Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Canterbury, New Zealand and Dunedin

For one person, living is cheaper in Canterbury: $915 a month against $1,987 in Dunedin, rent and utilities included – about $12,900 less a year. Rent and utilities account for most of the difference.

44

Cost of Living Index in Canterbury
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Canterbury Living Index
96

Cost of Living Index in Dunedin
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Dunedin Living Index

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Canterbury

🇳🇿 New Zealand

$915

/mo nomad

Dunedin

🇳🇿 New Zealand

$1,987

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

How much you'll spend in Canterbury and in Dunedin

Real prices from locals and on-the-ground checks – rent, groceries, transit and the daily extras. Here's what a month in Canterbury and in Dunedin actually costs, broken down by who's living it.

A single person spends $915 per month in Canterbury vs $1,987 in Dunedin, rent included.

Canterbury $915
Dunedin $1,987

A couple spends around $1,521 per month in Canterbury vs $2,907 in Dunedin, rent included.

Canterbury $1,521
Dunedin $2,907

A family of three spends $2,127 per month in Canterbury vs $3,828 in Dunedin, rent included.

Canterbury $2,127
Dunedin $3,828

Canterbury is about 54% cheaper than Dunedin, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in transport.

Canterbury sits 33% below the global median, while Dunedin is 46% above – they fall on opposite sides of the world average.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$13.95 NZ$24.76

$14.03 NZ$24.90

-0.57%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$63.7 NZ$113

$62.0 NZ$110

2.81%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$11.52 NZ$20.45

$11.40 NZ$20.23

1.05%

Cappuccino

$3.06 NZ$5.44

$3.27 NZ$5.80

-6.42%

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

$2.07 NZ$3.67

$2.07 NZ$3.68

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.11 NZ$3.75

$2.06 NZ$3.65

2.43%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$3.94 NZ$7.00

$6.73 NZ$11.95

-41.46%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$6.09 NZ$10.82

$6.16 NZ$10.94

-1.14%

Milk (1 liter)

$2.22 NZ$3.93

$2.15 NZ$3.81

3.26%

White Bread (500g)

$1.93 NZ$3.42

$1.99 NZ$3.54

-3.02%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.69 NZ$3.01

$1.76 NZ$3.13

-3.98%

Eggs

$5.53 NZ$9.82

$5.90 NZ$10.48

-6.27%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$8.34 NZ$14.81

$8.52 NZ$15.12

-2.11%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$9.17 NZ$16.28

$9.21 NZ$16.36

-0.43%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$16.50 NZ$29.30

$16.72 NZ$29.68

-1.32%

Apples (1kg)

$2.91 NZ$5.16

$3.02 NZ$5.36

-3.64%

Banana (1kg)

$2.21 NZ$3.93

$2.29 NZ$4.06

-3.49%

Oranges (1kg)

$3.30 NZ$5.85

$3.27 NZ$5.80

0.92%

Tomato (1kg)

$5.19 NZ$9.21

$5.13 NZ$9.11

1.17%

Potato (1kg)

$1.85 NZ$3.29

$1.84 NZ$3.27

0.54%

Onion (1kg)

$1.87 NZ$3.32

$1.87 NZ$3.33

Lettuce (1 head)

$2.33 NZ$4.14

$2.41 NZ$4.28

-3.32%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.59 NZ$1.06

$0.60 NZ$1.07

-1.67%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$21.06 NZ$37.39

$20.90 NZ$37.11

0.77%

Wine (Bottle)

