Cost of Living Comparison Between Dunedin and New Plymouth Cost of Living Comparison Between Dunedin and New Plymouth

Monthly Cost of Living

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $1,809 in Dunedin versus $1,843 in New Plymouth.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $2,809 in Dunedin versus $2,770 in New Plymouth.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $3,809 in Dunedin versus $3,698 in New Plymouth.

Living in Dunedin costs roughly 2% less than in New Plymouth, driven mainly by Monthly Utilities & Internet.

Both cities are pricier than the global median: Dunedin 34% above, New Plymouth 37% above.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$12.19 NZ$20.72

$15.27 NZ$25.96

-20.17%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$73.5 NZ$125

$77.7 NZ$132

-5.32%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$11.00 NZ$18.70

$10.72 NZ$18.23

2.61%

Cappuccino

$3.51 NZ$5.97

$3.76 NZ$6.39

-6.65%

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

$2.23 NZ$3.79

$2.37 NZ$4.02

-5.91%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.10 NZ$3.57

$2.06 NZ$3.50

1.94%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$7.45 NZ$12.67

$5.26 NZ$8.94

41.63%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$5.93 NZ$10.08

$7.37 NZ$12.53

-19.54%

Milk (1 liter)

$2.16 NZ$3.66

$2.03 NZ$3.45

6.40%

White Bread (500g)

$1.99 NZ$3.38

$1.47 NZ$2.50

35.37%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.88 NZ$3.19

$1.82 NZ$3.10

3.30%

Eggs

$5.80 NZ$9.86

$6.10 NZ$10.37

-4.92%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$8.45 NZ$14.37

$7.53 NZ$12.79

12.22%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$10.67 NZ$18.14

$13.02 NZ$22.14

-18.05%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$13.20 NZ$22.44

$12.70 NZ$21.59

3.94%

Apples (1kg)

$2.97 NZ$5.04

$2.16 NZ$3.67

37.50%

Banana (1kg)

$2.35 NZ$3.99

$1.97 NZ$3.35

19.29%

Oranges (1kg)

$3.43 NZ$5.82

$3.26 NZ$5.54

5.21%

Tomato (1kg)

$4.63 NZ$7.88

$6.67 NZ$11.34

-30.58%

Potato (1kg)

$1.91 NZ$3.25

$2.54 NZ$4.31

-24.80%

Onion (1kg)

$2.05 NZ$3.48

$1.67 NZ$2.84

22.75%

Lettuce (1 head)

$2.46 NZ$4.18

$2.00 NZ$3.40

23.00%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$1.06 NZ$1.80

$1.43 NZ$2.43

-25.87%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$23.83 NZ$40.51

$20.83 NZ$35.42

14.40%

Wine (Bottle)

$9.30 NZ$15.81

$8.70 NZ$14.78

6.90%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$2.58 NZ$4.39

$3.79 NZ$6.44

-31.93%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.71 NZ$6.31

$4.46 NZ$7.58

-16.82%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$1.23 NZ$2.09

$1.78 NZ$3.03

-30.90%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$72.6 NZ$123

$65.1 NZ$111

11.52%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$6.17 NZ$10.48

$1.85 NZ$3.14

233.51%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.09 NZ$1.85

$3.34 NZ$5.68

-67.37%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$30.45 NZ$51.8

$36.05 NZ$61.3

-15.53%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.66 NZ$2.83

$1.65 NZ$2.80

0.61%

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

$20.2K NZ$34.3K

$48.5K NZ$82.4K

-58.39%

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

$25.2K NZ$42.8K

$24.5K NZ$41.6K

2.90%

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

$103 NZ$175

$208 NZ$354

-50.54%

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

$35.92 NZ$61.1

$30.73 NZ$52.2

16.89%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$56.3 NZ$95.7

$30.13 NZ$51.2

86.76%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$52.4 NZ$89.1

$35.81 NZ$60.9

46.30%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$5.92 NZ$10.07

$12.26 NZ$20.84

-51.71%

Cinema Ticket

$9.77 NZ$16.61

$10.87 NZ$18.48

-10.12%

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

$576 NZ$980

$753 NZ$1,281

-23.52%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$11.9K NZ$20.3K

$11.9K NZ$20.2K

0.42%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$65.7 NZ$112

$89.8 NZ$153

-26.82%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$34.80 NZ$59.2

$36.03 NZ$61.3

-3.41%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$94.8 NZ$161

$73.5 NZ$125

28.94%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$121 NZ$206

$67.1 NZ$114

80.38%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$896 NZ$1,523

$736 NZ$1,252

21.68%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$758 NZ$1,288

$671 NZ$1,141

12.93%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,529 NZ$2,600

$1,375 NZ$2,338

11.22%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,346 NZ$2,288

$1,175 NZ$1,998

14.52%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$2,916 NZ$4,957

$3,328 NZ$5,658

-12.39%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$2,067 NZ$3,513

$2,725 NZ$4,633

-24.17%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$2,595 NZ$4,411

$2,702 NZ$4,593

-3.97%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

7.07

5.93

19.22%

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

Last update for Dunedin: April 13, 2026

Last update for New Plymouth: April 13, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $896 in Dunedin and $736 in New Plymouth. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

New Plymouth pays 4% more on average. The extra income cushions the higher costs, though housing choices and lifestyle decide how much of the gap is truly closed.

Dining out: $74 in Dunedin vs $78 in New Plymouth for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $328 vs $343 per month, with Dunedin cheaper across the board.

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 New Plymouth: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Dunedin and New Plymouth differ by about 2% in total monthly costs ($1,809 vs $1,843 including rent). Dunedin is meaningfully more affordable – a gap that matters a lot on a fixed or modest income.

On paper, New Plymouth earns 4% less. That's worth factoring in alongside costs, though remote workers earning in a stronger currency may not notice the difference at all.

Rent for a central apartment: $896 in Dunedin versus $736 in New Plymouth. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

A monthly transit pass in Dunedin runs roughly 12% less than in New Plymouth. Both cities have functional networks, but the price difference matters if you're watching your budget.

Childcare runs $576 in Dunedin versus $753 in New Plymouth. Over years of preschool, even a modest monthly gap compounds into a major financial factor for families.

At $1,809 in Dunedin versus $1,843 in New Plymouth, a $3,000 budget is realistic in Dunedin but tight or insufficient in New Plymouth. 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 New Plymouth 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 2% less than in New Plymouth. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.