Cost of Living Comparison Between Auckland and Palmerston North Cost of Living Comparison Between Auckland and Palmerston North

😐 Solo nomad: Auckland is 15.5% more expensive than Palmerston North without rent, and 35.4% more expensive with rent.
😐 Family of 3: Auckland is 10.5% more expensive than Palmerston North without rent, and 25.9% more expensive with rent.
Currency
🍽 Eating Out
Auckland
Palmerston North
Difference
Meal at Budget Restaurant
$15.14 NZ$25.44
$16.61 NZ$27.91
-8.85%
Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range
$79.0 NZ$133
$73.5 NZ$123
7.50%
Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)
$9.88 NZ$16.60
$11.90 NZ$19.99
-16.97%
Cappuccino
$3.51 NZ$5.90
$3.39 NZ$5.69
3.54%
Coke/Pepsi/Fanta/Sprite (0.33 liter bottle)
$2.33 NZ$3.91
$2.29 NZ$3.85
1.75%
Water (0.33 liter bottle)
$2.21 NZ$3.71
$2.13 NZ$3.58
3.76%
Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)
$7.05 NZ$11.85
$7.12 NZ$11.96
-0.98%
Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)
$7.18 NZ$12.06
$6.34 NZ$10.66
13.25%
🛒 Groceries & Markets
Auckland
Palmerston North
Difference
Milk (1 liter)
$1.80 NZ$3.03
$1.97 NZ$3.31
-8.63%
White Bread (500g)
$2.09 NZ$3.52
$2.06 NZ$3.46
1.46%
Rice (white) (1kg)
$1.94 NZ$3.26
$1.74 NZ$2.93
11.49%
Eggs
$6.99 NZ$11.74
$5.28 NZ$8.86
32.39%
Local Cheese (1kg)
$8.84 NZ$14.85
$8.37 NZ$14.05
5.62%
Chicken Fillets (1kg)
$9.43 NZ$15.84
$8.94 NZ$15.01
5.48%
Beef Round Steak (1kg)
$12.86 NZ$21.61
$12.48 NZ$20.97
3.04%
Apples (1kg)
$2.89 NZ$4.86
$2.48 NZ$4.17
16.53%
Banana (1kg)
$2.30 NZ$3.87
$1.80 NZ$3.03
27.78%
Oranges (1kg)
$3.37 NZ$5.66
$2.42 NZ$4.07
39.26%
Tomato (1kg)
$4.18 NZ$7.02
$3.34 NZ$5.60
25.15%
Potato (1kg)
$1.97 NZ$3.32
$2.08 NZ$3.49
-5.29%
Onion (1kg)
$1.63 NZ$2.74
$2.18 NZ$3.66
-25.23%
Lettuce (1 head)
$1.89 NZ$3.18
$2.05 NZ$3.44
-7.80%
Water (1.5 liter bottle)
$1.28 NZ$2.15
$0.92 NZ$1.55
39.13%
Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)
$24.89 NZ$41.81
$20.08 NZ$33.73
23.95%
Wine (Bottle)
$10.76 NZ$18.07
$9.02 NZ$15.16
19.29%
Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)
$2.97 NZ$5.00
$2.44 NZ$4.10
21.72%
Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)
$3.82 NZ$6.41
$5.20 NZ$8.74
-26.54%
🚌 Getting Around
Auckland
Palmerston North
Difference
One-way Ticket (Public Transport)
$2.71 NZ$4.56
$4.77 NZ$8.01
-43.19%
Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)
$127 NZ$214
$29.65 NZ$49.81
329.44%
Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)
$2.17 NZ$3.65
$2.45 NZ$4.11
-11.43%
Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)
$2.02 NZ$3.39
$1.79 NZ$3.01
12.85%
Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)
$34.77 NZ$58.4
$17.01 NZ$28.58
104.41%
Gasoline (1 liter)
$1.71 NZ$2.86
$1.70 NZ$2.86
0.59%
Midsize Hatchback 1.4l (Volkswagen Golf, Toyota Prius, Honda Civic, etc)
$28.4K NZ$47.7K
$18.5K NZ$31.0K
53.86%
Compact Sedan 1.6l (Toyota Corolla, Mazda3, Kia K4, Hyundai Elantra, etc)
$21.8K NZ$36.7K
$21.6K NZ$36.3K
1.03%
🧾 Monthly Utilities & Internet
Auckland
Palmerston North
Difference
Utilities for 2 People in 2-bedroom Apartment (Heating, Electricity, Gas, Water, Garbage) (85m2)
$145 NZ$244
$88.8 NZ$149
63.60%
SIM Card Monthly Plan (Calls and 10GB+ Data)
$30.51 NZ$51.3
$37.31 NZ$62.7
-18.23%
Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)
$49.67 NZ$83.4
$48.09 NZ$80.8
3.29%
🎉 Sport & Entertainment
Auckland
Palmerston North
Difference
Gym Membership (Monthly)
$36.46 NZ$61.3
$35.00 NZ$58.8
4.17%
Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)
$16.56 NZ$27.82
$13.25 NZ$22.26
24.98%
Cinema Ticket
$14.81 NZ$24.87
$9.20 NZ$15.45
60.98%
🧸 Childcare & Education
Auckland
Palmerston North
Difference
Preschool or Kindergarten, Full Day, Private, 1 Child (Monthly)
$907 NZ$1,524
$1,022 NZ$1,717
-11.24%
International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)
$13.7K NZ$23.0K
$6,103 NZ$10.3K
124.67%
👕👟 Clothing & Footwear
Auckland
Palmerston North
Difference
Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)
$70.4 NZ$118
$58.1 NZ$97.5
21.29%
Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)
$49.49 NZ$83.2
$38.06 NZ$64.0
30.03%
Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)
$97.3 NZ$164
$90.8 NZ$153
7.16%
Men's Leather Business Shoes
$127 NZ$214
$91.8 NZ$154
38.49%
🏠 Accommodation & Living
Auckland
Palmerston North
Difference
1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)
$1,282 NZ$2,154
$848 NZ$1,425
51.18%
1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)
$1,134 NZ$1,905
$701 NZ$1,178
61.70%
3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)
$2,463 NZ$4,137
$1,562 NZ$2,624
57.67%
3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)
$1,846 NZ$3,101
$1,397 NZ$2,348
32.09%
Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)
$8,025 NZ$13.5K
$2,171 NZ$3,647
269.71%
Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)
$5,517 NZ$9,269
$1,938 NZ$3,256
184.64%
💵 Salaries & Financials
Auckland
Palmerston North
Difference
Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)
$3,272 NZ$5,498
$2,623 NZ$4,407
24.74%
20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)
6.37
6.69
-4.78%

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

Last update for Auckland: March 3, 2026

Last update for Palmerston North: February 28, 2026

City Median Internet Speeds Comparison (Updated December 2025)

The chart highlights the Precision Threshold for mobile and fixed broadband internet speeds, updated quarterly.
Digital Nomad Cost of Living Index

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