Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Auckland and Thames

For one person, living is cheaper in Thames: $1,966 a month against $2,388 in Auckland, rent and utilities included – about $5,100 less a year. Rent and utilities account for most of the difference.

117

Cost of Living Index in Auckland
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Auckland Living Index
96

Cost of Living Index in Thames
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Thames Living Index

Jump to prices

Auckland

🇳🇿 New Zealand

$2,388

/mo nomad

Thames

🇳🇿 New Zealand

$1,966

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

How much you'll spend in Auckland and in Thames

Real prices from locals and on-the-ground checks – rent, groceries, transit and the daily extras. Here's what a month in Auckland and in Thames actually costs, broken down by who's living it.

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $2,388 in Auckland versus $1,966 in Thames.

Auckland $2,388
Thames $1,966

Estimated couple costs with rent: $3,355 in Auckland versus $2,999 in Thames.

Auckland $3,355
Thames $2,999

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $4,321 in Auckland versus $4,032 in Thames.

Auckland $4,321
Thames $4,032

Living in Auckland is roughly 21% more expensive than in Thames, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in transport.

Both cities are pricier than the global median: Auckland 77% above, Thames 46% above.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$14.10 NZ$24.93

$13.93 NZ$24.63

1.22%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$65.9 NZ$116

$68.4 NZ$121

-3.70%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$8.86 NZ$15.68

$8.89 NZ$15.72

-0.34%

Cappuccino

$3.34 NZ$5.91

$3.42 NZ$6.06

-2.34%

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

$2.00 NZ$3.54

$2.02 NZ$3.57

-0.99%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.73 NZ$3.05

$1.74 NZ$3.08

-0.57%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$6.64 NZ$11.74

$6.88 NZ$12.16

-3.49%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$6.56 NZ$11.59

$6.73 NZ$11.90

-2.53%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.96 NZ$3.46

$1.87 NZ$3.31

4.81%

White Bread (500g)

$2.22 NZ$3.93

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.82 NZ$3.21

$1.79 NZ$3.16

1.68%

Eggs

$6.14 NZ$10.86

$6.20 NZ$10.97

-0.97%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$8.55 NZ$15.12

$8.79 NZ$15.55

-2.73%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$9.73 NZ$17.21

$9.68 NZ$17.11

0.52%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$17.27 NZ$30.54

$16.82 NZ$29.74

2.68%

Apples (1kg)

$2.77 NZ$4.90

$2.80 NZ$4.95

-1.07%

Banana (1kg)

$2.06 NZ$3.65

$2.16 NZ$3.82

-4.63%

Oranges (1kg)

$3.01 NZ$5.31

$2.91 NZ$5.14

3.44%

Tomato (1kg)

$5.79 NZ$10.24

$5.75 NZ$10.17

0.70%

Potato (1kg)

$2.13 NZ$3.77

Onion (1kg)

$1.55 NZ$2.75

$1.52 NZ$2.69

1.97%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.97 NZ$3.48

$1.98 NZ$3.50

-0.51%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$1.09 NZ$1.92

$1.04 NZ$1.84

4.81%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$26.91 NZ$47.59

$26.57 NZ$46.99

1.28%

Wine (Bottle)

$10.31 NZ$18.24

$10.25 NZ$18.12

0.59%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$2.72 NZ$4.82

$2.84 NZ$5.02

-4.23%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.24 NZ$5.74

$3.38 NZ$5.98

-4.14%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$2.47 NZ$4.37

$1.45 NZ$2.56

70.34%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$123 NZ$218

$75.4 NZ$133

63.69%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$2.27 NZ$4.01

$2.30 NZ$4.06

-1.30%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.92 NZ$3.40

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$32.31 NZ$57.1

$32.20 NZ$56.9

0.34%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.86 NZ$3.29

$1.87 NZ$3.31

-0.53%

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

$25.2K NZ$44.6K

$25.1K NZ$44.5K

0.28%

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

$22.0K NZ$38.8K

$21.7K NZ$38.4K

1.20%

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

$179 NZ$316

$183 NZ$324

-2.51%

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

$26.64 NZ$47.12

$26.20 NZ$46.33

1.68%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$51.4 NZ$90.8

$50.7 NZ$89.6

1.36%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$45.16 NZ$79.9

$41.84 NZ$74.0

7.93%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$18.06 NZ$31.95

Cinema Ticket

$12.77 NZ$22.59

$13.10 NZ$23.17

-2.52%

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

$1,134 NZ$2,005

$1,135 NZ$2,007

-0.10%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$19.2K NZ$34.0K

0.13%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$80.2 NZ$142

$79.2 NZ$140

1.31%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$40.05 NZ$70.8

$39.93 NZ$70.6

0.30%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$93.7 NZ$166

$92.3 NZ$163

1.58%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$109 NZ$193

$111 NZ$197

-1.87%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,290 NZ$2,281

$930 NZ$1,645

38.66%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,191 NZ$2,107

$821 NZ$1,451

45.15%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$2,209 NZ$3,906

$1,484 NZ$2,624

48.85%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,659 NZ$2,934

$1,486 NZ$2,629

11.62%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$7,466 NZ$13.2K

$4,552 NZ$8,050

64.01%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$5,346 NZ$9,455

$3,773 NZ$6,673

41.68%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$2,881 NZ$5,095

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

5.37

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

Last update for Auckland: October 12, 2026

Last update for Thames: October 11, 2026

Monthly budget structure

Share of the monthly basket for one person, rent included.

Accommodation & Living

Auckland

$1.2K 49.9%

Thames

$821 41.7% 31.1% $371

Groceries & Markets

Auckland

$338 14.2%

Thames

$337 17.1% 0.4% $1.4

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Auckland

$257 10.8%

Thames

$260 13.2% 1.4% $3.5

Eating Out

Auckland

$241 10.1%

Thames

$242 12.3% 0.6% $1.4

Clothing & Footwear

Auckland

$146 6.1%

Thames

$145 7.4% 0.2% $0.3

Getting Around

Auckland

$145 6.1%

Thames

$93 4.7% 35.9% $52

Sport & Entertainment

Auckland

$71 3%

Thames

$68 3.5% 3.8% $2.7

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $1,290 in Auckland and $930 in Thames. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Dining out: $66.0 in Auckland vs $68.0 in Thames. Groceries flip the comparison at $338 vs $337, with Thames cheaper for home cooking.

Good to know

🇳🇿 Auckland

🇳🇿 Thames

🕒 Local time

00:05 12:05 AM

Same time as Auckland

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

1,463,000

7,500

💱 Currency

New Zealand Dollar NZD $

📈 Exchange rate

1 NZD = 0.565 USD

1 NZD = 0.503 EUR

1 NZD = 0.565 USD

1 NZD = 0.503 EUR

Exchange rates and currency converter

On the map

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Between locations

Auckland Thames 76 km

From you

Auckland
Thames

Distances are measured in a straight line. Your location is detected approximately.

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 21% 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 $3,582 in Auckland and $2,949 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: $1,290 in Auckland versus $930 in Thames. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Childcare runs $1,134 in Auckland versus $1,135 in Thames. Over years of preschool, even a modest monthly gap compounds into a major financial factor for families.

Supermarket bills run roughly 0% higher in Auckland. For households that cook at home regularly, that difference adds up over a month.

At $1,966 in Thames versus $2,388 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 $1,966 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 21% less than in Auckland. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.