Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Auckland and Oamaru

For one person, living is cheaper in Oamaru: $1,809 a month against $2,421 in Auckland, rent and utilities included – about $7,300 less a year. Rent and utilities account for most of the difference.

117

Cost of Living Index in Auckland
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Auckland Living Index
93

Cost of Living Index in Oamaru
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Oamaru Living Index

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Auckland

🇳🇿 New Zealand

$2,421

/mo nomad

Oamaru

🇳🇿 New Zealand

$1,809

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

How much you'll spend in Auckland and in Oamaru

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 Oamaru actually costs, broken down by who's living it.

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $2,421 in Auckland versus $1,809 in Oamaru.

Auckland $2,421
Oamaru $1,809

Estimated couple costs with rent: $3,382 in Auckland versus $2,753 in Oamaru.

Auckland $3,382
Oamaru $2,753

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $4,343 in Auckland versus $3,698 in Oamaru.

Auckland $4,343
Oamaru $3,698

Living in Auckland is roughly 34% more expensive than in Oamaru, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in clothing.

Both cities are pricier than the global median: Auckland 78% above, Oamaru 33% above.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$14.26 NZ$25.32

$14.46 NZ$25.67

-1.38%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$67.0 NZ$119

$68.4 NZ$121

-2.00%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$9.12 NZ$16.20

$9.20 NZ$16.33

-0.87%

Cappuccino

$3.47 NZ$6.17

$3.35 NZ$5.94

3.58%

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

$2.04 NZ$3.62

$2.30 NZ$4.09

-11.30%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.75 NZ$3.10

$1.78 NZ$3.15

-1.69%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$6.79 NZ$12.05

$6.64 NZ$11.79

2.26%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$6.78 NZ$12.03

$6.97 NZ$12.37

-2.73%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.92 NZ$3.40

$1.73 NZ$3.08

10.98%

White Bread (500g)

$2.17 NZ$3.85

$1.32 NZ$2.34

64.39%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.83 NZ$3.26

$1.47 NZ$2.60

24.49%

Eggs

$6.16 NZ$10.94

$5.53 NZ$9.82

11.39%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$8.97 NZ$15.93

$7.53 NZ$13.36

19.12%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$9.99 NZ$17.73

$8.85 NZ$15.72

12.88%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$17.72 NZ$31.47

$13.64 NZ$24.21

29.91%

Apples (1kg)

$2.97 NZ$5.27

$2.39 NZ$4.25

24.27%

Banana (1kg)

$2.08 NZ$3.70

$2.10 NZ$3.73

-0.95%

Oranges (1kg)

$3.07 NZ$5.46

$2.65 NZ$4.70

15.85%

Tomato (1kg)

$5.72 NZ$10.15

$2.91 NZ$5.17

96.56%

Potato (1kg)

$2.17 NZ$3.85

$1.50 NZ$2.67

44.67%

Onion (1kg)

$1.54 NZ$2.74

$1.39 NZ$2.47

10.79%

Lettuce (1 head)

$2.04 NZ$3.63

$2.07 NZ$3.68

-1.45%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$1.10 NZ$1.95

$0.65 NZ$1.16

69.23%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$27.07 NZ$48.06

$24.01 NZ$42.63

12.74%

Wine (Bottle)

