Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Dunedin and Ashburton

For one person, living is cheaper in Dunedin: $1,987 a month against $2,040 in Ashburton, rent and utilities included – about $640 less a year. Higher rent and utilities in Ashburton outweigh lower spending on other living expenses.

96

Cost of Living Index in Dunedin
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Dunedin Living Index
98

Cost of Living Index in Ashburton
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Ashburton Living Index

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Dunedin

🇳🇿 New Zealand

$1,987

/mo nomad

Ashburton

🇳🇿 New Zealand

$2,040

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

How much you'll spend in Dunedin and in Ashburton

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

A single person spends $1,987 per month in Dunedin vs $2,040 in Ashburton, rent included.

Dunedin $1,987
Ashburton $2,040

A couple spends around $2,907 per month in Dunedin vs $2,892 in Ashburton, rent included.

Dunedin $2,907
Ashburton $2,892

A family of three spends $3,828 per month in Dunedin vs $3,745 in Ashburton, rent included.

Dunedin $3,828
Ashburton $3,745

Dunedin is about 3% cheaper than Ashburton.

Both Dunedin and Ashburton sit above the global median – Dunedin by 46%, Ashburton by 50%.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$14.03 NZ$24.94

$14.48 NZ$25.74

-3.11%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$62.0 NZ$110

$69.9 NZ$124

-11.33%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$11.40 NZ$20.26

$9.28 NZ$16.49

22.84%

Cappuccino

$3.27 NZ$5.81

$3.30 NZ$5.86

-0.91%

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

$2.07 NZ$3.68

$2.27 NZ$4.03

-8.81%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.06 NZ$3.65

$1.87 NZ$3.33

10.16%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$6.73 NZ$11.97

$6.74 NZ$11.99

-0.15%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$6.16 NZ$10.95

$6.98 NZ$12.41

-11.75%

Milk (1 liter)

$2.15 NZ$3.82

$1.67 NZ$2.97

28.74%

White Bread (500g)

$1.99 NZ$3.54

$1.80 NZ$3.19

10.56%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.76 NZ$3.14

$1.41 NZ$2.51

24.82%

Eggs

$5.90 NZ$10.49

$6.04 NZ$10.73

-2.32%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$8.52 NZ$15.14

$7.28 NZ$12.94

17.03%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$9.21 NZ$16.38

$9.47 NZ$16.83

-2.75%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$16.72 NZ$29.71

$13.47 NZ$23.95

24.13%

Apples (1kg)

$3.02 NZ$5.37

$2.48 NZ$4.41

21.77%

Banana (1kg)

$2.29 NZ$4.07

$2.02 NZ$3.58

13.37%

Oranges (1kg)

$3.27 NZ$5.81

$2.74 NZ$4.86

19.34%

Tomato (1kg)

$5.13 NZ$9.13

$3.07 NZ$5.45

67.10%

Potato (1kg)

$1.84 NZ$3.27

$1.52 NZ$2.70

21.05%

Onion (1kg)

$1.87 NZ$3.33

$1.40 NZ$2.48

33.57%

Lettuce (1 head)

$2.41 NZ$4.28

$2.28 NZ$4.05

5.70%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.60 NZ$1.07

$1.28 NZ$2.28

-53.13%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$20.90 NZ$37.16

$24.04 NZ$42.73

-13.06%

Wine (Bottle)

