Cost of Living Comparison Between Dunedin and Timaru Cost of Living Comparison Between Dunedin and Timaru

๐Ÿ™‚ Solo nomad: Dunedin is 11.2% cheaper than Timaru without rent, and 9.9% cheaper with rent.
๐Ÿ˜ Family of 3: Dunedin is 4.5% more expensive than Timaru without rent, and 9.3% cheaper with rent.
Currency
๐Ÿฝ Eating Out
Dunedin
Timaru
Difference
Meal at Budget Restaurant
$12.23 NZ$20.92
$15.17 NZ$25.95
-19.38%
Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range
$73.1 NZ$125
$79.8 NZ$136
-8.39%
Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)
$10.64 NZ$18.20
$9.85 NZ$16.85
8.02%
Cappuccino
$3.35 NZ$5.73
$3.39 NZ$5.80
-1.18%
Coke/Pepsi/Fanta/Sprite (0.33 liter bottle)
$2.20 NZ$3.76
$2.18 NZ$3.73
0.92%
Water (0.33 liter bottle)
$2.02 NZ$3.45
$1.87 NZ$3.19
8.02%
Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)
$7.17 NZ$12.27
$5.89 NZ$10.08
21.73%
Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)
$6.18 NZ$10.57
$5.85 NZ$10.01
5.64%
๐Ÿ›’ Groceries & Markets
Dunedin
Timaru
Difference
Milk (1 liter)
$2.07 NZ$3.54
$1.61 NZ$2.75
28.57%
White Bread (500g)
$1.88 NZ$3.22
$1.96 NZ$3.35
-4.08%
Rice (white) (1kg)
$1.88 NZ$3.22
$1.18 NZ$2.01
59.32%
Eggs
$5.67 NZ$9.70
$6.33 NZ$10.82
-10.43%
Local Cheese (1kg)
$8.15 NZ$13.93
$9.67 NZ$16.54
-15.72%
Chicken Fillets (1kg)
$10.78 NZ$18.43
$10.76 NZ$18.40
0.19%
Beef Round Steak (1kg)
$13.16 NZ$22.51
$16.95 NZ$28.99
-22.36%
Apples (1kg)
$2.83 NZ$4.83
$2.65 NZ$4.53
6.79%
Banana (1kg)
$2.31 NZ$3.96
$2.57 NZ$4.40
-10.12%
Oranges (1kg)
$3.39 NZ$5.80
$2.97 NZ$5.08
14.14%
Tomato (1kg)
$4.41 NZ$7.54
$5.90 NZ$10.09
-25.25%
Potato (1kg)
$2.00 NZ$3.43
$2.59 NZ$4.43
-22.78%
Onion (1kg)
$2.08 NZ$3.56
$2.39 NZ$4.08
-12.97%
Lettuce (1 head)
$2.53 NZ$4.32
$2.84 NZ$4.86
-10.92%
Water (1.5 liter bottle)
$1.08 NZ$1.84
$1.14 NZ$1.95
-5.26%
Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)
$24.25 NZ$41.47
$28.48 NZ$48.71
-14.85%
Wine (Bottle)
$9.16 NZ$15.66
$7.27 NZ$12.43
26.00%
Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)
$2.61 NZ$4.46
$4.61 NZ$7.89
-43.38%
Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)
$3.60 NZ$6.15
$7.05 NZ$12.05
-48.94%
๐ŸšŒ Getting Around
Dunedin
Timaru
Difference
One-way Ticket (Public Transport)
$1.24 NZ$2.12
$2.07 NZ$3.54
-40.10%
Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)
$73.6 NZ$126
$64.9 NZ$111
13.45%
Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)
$6.08 NZ$10.40
$2.88 NZ$4.93
111.11%
Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)
$1.14 NZ$1.95
$1.09 NZ$1.87
4.59%
Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)
$29.86 NZ$51.1
$32.23 NZ$55.1
-7.35%
Gasoline (1 liter)
$1.71 NZ$2.93
$1.63 NZ$2.79
4.91%
Midsize Hatchback 1.4l (Volkswagen Golf, Toyota Prius, Honda Civic, etc)
$20.0K NZ$34.2K
$29.2K NZ$50.0K
-31.66%
Compact Sedan 1.6l (Toyota Corolla, Mazda3, Kia K4, Hyundai Elantra, etc)
$26.0K NZ$44.5K
$17.8K NZ$30.4K
46.60%
๐Ÿงพ Monthly Utilities & Internet
Dunedin
Timaru
Difference
Utilities for 2 People in 2-bedroom Apartment (Heating, Electricity, Gas, Water, Garbage) (85m2)
$103 NZ$177
$193 NZ$330
-46.47%
SIM Card Monthly Plan (Calls and 10GB+ Data)
$35.51 NZ$60.7
$23.71 NZ$40.54
49.77%
Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)
$55.7 NZ$95.2
$58.3 NZ$99.6
-4.41%
๐ŸŽ‰ Sport & Entertainment
Dunedin
Timaru
Difference
Gym Membership (Monthly)
$51.4 NZ$87.9
$36.92 NZ$63.1
39.27%
Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)
$5.91 NZ$10.10
$12.24 NZ$20.93
-51.72%
Cinema Ticket
$9.93 NZ$16.98
$13.04 NZ$22.30
-23.85%
๐Ÿงธ Childcare & Education
Dunedin
Timaru
Difference
Preschool or Kindergarten, Full Day, Private, 1 Child (Monthly)
$588 NZ$1,005
$501 NZ$858
17.24%
International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)
$11.9K NZ$20.4K
$7,129 NZ$12.2K
67.18%
๐Ÿ‘•๐Ÿ‘Ÿ Clothing & Footwear
Dunedin
Timaru
Difference
Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)
$66.9 NZ$114
$86.2 NZ$147
-22.40%
Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)
$35.00 NZ$59.8
$49.05 NZ$83.9
-28.64%
Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)
$93.8 NZ$160
$94.8 NZ$162
-1.11%
Men's Leather Business Shoes
$123 NZ$211
$281 NZ$481
-56.15%
๐Ÿ  Accommodation & Living
Dunedin
Timaru
Difference
1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)
$904 NZ$1,546
$979 NZ$1,674
-7.66%
1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)
$774 NZ$1,323
$783 NZ$1,338
-1.14%
3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)
$1,488 NZ$2,544
$1,543 NZ$2,638
-3.56%
3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)
$1,305 NZ$2,232
$1,433 NZ$2,450
-8.91%
Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)
$2,930 NZ$5,011
$5,134 NZ$8,779
-42.92%
Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)
$2,050 NZ$3,506
$3,424 NZ$5,855
-40.12%
๐Ÿ’ต Salaries & Financials
Dunedin
Timaru
Difference
Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)
$2,703 NZ$4,622
-
-
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: March 3, 2026

Last update for Timaru: February 28, 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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