Cost of Living Comparison Between Dunedin and Manukau Cost of Living Comparison Between Dunedin and Manukau

Monthly Cost of Living

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $1,857 in Dunedin versus $1,871 in Manukau.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $2,803 in Dunedin versus $2,858 in Manukau.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $3,748 in Dunedin versus $3,844 in Manukau.

Living in Dunedin costs roughly 1% less than in Manukau, driven mainly by Groceries & Markets.

Both cities are pricier than the global median: Dunedin 39% above, Manukau 40% above.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$11.97 NZ$20.49

$15.34 NZ$26.26

-21.97%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$71.7 NZ$123

$79.2 NZ$136

-9.43%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$11.05 NZ$18.92

$9.30 NZ$15.91

18.82%

Cappuccino

$3.46 NZ$5.92

$3.50 NZ$5.99

-1.14%

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

$2.20 NZ$3.77

$1.50 NZ$2.56

46.67%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.04 NZ$3.50

$1.20 NZ$2.05

70.00%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$7.21 NZ$12.34

$5.08 NZ$8.69

41.93%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$5.86 NZ$10.04

$5.36 NZ$9.18

9.33%

Milk (1 liter)

$2.07 NZ$3.55

$1.73 NZ$2.96

19.65%

White Bread (500g)

$1.99 NZ$3.41

$2.09 NZ$3.59

-4.78%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.88 NZ$3.22

$2.01 NZ$3.44

-6.47%

Eggs

$5.71 NZ$9.78

$4.96 NZ$8.49

15.12%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$8.44 NZ$14.46

$5.79 NZ$9.92

45.77%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$10.71 NZ$18.33

$9.02 NZ$15.44

18.74%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$13.14 NZ$22.50

$13.03 NZ$22.31

0.84%

Apples (1kg)

$2.90 NZ$4.96

$2.79 NZ$4.78

3.94%

Banana (1kg)

$2.24 NZ$3.84

$2.30 NZ$3.93

-2.61%

Oranges (1kg)

$3.44 NZ$5.88

$3.38 NZ$5.78

1.78%

Tomato (1kg)

$4.47 NZ$7.65

$4.06 NZ$6.95

10.10%

Potato (1kg)

$1.98 NZ$3.39

$1.09 NZ$1.87

81.65%

Onion (1kg)

$1.98 NZ$3.39

$1.71 NZ$2.93

15.79%

Lettuce (1 head)

$2.54 NZ$4.35

$1.95 NZ$3.34

30.26%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$1.10 NZ$1.89

$1.27 NZ$2.18

-13.39%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$24.44 NZ$41.84

$25.81 NZ$44.18

-5.31%

Wine (Bottle)

$8.76 NZ$14.99

$5.10 NZ$8.74

71.76%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$2.58 NZ$4.41

$2.94 NZ$5.04

-12.24%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.66 NZ$6.27

$3.99 NZ$6.82

-8.27%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$1.20 NZ$2.05

$2.45 NZ$4.19

-51.02%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$72.9 NZ$125

$63.2 NZ$108

15.34%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$6.10 NZ$10.45

$2.15 NZ$3.67

183.72%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.13 NZ$1.94

$1.94 NZ$3.32

-41.75%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$30.14 NZ$51.6

$35.28 NZ$60.4

-14.57%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.65 NZ$2.82

$1.69 NZ$2.90

-2.37%

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

$19.7K NZ$33.7K

$28.9K NZ$49.4K

-31.87%

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

$25.2K NZ$43.2K

$21.9K NZ$37.6K

15.02%

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

$102 NZ$175

$142 NZ$242

-27.75%

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

$36.07 NZ$61.8

$30.15 NZ$51.6

19.64%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$54.4 NZ$93.2

$48.33 NZ$82.8

12.60%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$52.1 NZ$89.1

$42.96 NZ$73.6

21.18%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$6.20 NZ$10.62

$12.14 NZ$20.78

-48.93%

Cinema Ticket

$9.56 NZ$16.37

$14.35 NZ$24.57

-33.38%

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

$584 NZ$1,000

$918 NZ$1,572

-36.42%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$12.0K NZ$20.5K

$13.6K NZ$23.4K

-12.14%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$66.7 NZ$114

$48.63 NZ$83.3

37.08%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$35.81 NZ$61.3

$48.97 NZ$83.8

-26.87%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$96.8 NZ$166

$98.9 NZ$169

-2.09%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$122 NZ$209

$123 NZ$211

-0.76%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$895 NZ$1,533

$957 NZ$1,638

-6.45%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$776 NZ$1,328

$788 NZ$1,349

-1.57%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,524 NZ$2,609

$1,568 NZ$2,684

-2.78%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,307 NZ$2,239

$1,450 NZ$2,483

-9.86%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$5,110 NZ$8,749

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$2,229 NZ$3,816

$3,376 NZ$5,780

-33.99%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$2,522 NZ$4,318

$2,087 NZ$3,574

20.83%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

7.07

6.37

10.99%

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

Last update for Dunedin: July 11, 2026

Last update for Manukau: July 11, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $895 in Dunedin and $957 in Manukau. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Dunedin pays 21% more on average while also being the cheaper of the two. The combined effect is a noticeably stronger local purchasing power.

Dining out: $72.0 in Dunedin vs $79.0 in Manukau. Groceries flip the comparison at $324 vs $292, with Manukau cheaper for home cooking.

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 Manukau: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Dunedin and Manukau differ by about 1% in total monthly costs ($1,857 vs $1,871 including rent). Dunedin is meaningfully more affordable – a gap that matters a lot on a fixed or modest income.

Average pay runs 21% higher in Dunedin, 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: $895 in Dunedin versus $957 in Manukau. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

A monthly transit pass in Dunedin runs roughly 15% less than in Manukau. Both cities have functional networks, but the price difference matters if you're watching your budget.

Childcare runs $584 in Dunedin versus $918 in Manukau. Over years of preschool, even a modest monthly gap compounds into a major financial factor for families.

At $1,857 in Dunedin versus $1,871 in Manukau, a $3,000 budget is realistic in Dunedin but tight or insufficient in Manukau. The gap between the two cities makes Dunedin the clear choice for anyone on this budget.

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, Dunedin and Manukau are on par. Petty crime is typical for cities this size, and most residents feel comfortable going about their daily routines in either place.

Expats usually find Dunedin gentler on the wallet – expenses run 1% less than in Manukau. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.