Cost of Living Comparison Between Dunedin and Lower Hutt Cost of Living Comparison Between Dunedin and Lower Hutt

๐Ÿ™‚ Solo nomad: Dunedin is 1.2% cheaper than Lower Hutt without rent, and 22.2% cheaper with rent.
๐Ÿ™‚ Family of 3: Dunedin is 18.2% cheaper than Lower Hutt without rent, and 15.1% cheaper with rent.
Currency
๐Ÿฝ Eating Out
Dunedin
Lower Hutt
Difference
Meal at Budget Restaurant
$12.23 NZ$20.92
$17.42 NZ$29.79
-29.79%
Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range
$73.1 NZ$125
$83.6 NZ$143
-12.62%
Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)
$10.64 NZ$18.20
$10.73 NZ$18.34
-0.84%
Cappuccino
$3.35 NZ$5.73
$3.58 NZ$6.13
-6.42%
Coke/Pepsi/Fanta/Sprite (0.33 liter bottle)
$2.20 NZ$3.76
$2.34 NZ$4.00
-5.98%
Water (0.33 liter bottle)
$2.02 NZ$3.45
$2.23 NZ$3.81
-9.42%
Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)
$7.17 NZ$12.27
$7.11 NZ$12.16
0.84%
Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)
$6.18 NZ$10.57
$6.26 NZ$10.70
-1.28%
๐Ÿ›’ Groceries & Markets
Dunedin
Lower Hutt
Difference
Milk (1 liter)
$2.07 NZ$3.54
$1.87 NZ$3.20
10.70%
White Bread (500g)
$1.88 NZ$3.22
$2.09 NZ$3.57
-10.05%
Rice (white) (1kg)
$1.88 NZ$3.22
$1.87 NZ$3.20
0.53%
Eggs
$5.67 NZ$9.70
$7.10 NZ$12.14
-20.14%
Local Cheese (1kg)
$8.15 NZ$13.93
$7.98 NZ$13.65
2.13%
Chicken Fillets (1kg)
$10.78 NZ$18.43
$9.29 NZ$15.88
16.04%
Beef Round Steak (1kg)
$13.16 NZ$22.51
$12.92 NZ$22.08
1.86%
Apples (1kg)
$2.83 NZ$4.83
$2.44 NZ$4.18
15.98%
Banana (1kg)
$2.31 NZ$3.96
$2.12 NZ$3.63
8.96%
Oranges (1kg)
$3.39 NZ$5.80
$2.66 NZ$4.55
27.44%
Tomato (1kg)
$4.41 NZ$7.54
$4.82 NZ$8.25
-8.51%
Potato (1kg)
$2.00 NZ$3.43
$2.09 NZ$3.57
-4.31%
Onion (1kg)
$2.08 NZ$3.56
$1.77 NZ$3.03
17.51%
Lettuce (1 head)
$2.53 NZ$4.32
$2.27 NZ$3.89
11.45%
Water (1.5 liter bottle)
$1.08 NZ$1.84
$1.25 NZ$2.14
-13.60%
Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)
$24.25 NZ$41.47
$21.85 NZ$37.36
10.98%
Wine (Bottle)
$9.16 NZ$15.66
$9.55 NZ$16.33
-4.08%
Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)
$2.61 NZ$4.46
$3.53 NZ$6.03
-26.06%
Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)
$3.60 NZ$6.15
$3.30 NZ$5.65
9.09%
๐ŸšŒ Getting Around
Dunedin
Lower Hutt
Difference
One-way Ticket (Public Transport)
$1.24 NZ$2.12
$2.64 NZ$4.52
-53.03%
Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)
$73.6 NZ$126
$63.4 NZ$108
16.11%
Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)
$6.08 NZ$10.40
$2.63 NZ$4.50
131.18%
Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)
$1.14 NZ$1.95
$1.87 NZ$3.20
-39.04%
Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)
$29.86 NZ$51.1
$61.4 NZ$105
-51.38%
Gasoline (1 liter)
$1.71 NZ$2.93
$1.64 NZ$2.81
4.27%
Midsize Hatchback 1.4l (Volkswagen Golf, Toyota Prius, Honda Civic, etc)
$20.0K NZ$34.2K
$29.1K NZ$49.7K
-31.30%
Compact Sedan 1.6l (Toyota Corolla, Mazda3, Kia K4, Hyundai Elantra, etc)
$26.0K NZ$44.5K
$24.6K NZ$42.1K
5.70%
๐Ÿงพ Monthly Utilities & Internet
Dunedin
Lower Hutt
Difference
Utilities for 2 People in 2-bedroom Apartment (Heating, Electricity, Gas, Water, Garbage) (85m2)
$103 NZ$177
$160 NZ$273
-35.22%
SIM Card Monthly Plan (Calls and 10GB+ Data)
$35.51 NZ$60.7
$36.78 NZ$62.9
-3.45%
Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)
$55.7 NZ$95.2
$50.9 NZ$87.0
9.52%
๐ŸŽ‰ Sport & Entertainment
Dunedin
Lower Hutt
Difference
Gym Membership (Monthly)
$51.4 NZ$87.9
$41.42 NZ$70.8
24.14%
Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)
$5.91 NZ$10.10
$12.15 NZ$20.78
-51.36%
Cinema Ticket
$9.93 NZ$16.98
$11.00 NZ$18.81
-9.73%
๐Ÿงธ Childcare & Education
Dunedin
Lower Hutt
Difference
Preschool or Kindergarten, Full Day, Private, 1 Child (Monthly)
$588 NZ$1,005
$758 NZ$1,295
-22.39%
International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)
$11.9K NZ$20.4K
$11.7K NZ$20.0K
2.15%
๐Ÿ‘•๐Ÿ‘Ÿ Clothing & Footwear
Dunedin
Lower Hutt
Difference
Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)
$66.9 NZ$114
$71.3 NZ$122
-6.27%
Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)
$35.00 NZ$59.8
$57.6 NZ$98.5
-39.26%
Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)
$93.8 NZ$160
$116 NZ$199
-19.49%
Men's Leather Business Shoes
$123 NZ$211
$141 NZ$241
-12.29%
๐Ÿ  Accommodation & Living
Dunedin
Lower Hutt
Difference
1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)
$904 NZ$1,546
$1,399 NZ$2,392
-35.38%
1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)
$774 NZ$1,323
$1,097 NZ$1,875
-29.46%
3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)
$1,488 NZ$2,544
$2,388 NZ$4,084
-37.70%
3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)
$1,305 NZ$2,232
$1,713 NZ$2,929
-23.81%
Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)
$2,930 NZ$5,011
$5,001 NZ$8,552
-41.41%
Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)
$2,050 NZ$3,506
$3,465 NZ$5,925
-40.83%
๐Ÿ’ต Salaries & Financials
Dunedin
Lower Hutt
Difference
Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)
$2,703 NZ$4,622
$3,418 NZ$5,845
-20.92%
20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)
7.07
6.94
1.87%

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

Last update for Dunedin: March 3, 2026

Last update for Lower Hutt: March 2, 2026

City Median Internet Speeds Comparison (Updated December 2025)

The chart highlights the Precision Threshold for mobile and fixed broadband internet speeds, updated quarterly.
Digital Nomad Cost of Living Index

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