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

😐 Solo nomad: Auckland is 20.8% more expensive than Palmerston North without rent, and 37.5% more expensive with rent.
😐 Family of 3: Auckland is 27.7% more expensive than Palmerston North without rent, and 22.5% more expensive with rent.
Currency
🍽 Eating Out
Auckland
Palmerston North
Difference
Meal at Budget Restaurant
$15.10 NZ$25.67
$16.75 NZ$28.47
-9.85%
Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range
$79.1 NZ$134
$72.7 NZ$124
8.70%
Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)
$9.45 NZ$16.07
$12.19 NZ$20.73
-22.48%
Cappuccino
$3.52 NZ$5.99
$3.53 NZ$6.00
-0.28%
Coke/Pepsi/Fanta/Sprite (0.33 liter bottle)
$2.32 NZ$3.95
$2.29 NZ$3.90
1.31%
Water (0.33 liter bottle)
$2.18 NZ$3.71
$2.15 NZ$3.65
1.40%
Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)
$7.10 NZ$12.07
$7.11 NZ$12.10
-0.14%
Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)
$7.06 NZ$12.00
$6.32 NZ$10.74
11.71%
🛒 Groceries & Markets
Auckland
Palmerston North
Difference
Milk (1 liter)
$1.82 NZ$3.10
$1.91 NZ$3.24
-4.71%
White Bread (500g)
$2.02 NZ$3.44
$2.10 NZ$3.57
-3.81%
Rice (white) (1kg)
$1.93 NZ$3.28
$1.77 NZ$3.02
9.04%
Eggs
$6.83 NZ$11.61
$5.31 NZ$9.03
28.63%
Local Cheese (1kg)
$8.91 NZ$15.14
$7.93 NZ$13.48
12.36%
Chicken Fillets (1kg)
$9.85 NZ$16.74
$9.26 NZ$15.75
6.37%
Beef Round Steak (1kg)
$12.80 NZ$21.76
$12.17 NZ$20.70
5.18%
Apples (1kg)
$2.78 NZ$4.72
$2.45 NZ$4.16
13.47%
Banana (1kg)
$2.25 NZ$3.83
$1.89 NZ$3.21
19.05%
Oranges (1kg)
$3.34 NZ$5.68
$2.44 NZ$4.14
36.89%
Tomato (1kg)
$4.20 NZ$7.14
$3.49 NZ$5.94
20.34%
Potato (1kg)
$2.09 NZ$3.55
$2.12 NZ$3.61
-1.42%
Onion (1kg)
$1.62 NZ$2.76
$2.16 NZ$3.67
-25.00%
Lettuce (1 head)
$1.96 NZ$3.33
$2.07 NZ$3.52
-5.31%
Water (1.5 liter bottle)
$1.29 NZ$2.20
$0.98 NZ$1.66
31.63%
Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)
$25.40 NZ$43.18
$20.55 NZ$34.93
23.60%
Wine (Bottle)
$10.25 NZ$17.43
$9.07 NZ$15.42
13.01%
Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)
$3.08 NZ$5.24
$2.53 NZ$4.29
21.74%
Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)
$3.79 NZ$6.44
$5.47 NZ$9.30
-30.71%
🚌 Getting Around
Auckland
Palmerston North
Difference
One-way Ticket (Public Transport)
$2.70 NZ$4.58
$4.63 NZ$7.86
-41.68%
Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)
$128 NZ$218
$29.84 NZ$50.7
330.03%
Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)
$2.07 NZ$3.51
$2.44 NZ$4.15
-15.16%
Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)
$1.91 NZ$3.24
$1.87 NZ$3.18
2.14%
Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)
$35.55 NZ$60.4
$16.86 NZ$28.67
110.85%
Gasoline (1 liter)
$1.63 NZ$2.77
$1.73 NZ$2.94
-5.78%
Midsize Hatchback 1.4l (Volkswagen Golf, Toyota Prius, Honda Civic, etc)
$28.0K NZ$47.6K
$18.8K NZ$32.0K
48.90%
Compact Sedan 1.6l (Toyota Corolla, Mazda3, Kia K4, Hyundai Elantra, etc)
$22.0K NZ$37.4K
$21.4K NZ$36.4K
2.74%
🧾 Monthly Utilities & Internet
Auckland
Palmerston North
Difference
Utilities for 2 People in 2-bedroom Apartment (Heating, Electricity, Gas, Water, Garbage) (85m2)
$141 NZ$240
$88.0 NZ$150
60.19%
SIM Card Monthly Plan (Calls and 10GB+ Data)
$30.79 NZ$52.3
$36.87 NZ$62.7
-16.49%
Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)
$49.52 NZ$84.2
$47.64 NZ$81.0
3.95%
🎉 Sport & Entertainment
Auckland
Palmerston North
Difference
Gym Membership (Monthly)
$35.66 NZ$60.6
$35.20 NZ$59.9
1.31%
Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)
$16.36 NZ$27.80
$13.28 NZ$22.58
23.19%
Cinema Ticket
$15.06 NZ$25.60
$9.16 NZ$15.57
64.41%
🧸 Childcare & Education
Auckland
Palmerston North
Difference
Preschool or Kindergarten, Full Day, Private, 1 Child (Monthly)
$920 NZ$1,564
$995 NZ$1,692
-7.51%
International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)
$13.9K NZ$23.6K
$6,171 NZ$10.5K
124.55%
👕👟 Clothing & Footwear
Auckland
Palmerston North
Difference
Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)
$69.7 NZ$118
$57.1 NZ$97.0
22.09%
Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)
$49.31 NZ$83.8
$38.08 NZ$64.7
29.49%
Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)
$97.6 NZ$166
$90.5 NZ$154
7.88%
Men's Leather Business Shoes
$123 NZ$209
$93.4 NZ$159
31.79%
🏠 Accommodation & Living
Auckland
Palmerston North
Difference
1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)
$1,283 NZ$2,181
$841 NZ$1,429
52.58%
1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)
$1,150 NZ$1,955
$688 NZ$1,170
67.16%
3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)
$2,450 NZ$4,166
$1,546 NZ$2,628
58.52%
3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)
$1,880 NZ$3,196
$1,366 NZ$2,322
37.62%
Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)
$7,596 NZ$12.9K
$2,184 NZ$3,713
247.75%
Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)
$5,334 NZ$9,067
$1,910 NZ$3,246
179.31%
💵 Salaries & Financials
Auckland
Palmerston North
Difference
Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)
$3,207 NZ$5,452
$2,576 NZ$4,380
24.47%
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: April 12, 2026

Last update for Palmerston North: April 13, 2026

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 other spots: cost of living compared

Similar cities