$10.21 NZ$18.13

$5.66 NZ$10.05

80.39%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$2.87 NZ$5.10

$3.42 NZ$6.08

-16.08%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.38 NZ$6.00

$4.44 NZ$7.89

-23.87%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$1.93 NZ$3.43

$2.05 NZ$3.63

-5.85%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$123 NZ$218

$108 NZ$191

14.32%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$2.29 NZ$4.06

$2.58 NZ$4.58

-11.24%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$2.02 NZ$3.59

$1.72 NZ$3.06

17.44%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$32.32 NZ$57.4

$28.67 NZ$50.9

12.73%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.83 NZ$3.25

$1.62 NZ$2.88

12.96%

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

$27.2K NZ$48.3K

$28.8K NZ$51.2K

-5.57%

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

$22.2K NZ$39.3K

$23.7K NZ$42.1K

-6.69%

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

$184 NZ$327

$157 NZ$279

17.41%

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

$26.77 NZ$47.53

$20.20 NZ$35.86

32.52%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$51.6 NZ$91.5

$44.97 NZ$79.8

14.65%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$42.05 NZ$74.7

$39.17 NZ$69.6

7.35%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$18.31 NZ$32.50

Cinema Ticket

$12.18 NZ$21.62

$10.03 NZ$17.81

21.44%

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

$1,063 NZ$1,888

$677 NZ$1,202

57.05%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$19.5K NZ$34.7K

$22.4K NZ$39.7K

-12.71%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$80.3 NZ$143

$57.6 NZ$102

39.35%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$39.90 NZ$70.8

$17.36 NZ$30.83

129.84%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$92.7 NZ$165

$45.93 NZ$81.6

101.83%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$113 NZ$200

$51.0 NZ$90.6

121.14%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,271 NZ$2,256

$1,042 NZ$1,850

21.96%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,213 NZ$2,153

$799 NZ$1,419

51.68%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$2,222 NZ$3,945

$1,588 NZ$2,820

39.87%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,658 NZ$2,943

$1,426 NZ$2,531

16.28%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$7,413 NZ$13.2K

$4,866 NZ$8,638

52.37%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$5,429 NZ$9,638

$3,783 NZ$6,716

43.52%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$2,958 NZ$5,251

$1,950 NZ$3,462

51.67%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

5.37

5.91

-9.14%

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

Last update for Auckland: October 24, 2026

Last update for Oamaru: October 26, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Accommodation & Living

Auckland

$1.2K 50.1%

Oamaru

$799 44.2% 34.1% $413

Groceries & Markets

Auckland

$344 14.2%

Oamaru

$277 15.3% 19.5% $67

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Auckland

$263 10.9%

Oamaru

$222 12.3% 15.4% $41

Eating Out

Auckland

$246 10.2%

Oamaru

$247 13.7% 0.5% $1.1

Clothing & Footwear

Auckland

$147 6.1%

Oamaru

$77 4.3% 47.2% $69

Getting Around

Auckland

$143 5.9%

Oamaru

$127 7% 11.3% $16

Sport & Entertainment

Auckland

$66 2.7%

Oamaru

$59 3.3% 10.8% $7.2

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $1,271 in Auckland and $1,042 in Oamaru. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Auckland pays 52% more on average. How far that income stretches comes down to housing choices and lifestyle.

Dining out: $67 in Auckland vs $68 in Oamaru. Groceries flip the comparison at $344 vs $277, with Oamaru cheaper for home cooking.

Good to know

🇳🇿 Auckland

🇳🇿 Oamaru

🕒 Local time

03:56 3:56 AM

Same time as Auckland

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

1,463,000

13,850

💱 Currency

New Zealand Dollar NZD $

📈 Exchange rate

1 NZD = 0.563 USD

1 NZD = 0.504 EUR

1 NZD = 0.563 USD

1 NZD = 0.504 EUR

Exchange rates and currency converter

On the map

Lowest

Highest

Between locations

Auckland Oamaru 970 km ≈ 1 h 45 min nonstop flight

From you

Auckland
Oamaru

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 Oamaru: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Oamaru wins on cost – living expenses run 25% lower than in Auckland. Housing and daily spending are where you’ll feel the difference most, making Oamaru the obvious pick if budget is a priority.

Average pay runs 52% 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: $1,271 in Auckland versus $1,042 in Oamaru. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Childcare runs $1,063 in Auckland versus $677 in Oamaru. Over years of preschool, even a modest monthly gap compounds into a major financial factor for families.

A monthly transit pass in Oamaru runs roughly 13% less than in Auckland. The price difference matters if you commute daily and watch your budget.

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.

Safety-wise, Auckland and Oamaru are both considered safe, so it’s unlikely to be the deciding factor between them.

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