Cost of Living Comparison Between Burnaby and Auckland Cost of Living Comparison Between Burnaby and Auckland

Monthly Cost of Living

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $2,776 in Burnaby versus $2,302 in Auckland.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $4,068 in Burnaby versus $3,464 in Auckland.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $5,359 in Burnaby versus $4,626 in Auckland.

Living in Burnaby is roughly 21% more expensive than Auckland, driven mainly by Groceries & Markets.

Both cities are pricier than the global median: Burnaby 107% above, Auckland 72% above.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$14.75 CA$20.49

$14.83 NZ$25.25

-0.54%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$73.9 CA$103

$77.6 NZ$132

-4.81%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$8.95 CA$12.43

$9.55 NZ$16.27

-6.28%

Cappuccino

$4.19 CA$5.82

$3.50 NZ$5.97

19.71%

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

$1.81 CA$2.52

$2.28 NZ$3.88

-20.61%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.33 CA$1.85

$2.27 NZ$3.87

-41.41%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$5.91 CA$8.21

$7.42 NZ$12.63

-20.35%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$5.56 CA$7.73

$7.06 NZ$12.03

-21.25%

Milk (1 liter)

$2.55 CA$3.55

$1.80 NZ$3.06

41.67%

White Bread (500g)

$2.77 CA$3.85

$2.10 NZ$3.58

31.90%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$4.48 CA$6.23

$1.99 NZ$3.39

125.13%

Eggs

$3.13 CA$4.34

$6.74 NZ$11.48

-53.56%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$12.33 CA$17.13

$8.44 NZ$14.38

46.09%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$11.98 CA$16.65

$9.82 NZ$16.72

22.00%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$21.64 CA$30.06

$12.92 NZ$22.00

67.49%

Apples (1kg)

$3.34 CA$4.64

$2.91 NZ$4.96

14.78%

Banana (1kg)

$1.28 CA$1.78

$2.22 NZ$3.79

-42.34%

Oranges (1kg)

$3.00 CA$4.17

$3.22 NZ$5.48

-6.83%

Tomato (1kg)

$3.84 CA$5.33

$4.11 NZ$7.00

-6.57%

Potato (1kg)

$2.89 CA$4.02

$2.09 NZ$3.55

38.28%

Onion (1kg)

$3.00 CA$4.17

$1.63 NZ$2.78

84.05%

Lettuce (1 head)

$2.39 CA$3.32

$1.90 NZ$3.23

25.79%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$1.89 CA$2.63

$1.29 NZ$2.19

46.51%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$14.84 CA$20.61

$25.66 NZ$43.69

-42.17%

Wine (Bottle)

$13.26 CA$18.42

$9.98 NZ$17.00

32.87%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$2.41 CA$3.35

$2.94 NZ$5.01

-18.03%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.52 CA$3.51

$3.98 NZ$6.78

-36.68%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$2.28 CA$3.17

$2.75 NZ$4.68

-17.09%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$77.2 CA$107

$131 NZ$223

-41.05%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$2.80 CA$3.89

$2.09 NZ$3.56

33.97%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.42 CA$1.97

$1.95 NZ$3.32

-27.18%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$25.32 CA$35.18

$35.65 NZ$60.7

-28.98%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.31 CA$1.82

$1.69 NZ$2.88

-22.49%

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

$25.3K CA$35.2K

$28.4K NZ$48.3K

-10.69%

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

$20.4K CA$28.4K

$22.2K NZ$37.8K

-7.94%

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

$136 CA$188

$146 NZ$249

-7.21%

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

$42.55 CA$59.1

$30.66 NZ$52.2

38.78%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$55.6 CA$77.2

$48.24 NZ$82.2

15.22%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$31.32 CA$43.52

$36.08 NZ$61.5

-13.19%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$5.61 CA$7.80

$16.60 NZ$28.28

-66.20%

Cinema Ticket

$16.29 CA$22.63

$15.28 NZ$26.02

6.61%

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

$547 CA$760

$922 NZ$1,571

-40.67%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$8,127 CA$11.3K

$13.6K NZ$23.2K

-40.43%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$54.7 CA$76.0

$70.8 NZ$121

-22.79%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$53.6 CA$74.5

$49.43 NZ$84.2

8.44%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$93.6 CA$130

$96.7 NZ$165

-3.17%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$96.4 CA$134

$124 NZ$211

-22.17%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,909 CA$2,653

$1,264 NZ$2,153

50.99%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,658 CA$2,304

$1,158 NZ$1,971

43.28%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$3,989 CA$5,543

$2,413 NZ$4,109

65.32%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$2,650 CA$3,682

$1,862 NZ$3,170

42.37%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$6,878 CA$9,556

$8,096 NZ$13.8K

-15.04%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$5,525 CA$7,676

$5,456 NZ$9,291

1.27%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$3,275 CA$4,551

$3,260 NZ$5,552

0.46%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

6.54

6.37

2.67%

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

Last update for Burnaby: May 31, 2026

Last update for Auckland: May 31, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $1,909 in Burnaby and $1,264 in Auckland. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Burnaby pays 0% more on average. The extra income cushions the higher costs, though housing choices and lifestyle decide how much of the gap is truly closed.

Dining out: $74.0 in Burnaby vs $78.0 in Auckland. Groceries flip the comparison at $392 vs $324, with Auckland cheaper for home cooking.

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

Burnaby vs Auckland: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Auckland wins on cost – living expenses run 21% lower than in Burnaby. Housing and daily spending are where you'll feel the difference most, making Auckland the obvious pick if budget is a priority.

Burnaby pays 0% more on average, which matters when comparing affordability. Whether that higher income actually nets you more depends on your spending habits and housing choices.

Rent for a central apartment: $1,909 in Burnaby versus $1,264 in Auckland. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Childcare runs $547 in Burnaby versus $922 in Auckland. Over years of preschool, even a modest monthly gap compounds into a major financial factor for families.

Supermarket bills run roughly 21% higher in Burnaby. For households that cook at home regularly, that difference adds up over a month.

At $2,302 in Auckland versus $2,776 in Burnaby, a $2,000 budget is realistic in Auckland but tight or insufficient in Burnaby. The gap between the two cities makes Auckland the clear choice for anyone on this budget.

Both work as nomad bases, but Auckland delivers better value – similar infrastructure at $2,302 monthly. If stretching your runway or maximizing savings is the goal, the price difference makes Auckland hard to pass up.

Safety-wise, Burnaby and Auckland 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 Auckland gentler on the wallet – expenses run 21% less than in Burnaby. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.