Cost of Living Comparison Between Auckland and Oamaru Cost of Living Comparison Between Auckland and Oamaru

Monthly Cost of Living

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $2,292 in Auckland versus $1,789 in Oamaru.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $3,473 in Auckland versus $2,726 in Oamaru.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $4,654 in Auckland versus $3,663 in Oamaru.

Living in Auckland is roughly 28% more expensive than in Oamaru, driven mainly by Clothing & Footwear.

Both cities are pricier than the global median: Auckland 72% above, Oamaru 34% above.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$15.06 NZ$25.78

$16.76 NZ$28.69

-10.14%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$79.7 NZ$136

$71.2 NZ$122

12.04%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$9.72 NZ$16.64

$9.80 NZ$16.78

-0.82%

Cappuccino

$3.39 NZ$5.80

$3.53 NZ$6.04

-3.97%

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

$2.38 NZ$4.07

$2.35 NZ$4.02

1.28%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.27 NZ$3.89

$2.03 NZ$3.48

11.82%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$7.43 NZ$12.72

$7.06 NZ$12.09

5.24%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$7.07 NZ$12.11

$7.45 NZ$12.76

-5.10%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.83 NZ$3.14

$1.86 NZ$3.19

-1.61%

White Bread (500g)

$2.03 NZ$3.48

$1.10 NZ$1.89

84.55%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$2.01 NZ$3.44

$1.23 NZ$2.11

63.41%

Eggs

$7.00 NZ$11.99

$3.77 NZ$6.46

85.68%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$8.56 NZ$14.65

$8.35 NZ$14.30

2.51%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$9.54 NZ$16.34

$9.29 NZ$15.91

2.69%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$12.97 NZ$22.21

$12.85 NZ$22.01

0.93%

Apples (1kg)

$2.94 NZ$5.04

$2.45 NZ$4.19

20.00%

Banana (1kg)

$2.22 NZ$3.81

$1.85 NZ$3.16

20.00%

Oranges (1kg)

$3.36 NZ$5.75

$2.97 NZ$5.08

13.13%

Tomato (1kg)

$4.07 NZ$6.96

$5.74 NZ$9.82

-29.09%

Potato (1kg)

$1.97 NZ$3.38

$1.49 NZ$2.56

32.21%

Onion (1kg)

$1.70 NZ$2.91

$1.23 NZ$2.10

38.21%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.96 NZ$3.36

$1.79 NZ$3.06

9.50%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$1.29 NZ$2.21

$1.41 NZ$2.41

-8.51%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$25.48 NZ$43.62

$24.26 NZ$41.55

5.03%

Wine (Bottle)

$10.54 NZ$18.05

$5.63 NZ$9.64

87.21%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$3.04 NZ$5.20

$3.80 NZ$6.51

-20.00%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.79 NZ$6.49

$4.99 NZ$8.55

-24.05%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$2.82 NZ$4.83

$2.05 NZ$3.50

37.56%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$128 NZ$218

$65.1 NZ$112

95.84%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$2.06 NZ$3.54

$2.76 NZ$4.73

-25.36%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.91 NZ$3.27

$1.67 NZ$2.86

14.37%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$34.79 NZ$59.6

$30.09 NZ$51.5

15.62%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.62 NZ$2.78

$1.63 NZ$2.80

-0.61%

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

$27.9K NZ$47.8K

$26.7K NZ$45.7K

4.51%

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

$21.8K NZ$37.3K

$20.1K NZ$34.4K

8.27%

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

$143 NZ$244

$118 NZ$202

20.96%

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

$30.50 NZ$52.2

$18.44 NZ$31.58

65.40%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$48.87 NZ$83.7

$49.11 NZ$84.1

-0.49%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$35.25 NZ$60.4

$36.33 NZ$62.2

-2.97%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$16.51 NZ$28.26

$12.04 NZ$20.61

37.13%

Cinema Ticket

$14.79 NZ$25.33

$10.96 NZ$18.76

34.95%

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

$921 NZ$1,576

$650 NZ$1,113

41.69%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$13.5K NZ$23.1K

$9,247 NZ$15.8K

45.72%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$69.8 NZ$119

$59.1 NZ$101

18.00%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$49.44 NZ$84.7

$18.32 NZ$31.37

169.87%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$97.8 NZ$168

$48.06 NZ$82.3

103.58%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$127 NZ$217

$54.2 NZ$92.8

134.11%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,264 NZ$2,164

$965 NZ$1,653

30.93%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,119 NZ$1,917

$780 NZ$1,336

43.51%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$2,411 NZ$4,128

$1,564 NZ$2,678

54.14%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,830 NZ$3,133

$1,428 NZ$2,445

28.16%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$7,873 NZ$13.5K

$4,879 NZ$8,353

61.37%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$5,349 NZ$9,158

$3,757 NZ$6,433

42.37%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$3,087 NZ$5,285

$2,042 NZ$3,496

51.16%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

6.37

6.17%

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

Last update for Auckland: July 14, 2026

Last update for Oamaru: July 11, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $1,264 in Auckland and $965 in Oamaru. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Auckland pays 51% 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 $71.0 in Oamaru for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $325 vs $295 per month, with Oamaru 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 Oamaru: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Oamaru wins on cost – living expenses run 28% 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 51% 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 $965 in Oamaru. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Childcare runs $921 in Auckland versus $650 in Oamaru. Over years of preschool, even a modest monthly gap compounds into a major financial factor for families.

Supermarket bills run roughly 10% higher in Auckland. For households that cook at home regularly, that difference adds up over a month.

At $1,789 in Oamaru versus $2,292 in Auckland, a $2,500 budget is realistic in Oamaru but tight or insufficient in Auckland. The gap between the two cities makes Oamaru the clear choice for anyone on this budget.

Both work as nomad bases, but Oamaru delivers better value – similar infrastructure at $1,789 monthly. If stretching your runway or maximizing savings is the goal, the price difference makes Oamaru hard to pass up.

Safety-wise, Auckland and Oamaru 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 Oamaru 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.