Cost of Living Comparison Between Gisborne and Dunedin Cost of Living Comparison Between Gisborne and Dunedin

Monthly Cost of Living

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $1,964 in Gisborne versus $1,795 in Dunedin.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $2,869 in Gisborne versus $2,789 in Dunedin.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $3,775 in Gisborne versus $3,783 in Dunedin.

Living in Gisborne is roughly 9% more expensive than in Dunedin, driven mainly by Eating Out.

Both cities are pricier than the global median: Gisborne 48% above, Dunedin 35% above.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$15.20 NZ$25.77

$11.86 NZ$20.10

28.16%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$77.9 NZ$132

$73.0 NZ$124

6.73%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$9.72 NZ$16.47

$10.87 NZ$18.43

-10.58%

Cappuccino

$3.54 NZ$6.00

$3.48 NZ$5.89

1.72%

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

$2.38 NZ$4.03

$2.28 NZ$3.86

4.39%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.09 NZ$3.54

$2.00 NZ$3.39

4.50%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$7.07 NZ$11.98

$7.12 NZ$12.07

-0.70%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$6.44 NZ$10.92

$5.90 NZ$10.01

9.15%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.80 NZ$3.05

$2.17 NZ$3.68

-17.05%

White Bread (500g)

$1.98 NZ$3.35

$1.99 NZ$3.38

-0.50%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.90 NZ$3.22

$1.91 NZ$3.24

-0.52%

Eggs

$5.99 NZ$10.16

$5.59 NZ$9.47

7.16%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$8.00 NZ$13.57

$8.36 NZ$14.17

-4.31%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$9.55 NZ$16.19

$10.65 NZ$18.05

-10.33%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$12.77 NZ$21.65

$12.90 NZ$21.86

-1.01%

Apples (1kg)

$2.71 NZ$4.60

$2.88 NZ$4.88

-5.90%

Banana (1kg)

$2.19 NZ$3.71

$2.25 NZ$3.81

-2.67%

Oranges (1kg)

$2.97 NZ$5.03

$3.38 NZ$5.73

-12.13%

Tomato (1kg)

$4.58 NZ$7.76

$4.65 NZ$7.89

-1.51%

Potato (1kg)

$2.06 NZ$3.49

$1.89 NZ$3.21

8.99%

Onion (1kg)

$1.94 NZ$3.29

$2.07 NZ$3.51

-6.28%

Lettuce (1 head)

$2.25 NZ$3.81

$2.53 NZ$4.30

-11.07%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$1.11 NZ$1.88

$1.12 NZ$1.89

-0.89%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$24.49 NZ$41.52

$24.48 NZ$41.50

0.04%

Wine (Bottle)

$10.11 NZ$17.13

$8.96 NZ$15.18

12.83%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$2.49 NZ$4.22

$2.52 NZ$4.27

-1.19%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.55 NZ$6.01

$3.57 NZ$6.05

-0.56%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$2.15 NZ$3.64

$1.24 NZ$2.10

73.39%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$65.0 NZ$110

$71.9 NZ$122

-9.59%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$2.63 NZ$4.46

$5.93 NZ$10.05

-55.65%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.79 NZ$3.04

$1.10 NZ$1.87

62.73%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$35.15 NZ$59.6

$30.03 NZ$50.9

17.05%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.67 NZ$2.83

$1.66 NZ$2.81

0.60%

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

$28.4K NZ$48.1K

$19.7K NZ$33.3K

44.20%

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

$22.2K NZ$37.6K

$25.6K NZ$43.4K

-13.42%

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

$141 NZ$239

$102 NZ$172

39.03%

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

$36.32 NZ$61.6

$35.32 NZ$59.9

2.83%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$52.3 NZ$88.7

$54.6 NZ$92.5

-4.16%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$36.23 NZ$61.4

$51.1 NZ$86.7

-29.16%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$12.27 NZ$20.80

$6.13 NZ$10.40

100.16%

Cinema Ticket

$11.06 NZ$18.75

$9.69 NZ$16.42

14.14%

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

$741 NZ$1,257

$575 NZ$974

29.02%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$11.9K NZ$20.1K

-0.22%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$67.8 NZ$115

$66.0 NZ$112

2.62%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$37.52 NZ$63.6

$34.51 NZ$58.5

8.72%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$95.9 NZ$163

$94.8 NZ$161

1.10%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$118 NZ$200

$121 NZ$206

-2.92%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$958 NZ$1,623

$885 NZ$1,500

8.19%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$868 NZ$1,472

$758 NZ$1,285

14.54%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,429 NZ$2,423

$1,500 NZ$2,544

-4.74%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,314 NZ$2,228

$1,347 NZ$2,284

-2.46%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$5,266 NZ$8,927

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$3,089 NZ$5,237

$2,237 NZ$3,792

38.10%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$4,320 NZ$7,324

$2,582 NZ$4,377

67.33%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

6.74

7.07

-4.67%

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

Last update for Gisborne: July 28, 2026

Last update for Dunedin: July 26, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $958 in Gisborne and $885 in Dunedin. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Gisborne pays 67% 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: $78.0 in Gisborne vs $73.0 in Dunedin. Groceries flip the comparison at $313 vs $324, with Gisborne 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

Gisborne vs Dunedin: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Gisborne and Dunedin differ by about 9% in total monthly costs ($1,964 vs $1,795 including rent). Dunedin is meaningfully more affordable – a gap that matters a lot on a fixed or modest income.

Average pay runs 67% higher in Gisborne, which matters when comparing affordability. Whether that higher income actually nets you more depends on your spending habits and housing choices.

Rent for a central apartment: $958 in Gisborne versus $885 in Dunedin. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

A monthly transit pass in Dunedin runs roughly 11% less than in Gisborne. Both cities have functional networks, but the price difference matters if you're watching your budget.

Childcare runs $741 in Gisborne versus $575 in Dunedin. Over years of preschool, even a modest monthly gap compounds into a major financial factor for families.

At $1,795 in Dunedin versus $1,964 in Gisborne, a $3,000 budget is realistic in Dunedin but tight or insufficient in Gisborne. 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, Gisborne and Dunedin 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 9% less than in Gisborne. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.