Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Cromwell and Dunedin

For one person, living costs are similar in Cromwell and in Dunedin: $2,011 and $1,987 a month, rent and utilities included.

97

Cost of Living Index in Cromwell
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Cromwell Living Index
96

Cost of Living Index in Dunedin
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Dunedin Living Index

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Cromwell

🇳🇿 New Zealand

$2,011

/mo nomad

Dunedin

🇳🇿 New Zealand

$1,987

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

How much you'll spend in Cromwell 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 Cromwell and in Dunedin actually costs, broken down by who's living it.

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $2,011 in Cromwell versus $1,987 in Dunedin.

Cromwell $2,011
Dunedin $1,987

Estimated couple costs with rent: $2,881 in Cromwell versus $2,907 in Dunedin.

Cromwell $2,881
Dunedin $2,907

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $3,751 in Cromwell versus $3,828 in Dunedin.

Cromwell $3,751
Dunedin $3,828

Monthly costs are close between Cromwell and Dunedin; which city is cheaper depends on the spending category.

Both cities are pricier than the global median: Cromwell 48% above, Dunedin 46% above.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$14.42 NZ$25.61

$14.03 NZ$24.90

2.78%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$62.5 NZ$111

$62.0 NZ$110

0.90%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$11.51 NZ$20.43

$11.40 NZ$20.23

0.96%

Cappuccino

$3.26 NZ$5.79

$3.27 NZ$5.80

-0.31%

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

$2.15 NZ$3.81

$2.07 NZ$3.68

3.86%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.05 NZ$3.65

$2.06 NZ$3.65

-0.49%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$6.68 NZ$11.86

$6.73 NZ$11.95

-0.74%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$6.29 NZ$11.16

$6.16 NZ$10.94

2.11%

Milk (1 liter)

$2.11 NZ$3.75

$2.15 NZ$3.81

-1.86%

White Bread (500g)

$1.94 NZ$3.45

$1.99 NZ$3.54

-2.51%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.69 NZ$3.01

$1.76 NZ$3.13

-3.98%

Eggs

$5.81 NZ$10.31

$5.90 NZ$10.48

-1.53%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$8.65 NZ$15.36

$8.52 NZ$15.12

1.53%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$9.37 NZ$16.64

$9.21 NZ$16.36

1.74%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$16.61 NZ$29.48

$16.72 NZ$29.68

-0.66%

Apples (1kg)

$3.07 NZ$5.45

$3.02 NZ$5.36

1.66%

Banana (1kg)

$2.32 NZ$4.12

$2.29 NZ$4.06

1.31%

Oranges (1kg)

$3.18 NZ$5.64

$3.27 NZ$5.80

-2.75%

Tomato (1kg)

$5.02 NZ$8.91

$5.13 NZ$9.11

-2.14%

Potato (1kg)

$1.85 NZ$3.29

$1.84 NZ$3.27

0.54%

Onion (1kg)

$1.81 NZ$3.21

$1.87 NZ$3.33

-3.21%

Lettuce (1 head)

$2.28 NZ$4.05

$2.41 NZ$4.28

-5.39%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.60 NZ$1.06

$0.60 NZ$1.07

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$21.12 NZ$37.50

$20.90 NZ$37.11

1.05%

Wine (Bottle)

