Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Dunedin and Waihi

For one person, living is cheaper in Waihi: $1,922 a month against $1,987 in Dunedin, rent and utilities included – about $780 less a year. Rent and utilities account for about half of the difference.

96

Cost of Living Index in Dunedin
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Dunedin Living Index
96

Cost of Living Index in Waihi
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Waihi Living Index

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Dunedin

🇳🇿 New Zealand

$1,987

/mo nomad

Waihi

🇳🇿 New Zealand

$1,922

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

How much you'll spend in Dunedin and in Waihi

Real prices from locals and on-the-ground checks – rent, groceries, transit and the daily extras. Here's what a month in Dunedin and in Waihi actually costs, broken down by who's living it.

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $1,987 in Dunedin versus $1,922 in Waihi.

Dunedin $1,987
Waihi $1,922

Estimated couple costs with rent: $2,907 in Dunedin versus $2,966 in Waihi.

Dunedin $2,907
Waihi $2,966

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $3,828 in Dunedin versus $4,010 in Waihi.

Dunedin $3,828
Waihi $4,010

Living in Dunedin is roughly 3% more expensive than in Waihi, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in eating out.

Both cities are pricier than the global median: Dunedin 46% above, Waihi 41% above.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$14.03 NZ$24.90

$12.46 NZ$22.12

12.60%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$62.0 NZ$110

$66.5 NZ$118

-6.76%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$11.40 NZ$20.23

$10.30 NZ$18.28

10.68%

Cappuccino

$3.27 NZ$5.80

$3.27 NZ$5.81

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

$2.07 NZ$3.68

$2.29 NZ$4.07

-9.61%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.06 NZ$3.65

$1.88 NZ$3.33

9.57%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$6.73 NZ$11.95

$7.02 NZ$12.46

-4.13%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$6.16 NZ$10.94

$6.34 NZ$11.25

-2.84%

Milk (1 liter)

$2.15 NZ$3.81

$2.05 NZ$3.63

4.88%

White Bread (500g)

$1.99 NZ$3.54

$2.09 NZ$3.70

-4.78%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.76 NZ$3.13

$1.75 NZ$3.10

0.57%

Eggs

$5.90 NZ$10.48

$6.56 NZ$11.65

-10.06%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$8.52 NZ$15.12

$8.02 NZ$14.23

6.23%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$9.21 NZ$16.36

$8.37 NZ$14.86

10.04%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$16.72 NZ$29.68

$13.24 NZ$23.51

26.28%

Apples (1kg)

$3.02 NZ$5.36

$2.42 NZ$4.29

24.79%

Banana (1kg)

$2.29 NZ$4.06

$2.43 NZ$4.32

-5.76%

Oranges (1kg)

$3.27 NZ$5.80

$3.46 NZ$6.15

-5.49%

Tomato (1kg)

$5.13 NZ$9.11

$5.45 NZ$9.68

-5.87%

Potato (1kg)

$1.84 NZ$3.27

$2.19 NZ$3.89

-15.98%

Onion (1kg)

$1.87 NZ$3.33

$1.29 NZ$2.28

44.96%

Lettuce (1 head)

$2.41 NZ$4.28

$1.99 NZ$3.53

21.11%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.60 NZ$1.07

$1.23 NZ$2.19

-51.22%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$20.90 NZ$37.11

$22.43 NZ$39.81

-6.82%

Wine (Bottle)

