Cost of Living Comparison Between Hastings and Dunedin Cost of Living Comparison Between Hastings and Dunedin

Monthly Cost of Living

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $1,421 in Hastings versus $1,850 in Dunedin.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $2,292 in Hastings versus $2,791 in Dunedin.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $3,162 in Hastings versus $3,732 in Dunedin.

Living in Hastings costs roughly 23% less than in Dunedin, driven mainly by Clothing & Footwear.

Both cities are pricier than the global median: Hastings 6% above, Dunedin 38% above.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$12.12 NZ$20.60

$11.94 NZ$20.30

1.51%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$83.7 NZ$142

$72.4 NZ$123

15.62%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$9.51 NZ$16.17

$10.65 NZ$18.10

-10.70%

Cappuccino

$3.41 NZ$5.80

$3.40 NZ$5.78

0.29%

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

$1.85 NZ$3.15

$2.27 NZ$3.87

-18.50%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.05 NZ$3.49

$2.03 NZ$3.45

0.99%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$5.89 NZ$10.02

$7.14 NZ$12.14

-17.51%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$7.28 NZ$12.37

$6.08 NZ$10.33

19.74%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.90 NZ$3.23

$2.10 NZ$3.58

-9.52%

White Bread (500g)

$2.04 NZ$3.47

$1.91 NZ$3.25

6.81%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.94 NZ$3.30

$1.82 NZ$3.09

6.59%

Eggs

$6.16 NZ$10.47

$5.52 NZ$9.39

11.59%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$8.02 NZ$13.64

$8.41 NZ$14.30

-4.64%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$11.16 NZ$18.98

$10.82 NZ$18.39

3.14%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$12.63 NZ$21.48

$13.21 NZ$22.45

-4.39%

Apples (1kg)

$2.86 NZ$4.86

$2.87 NZ$4.88

-0.35%

Banana (1kg)

$2.13 NZ$3.62

$2.27 NZ$3.86

-6.17%

Oranges (1kg)

$3.01 NZ$5.12

$3.42 NZ$5.82

-11.99%

Tomato (1kg)

$4.80 NZ$8.16

$4.44 NZ$7.55

8.11%

Potato (1kg)

$1.87 NZ$3.18

$1.98 NZ$3.37

-5.56%

Onion (1kg)

$1.47 NZ$2.50

$1.97 NZ$3.35

-25.38%

Lettuce (1 head)

$2.17 NZ$3.70

$2.54 NZ$4.32

-14.57%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.97 NZ$1.66

$1.07 NZ$1.81

-9.35%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$21.89 NZ$37.21

$24.35 NZ$41.40

-10.10%

Wine (Bottle)

$9.69 NZ$16.48

$9.36 NZ$15.91

3.53%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$3.72 NZ$6.32

$2.48 NZ$4.22

50.00%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.84 NZ$4.83

$3.72 NZ$6.33

-23.66%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$2.50 NZ$4.26

$1.19 NZ$2.02

110.08%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$61.4 NZ$104

$72.0 NZ$122

-14.67%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$2.78 NZ$4.73

$5.86 NZ$9.96

-52.56%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.84 NZ$3.12

$1.11 NZ$1.89

65.77%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$60.1 NZ$102

$30.22 NZ$51.4

98.71%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.67 NZ$2.83

$1.71 NZ$2.90

-2.34%

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

$31.0K NZ$52.6K

$19.9K NZ$33.9K

55.21%

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

$20.7K NZ$35.3K

$25.8K NZ$43.8K

-19.57%

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

$155 NZ$264

$102 NZ$174

51.72%

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

$32.96 NZ$56.0

$36.18 NZ$61.5

-8.90%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$51.8 NZ$88.0

$55.0 NZ$93.5

-5.85%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$36.54 NZ$62.1

$52.6 NZ$89.4

-30.55%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$12.09 NZ$20.55

$6.15 NZ$10.45

96.59%

Cinema Ticket

$10.88 NZ$18.50

$9.66 NZ$16.43

12.63%

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

$806 NZ$1,371

$587 NZ$998

37.28%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$12.7K NZ$21.6K

$12.2K NZ$20.8K

3.96%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$62.9 NZ$107

$65.8 NZ$112

-4.42%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$53.2 NZ$90.4

$34.85 NZ$59.3

52.65%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$116 NZ$197

$94.3 NZ$160

23.05%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$135 NZ$229

$124 NZ$211

8.66%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$395 NZ$672

$878 NZ$1,492

-54.99%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$349 NZ$594

$779 NZ$1,324

-55.14%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,042 NZ$1,771

$1,509 NZ$2,566

-30.97%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$585 NZ$995

$1,320 NZ$2,245

-55.69%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$2,959 NZ$5,031

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$2,063 NZ$3,507

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$2,157 NZ$3,667

$2,561 NZ$4,354

-15.79%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

6.94

7.07

-1.84%

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

Last update for Hastings: April 25, 2026

Last update for Dunedin: April 28, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $395 in Hastings and $878 in Dunedin. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Dunedin pays 19% 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: $84.0 in Hastings vs $72.0 in Dunedin for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $325 vs $324 per month, with Dunedin cheaper across the board.

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

Hastings vs Dunedin: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Hastings and Dunedin differ by about 30% in total monthly costs ($1,421 vs $1,850 including rent). Hastings is meaningfully more affordable – a gap that matters a lot on a fixed or modest income.

On paper, Dunedin earns 19% less. That's worth factoring in alongside costs, though remote workers earning in a stronger currency may not notice the difference at all.

Rent for a central apartment: $395 in Hastings versus $878 in Dunedin. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

A monthly transit pass in Hastings runs roughly 17% less than in Dunedin. Both cities have functional networks, but the price difference matters if you're watching your budget.

Childcare runs $806 in Hastings versus $587 in Dunedin. Over years of preschool, even a modest monthly gap compounds into a major financial factor for families.

At $1,421 in Hastings versus $1,850 in Dunedin, a $1,000 budget is realistic in Hastings but tight or insufficient in Dunedin. The gap between the two cities makes Hastings 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, Hastings 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 Hastings gentler on the wallet – expenses run 30% less than in Dunedin. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.