$9.01 NZ$16.02

$8.35 NZ$14.85

7.90%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$3.17 NZ$5.64

$3.50 NZ$6.22

-9.43%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.26 NZ$2.24

$4.44 NZ$7.90

-71.62%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$1.43 NZ$2.54

$1.76 NZ$3.13

-18.75%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$102 NZ$181

$90.7 NZ$161

12.10%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$5.76 NZ$10.23

$2.49 NZ$4.43

131.33%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.68 NZ$2.98

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$28.63 NZ$50.9

$28.87 NZ$51.3

-0.83%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.77 NZ$3.14

$1.93 NZ$3.43

-8.29%

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

$28.2K NZ$50.2K

$28.0K NZ$49.8K

0.75%

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

$23.5K NZ$41.7K

$23.3K NZ$41.4K

0.73%

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

$110 NZ$196

$157 NZ$280

-29.81%

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

$29.44 NZ$52.3

$23.27 NZ$41.36

26.51%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$52.3 NZ$93.0

$44.99 NZ$80.0

16.23%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$45.90 NZ$81.6

$39.50 NZ$70.2

16.20%

Cinema Ticket

$11.20 NZ$19.91

$11.67 NZ$20.75

-4.03%

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

$588 NZ$1,046

$676 NZ$1,202

-12.98%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$21.7K NZ$38.5K

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$58.8 NZ$104

$59.7 NZ$106

-1.66%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$35.28 NZ$62.7

$40.20 NZ$71.5

-12.24%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$91.3 NZ$162

$102 NZ$181

-10.32%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$135 NZ$240

$124 NZ$221

8.81%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,013 NZ$1,800

$924 NZ$1,642

9.62%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$897 NZ$1,594

$949 NZ$1,687

-5.50%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,632 NZ$2,901

$1,883 NZ$3,347

-13.33%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,358 NZ$2,413

$1,288 NZ$2,290

5.38%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$5,025 NZ$8,933

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$2,273 NZ$4,040

$3,445 NZ$6,123

-34.02%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$2,464 NZ$4,379

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

7.07

5.91

19.63%

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

Last update for Dunedin: October 25, 2026

Last update for Ashburton: October 27, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Accommodation & Living

Dunedin

$897 45.2%

Ashburton

$949 46.5% 5.8% $52

Groceries & Markets

Dunedin

$324 16.3%

Ashburton

$300 14.7% 7.4% $24

Eating Out

Dunedin

$248 12.5%

Ashburton

$248 12.1% 0.3% $0.6

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Dunedin

$192 9.7%

Ashburton

$226 11.1% 17.4% $33

Clothing & Footwear

Dunedin

$144 7.3%

Ashburton

$147 7.2% 1.7% $2.5

Getting Around

Dunedin

$113 * 5.7%

Ashburton

$109 5.3% 4% $4.5

Sport & Entertainment

Dunedin

$68 3.4%

Ashburton

$63 3.1% 8% $5.5

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

Cost Breakdown

A central one-bedroom costs $1,013 in Dunedin versus $924 in Ashburton. Rent is usually the largest line item in a monthly budget, so the gap here sets the tone for the overall comparison.

A mid-range dinner for two costs $62 in Dunedin versus $70 in Ashburton. Groceries tell a different story – $324 in Dunedin vs $300 in Ashburton – so Ashburton wins on supermarket bills even if dining out costs more.

Good to know

🇳🇿 Dunedin

🇳🇿 Ashburton

🕒 Local time

21:06 9:06 PM

Same time as Dunedin

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

105,000

20,500

💱 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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Dunedin Ashburton 240 km

From you

Dunedin
Ashburton

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

Dunedin vs Ashburton: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Ashburton costs about 3% more than Dunedin, and outside of rent the gap comes mainly from clothing. That’s enough to noticeably affect everyday spending and lifestyle for anyone choosing between the two.

For a comfortable life, plan on about $2,980 per month in Dunedin and $3,060 in Ashburton. That covers rent, food, utilities, transport, and enough left over to feel settled – not just surviving.

A central 1-bedroom goes for about $1,013 in Dunedin and $924 in Ashburton. The gap holds across neighborhoods – outer areas show a similar spread, just at lower price points.

Interestingly, groceries are about 7% cheaper in Ashburton – one category where the pricier city actually offers better value.

A mid-range dinner for two costs $62 in Dunedin and $70 in Ashburton. That’s a good indicator of the overall restaurant and café pricing gap between the two cities.

$3,000 covers both cities comfortably – all-in costs are $1,987 in Dunedin and $2,040 in Ashburton, leaving budget for savings and extras in both cases.

It depends on your priorities. Dunedin has an edge in some lifestyle areas, with costs from $1,987 in Dunedin to $2,040 in Ashburton. Climate, culture, job market, and personal taste all factor in.

Both cities have a reputation for safety. In either place, the choice of neighborhood matters more than the choice between the two cities.