$9.01 NZ$16.00

$8.51 NZ$15.10

5.88%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$3.17 NZ$5.63

$3.06 NZ$5.44

3.59%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.26 NZ$2.23

$2.91 NZ$5.16

-56.70%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$1.43 NZ$2.54

$1.75 NZ$3.10

-18.29%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$102 NZ$180

$91.9 NZ$163

10.55%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$5.76 NZ$10.22

$1.93 NZ$3.43

198.45%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.91 NZ$3.40

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$28.63 NZ$50.8

$27.33 NZ$48.51

4.76%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.77 NZ$3.14

$1.46 NZ$2.60

21.23%

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

$28.2K NZ$50.1K

$26.4K NZ$46.8K

6.96%

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

$23.5K NZ$41.7K

$22.7K NZ$40.3K

3.33%

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

$110 NZ$196

$98.2 NZ$174

12.46%

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

$29.44 NZ$52.3

$32.20 NZ$57.2

-8.57%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$52.3 NZ$92.8

$56.7 NZ$101

-7.79%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$45.90 NZ$81.5

$38.41 NZ$68.2

19.50%

Cinema Ticket

$11.20 NZ$19.89

$10.15 NZ$18.03

10.34%

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

$588 NZ$1,045

$637 NZ$1,131

-7.68%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$15.9K NZ$28.2K

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$58.8 NZ$104

$56.8 NZ$101

3.49%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$35.28 NZ$62.6

$36.02 NZ$64.0

-2.05%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$91.3 NZ$162

$79.8 NZ$142

14.45%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$135 NZ$240

$124 NZ$220

9.18%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,013 NZ$1,798

$1,043 NZ$1,852

-2.90%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$897 NZ$1,593

$880 NZ$1,563

1.90%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,632 NZ$2,897

$1,835 NZ$3,258

-11.06%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,358 NZ$2,410

$1,618 NZ$2,873

-16.10%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$4,648 NZ$8,251

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$2,273 NZ$4,035

$3,823 NZ$6,788

-40.55%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$2,464 NZ$4,374

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

7.07

5.83

21.27%

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

Last update for Dunedin: October 25, 2026

Last update for Waihi: October 25, 2026

Monthly budget structure

Share of the monthly basket for one person, rent included.

Accommodation & Living

Dunedin

$897 45.2%

Waihi

$880 45.8% 1.9% $17

Groceries & Markets

Dunedin

$324 16.3%

Waihi

$318 16.6% 1.8% $5.9

Eating Out

Dunedin

$248 12.5%

Waihi

$234 12.2% 5.6% $14

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Dunedin

$192 9.7%

Waihi

$187 9.7% 2.6% $5

Clothing & Footwear

Dunedin

$144 7.3%

Waihi

$133 6.9% 7.5% $11

Getting Around

Dunedin

$113 * 5.7%

Waihi

$110 5.8% 2.4% $2.7

Sport & Entertainment

Dunedin

$68 3.4%

Waihi

$59 3.1% 14% $9.6

Categories marked with * are only partly priced – their share counts the items that do have prices.

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $1,013 in Dunedin and $1,043 in Waihi. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Dining out: $62 in Dunedin vs $66 in Waihi. Groceries flip the comparison at $324 vs $318, with Waihi cheaper for home cooking.

Good to know

🇳🇿 Dunedin

🇳🇿 Waihi

🕒 Local time

19:12 7:12 PM

Same time as Dunedin

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

105,000

4,700

💱 Currency

New Zealand Dollar NZD $

📈 Exchange rate

1 NZD = 0.563 USD

1 NZD = 0.504 EUR

1 NZD = 0.563 USD

1 NZD = 0.504 EUR

Exchange rates and currency converter

On the map

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Between locations

Dunedin Waihi 1,040 km ≈ 1 h 45 min nonstop flight

From you

Dunedin
Waihi

Distances are measured in a straight line. Your location is detected approximately.

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 Waihi: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Total monthly costs including rent come to $1,987 in Dunedin and $1,922 in Waihi, so Waihi is about 3% cheaper – a gap that matters a lot on a fixed or modest income.

You’d need roughly $2,980 in Dunedin and $2,883 in Waihi 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: $1,013 in Dunedin versus $1,043 in Waihi. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

A monthly transit pass in Waihi runs roughly 10% less than in Dunedin. The price difference matters if you commute daily and watch your budget.

All in, you’ll spend $1,987 per month in Dunedin versus $1,922 in Waihi – Waihi is about 3% cheaper, which adds up to real savings over time.

Either city works on $3,000 a month, though Waihi gives you more room to save. At this income level, the choice is more about lifestyle than financial pressure.

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 Waihi are both considered safe, so it’s unlikely to be the deciding factor between them.