Cost of Living Comparison Between Dunedin and Palmerston North Cost of Living Comparison Between Dunedin and Palmerston North

Monthly Cost of Living

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $1,795 in Dunedin versus $1,679 in Palmerston North.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $2,789 in Dunedin versus $2,685 in Palmerston North.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $3,783 in Dunedin versus $3,692 in Palmerston North.

Living in Dunedin is roughly 7% more expensive than in Palmerston North, driven mainly by Eating Out.

Both cities are pricier than the global median: Dunedin 35% above, Palmerston North 26% above.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$11.86 NZ$20.10

$16.30 NZ$27.64

-27.24%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$73.0 NZ$124

$71.1 NZ$120

2.67%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$10.87 NZ$18.43

$11.97 NZ$20.29

-9.19%

Cappuccino

$3.48 NZ$5.89

$3.38 NZ$5.74

2.96%

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

$2.28 NZ$3.86

$2.37 NZ$4.02

-3.80%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.00 NZ$3.39

$2.15 NZ$3.65

-6.98%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$7.12 NZ$12.07

$7.16 NZ$12.14

-0.56%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$5.90 NZ$10.01

$6.15 NZ$10.42

-4.07%

Milk (1 liter)

$2.17 NZ$3.68

$1.90 NZ$3.23

14.21%

White Bread (500g)

$1.99 NZ$3.38

$2.11 NZ$3.58

-5.69%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.91 NZ$3.24

$1.84 NZ$3.11

3.80%

Eggs

$5.59 NZ$9.47

$5.48 NZ$9.29

2.01%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$8.36 NZ$14.17

$8.07 NZ$13.67

3.59%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$10.65 NZ$18.05

$9.08 NZ$15.39

17.29%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$12.90 NZ$21.86

$12.24 NZ$20.75

5.39%

Apples (1kg)

$2.88 NZ$4.88

$2.41 NZ$4.08

19.50%

Banana (1kg)

$2.25 NZ$3.81

$1.83 NZ$3.10

22.95%

Oranges (1kg)

$3.38 NZ$5.73

$2.47 NZ$4.19

36.84%

Tomato (1kg)

$4.65 NZ$7.89

$3.34 NZ$5.66

39.22%

Potato (1kg)

$1.89 NZ$3.21

$2.07 NZ$3.51

-8.70%

Onion (1kg)

$2.07 NZ$3.51

$2.14 NZ$3.63

-3.27%

Lettuce (1 head)

$2.53 NZ$4.30

$2.11 NZ$3.58

19.91%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$1.12 NZ$1.89

$0.93 NZ$1.58

20.43%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$24.48 NZ$41.50

$20.43 NZ$34.63

19.82%

Wine (Bottle)

$8.96 NZ$15.18

$8.43 NZ$14.29

6.29%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$2.52 NZ$4.27

$2.43 NZ$4.12

3.70%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.57 NZ$6.05

$5.35 NZ$9.07

-33.27%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$1.24 NZ$2.10

$4.69 NZ$7.95

-73.56%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$71.9 NZ$122

$29.56 NZ$50.1

143.30%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$5.93 NZ$10.05

$2.38 NZ$4.04

149.16%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.10 NZ$1.87

$1.79 NZ$3.04

-38.55%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$30.03 NZ$50.9

$17.25 NZ$29.24

74.09%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.66 NZ$2.81

$1.72 NZ$2.92

-3.49%

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

$19.7K NZ$33.3K

$18.5K NZ$31.4K

6.03%

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

$25.6K NZ$43.4K

$21.3K NZ$36.1K

20.15%

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

$102 NZ$172

$87.0 NZ$148

16.65%

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

$35.32 NZ$59.9

$37.59 NZ$63.7

-6.04%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$54.6 NZ$92.5

$47.76 NZ$81.0

14.30%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$51.1 NZ$86.7

$35.51 NZ$60.2

44.02%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$6.13 NZ$10.40

$13.18 NZ$22.35

-53.49%

Cinema Ticket

$9.69 NZ$16.42

$9.22 NZ$15.62

5.10%

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

$575 NZ$974

$1,016 NZ$1,722

-43.43%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$11.9K NZ$20.1K

$6,094 NZ$10.3K

95.05%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$66.0 NZ$112

$56.6 NZ$96.0

16.56%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$34.51 NZ$58.5

$37.58 NZ$63.7

-8.17%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$94.8 NZ$161

$91.8 NZ$156

3.29%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$121 NZ$206

$93.1 NZ$158

30.39%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$885 NZ$1,500

$856 NZ$1,451

3.39%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$758 NZ$1,285

$694 NZ$1,176

9.25%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,500 NZ$2,544

$1,575 NZ$2,669

-4.71%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,347 NZ$2,284

$1,356 NZ$2,299

-0.64%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$2,120 NZ$3,593

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$2,237 NZ$3,792

$1,871 NZ$3,172

19.53%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$2,582 NZ$4,377

$2,605 NZ$4,415

-0.87%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

7.07

6.69

5.68%

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

Last update for Dunedin: July 26, 2026

Last update for Palmerston North: July 27, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $885 in Dunedin and $856 in Palmerston North. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Palmerston North pays 1% more on average while also being the cheaper of the two. The combined effect is a noticeably stronger local purchasing power.

Dining out: $73.0 in Dunedin vs $71.0 in Palmerston North for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $324 vs $295 per month, with Palmerston North 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 Palmerston North: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Dunedin and Palmerston North differ by about 7% in total monthly costs ($1,795 vs $1,679 including rent). Palmerston North is meaningfully more affordable – a gap that matters a lot on a fixed or modest income.

On paper, salaries run 1% lower in Palmerston North. 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: $885 in Dunedin versus $856 in Palmerston North. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

A monthly transit pass in Palmerston North runs roughly 143% less than in Dunedin. Both cities have functional networks, but the price difference matters if you're watching your budget.

Childcare runs $575 in Dunedin versus $1,016 in Palmerston North. Over years of preschool, even a modest monthly gap compounds into a major financial factor for families.

At $1,679 in Palmerston North versus $1,795 in Dunedin, a $3,000 budget is realistic in Palmerston North but tight or insufficient in Dunedin. The gap between the two cities makes Palmerston North 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 Palmerston North 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 Palmerston North gentler on the wallet – expenses run 7% less than in Dunedin. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.