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: $2,481 in Auckland versus $1,837 in Oamaru.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $3,466 in Auckland versus $2,800 in Oamaru.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $4,452 in Auckland versus $3,763 in Oamaru.

Living in Auckland is roughly 35% more expensive than in Oamaru, driven mainly by Clothing & Footwear.

Both cities are pricier than the global median: Auckland 81% above, Oamaru 34% above.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$14.43 NZ$25.22

$14.72 NZ$25.73

-1.97%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$68.3 NZ$119

$68.6 NZ$120

-0.51%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$9.81 NZ$17.16

$9.49 NZ$16.59

3.37%

Cappuccino

$3.51 NZ$6.14

$3.38 NZ$5.91

3.85%

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

$2.09 NZ$3.66

$2.42 NZ$4.23

-13.64%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.82 NZ$3.19

$1.84 NZ$3.22

-1.09%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$7.25 NZ$12.68

$7.01 NZ$12.25

3.42%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$6.87 NZ$12.00

$7.04 NZ$12.30

-2.41%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.92 NZ$3.36

$1.77 NZ$3.10

8.47%

White Bread (500g)

$2.27 NZ$3.97

$1.38 NZ$2.41

64.49%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.95 NZ$3.41

$1.56 NZ$2.72

25.00%

Eggs

$6.48 NZ$11.34

$5.43 NZ$9.49

19.34%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$9.03 NZ$15.79

$7.83 NZ$13.69

15.33%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$10.13 NZ$17.71

$9.25 NZ$16.17

9.51%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$17.55 NZ$30.69

$14.13 NZ$24.70

24.20%

Apples (1kg)

$3.02 NZ$5.29

$2.52 NZ$4.41

19.84%

Banana (1kg)

$2.17 NZ$3.80

$2.14 NZ$3.74

1.40%

Oranges (1kg)

$2.94 NZ$5.15

$2.84 NZ$4.97

3.52%

Tomato (1kg)

$5.38 NZ$9.40

$3.08 NZ$5.38

74.68%

Potato (1kg)

$2.18 NZ$3.80

$1.60 NZ$2.80

36.25%

Onion (1kg)

$1.68 NZ$2.93

$1.37 NZ$2.39

22.63%

Lettuce (1 head)

$2.03 NZ$3.54

$2.17 NZ$3.80

-6.45%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$1.09 NZ$1.91

$0.70 NZ$1.23

55.71%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$28.88 NZ$50.5

$24.18 NZ$42.27

19.44%

Wine (Bottle)

$10.33 NZ$18.06

$5.83 NZ$10.19

77.19%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$2.92 NZ$5.10

$3.46 NZ$6.04

-15.61%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.49 NZ$6.10

$4.55 NZ$7.96

-23.30%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$2.56 NZ$4.47

$1.94 NZ$3.39

31.96%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$124 NZ$216

$74.8 NZ$131

65.43%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$2.37 NZ$4.15

$2.54 NZ$4.43

-6.69%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.97 NZ$3.45

$1.76 NZ$3.08

11.93%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$32.89 NZ$57.5

$28.89 NZ$50.5

13.85%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.84 NZ$3.21

$1.61 NZ$2.81

14.29%

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

$26.1K NZ$45.6K

$26.4K NZ$46.1K

-1.18%

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

$22.5K NZ$39.3K

$25.2K NZ$44.1K

-10.95%

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

$186 NZ$325

$163 NZ$285

13.91%

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

$27.70 NZ$48.43

$19.85 NZ$34.70

39.55%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$51.8 NZ$90.5

$45.31 NZ$79.2

14.24%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$43.04 NZ$75.2

$39.44 NZ$68.9

9.13%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$18.37 NZ$32.11

Cinema Ticket

$13.18 NZ$23.04

$10.50 NZ$18.36

25.52%

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

$1,149 NZ$2,009

$697 NZ$1,218

64.95%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$19.7K NZ$34.5K

$22.1K NZ$38.7K

-10.83%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$79.8 NZ$140

$57.7 NZ$101

38.49%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$41.92 NZ$73.3

$17.31 NZ$30.26

142.17%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$89.4 NZ$156

$46.40 NZ$81.1

92.63%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$112 NZ$196

$51.2 NZ$89.5

118.64%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,310 NZ$2,290

$944 NZ$1,651

38.70%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,230 NZ$2,150

$891 NZ$1,558

37.98%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$2,242 NZ$3,919

$1,498 NZ$2,619

49.66%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,804 NZ$3,155

$1,423 NZ$2,487

26.84%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$7,436 NZ$13.0K

$4,985 NZ$8,714

49.17%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$5,601 NZ$9,792

$3,872 NZ$6,768

44.67%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$3,040 NZ$5,314

$2,019 NZ$3,529

50.56%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

5.4

5.91

-8.63%

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

Last update for Auckland: September 15, 2026

Last update for Oamaru: September 13, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $1,310 in Auckland and $944 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: $68.0 in Auckland vs $69.0 in Oamaru. Groceries flip the comparison at $346 vs $286, with Oamaru 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 Oamaru: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Oamaru wins on cost – living expenses run 35% 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: $1,310 in Auckland versus $944 in Oamaru. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Childcare runs $1,149 in Auckland versus $697 in Oamaru. Over years of preschool, even a modest monthly gap compounds into a major financial factor for families.

Supermarket bills run roughly 21% higher in Auckland. For households that cook at home regularly, that difference adds up over a month.

At $1,837 in Oamaru versus $2,481 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 $1,837 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 35% less than in Auckland. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.