$9.26 NZ$16.44

$9.01 NZ$16.00

2.77%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$3.21 NZ$5.71

$3.17 NZ$5.63

1.26%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.20 NZ$2.13

$1.26 NZ$2.23

-4.76%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$1.43 NZ$2.54

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$102 NZ$180

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$5.73 NZ$10.17

$5.76 NZ$10.22

-0.52%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$28.19 NZ$50.1

$28.63 NZ$50.8

-1.54%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.60 NZ$2.84

$1.77 NZ$3.14

-9.60%

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

$28.5K NZ$50.6K

$28.2K NZ$50.1K

0.96%

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

$23.3K NZ$41.3K

$23.5K NZ$41.7K

-0.90%

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

$113 NZ$201

$110 NZ$196

2.40%

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

$29.09 NZ$51.6

$29.44 NZ$52.3

-1.19%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$51.7 NZ$91.8

$52.3 NZ$92.8

-1.11%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$45.90 NZ$81.5

Cinema Ticket

$11.46 NZ$20.34

$11.20 NZ$19.89

2.32%

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

$590 NZ$1,048

$588 NZ$1,045

0.30%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$59.9 NZ$106

$58.8 NZ$104

2.01%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$22.35 NZ$39.69

$35.28 NZ$62.6

-36.65%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$91.2 NZ$162

$91.3 NZ$162

-0.05%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$139 NZ$247

$135 NZ$240

2.98%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$898 NZ$1,595

$1,013 NZ$1,798

-11.31%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$897 NZ$1,593

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,632 NZ$2,897

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,358 NZ$2,410

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$2,273 NZ$4,035

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$2,733 NZ$4,853

$2,464 NZ$4,374

10.95%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

7.07

-43.42%

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

Last update for Canterbury: October 26, 2026

Last update for Dunedin: October 25, 2026

Monthly budget structure

Share of the monthly basket for one person, rent included.

Groceries & Markets

Canterbury

$320 35%

Dunedin

$324 16.3% 1.1% $3.5

Eating Out

Canterbury

$232 25.3%

Dunedin

$248 12.5% 7.2% $17

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Canterbury

$194 21.2%

Dunedin

$192 9.7% 0.9% $1.7

Clothing & Footwear

Canterbury

$141 15.4%

Dunedin

$144 7.3% 2.5% $3.5

Sport & Entertainment

Canterbury

$23 * 2.5%

Dunedin

$68 3.4% 198% $45

Getting Around

Canterbury

$5.7 * 0.6%

Dunedin

$113 * 5.7% 1874% $107

Accommodation & Living

Canterbury

- * 0%

Dunedin

$897 45.2%

Categories marked with * are only partly priced – their share counts the items that do have prices.

Cost Breakdown

A central one-bedroom costs $898 in Canterbury versus $1,013 in Dunedin. Rent is usually the largest line item in a monthly budget, so the gap here sets the tone for the overall comparison.

Salaries run about 11% higher in Canterbury, which reinforces the cost advantage – you earn more and spend less. Purchasing power leans clearly in its favor.

A mid-range dinner for two costs $64 in Canterbury versus $62 in Dunedin. Groceries tell a different story – $320 in Canterbury vs $324 in Dunedin – so Canterbury wins on supermarket bills even if dining out costs more.

Good to know

🇳🇿 Canterbury

🇳🇿 Dunedin

🕒 Local time

12:24 12:24 PM

Same time as Canterbury

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

105,000

💱 Currency

New Zealand Dollar NZD $

📈 Exchange rate

1 NZD = 0.563 USD

1 NZD = 0.504 EUR

1 NZD = 0.563 USD

1 NZD = 0.504 EUR

Exchange rates and currency converter

On the map

Lowest

Highest

Between locations

Canterbury Dunedin 220 km

From you

Canterbury
Dunedin

Distances are measured in a straight line. Your location is detected approximately.

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

Canterbury vs Dunedin: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Monthly costs with rent: $915 in Canterbury, $1,987 in Dunedin – Canterbury comes out roughly 54% cheaper. Outside of rent, the biggest gap is in transport.

For a comfortable life, plan on about $1,373 per month in Canterbury and $2,980 in Dunedin. That covers rent, food, utilities, transport, and enough left over to feel settled – not just surviving.

Rent is clearly cheaper in Canterbury, especially for central apartments: a one-bedroom in the center costs $898 there versus $1,013 in Dunedin.

Kindergarten costs $590 per month in Canterbury and $588 in Dunedin. For families with young kids, this one expense can tip the scales when choosing between the two cities.

Monthly expenses with rent come to $915 in Canterbury and $1,987 in Dunedin. That makes Canterbury about 54% cheaper.

A $1,200 monthly budget goes further in Canterbury, where all-in costs run around $915, than in Dunedin at $1,987. In Canterbury it covers expenses comfortably, while in Dunedin it requires careful planning or may not stretch far enough.

It depends on your priorities. Dunedin has an edge in some lifestyle areas, with costs from $915 in Canterbury to $1,987 in Dunedin. Climate, culture, job market, and personal taste all factor in.