 NZ$21.76

$12.70 NZ$21.59

0.79%

Apples (1kg)

$2.78 NZ$4.72

$2.16 NZ$3.67

28.70%

Banana (1kg)

$2.25 NZ$3.83

$1.97 NZ$3.35

14.21%

Oranges (1kg)

$3.34 NZ$5.68

$3.26 NZ$5.54

2.45%

Tomato (1kg)

$4.20 NZ$7.14

$6.67 NZ$11.34

-37.03%

Potato (1kg)

$2.09 NZ$3.55

$2.54 NZ$4.31

-17.72%

Onion (1kg)

$1.62 NZ$2.76

$1.67 NZ$2.84

-2.99%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.96 NZ$3.33

$2.00 NZ$3.40

-2.00%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$1.29 NZ$2.20

$1.43 NZ$2.43

-9.79%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$25.40 NZ$43.18

$20.83 NZ$35.42

21.94%

Wine (Bottle)

$10.25 NZ$17.43

$8.70 NZ$14.78

17.82%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$3.08 NZ$5.24

$3.79 NZ$6.44

-18.73%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.79 NZ$6.44

$4.46 NZ$7.58

-15.02%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$2.70 NZ$4.58

$1.78 NZ$3.03

51.69%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$128 NZ$218

$65.1 NZ$111

97.08%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$2.07 NZ$3.51

$1.85 NZ$3.14

11.89%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.91 NZ$3.24

$3.34 NZ$5.68

-42.81%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$35.55 NZ$60.4

$36.05 NZ$61.3

-1.39%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.63 NZ$2.77

$1.65 NZ$2.80

-1.21%

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

$28.0K NZ$47.6K

$48.5K NZ$82.4K

-42.23%

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

$22.0K NZ$37.4K

$24.5K NZ$41.6K

-10.13%

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

$141 NZ$240

$208 NZ$354

-32.25%

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

$30.79 NZ$52.3

$30.73 NZ$52.2

0.20%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$49.52 NZ$84.2

$30.13 NZ$51.2

64.35%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$35.66 NZ$60.6

$35.81 NZ$60.9

-0.42%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$16.36 NZ$27.80

$12.26 NZ$20.84

33.44%

Cinema Ticket

$15.06 NZ$25.60

$10.87 NZ$18.48

38.55%

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

$920 NZ$1,564

$753 NZ$1,281

22.15%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$13.9K NZ$23.6K

$11.9K NZ$20.2K

16.70%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$69.7 NZ$118

$89.8 NZ$153

-22.39%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$49.31 NZ$83.8

$36.03 NZ$61.3

36.86%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$97.6 NZ$166

$73.5 NZ$125

32.75%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$123 NZ$209

$67.1 NZ$114

83.32%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,283 NZ$2,181

$736 NZ$1,252

74.21%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,150 NZ$1,955

$671 NZ$1,141

71.36%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$2,450 NZ$4,166

$1,375 NZ$2,338

78.19%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,880 NZ$3,196

$1,175 NZ$1,998

59.95%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$7,596 NZ$12.9K

$3,328 NZ$5,658

128.22%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$5,334 NZ$9,067

$2,725 NZ$4,633

95.71%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$3,207 NZ$5,452

$2,702 NZ$4,593

18.69%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

6.37

5.93

7.42%

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

Last update for Auckland: April 12, 2026

Last update for New Plymouth: April 13, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $1,283 in Auckland and $736 in New Plymouth. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Auckland pays 19% 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: $79 in Auckland vs $78 in New Plymouth. Groceries flip the comparison at $326 vs $343, 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 New Plymouth: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

New Plymouth wins on cost – living expenses run 28% lower than in Auckland. Housing and daily spending are where you'll feel the difference most, making New Plymouth the obvious pick if budget is a priority.

Auckland pays 19% 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: $1,283 in Auckland versus $736 in New Plymouth. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Childcare runs $920 in Auckland versus $753 in New Plymouth. Over years of preschool, even a modest monthly gap compounds into a major financial factor for families.

Shoppers in Auckland pay roughly 5% less for everyday groceries. It's an unusual reversal that partly offsets higher costs elsewhere.

At $1,843 in New Plymouth versus $2,355 in Auckland, a $3,000 budget is realistic in New Plymouth but tight or insufficient in Auckland. The gap between the two cities makes New Plymouth the clear choice for anyone on this budget.

Both work as nomad bases, but New Plymouth delivers better value – similar infrastructure at $1,843 monthly. If stretching your runway or maximizing savings is the goal, the price difference makes New Plymouth hard to pass up.

Safety-wise, Auckland and New Plymouth 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 New Plymouth gentler on the wallet – expenses run 28% less than in Auckland. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.