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 $2,182 per month in Australia vs $1,883 in New Zealand, rent included.

A couple spends around $3,216 per month in Australia vs $2,895 in New Zealand, rent included.

A family of three spends $4,250 per month in Australia vs $3,906 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 63%, New Zealand by 41%.

Both countries show comparable internal variation: Australia spans $1,579–$2,759, New Zealand spans $1,438–$2,730. City choice affects budget similarly in either country.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$16.17 A$22.54

$14.99 NZ$25.30

7.87%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$78.6 A$110

$78.7 NZ$133

-0.10%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$9.48 A$13.21

$9.67 NZ$16.32

-1.96%

Cappuccino

$3.56 A$4.96

$3.54 NZ$5.97

0.56%

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

$2.60 A$3.62

$2.36 NZ$3.98

10.17%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.21 A$3.08

$2.19 NZ$3.69

0.91%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$6.47 A$9.02

$6.65 NZ$11.23

-2.71%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$7.19 A$10.02

$6.58 NZ$11.12

9.27%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.56 A$2.18

$1.79 NZ$3.03

-12.85%

White Bread (500g)

$2.53 A$3.53

$2.00 NZ$3.37

26.50%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$2.02 A$2.82

$1.83 NZ$3.09

10.38%

Eggs

$4.47 A$6.23

$6.35 NZ$10.72

-29.61%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$8.86 A$12.35

$8.41 NZ$14.20

5.35%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$8.38 A$11.68

$9.53 NZ$16.09

-12.07%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$13.71 A$19.10

$13.40 NZ$22.62

2.31%

Apples (1kg)

$3.23 A$4.50

$2.86 NZ$4.83

12.94%

Banana (1kg)

$2.84 A$3.96

$2.27 NZ$3.83

25.11%

Oranges (1kg)

$2.98 A$4.15

$3.04 NZ$5.13

-1.97%

Tomato (1kg)

$4.38 A$6.10

$4.85 NZ$8.18

-9.69%

Potato (1kg)

$2.45 A$3.41

$2.00 NZ$3.38

22.50%

Onion (1kg)

$2.11 A$2.94

$1.71 NZ$2.89

23.39%

Lettuce (1 head)

$2.16 A$3.02

$2.28 NZ$3.85

-5.26%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$1.58 A$2.21

$1.20 NZ$2.03

31.67%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$30.61 A$42.65

$24.38 NZ$41.16

25.55%

Wine (Bottle)

$14.23 A$19.83

$9.65 NZ$16.29

47.46%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$4.55 A$6.34

$2.96 NZ$4.99

53.72%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$4.91 A$6.84

$3.66 NZ$6.17

34.15%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$2.89 A$4.03

$2.44 NZ$4.12

18.44%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$97.5 A$136

$109 NZ$184

-10.51%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$3.54 A$4.94

$2.39 NZ$4.03

48.12%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.75 A$2.43

$1.86 NZ$3.15

-5.91%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$38.10 A$53.1

$35.86 NZ$60.6

6.25%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.16 A$1.62

$1.74 NZ$2.93

-33.33%

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

$28.8K A$40.1K

$28.2K NZ$47.7K

1.98%

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

$23.2K A$32.3K

$21.9K NZ$37.0K

5.94%

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

$179 A$249

$136 NZ$230

31.45%

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

$26.75 A$37.27

$35.36 NZ$59.7

-24.35%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$53.7 A$74.8

$51.5 NZ$87.0

4.27%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$48.44 A$67.5

$37.11 NZ$62.7

30.53%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$16.88 A$23.52

$14.76 NZ$24.91

14.36%

Cinema Ticket

$13.61 A$18.97

$12.30 NZ$20.76

10.65%

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

$1,605 A$2,236

$778 NZ$1,314

106.18%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$12.7K A$17.7K

$12.0K NZ$20.2K

6.41%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$71.4 A$99.5

$69.3 NZ$117

3.12%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$50.0 A$69.7

$43.14 NZ$72.8

15.97%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$99.8 A$139

$99.5 NZ$168

0.30%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$109 A$152

$120 NZ$202

-8.99%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,385 A$1,930

$1,100 NZ$1,857

25.90%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,076 A$1,500

$905 NZ$1,527

18.99%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$2,284 A$3,183

$1,758 NZ$2,968

29.94%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,757 A$2,448

$1,540 NZ$2,601

14.06%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$7,462 A$10.4K

$5,843 NZ$9,865

27.70%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$5,617 A$7,827

$3,792 NZ$6,402

48.13%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$4,070 A$5,672

$3,040 NZ$5,132

33.90%

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: June 1, 2026

Last update for New Zealand: June 2, 2026

Cost Breakdown

Average rent: $1,233 in Australia vs $987 in New Zealand. For reference, capital cities sit at $1,548 in Canberra and $1,339 in Wellington.

Average salary: $3,906 in Australia vs $3,151 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 24% 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 4% 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 4% 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.