Cost of Living Comparison Between Hamilton and Dunedin Cost of Living Comparison Between Hamilton and Dunedin

Monthly Cost of Living

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $1,869 in Hamilton versus $1,850 in Dunedin.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $2,967 in Hamilton versus $2,791 in Dunedin.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $4,066 in Hamilton versus $3,732 in Dunedin.

Living in Hamilton is roughly 1% more expensive than Dunedin, driven mainly by Getting Around.

Both cities are pricier than the global median: Hamilton 40% above, Dunedin 38% above.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$13.89 NZ$23.61

$11.94 NZ$20.30

16.33%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$85.0 NZ$145

$72.4 NZ$123

17.42%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$8.86 NZ$15.07

$10.65 NZ$18.10

-16.81%

Cappuccino

$3.69 NZ$6.27

$3.40 NZ$5.78

8.53%

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

$2.41 NZ$4.10

$2.27 NZ$3.87

6.17%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.88 NZ$4.90

$2.03 NZ$3.45

41.87%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$6.73 NZ$11.43

$7.14 NZ$12.14

-5.74%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$5.99 NZ$10.19

$6.08 NZ$10.33

-1.48%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.60 NZ$2.71

$2.10 NZ$3.58

-23.81%

White Bread (500g)

$1.30 NZ$2.22

$1.91 NZ$3.25

-31.94%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.94 NZ$3.29

$1.82 NZ$3.09

6.59%

Eggs

$6.04 NZ$10.27

$5.52 NZ$9.39

9.42%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$5.65 NZ$9.61

$8.41 NZ$14.30

-32.82%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$8.19 NZ$13.92

$10.82 NZ$18.39

-24.31%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$11.21 NZ$19.05

$13.21 NZ$22.45

-15.14%

Apples (1kg)

$2.68 NZ$4.56

$2.87 NZ$4.88

-6.62%

Banana (1kg)

$2.96 NZ$5.03

$2.27 NZ$3.86

30.40%

Oranges (1kg)

$3.05 NZ$5.18

$3.42 NZ$5.82

-10.82%

Tomato (1kg)

$6.49 NZ$11.03

$4.44 NZ$7.55

46.17%

Potato (1kg)

$2.26 NZ$3.84

$1.98 NZ$3.37

14.14%

Onion (1kg)

$1.91 NZ$3.24

$1.97 NZ$3.35

-3.05%

Lettuce (1 head)

$2.72 NZ$4.62

$2.54 NZ$4.32

7.09%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$1.03 NZ$1.76

$1.07 NZ$1.81

-3.74%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$25.68 NZ$43.66

$24.35 NZ$41.40

5.46%

Wine (Bottle)

$11.20 NZ$19.04

$9.36 NZ$15.91

19.66%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$3.46 NZ$5.87

$2.48 NZ$4.22

39.52%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$4.42 NZ$7.51

$3.72 NZ$6.33

18.82%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$1.63 NZ$2.77

$1.19 NZ$2.02

36.97%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$47.48 NZ$80.7

$72.0 NZ$122

-34.05%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$4.25 NZ$7.23

$5.86 NZ$9.96

-27.47%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.98 NZ$3.37

$1.11 NZ$1.89

78.38%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$42.54 NZ$72.3

$30.22 NZ$51.4

40.77%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.72 NZ$2.92

$1.71 NZ$2.90

0.58%

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

$23.4K NZ$39.8K

$19.9K NZ$33.9K

17.24%

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

$22.6K NZ$38.4K

$25.8K NZ$43.8K

-12.41%

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

$93.9 NZ$160

$102 NZ$174

-8.30%

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

$39.03 NZ$66.4

$36.18 NZ$61.5

7.88%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$54.2 NZ$92.1

$55.0 NZ$93.5

-1.45%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$32.44 NZ$55.2

$52.6 NZ$89.4

-38.34%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$16.44 NZ$27.95

$6.15 NZ$10.45

167.32%

Cinema Ticket

$13.38 NZ$22.74

$9.66 NZ$16.43

38.51%

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

$835 NZ$1,419

$587 NZ$998

42.13%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$17.9K NZ$30.5K

$12.2K NZ$20.8K

46.90%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$63.0 NZ$107

$65.8 NZ$112

-4.32%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$41.00 NZ$69.7

$34.85 NZ$59.3

17.65%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$88.2 NZ$150

$94.3 NZ$160

-6.48%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$114 NZ$194

$124 NZ$211

-7.79%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$958 NZ$1,629

$878 NZ$1,492

9.18%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$878 NZ$1,492

$779 NZ$1,324

12.68%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,249 NZ$2,123

$1,509 NZ$2,566

-17.26%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,615 NZ$2,746

$1,320 NZ$2,245

22.31%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$5,675 NZ$9,647

$2,959 NZ$5,031

91.74%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$4,916 NZ$8,358

$2,063 NZ$3,507

138.30%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$2,673 NZ$4,545

$2,561 NZ$4,354

4.38%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

6.83

7.07

-3.39%

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

Last update for Hamilton: April 25, 2026

Last update for Dunedin: April 28, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $958 in Hamilton and $878 in Dunedin. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Hamilton pays 4% 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: $85.0 in Hamilton vs $72.0 in Dunedin. Groceries flip the comparison at $311 vs $324, with Hamilton 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

Hamilton vs Dunedin: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Hamilton and Dunedin differ by about 1% in total monthly costs ($1,869 vs $1,850 including rent). Dunedin is meaningfully more affordable – a gap that matters a lot on a fixed or modest income.

Hamilton pays 4% more on average, 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 Hamilton versus $878 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 52% less than in Hamilton. Both cities have functional networks, but the price difference matters if you're watching your budget.

Childcare runs $835 in Hamilton versus $587 in Dunedin. Over years of preschool, even a modest monthly gap compounds into a major financial factor for families.

At $1,850 in Dunedin versus $1,869 in Hamilton, a $3,000 budget is realistic in Dunedin but tight or insufficient in Hamilton. 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, Hamilton 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 1% less than in Hamilton. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.