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

Monthly Cost of Living

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $1,795 in Dunedin versus $1,923 in Upper Hutt.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $2,789 in Dunedin versus $2,974 in Upper Hutt.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $3,783 in Dunedin versus $4,025 in Upper Hutt.

Living in Dunedin costs roughly 7% less than in Upper Hutt, driven mainly by Eating Out.

Both cities are pricier than the global median: Dunedin 35% above, Upper Hutt 44% above.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$11.86 NZ$20.10

$17.25 NZ$29.23

-31.25%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$73.0 NZ$124

$84.0 NZ$142

-13.14%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$10.87 NZ$18.43

$9.84 NZ$16.68

10.47%

Cappuccino

$3.48 NZ$5.89

$3.55 NZ$6.01

-1.97%

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

$2.28 NZ$3.86

$2.29 NZ$3.88

-0.44%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.00 NZ$3.39

$2.21 NZ$3.75

-9.50%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$7.12 NZ$12.07

$7.41 NZ$12.55

-3.91%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$5.90 NZ$10.01

$6.31 NZ$10.69

-6.50%

Milk (1 liter)

$2.17 NZ$3.68

$1.73 NZ$2.93

25.43%

White Bread (500g)

$1.99 NZ$3.38

$2.09 NZ$3.55

-4.78%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.91 NZ$3.24

$1.83 NZ$3.11

4.37%

Eggs

$5.59 NZ$9.47

$6.25 NZ$10.60

-10.56%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$8.36 NZ$14.17

$7.96 NZ$13.49

5.03%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$10.65 NZ$18.05

$8.92 NZ$15.12

19.39%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$12.90 NZ$21.86

$12.21 NZ$20.70

5.65%

Apples (1kg)

$2.88 NZ$4.88

$2.41 NZ$4.08

19.50%

Banana (1kg)

$2.25 NZ$3.81

$1.81 NZ$3.07

24.31%

Oranges (1kg)

$3.38 NZ$5.73

$2.52 NZ$4.28

34.13%

Tomato (1kg)

$4.65 NZ$7.89

$3.35 NZ$5.68

38.81%

Potato (1kg)

$1.89 NZ$3.21

$2.01 NZ$3.41

-5.97%

Onion (1kg)

$2.07 NZ$3.51

$1.63 NZ$2.76

26.99%

Lettuce (1 head)

$2.53 NZ$4.30

$2.12 NZ$3.59

19.34%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$1.12 NZ$1.89

$1.29 NZ$2.18

-13.18%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$24.48 NZ$41.50

$20.65 NZ$35.01

18.55%

Wine (Bottle)

$8.96 NZ$15.18

$10.93 NZ$18.52

-18.02%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$2.52 NZ$4.27

$2.44 NZ$4.13

3.28%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.57 NZ$6.05

$2.63 NZ$4.46

35.74%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$1.24 NZ$2.10

$2.13 NZ$3.60

-41.78%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$71.9 NZ$122

$64.2 NZ$109

12.04%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$5.93 NZ$10.05

$2.69 NZ$4.55

120.45%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.10 NZ$1.87

$1.84 NZ$3.12

-40.22%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$30.03 NZ$50.9

$47.40 NZ$80.4

-36.65%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.66 NZ$2.81

$1.65 NZ$2.79

0.61%

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

$19.7K NZ$33.3K

$27.3K NZ$46.2K

-27.91%

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

$25.6K NZ$43.4K

$23.4K NZ$39.7K

9.41%

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

$102 NZ$172

$159 NZ$270

-36.21%

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

$35.32 NZ$59.9

$33.34 NZ$56.5

5.94%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$54.6 NZ$92.5

$47.63 NZ$80.8

14.61%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$51.1 NZ$86.7

$37.13 NZ$63.0

37.73%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$6.13 NZ$10.40

$11.86 NZ$20.11

-48.31%

Cinema Ticket

$9.69 NZ$16.42

$9.22 NZ$15.63

5.10%

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

$575 NZ$974

$743 NZ$1,259

-22.62%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$11.9K NZ$20.1K

$12.7K NZ$21.6K

-6.68%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$66.0 NZ$112

$72.8 NZ$123

-9.33%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$34.51 NZ$58.5

$52.1 NZ$88.3

-33.76%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$94.8 NZ$161

$104 NZ$177

-9.14%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$121 NZ$206

$127 NZ$215

-4.32%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$885 NZ$1,500

$978 NZ$1,659

-9.54%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$758 NZ$1,285

$789 NZ$1,337

-3.87%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,500 NZ$2,544

$1,590 NZ$2,696

-5.65%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,347 NZ$2,284

$1,433 NZ$2,429

-5.97%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$4,673 NZ$7,921

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$2,237 NZ$3,792

$2,994 NZ$5,076

-25.30%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$2,582 NZ$4,377

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 Upper Hutt: July 28, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $885 in Dunedin and $978 in Upper Hutt. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Dining out: $73.0 in Dunedin vs $84.0 in Upper Hutt. Groceries flip the comparison at $324 vs $298, with Upper Hutt 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 Upper Hutt: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Dunedin and Upper Hutt differ by about 7% in total monthly costs ($1,795 vs $1,923 including rent). Dunedin is meaningfully more affordable – a gap that matters a lot on a fixed or modest income.

You'd need roughly $2,692 in Dunedin and $2,884 in Upper Hutt to live well. The gap comes down to housing and overall price levels. Both cities are liveable on less, but these numbers represent actual comfort.

Rent for a central apartment: $885 in Dunedin versus $978 in Upper Hutt. 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 Upper Hutt. Both cities have functional networks, but the price difference matters if you're watching your budget.

Childcare runs $575 in Dunedin versus $743 in Upper Hutt. Over years of preschool, even a modest monthly gap compounds into a major financial factor for families.

At $1,795 in Dunedin versus $1,923 in Upper Hutt, a $3,000 budget is realistic in Dunedin but tight or insufficient in Upper Hutt. 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 Upper Hutt 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 7% less than in Upper Hutt. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.