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: $2,869 in Burnaby versus $2,552 in Auckland.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $4,015 in Burnaby versus $3,528 in Auckland.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $5,160 in Burnaby versus $4,503 in Auckland.

Living in Burnaby is roughly 12% more expensive than in Auckland, driven mainly by Groceries & Markets.

Both cities are pricier than the global median: Burnaby 108% above, Auckland 85% above.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$21.82 CA$30.27

$14.48 NZ$24.90

50.69%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$87.5 CA$121

$69.6 NZ$120

25.69%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$9.54 CA$13.24

$10.15 NZ$17.46

-6.01%

Cappuccino

$4.81 CA$6.67

$3.51 NZ$6.03

37.04%

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

$2.35 CA$3.27

$2.06 NZ$3.54

14.08%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.80 CA$2.50

$1.81 NZ$3.11

-0.55%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$7.19 CA$9.98

$7.25 NZ$12.47

-0.83%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$6.10 CA$8.46

$7.01 NZ$12.04

-12.98%

Milk (1 liter)

$2.40 CA$3.33

$1.97 NZ$3.38

21.83%

White Bread (500g)

$2.92 CA$4.05

$2.30 NZ$3.96

26.96%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$3.60 CA$4.99

$1.96 NZ$3.37

83.67%

Eggs

$3.30 CA$4.58

$6.67 NZ$11.47

-50.52%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$14.34 CA$19.89

$8.96 NZ$15.40

60.04%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$14.01 CA$19.43

$10.64 NZ$18.29

31.67%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$25.31 CA$35.10

$17.97 NZ$30.90

40.85%

Apples (1kg)

$4.56 CA$6.33

$2.96 NZ$5.10

54.05%

Banana (1kg)

$1.30 CA$1.81

$2.19 NZ$3.77

-40.64%

Oranges (1kg)

$4.65 CA$6.45

$3.04 NZ$5.23

52.96%

Tomato (1kg)

$4.59 CA$6.36

$5.56 NZ$9.56

-17.45%

Potato (1kg)

$2.90 CA$4.02

$2.32 NZ$3.99

25.00%

Onion (1kg)

$3.60 CA$4.99

$1.71 NZ$2.94

110.53%

Lettuce (1 head)

$2.83 CA$3.93

$2.08 NZ$3.57

36.06%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$2.17 CA$3.01

$1.15 NZ$1.98

88.70%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$14.60 CA$20.25

$28.85 NZ$49.60

-49.39%

Wine (Bottle)

$13.78 CA$19.11

$10.89 NZ$18.73

26.54%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$2.10 CA$2.91

$2.84 NZ$4.88

-26.06%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.38 CA$3.30

$3.59 NZ$6.17

-33.70%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$2.46 CA$3.42

$2.67 NZ$4.59

-7.87%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$80.9 CA$112

$126 NZ$217

-35.77%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$2.98 CA$4.13

$2.36 NZ$4.06

26.27%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.47 CA$2.04

$2.04 NZ$3.51

-27.94%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$26.88 CA$37.28

$33.92 NZ$58.3

-20.75%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.33 CA$1.84

$1.95 NZ$3.35

-31.79%

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

$28.3K CA$39.2K

$26.8K NZ$46.1K

5.38%

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

$19.7K CA$27.3K

$23.4K NZ$40.2K

-15.80%

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

$125 CA$173

$193 NZ$331

-35.33%

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

$44.12 CA$61.2

$28.25 NZ$48.57

56.18%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$54.1 CA$75.0

$51.5 NZ$88.5

5.09%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$31.15 CA$43.20

$45.09 NZ$77.5

-30.92%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$10.89 CA$15.11

$18.37 NZ$31.58

-40.72%

Cinema Ticket

$14.55 CA$20.18

$13.57 NZ$23.32

7.22%

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

$667 CA$925

$1,188 NZ$2,042

-43.83%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$20.0K NZ$34.3K

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$53.3 CA$73.9

$80.2 NZ$138

-33.55%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$52.5 CA$72.8

$41.95 NZ$72.1

25.13%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$105 CA$146

$92.0 NZ$158

14.66%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$80.1 CA$111

$115 NZ$198

-30.51%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,690 CA$2,344

$1,309 NZ$2,251

29.08%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,550 CA$2,149

$1,241 NZ$2,133

24.91%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$2,476 CA$3,434

$2,369 NZ$4,074

4.51%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$2,189 CA$3,036

$1,819 NZ$3,127

20.33%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$6,866 CA$9,523

$7,576 NZ$13.0K

-9.36%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$5,585 CA$7,746

$5,594 NZ$9,618

-0.17%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$3,162 CA$4,386

$3,117 NZ$5,359

1.46%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

4.76

5.4

-11.85%

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

Last update for Burnaby: September 7, 2026

Last update for Auckland: September 6, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $1,690 in Burnaby and $1,309 in Auckland. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Burnaby pays 1% 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: $88.0 in Burnaby vs $70.0 in Auckland for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $438 vs $355 per month, with Auckland cheaper across the board.

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 12% 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.

Average pay runs 1% higher in Burnaby, 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: $1,690 in Burnaby versus $1,309 in Auckland. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Childcare runs $667 in Burnaby versus $1,188 in Auckland. Over years of preschool, even a modest monthly gap compounds into a major financial factor for families.

Supermarket bills run roughly 23% higher in Burnaby. For households that cook at home regularly, that difference adds up over a month.

At $2,552 in Auckland versus $2,869 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 $2,552 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 12% less than in Burnaby. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.