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 $2,538 per month in Australia vs $1,934 in New Zealand, rent included.

A couple spends around $3,664 per month in Australia vs $2,935 in New Zealand, rent included.

A family of three spends $4,789 per month in Australia vs $3,936 in New Zealand, rent included.

The cost of living in Australia is about 31% 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 85%, New Zealand by 41%.

Cost ranges are similar: Australia spans $1,207–$3,344, New Zealand $883–$2,531. City choice affects budget similarly in either country.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$18.15 A$25.38

$14.75 NZ$25.02

23.05%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$87.3 A$122

$72.1 NZ$122

21.07%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$11.04 A$15.44

$9.54 NZ$16.19

15.72%

Cappuccino

$4.01 A$5.60

$3.46 NZ$5.87

15.90%

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

$2.97 A$4.16

$2.29 NZ$3.89

29.69%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.38 A$3.34

$2.01 NZ$3.41

18.41%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$7.91 A$11.06

$7.25 NZ$12.30

9.10%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$7.96 A$11.13

$6.94 NZ$11.77

14.70%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.83 A$2.56

$1.83 NZ$3.10

White Bread (500g)

$2.88 A$4.03

$1.97 NZ$3.35

46.19%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$2.39 A$3.35

$1.84 NZ$3.12

29.89%

Eggs

$5.19 A$7.26

$6.20 NZ$10.51

-16.29%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$9.94 A$13.91

$8.67 NZ$14.70

14.65%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$9.14 A$12.79

$9.68 NZ$16.41

-5.58%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$15.28 A$21.37

$14.48 NZ$24.56

5.52%

Apples (1kg)

$3.66 A$5.12

$2.85 NZ$4.84

28.42%

Banana (1kg)

$3.07 A$4.30

$2.23 NZ$3.78

37.67%

Oranges (1kg)

$3.24 A$4.53

$3.13 NZ$5.30

3.51%

Tomato (1kg)

$4.70 A$6.57

$5.17 NZ$8.77

-9.09%

Potato (1kg)

$2.90 A$4.05

$2.11 NZ$3.58

37.44%

Onion (1kg)

$2.46 A$3.44

$1.66 NZ$2.82

48.19%

Lettuce (1 head)

$2.50 A$3.49

$2.23 NZ$3.78

12.11%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$1.76 A$2.46

$1.13 NZ$1.91

55.75%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$38.84 A$54.3

$25.51 NZ$43.27

52.25%

Wine (Bottle)

$14.50 A$20.29

$9.67 NZ$16.40

49.95%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$4.92 A$6.88

$3.30 NZ$5.60

49.09%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$5.12 A$7.16

$3.44 NZ$5.83

48.84%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$2.95 A$4.13

$2.04 NZ$3.46

44.61%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$94.9 A$133

$112 NZ$190

-15.13%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$3.65 A$5.11

$2.31 NZ$3.92

58.01%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.61 A$2.25

$2.03 NZ$3.45

-20.69%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$40.79 A$57.1

$34.08 NZ$57.8

19.69%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.30 A$1.81

$1.81 NZ$3.07

-28.18%

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

$28.2K A$39.5K

$26.3K NZ$44.6K

7.17%

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

$29.5K A$41.3K

$24.9K NZ$42.2K

18.79%

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

$204 A$285

$165 NZ$279

23.66%

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

$29.50 A$41.26

$33.13 NZ$56.2

-10.96%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$58.7 A$82.1

$50.5 NZ$85.6

16.24%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$57.3 A$80.2

$36.73 NZ$62.3

56.06%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$19.45 A$27.21

$15.31 NZ$25.97

27.04%

Cinema Ticket

$15.70 A$21.96

$11.98 NZ$20.33

31.05%

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

$2,139 A$2,992

$918 NZ$1,557

133.04%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$18.4K A$25.8K

$16.8K NZ$28.4K

10.06%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$80.7 A$113

$72.0 NZ$122

12.03%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$57.5 A$80.4

$37.98 NZ$64.4

51.34%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$117 A$164

$97.9 NZ$166

19.50%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$128 A$178

$122 NZ$207

4.69%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,635 A$2,287

$1,133 NZ$1,921

44.35%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,289 A$1,803

$972 NZ$1,649

32.64%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$2,474 A$3,461

$1,776 NZ$3,012

39.33%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,961 A$2,742

$1,570 NZ$2,663

24.89%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$8,452 A$11.8K

$5,791 NZ$9,823

45.96%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$6,152 A$8,606

$3,761 NZ$6,380

63.56%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$4,067 A$5,689

$2,919 NZ$4,950

39.35%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

5.92

6.3

-6.03%

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

Last update for Australia: August 31, 2026

Last update for New Zealand: August 31, 2026

Cost Breakdown

Average rent: $1,423 in Australia vs $971 in New Zealand. For reference, capital cities sit at $1,824 in Canberra and $1,305 in Wellington.

Average salary: $3,932 in Australia vs $3,048 in New Zealand. The income gap affects purchasing power and how far your budget stretches in each country.

Cost Highlights

Rent is 47% higher in Australia.

Dining out costs 25% more in Australia.

Salaries are 29% higher 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 33% 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 33% 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.