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: $2,292 in Auckland versus $1,843 in New Plymouth.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $3,473 in Auckland versus $2,815 in New Plymouth.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $4,654 in Auckland versus $3,788 in New Plymouth.

Living in Auckland is roughly 24% more expensive than in New Plymouth, driven mainly by Getting Around.

Both cities are pricier than the global median: Auckland 72% above, New Plymouth 38% above.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$15.06 NZ$25.72

$14.90 NZ$25.45

1.07%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$79.7 NZ$136

$76.9 NZ$131

3.68%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$9.72 NZ$16.61

$10.63 NZ$18.16

-8.56%

Cappuccino

$3.39 NZ$5.79

$3.64 NZ$6.22

-6.87%

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

$2.38 NZ$4.06

$2.26 NZ$3.87

5.31%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.27 NZ$3.88

$2.04 NZ$3.49

11.27%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$7.43 NZ$12.70

$5.40 NZ$9.22

37.59%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$7.07 NZ$12.08

$7.28 NZ$12.43

-2.88%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.83 NZ$3.13

$2.00 NZ$3.41

-8.50%

White Bread (500g)

$2.03 NZ$3.47

$1.53 NZ$2.61

32.68%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$2.01 NZ$3.43

$1.75 NZ$2.99

14.86%

Eggs

$7.00 NZ$11.96

$6.17 NZ$10.54

13.45%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$8.56 NZ$14.62

$7.65 NZ$13.06

11.90%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$9.54 NZ$16.30

$13.42 NZ$22.93

-28.91%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$12.97 NZ$22.16

$13.11 NZ$22.39

-1.07%

Apples (1kg)

$2.94 NZ$5.02

$2.12 NZ$3.62

38.68%

Banana (1kg)

$2.22 NZ$3.80

$1.97 NZ$3.36

12.69%

Oranges (1kg)

$3.36 NZ$5.74

$3.25 NZ$5.54

3.38%

Tomato (1kg)

$4.07 NZ$6.94

$6.78 NZ$11.59

-39.97%

Potato (1kg)

$1.97 NZ$3.37

$2.57 NZ$4.39

-23.35%

Onion (1kg)

$1.70 NZ$2.91

$1.66 NZ$2.84

2.41%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.96 NZ$3.35

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$1.29 NZ$2.21

$1.37 NZ$2.34

-5.84%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$25.48 NZ$43.52

$20.80 NZ$35.53

22.50%

Wine (Bottle)

$10.54 NZ$18.01

$8.65 NZ$14.78

21.85%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$3.04 NZ$5.19

$3.75 NZ$6.40

-18.93%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.79 NZ$6.48

$4.35 NZ$7.43

-12.87%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$2.82 NZ$4.82

$1.76 NZ$3.00

60.23%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$128 NZ$218

$64.7 NZ$110

97.26%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$2.06 NZ$3.53

$1.77 NZ$3.02

16.38%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.91 NZ$3.26

$3.29 NZ$5.61

-41.95%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$34.79 NZ$59.4

$36.90 NZ$63.0

-5.72%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.62 NZ$2.77

$1.71 NZ$2.92

-5.26%

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

$27.9K NZ$47.6K

$47.9K NZ$81.9K

-41.83%

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

$21.8K NZ$37.2K

$23.9K NZ$40.8K

-8.79%

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

$143 NZ$244

$213 NZ$364

-33.02%

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

$30.50 NZ$52.1

$30.35 NZ$51.9

0.49%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$48.87 NZ$83.5

$30.24 NZ$51.7

61.61%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$35.25 NZ$60.2

$36.10 NZ$61.7

-2.35%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$16.51 NZ$28.20

$12.12 NZ$20.71

36.22%

Cinema Ticket

$14.79 NZ$25.27

$10.91 NZ$18.64

35.56%

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

$921 NZ$1,573

$735 NZ$1,256

25.22%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$13.5K NZ$23.0K

$11.9K NZ$20.3K

13.57%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$69.8 NZ$119

$91.7 NZ$157

-23.95%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$49.44 NZ$84.5

$36.52 NZ$62.4

35.38%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$97.8 NZ$167

$73.1 NZ$125

33.77%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$127 NZ$217

$67.2 NZ$115

88.72%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,264 NZ$2,159

$715 NZ$1,222

76.71%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,119 NZ$1,912

$669 NZ$1,142

67.42%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$2,411 NZ$4,119

$1,361 NZ$2,325

77.19%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,830 NZ$3,127

$1,179 NZ$2,013

55.28%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$7,873 NZ$13.4K

$3,292 NZ$5,624

139.13%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$5,349 NZ$9,138

$2,646 NZ$4,521

102.12%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$3,087 NZ$5,273

$2,862 NZ$4,890

7.85%

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: July 14, 2026

Last update for New Plymouth: July 11, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $1,264 in Auckland and $715 in New Plymouth. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Auckland pays 8% 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: $80.0 in Auckland vs $77.0 in New Plymouth. Groceries flip the comparison at $325 vs $346, 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 24% 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.

Average pay runs 8% 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: $1,264 in Auckland versus $715 in New Plymouth. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Childcare runs $921 in Auckland versus $735 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 6% less for everyday groceries. It's an unusual reversal that partly offsets higher costs elsewhere.

At $1,843 in New Plymouth versus $2,292 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 24% less than in Auckland. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.