Cost of Living Comparison Between Dunedin and Ashburton Cost of Living Comparison Between Dunedin and Ashburton

Monthly Cost of Living

A single person spends $1,850 per month in Dunedin vs $1,892 in Ashburton, rent included.

A couple spends around $2,791 per month in Dunedin vs $2,952 in Ashburton, rent included.

A family of three spends $3,732 per month in Dunedin vs $4,011 in Ashburton, rent included.

Dunedin is about 2% cheaper than Ashburton, driven mainly by Eating Out.

Both Dunedin and Ashburton sit above the global median – Dunedin by 38%, Ashburton by 41%.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$11.94 NZ$20.42

$16.86 NZ$28.83

-29.18%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$72.4 NZ$124

$73.1 NZ$125

-0.90%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$10.65 NZ$18.21

$9.44 NZ$16.15

12.82%

Cappuccino

$3.40 NZ$5.81

$3.47 NZ$5.94

-2.02%

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

$2.27 NZ$3.89

$2.28 NZ$3.90

-0.44%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.03 NZ$3.47

$1.99 NZ$3.41

2.01%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$7.14 NZ$12.21

$7.35 NZ$12.57

-2.86%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$6.08 NZ$10.39

$7.16 NZ$12.24

-15.08%

Milk (1 liter)

$2.10 NZ$3.60

$1.84 NZ$3.15

14.13%

White Bread (500g)

$1.91 NZ$3.27

$1.93 NZ$3.30

-1.04%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.82 NZ$3.10

$1.74 NZ$2.97

4.60%

Eggs

$5.52 NZ$9.44

$6.49 NZ$11.10

-14.95%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$8.41 NZ$14.39

$8.40 NZ$14.36

0.12%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$10.82 NZ$18.50

$9.61 NZ$16.43

12.59%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$13.21 NZ$22.59

$12.84 NZ$21.95

2.88%

Apples (1kg)

$2.87 NZ$4.90

$3.04 NZ$5.20

-5.59%

Banana (1kg)

$2.27 NZ$3.89

$2.09 NZ$3.58

8.61%

Oranges (1kg)

$3.42 NZ$5.85

$3.03 NZ$5.18

12.87%

Tomato (1kg)

$4.44 NZ$7.60

$3.42 NZ$5.85

29.82%

Potato (1kg)

$1.98 NZ$3.39

$2.08 NZ$3.56

-4.81%

Onion (1kg)

$1.97 NZ$3.37

$2.20 NZ$3.77

-10.45%

Lettuce (1 head)

$2.54 NZ$4.34

$2.96 NZ$5.06

-14.19%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$1.07 NZ$1.82

$1.47 NZ$2.51

-27.21%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$24.35 NZ$41.64

$23.73 NZ$40.57

2.61%

Wine (Bottle)

$9.36 NZ$16.00

$8.73 NZ$14.93

7.22%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$2.48 NZ$4.24

$3.64 NZ$6.23

-31.87%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.72 NZ$6.37

$4.97 NZ$8.49

-25.15%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$1.19 NZ$2.03

$2.16 NZ$3.69

-44.91%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$72.0 NZ$123

$64.9 NZ$111

10.86%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$5.86 NZ$10.02

$2.67 NZ$4.57

119.48%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.11 NZ$1.90

$1.64 NZ$2.80

-32.32%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$30.22 NZ$51.7

$30.69 NZ$52.5

-1.53%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.71 NZ$2.92

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

$19.9K NZ$34.1K

$27.0K NZ$46.3K

-26.25%

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

$25.8K NZ$44.1K

$20.2K NZ$34.5K

27.64%

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

$102 NZ$175

$118 NZ$202

-13.24%

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

$36.18 NZ$61.9

$31.92 NZ$54.6

13.35%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$55.0 NZ$94.0

$53.8 NZ$92.1

2.15%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$52.6 NZ$90.0

$36.65 NZ$62.7

43.55%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$6.15 NZ$10.52

$11.95 NZ$20.44

-48.54%

Cinema Ticket

$9.66 NZ$16.52

$11.18 NZ$19.12

-13.60%

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

$587 NZ$1,004

$633 NZ$1,082

-7.20%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$12.2K NZ$20.9K

$9,539 NZ$16.3K

28.07%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$65.8 NZ$113

$30.68 NZ$52.5

114.47%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$34.85 NZ$59.6

$43.34 NZ$74.1

-19.59%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$94.3 NZ$161

$90.9 NZ$155

3.73%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$124 NZ$212

$150 NZ$256

-17.21%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$878 NZ$1,501

$988 NZ$1,689

-11.13%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$779 NZ$1,332

$799 NZ$1,366

-2.49%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,509 NZ$2,581

$1,576 NZ$2,696

-4.25%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,320 NZ$2,258

$1,430 NZ$2,445

-7.67%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$2,959 NZ$5,061

$4,328 NZ$7,401

-31.63%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$2,063 NZ$3,528

$3,444 NZ$5,890

-40.10%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$2,561 NZ$4,380

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

7.07

6.74

4.90%

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

Last update for Dunedin: April 28, 2026

Last update for Ashburton: April 28, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A central one-bedroom costs $878 in Dunedin versus $988 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 $72.0 in Dunedin versus $73.0 in Ashburton. Monthly groceries follow the same trend: $324 vs $325 – making Dunedin the more affordable choice for daily food spending.

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

Monthly costs with rent: $1,850 in Dunedin, $1,892 in Ashburton – roughly 2% apart. Ashburton costs more across the board, with Eating Out showing the biggest gap.

For a comfortable life, plan on about $2,775 per month in Dunedin and $2,838 in Ashburton. That covers rent, food, utilities, transport, and enough left over to feel settled – not just surviving.

Rent is clearly cheaper in Dunedin, especially for central apartments. Housing is actually the single biggest factor behind the overall cost gap between these two cities.

Groceries cost about 0% more in Ashburton, though it depends on what you buy. Local produce may be comparable; imported and premium items show the biggest price gap.

A mid-range dinner for two costs $72.0 in Dunedin and $73.0 in Ashburton. That's a good indicator of the overall restaurant and café pricing gap between the two cities.

A $3,000 monthly budget goes further in Dunedin, where all-in costs run around $1,850, than in Ashburton at $1,892. In Dunedin it covers expenses comfortably, while in Ashburton it requires careful planning or may not stretch far enough.

Families tend to lean toward Dunedin – lower housing and cheaper childcare make a real difference, especially on a single income or when paying for private education.

Both have safer and rougher neighborhoods, but overall safety is comparable to other large cities. Neighborhood choice matters more than the city-level comparison – central, well-trafficked areas feel secure in both.

If budget matters most, go with Dunedin. If higher salaries, better infrastructure, or specific career opportunities are the priority, Ashburton makes more sense. Both are solid long-term options with distinct trade-offs.