Cost of Living Comparison Between Dunedin and Christchurch Cost of Living Comparison Between Dunedin and Christchurch

๐Ÿ™‚ Solo nomad: Dunedin is 1% cheaper than Christchurch without rent, and 18% cheaper with rent.
๐Ÿ™‚ Family of 3: Dunedin is 1.9% cheaper than Christchurch without rent, and 6.3% cheaper with rent.
Currency
๐Ÿฝ Eating Out
Dunedin
Christchurch
Difference
Meal at Budget Restaurant
$12.25 NZ$20.2
$16.56 NZ$27.32
-26.03%
Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range
$73.7 NZ$122
$71.4 NZ$118
3.25%
Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)
$10.95 NZ$18.07
$9.41 NZ$15.53
16.37%
Cappuccino
$3.46 NZ$5.7
$3.34 NZ$5.52
3.59%
Coke/Pepsi/Fanta/Sprite (0.33 liter bottle)
$2.2 NZ$3.63
$2.3 NZ$3.8
-4.35%
Water (0.33 liter bottle)
$2.05 NZ$3.38
$2.03 NZ$3.34
0.99%
Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)
$7.2 NZ$11.87
$7.31 NZ$12.06
-1.50%
Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)
$6.08 NZ$10.03
$7.2 NZ$11.87
-15.56%
๐Ÿ›’ Groceries & Markets
Dunedin
Christchurch
Difference
Milk (1 liter)
$2.08 NZ$3.44
$1.91 NZ$3.16
8.90%
White Bread (500g)
$1.96 NZ$3.22
$1.94 NZ$3.2
1.03%
Rice (white) (1kg)
$1.81 NZ$2.99
$1.73 NZ$2.85
4.62%
Eggs
$5.67 NZ$9.35
$6.26 NZ$10.33
-9.42%
Local Cheese (1kg)
$8.36 NZ$13.8
$8.18 NZ$13.48
2.20%
Chicken Fillets (1kg)
$10.62 NZ$17.52
$9.65 NZ$15.91
10.05%
Beef Round Steak (1kg)
$13.05 NZ$21.53
$12.83 NZ$21.17
1.71%
Apples (1kg)
$2.86 NZ$4.72
$3.06 NZ$5.04
-6.54%
Banana (1kg)
$2.24 NZ$3.69
$2.71 NZ$4.46
-17.34%
Oranges (1kg)
$3.3 NZ$5.45
$2.95 NZ$4.87
11.86%
Tomato (1kg)
$4.54 NZ$7.49
$5.52 NZ$9.11
-17.75%
Potato (1kg)
$1.91 NZ$3.15
$2.15 NZ$3.54
-11.16%
Onion (1kg)
$2.04 NZ$3.37
$2.21 NZ$3.64
-7.69%
Lettuce (1 head)
$2.48 NZ$4.09
$2.98 NZ$4.91
-16.78%
Water (1.5 liter bottle)
$1.07 NZ$1.76
$1.45 NZ$2.4
-26.21%
Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)
$24.01 NZ$39.6
$23.66 NZ$39.02
1.48%
Wine (Bottle)
$8.7 NZ$14.34
$8.93 NZ$14.72
-2.58%
Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)
$2.59 NZ$4.27
$3.82 NZ$6.29
-32.20%
Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)
$3.63 NZ$5.99
$4.85 NZ$8
-25.15%
๐ŸšŒ Getting Around
Dunedin
Christchurch
Difference
One-way Ticket (Public Transport)
$1.25 NZ$2.05
$1.24 NZ$2.05
0.81%
Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)
$72.8 NZ$120
$41.94 NZ$69.2
73.68%
Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)
$6.16 NZ$10.15
$2.63 NZ$4.34
134.22%
Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)
$1.1 NZ$1.81
$1.64 NZ$2.7
-32.93%
Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)
$30.44 NZ$50.2
$30.26 NZ$49.91
0.59%
Gasoline (1 liter)
$1.72 NZ$2.84
$1.71 NZ$2.81
0.58%
Midsize Hatchback 1.4l (Volkswagen Golf, Toyota Prius, Honda Civic, etc)
$19.7K NZ$32.5K
$27K NZ$44.5K
-26.89%
Compact Sedan 1.6l (Toyota Corolla, Mazda3, Kia K4, Hyundai Elantra, etc)
$25.6K NZ$42.3K
$20K NZ$33K
28.21%
๐Ÿงพ Monthly Utilities & Internet
Dunedin
Christchurch
Difference
Utilities for 2 People in 2-bedroom Apartment (Heating, Electricity, Gas, Water, Garbage) (85m2)
$99.8 NZ$165
$116 NZ$191
-13.59%
SIM Card Monthly Plan (Calls and 10GB+ Data)
$35.84 NZ$59.1
$32.15 NZ$53
11.48%
Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)
$55.6 NZ$91.8
$52.6 NZ$86.8
5.70%
๐ŸŽ‰ Sport & Entertainment
Dunedin
Christchurch
Difference
Gym Membership (Monthly)
$52 NZ$85.7
$34.61 NZ$57.1
50.10%
Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)
$6.13 NZ$10.12
$15.47 NZ$25.51
-60.37%
Cinema Ticket
$9.74 NZ$16.06
$10.81 NZ$17.83
-9.90%
๐Ÿงธ Childcare & Education
Dunedin
Christchurch
Difference
Preschool or Kindergarten, Full Day, Private, 1 Child (Monthly)
$577 NZ$952
$653 NZ$1,077
-11.57%
International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)
$12.2K NZ$20.1K
$9,249 NZ$15.3K
32.08%
๐Ÿ‘•๐Ÿ‘Ÿ Clothing & Footwear
Dunedin
Christchurch
Difference
Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)
$67.1 NZ$111
$64 NZ$105
4.97%
Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)
$35.49 NZ$58.5
$43.12 NZ$71.1
-17.69%
Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)
$94.1 NZ$155
$90.8 NZ$150
3.64%
Men's Leather Business Shoes
$123 NZ$203
$150 NZ$247
-17.95%
๐Ÿ  Accommodation & Living
Dunedin
Christchurch
Difference
1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)
$879 NZ$1,450
$1,536 NZ$2,534
-42.75%
1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)
$774 NZ$1,277
$1,158 NZ$1,911
-33.18%
3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)
$1,512 NZ$2,493
$2,059 NZ$3,395
-26.56%
3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)
$1,344 NZ$2,217
$1,488 NZ$2,453
-9.64%
Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)
$2,880 NZ$4,751
$4,194 NZ$6,918
-31.33%
Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)
$2,002 NZ$3,303
$3,361 NZ$5,543
-40.42%
๐Ÿ’ต Salaries & Financials
Dunedin
Christchurch
Difference
Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)
$2,565 NZ$4,230
$2,736 NZ$4,512
-6.25%
20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)
7.07
6.74
4.90%

Citycost data is based on AI and user input โ€“ minor inaccuracies may occur.

Last update for Dunedin: October 28, 2025

Last update for Christchurch: October 27, 2025

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