$8.94 NZ$15.87

$9.01 NZ$16.00

-0.78%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$3.15 NZ$5.59

$3.17 NZ$5.63

-0.63%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.21 NZ$2.15

$1.26 NZ$2.23

-3.97%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$1.88 NZ$3.33

$1.43 NZ$2.54

31.47%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$93.3 NZ$166

$102 NZ$180

-8.24%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$2.22 NZ$3.94

$5.76 NZ$10.22

-61.46%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$2.09 NZ$3.71

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$28.85 NZ$51.2

$28.63 NZ$50.8

0.77%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.83 NZ$3.25

$1.77 NZ$3.14

3.39%

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

$28.2K NZ$50.0K

$28.2K NZ$50.1K

-0.19%

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

$22.8K NZ$40.5K

$23.5K NZ$41.7K

-2.90%

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

$110 NZ$195

$110 NZ$196

-0.31%

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

$28.58 NZ$50.7

$29.44 NZ$52.3

-2.92%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$52.9 NZ$93.9

$52.3 NZ$92.8

1.15%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$39.41 NZ$70.0

$45.90 NZ$81.5

-14.14%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$7.00 NZ$12.43

Cinema Ticket

$8.35 NZ$14.82

$11.20 NZ$19.89

-25.45%

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

$796 NZ$1,413

$588 NZ$1,045

35.31%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$12.4K NZ$22.1K

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$59.8 NZ$106

$58.8 NZ$104

1.74%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$35.97 NZ$63.9

$35.28 NZ$62.6

1.96%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$90.7 NZ$161

$91.3 NZ$162

-0.67%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$134 NZ$237

$135 NZ$240

-0.97%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,013 NZ$1,798

0.01%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$932 NZ$1,655

$897 NZ$1,593

3.92%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,638 NZ$2,908

$1,632 NZ$2,897

0.38%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,292 NZ$2,293

$1,358 NZ$2,410

-4.86%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$4,771 NZ$8,470

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$3,354 NZ$5,955

$2,273 NZ$4,035

47.58%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$3,034 NZ$5,387

$2,464 NZ$4,374

23.16%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

6.6

7.07

-6.65%

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

Last update for Cromwell: October 26, 2026

Last update for Dunedin: October 25, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Accommodation & Living

Cromwell

$932 46.4%

Dunedin

$897 45.2% 3.8% $35

Groceries & Markets

Cromwell

$322 16%

Dunedin

$324 16.3% 0.7% $2.1

Eating Out

Cromwell

$252 12.5%

Dunedin

$248 12.5% 1.5% $3.7

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Cromwell

$192 9.5%

Dunedin

$192 9.7% 0.3% $0.6

Clothing & Footwear

Cromwell

$144 7.2%

Dunedin

$144 7.3% 0.1% $0.1

Getting Around

Cromwell

$113 5.6%

Dunedin

$113 * 5.7% 0.3% $0.3

Sport & Entertainment

Cromwell

$56 2.8%

Dunedin

$68 3.4% 21.7% $12

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

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $1,013 in Cromwell and $1,013 in Dunedin. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Cromwell pays 23% more on average. How far that income stretches comes down to housing choices and lifestyle.

Dining out: $63 in Cromwell vs $62 in Dunedin. Groceries flip the comparison at $322 vs $324, with Cromwell cheaper for home cooking.

Good to know

🇳🇿 Cromwell

🇳🇿 Dunedin

🕒 Local time

14:30 2:30 PM

Same time as Cromwell

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

5,000

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

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Between locations

Cromwell Dunedin 140 km

From you

Cromwell
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

Cromwell vs Dunedin: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Average pay runs 23% higher in Cromwell, 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: $1,013 in Cromwell versus $1,013 in Dunedin. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Childcare runs $796 in Cromwell versus $588 in Dunedin. Over years of preschool, even a modest monthly gap compounds into a major financial factor for families.

A monthly transit pass in Cromwell runs roughly 8% less than in Dunedin. The price difference matters if you commute daily and watch your budget.

Either city works on $3,000 a month, though Dunedin gives you more room to save. At this income level, the choice is more about lifestyle than financial pressure.

Both cities offer a good standard of living with different trade-offs. Neither is objectively better – the right pick depends on what matters most: affordability, career, cultural scene, or climate.

Safety-wise, Cromwell and Dunedin are both considered safe, so it’s unlikely to be the deciding factor between them.

It comes down to priorities – Dunedin wins on affordability, Cromwell on earning potential. Factor in climate, language, visa rules, and proximity to places that matter to you before deciding.