Cost of Living Comparison Between Auckland and Thames Cost of Living Comparison Between Auckland and Thames

Monthly Cost of Living

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $2,302 in Auckland versus $1,866 in Thames.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $3,464 in Auckland versus $2,899 in Thames.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $4,626 in Auckland versus $3,931 in Thames.

Living in Auckland is roughly 23% more expensive than Thames, driven mainly by Getting Around.

Both cities are pricier than the global median: Auckland 72% above, Thames 39% above.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$14.83 NZ$25.04

$14.94 NZ$25.23

-0.74%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$77.6 NZ$131

$77.1 NZ$130

0.65%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$9.55 NZ$16.12

$9.40 NZ$15.88

1.60%

Cappuccino

$3.50 NZ$5.92

$3.38 NZ$5.70

3.55%

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

$2.28 NZ$3.84

$2.28 NZ$3.86

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.27 NZ$3.84

$2.21 NZ$3.73

2.71%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$7.42 NZ$12.52

$7.30 NZ$12.33

1.64%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$7.06 NZ$11.92

$7.17 NZ$12.11

-1.53%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.80 NZ$3.04

$1.74 NZ$2.94

3.45%

White Bread (500g)

$2.10 NZ$3.55

$2.10 NZ$3.54

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.99 NZ$3.36

$2.03 NZ$3.42

-1.97%

Eggs

$6.74 NZ$11.38

$6.82 NZ$11.51

-1.17%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$8.44 NZ$14.25

$8.89 NZ$15.00

-5.06%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$9.82 NZ$16.58

$9.68 NZ$16.35

1.45%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$12.92 NZ$21.81

$13.18 NZ$22.25

-1.97%

Apples (1kg)

$2.91 NZ$4.91

$2.93 NZ$4.95

-0.68%

Banana (1kg)

$2.22 NZ$3.75

$2.26 NZ$3.81

-1.77%

Oranges (1kg)

$3.22 NZ$5.44

$3.33 NZ$5.63

-3.30%

Tomato (1kg)

$4.11 NZ$6.94

$3.98 NZ$6.72

3.27%

Potato (1kg)

$2.09 NZ$3.52

$2.07 NZ$3.50

0.97%

Onion (1kg)

$1.63 NZ$2.76

$1.65 NZ$2.78

-1.21%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.90 NZ$3.21

$1.89 NZ$3.20

0.53%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$1.29 NZ$2.17

$1.28 NZ$2.15

0.78%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$25.66 NZ$43.31

$25.49 NZ$43.03

0.67%

Wine (Bottle)

$9.98 NZ$16.85

$10.01 NZ$16.91

-0.30%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$2.94 NZ$4.96

$2.95 NZ$4.99

-0.34%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.98 NZ$6.73

$3.86 NZ$6.52

3.11%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$2.75 NZ$4.64

$2.13 NZ$3.59

29.11%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$131 NZ$221

$64.1 NZ$108

104.19%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$2.09 NZ$3.53

$2.15 NZ$3.62

-2.79%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.95 NZ$3.29

$1.92 NZ$3.25

1.56%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$35.65 NZ$60.2

$34.69 NZ$58.6

2.77%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.69 NZ$2.85

$1.65 NZ$2.78

2.42%

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

$28.4K NZ$47.9K

$28.4K NZ$48.0K

-0.10%

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

$22.2K NZ$37.5K

$22.3K NZ$37.6K

-0.33%

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

$146 NZ$247

$141 NZ$239

3.43%

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

$30.66 NZ$51.8

$30.14 NZ$50.9

1.73%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$48.24 NZ$81.4

$48.45 NZ$81.8

-0.43%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$36.08 NZ$60.9

$36.47 NZ$61.6

-1.07%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$16.60 NZ$28.03

$11.89 NZ$20.08

39.61%

Cinema Ticket

$15.28 NZ$25.79

$15.18 NZ$25.63

0.66%

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

$922 NZ$1,557

$900 NZ$1,519

2.48%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$13.6K NZ$23.0K

$13.5K NZ$22.8K

1.00%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$70.8 NZ$120

$69.5 NZ$117

1.87%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$49.43 NZ$83.5

$49.36 NZ$83.3

0.14%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$96.7 NZ$163

$96.8 NZ$163

-0.11%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$124 NZ$209

$125 NZ$212

-1.28%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,264 NZ$2,135

$979 NZ$1,653

29.16%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,158 NZ$1,954

$773 NZ$1,305

49.77%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$2,413 NZ$4,074

$1,545 NZ$2,608

56.21%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,862 NZ$3,143

$1,442 NZ$2,434

29.12%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$8,096 NZ$13.7K

$4,612 NZ$7,786

75.54%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$5,456 NZ$9,211

$3,448 NZ$5,821

58.24%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$3,260 NZ$5,504

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

6.37

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

Last update for Auckland: May 31, 2026

Last update for Thames: May 30, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $1,264 in Auckland and $979 in Thames. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Dining out: $78.0 in Auckland vs $77.0 in Thames. Groceries flip the comparison at $324 vs $325, with Auckland 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 Thames: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Thames wins on cost – living expenses run 23% lower than in Auckland. Housing and daily spending are where you'll feel the difference most, making Thames the obvious pick if budget is a priority.

You'd need roughly $3,453 in Auckland and $2,799 in Thames to live well. The gap comes down to housing and overall price levels. Both cities are liveable on less, but these numbers represent actual comfort.

Rent for a central apartment: $1,264 in Auckland versus $979 in Thames. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Childcare runs $922 in Auckland versus $900 in Thames. Over years of preschool, even a modest monthly gap compounds into a major financial factor for families.

Shoppers in Auckland pay roughly 0% less for everyday groceries. It's an unusual reversal that partly offsets higher costs elsewhere.

At $1,866 in Thames versus $2,302 in Auckland, a $2,500 budget is realistic in Thames but tight or insufficient in Auckland. The gap between the two cities makes Thames the clear choice for anyone on this budget.

Both work as nomad bases, but Thames delivers better value – similar infrastructure at $1,866 monthly. If stretching your runway or maximizing savings is the goal, the price difference makes Thames hard to pass up.

Safety-wise, Auckland and Thames 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 Thames gentler on the wallet – expenses run 23% less than in Auckland. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.