Cost of Living Comparison Between Australia and New Zealand Cost of Living Comparison Between Australia and New Zealand

Name: New Zealand
Address: NZ

Monthly Cost of Living

A single person spends $2,181 per month in Australia vs $1,878 in New Zealand, rent included.

A couple spends around $3,217 per month in Australia vs $2,894 in New Zealand, rent included.

A family of three spends $4,253 per month in Australia vs $3,909 in New Zealand, rent included.

Australia costs about 16% more than New Zealand on average – the gap runs across housing, groceries, transport, and services.

Both Australia and New Zealand are pricier than the global median – Australia by 62%, New Zealand by 39%.

Both countries show comparable internal variation: Australia spans $1,589–$2,818, New Zealand spans $1,438–$2,724. City choice affects budget similarly in either country.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$16.55 A$22.84

$14.99 NZ$25.18

10.41%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$78.9 A$109

$79.9 NZ$134

-1.16%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$9.71 A$13.41

$9.52 NZ$16.00

2.00%

Cappuccino

$3.42 A$4.73

$3.48 NZ$5.84

-1.72%

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

$2.67 A$3.68

$2.33 NZ$3.92

14.59%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.10 A$2.90

$2.18 NZ$3.66

-3.67%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$6.37 A$8.79

$6.76 NZ$11.36

-5.77%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$7.32 A$10.10

$6.48 NZ$10.88

12.96%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.50 A$2.07

$1.84 NZ$3.09

-18.48%

White Bread (500g)

$2.43 A$3.35

$1.88 NZ$3.17

29.26%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$2.01 A$2.78

$1.90 NZ$3.19

5.79%

Eggs

$4.37 A$6.03

$6.58 NZ$11.06

-33.59%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$8.66 A$11.95

$8.47 NZ$14.23

2.24%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$8.21 A$11.33

$9.58 NZ$16.09

-14.30%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$14.01 A$19.33

$13.26 NZ$22.28

5.66%

Apples (1kg)

$3.22 A$4.45

$2.81 NZ$4.72

14.59%

Banana (1kg)

$2.72 A$3.75

$2.35 NZ$3.94

15.74%

Oranges (1kg)

$2.88 A$3.97

$3.01 NZ$5.06

-4.32%

Tomato (1kg)

$4.41 A$6.08

$4.79 NZ$8.04

-7.93%

Potato (1kg)

$2.42 A$3.34

$2.01 NZ$3.38

20.40%

Onion (1kg)

$2.17 A$2.99

$1.75 NZ$2.94

24.00%

Lettuce (1 head)

$2.16 A$2.99

$2.29 NZ$3.84

-5.68%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$1.56 A$2.15

$1.15 NZ$1.94

35.65%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$30.72 A$42.39

$23.89 NZ$40.13

28.59%

Wine (Bottle)

$14.47 A$19.97

$9.22 NZ$15.49

56.94%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$4.58 A$6.32

$3.08 NZ$5.17

48.70%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$5.07 A$7.00

$3.53 NZ$5.93

43.63%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$3.00 A$4.14

$2.40 NZ$4.03

25.00%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$96.0 A$133

$108 NZ$182

-11.39%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$3.57 A$4.92

$2.43 NZ$4.09

46.91%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.77 A$2.45

$1.86 NZ$3.13

-4.84%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$37.53 A$51.8

$36.32 NZ$61.0

3.33%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.17 A$1.61

$1.68 NZ$2.82

-30.36%

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

$29.4K A$40.5K

$27.6K NZ$46.3K

6.50%

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

$23.0K A$31.8K

$21.8K NZ$36.6K

5.68%

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

$175 A$242

$139 NZ$233

26.55%

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

$26.30 A$36.30

$35.94 NZ$60.4

-26.82%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$53.8 A$74.2

$51.1 NZ$85.9

5.22%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$46.75 A$64.5

$37.16 NZ$62.4

25.81%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$16.88 A$23.29

$14.85 NZ$24.94

13.67%

Cinema Ticket

$13.72 A$18.93

$11.95 NZ$20.07

14.81%

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

$1,612 A$2,225

$781 NZ$1,312

106.37%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$12.6K A$17.4K

$12.0K NZ$20.1K

5.53%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$71.3 A$98.4

$68.2 NZ$115

4.56%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$49.90 A$68.9

$43.67 NZ$73.4

14.27%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$102 A$141

$99.6 NZ$167

2.69%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$109 A$151

$120 NZ$201

-8.83%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,383 A$1,908

$1,105 NZ$1,857

25.06%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,088 A$1,502

$911 NZ$1,531

19.41%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$2,337 A$3,225

$1,821 NZ$3,059

28.34%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,715 A$2,367

$1,521 NZ$2,555

12.77%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$7,839 A$10.8K

$5,773 NZ$9,699

35.79%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$5,720 A$7,893

$3,707 NZ$6,228

54.29%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$4,007 A$5,530

$3,011 NZ$5,059

33.09%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

6.35

6.74

-5.79%

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

Last update for Australia: May 2, 2026

Last update for New Zealand: May 4, 2026

Cost Breakdown

Average rent: $1,231 in Australia vs $982 in New Zealand. For reference, capital cities sit at $1,583 in Canberra and $1,334 in Wellington.

Average salary: $3,864 in Australia vs $3,063 in New Zealand. The income gap affects purchasing power and how far your budget stretches in each country.

Cost Highlights

Rent is 25% higher in Australia.

Salaries are 26% higher in Australia, giving Australia stronger purchasing power.

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

Australia vs New Zealand: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

New Zealand is the cheaper option – living costs run roughly 6% lower on average. The gap is consistent across housing, groceries, transport, and entertainment.

Housing costs more in Australia, and the gap is biggest in capital cities. Regional towns show less difference, but Australia consistently has higher rents.

Groceries, transport, and utilities all cost less in New Zealand, contributing to the overall 6% price gap. The savings show up everywhere – from supermarket receipts to monthly bills.

$2,000 buys a comfortable lifestyle in New Zealand, but in Australia it only works with careful planning outside the capital. Same money, very different lives.

New Zealand is the budget-friendly choice for expats – lower housing and daily costs. But cost isn't everything: visa policies, language, healthcare quality, and job markets all weigh in too.