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 $2,185 per month in Australia vs $1,884 in New Zealand, rent included.

A couple spends around $3,220 per month in Australia vs $2,895 in New Zealand, rent included.

A family of three spends $4,254 per month in Australia vs $3,906 in New Zealand, rent included.

The cost of living in Australia is about 16% higher than in 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 64%, New Zealand by 41%.

Cost ranges are similar: Australia spans $1,575–$2,824, New Zealand $1,415–$2,721. City choice affects budget similarly in either country.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$16.19 A$23.17

$15.26 NZ$26.11

6.09%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$77.1 A$110

$79.9 NZ$137

-3.47%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$9.47 A$13.56

$9.44 NZ$16.15

0.32%

Cappuccino

$3.46 A$4.95

$3.40 NZ$5.82

1.76%

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

$2.68 A$3.84

$2.27 NZ$3.89

18.06%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.19 A$3.13

$2.17 NZ$3.72

0.92%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$6.61 A$9.46

$6.84 NZ$11.71

-3.36%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$7.10 A$10.17

$6.53 NZ$11.17

8.73%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.55 A$2.22

$1.87 NZ$3.19

-17.11%

White Bread (500g)

$2.47 A$3.54

$1.96 NZ$3.36

26.02%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$2.10 A$3.00

$1.89 NZ$3.24

11.11%

Eggs

$4.24 A$6.07

$6.41 NZ$10.97

-33.85%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$8.57 A$12.27

$8.28 NZ$14.17

3.50%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$8.60 A$12.31

$9.93 NZ$17.00

-13.39%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$13.81 A$19.78

$13.13 NZ$22.46

5.18%

Apples (1kg)

$3.17 A$4.55

$2.76 NZ$4.73

14.86%

Banana (1kg)

$2.72 A$3.89

$2.27 NZ$3.88

19.82%

Oranges (1kg)

$2.96 A$4.24

$3.01 NZ$5.14

-1.66%

Tomato (1kg)

$4.31 A$6.17

$4.65 NZ$7.95

-7.31%

Potato (1kg)

$2.47 A$3.53

$2.04 NZ$3.49

21.08%

Onion (1kg)

$2.10 A$3.00

$1.81 NZ$3.10

16.02%

Lettuce (1 head)

$2.19 A$3.14

$2.36 NZ$4.03

-7.20%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$1.53 A$2.19

$1.15 NZ$1.96

33.04%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$31.29 A$44.80

$24.03 NZ$41.12

30.21%

Wine (Bottle)

$13.94 A$19.96

$9.18 NZ$15.70

51.85%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$4.46 A$6.39

$3.10 NZ$5.30

43.87%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$5.01 A$7.17

$3.65 NZ$6.25

37.26%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$3.00 A$4.30

$2.35 NZ$4.02

27.66%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$96.0 A$137

$107 NZ$183

-10.06%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$3.56 A$5.10

$2.47 NZ$4.23

44.13%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.75 A$2.50

$1.93 NZ$3.30

-9.33%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$37.88 A$54.2

$36.81 NZ$63.0

2.91%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.15 A$1.65

$1.67 NZ$2.86

-31.14%

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

$29.4K A$42.0K

$27.7K NZ$47.3K

6.09%

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

$23.1K A$33.0K

$21.6K NZ$36.9K

7.02%

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

$174 A$248

$136 NZ$232

27.76%

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

$26.88 A$38.49

$35.75 NZ$61.2

-24.81%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$52.7 A$75.5

$52.4 NZ$89.7

0.61%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$47.69 A$68.3

$37.04 NZ$63.4

28.75%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$16.51 A$23.64

$14.68 NZ$25.11

12.47%

Cinema Ticket

$13.73 A$19.66

$12.21 NZ$20.90

12.45%

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

$1,555 A$2,226

$751 NZ$1,285

106.92%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$12.7K A$18.1K

$11.6K NZ$19.8K

9.56%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$69.6 A$99.6

$67.6 NZ$116

2.88%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$51.2 A$73.4

$43.77 NZ$74.9

17.04%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$102 A$145

$97.4 NZ$167

4.30%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$112 A$161

$118 NZ$201

-4.67%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,359 A$1,946

$1,100 NZ$1,883

23.49%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,080 A$1,546

$927 NZ$1,586

16.47%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$2,300 A$3,294

$1,804 NZ$3,087

27.51%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,751 A$2,507

$1,528 NZ$2,614

14.62%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$7,618 A$10.9K

$5,655 NZ$9,676

34.71%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$5,762 A$8,249

$3,718 NZ$6,361

54.96%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$4,023 A$5,760

$2,861 NZ$4,894

40.63%

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: July 12, 2026

Last update for New Zealand: July 13, 2026

Cost Breakdown

Average rent: $1,231 in Australia vs $982 in New Zealand. For reference, capital cities sit at $1,549 in Canberra and $1,303 in Wellington.

Average salary: $3,775 in Australia vs $3,017 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 25% higher in Australia, and purchasing power comes out stronger in Australia.

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.