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: $2,302 in Auckland versus $1,784 in Oamaru.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $3,464 in Auckland versus $2,778 in Oamaru.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $4,626 in Auckland versus $3,773 in Oamaru.

Living in Auckland is roughly 29% more expensive than Oamaru, driven mainly by Clothing & Footwear.

Both cities are pricier than the global median: Auckland 72% above, Oamaru 33% above.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$14.83 NZ$25.04

$17.15 NZ$28.95

-13.53%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$77.6 NZ$131

$73.2 NZ$123

6.11%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$9.55 NZ$16.12

$9.53 NZ$16.09

0.21%

Cappuccino

$3.50 NZ$5.92

$3.49 NZ$5.89

0.29%

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

$2.28 NZ$3.84

$2.35 NZ$3.98

-2.98%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.27 NZ$3.84

$2.05 NZ$3.47

10.73%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$7.42 NZ$12.52

$7.35 NZ$12.40

0.95%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$7.06 NZ$11.92

$7.42 NZ$12.53

-4.85%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.80 NZ$3.04

$1.76 NZ$2.97

2.27%

White Bread (500g)

$2.10 NZ$3.55

$1.10 NZ$1.86

90.91%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.99 NZ$3.36

$1.19 NZ$2.00

67.23%

Eggs

$6.74 NZ$11.38

$3.75 NZ$6.33

79.73%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$8.44 NZ$14.25

$8.11 NZ$13.70

4.07%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$9.82 NZ$16.58

$9.57 NZ$16.16

2.61%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$12.92 NZ$21.81

$13.16 NZ$22.22

-1.82%

Apples (1kg)

$2.91 NZ$4.91

$2.39 NZ$4.04

21.76%

Banana (1kg)

$2.22 NZ$3.75

$1.86 NZ$3.14

19.35%

Oranges (1kg)

$3.22 NZ$5.44

$3.04 NZ$5.12

5.92%

Tomato (1kg)

$4.11 NZ$6.94

$5.85 NZ$9.87

-29.74%

Potato (1kg)

$2.09 NZ$3.52

$1.47 NZ$2.48

42.18%

Onion (1kg)

$1.63 NZ$2.76

$1.23 NZ$2.07

32.52%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.90 NZ$3.21

$1.82 NZ$3.07

4.40%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$1.29 NZ$2.17

$1.42 NZ$2.40

-9.15%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$25.66 NZ$43.31

$24.55 NZ$41.45

4.52%

Wine (Bottle)

$9.98 NZ$16.85

$6.09 NZ$10.29

63.88%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$2.94 NZ$4.96

$3.79 NZ$6.39

-22.43%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.98 NZ$6.73

$4.79 NZ$8.08

-16.91%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$2.75 NZ$4.64

$2.14 NZ$3.61

28.50%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$131 NZ$221

$65.1 NZ$110

101.34%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$2.09 NZ$3.53

$2.67 NZ$4.51

-21.72%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.95 NZ$3.29

$1.73 NZ$2.92

12.72%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$35.65 NZ$60.2

$30.23 NZ$51.0

17.93%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.69 NZ$2.85

$1.71 NZ$2.88

-1.17%

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

$28.4K NZ$47.9K

$27.3K NZ$46.1K

3.87%

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

$22.2K NZ$37.5K

$19.8K NZ$33.4K

12.33%

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

$146 NZ$247

$118 NZ$199

24.19%

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

$30.66 NZ$51.8

$17.82 NZ$30.08

72.05%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$48.24 NZ$81.4

$48.72 NZ$82.3

-0.99%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$36.08 NZ$60.9

$36.84 NZ$62.2

-2.06%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$16.60 NZ$28.03

$12.11 NZ$20.45

37.08%

Cinema Ticket

$15.28 NZ$25.79

$10.96 NZ$18.50

39.42%

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

$922 NZ$1,557

$628 NZ$1,061

46.78%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$13.6K NZ$23.0K

$9,434 NZ$15.9K

44.61%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$70.8 NZ$120

$59.2 NZ$99.9

19.65%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$49.43 NZ$83.5

$17.73 NZ$29.93

178.79%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$96.7 NZ$163

$48.83 NZ$82.5

98.03%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$124 NZ$209

$53.6 NZ$90.4

131.16%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,264 NZ$2,135

$965 NZ$1,629

31.01%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,158 NZ$1,954

$777 NZ$1,311

49.02%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$2,413 NZ$4,074

$1,599 NZ$2,700

50.86%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,862 NZ$3,143

$1,405 NZ$2,373

32.45%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$8,096 NZ$13.7K

$4,604 NZ$7,773

75.83%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$5,456 NZ$9,211

$3,643 NZ$6,150

49.77%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$3,260 NZ$5,504

$2,072 NZ$3,498

57.37%

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: May 31, 2026

Last update for Oamaru: May 31, 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 57% 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 Oamaru for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $324 vs $296 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 29% 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.

Auckland pays 57% 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: $1,264 in Auckland versus $965 in Oamaru. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Childcare runs $922 in Auckland versus $628 in Oamaru. Over years of preschool, even a modest monthly gap compounds into a major financial factor for families.

Supermarket bills run roughly 9% higher in Auckland. For households that cook at home regularly, that difference adds up over a month.

At $1,784 in Oamaru versus $2,302 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 $1,784 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 29% less than in Auckland. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.