Cost of Living Comparison Between Invercargill and Dunedin Cost of Living Comparison Between Invercargill and Dunedin

Monthly Cost of Living

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $1,573 in Invercargill versus $1,815 in Dunedin.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $2,446 in Invercargill versus $2,829 in Dunedin.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $3,318 in Invercargill versus $3,843 in Dunedin.

Living in Invercargill costs roughly 13% less than in Dunedin, driven mainly by Sport & Entertainment.

Both cities are pricier than the global median: Invercargill 18% above, Dunedin 36% above.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$11.98 NZ$20.55

$12.11 NZ$20.77

-1.07%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$72.6 NZ$124

$71.1 NZ$122

2.17%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$8.58 NZ$14.71

$10.73 NZ$18.39

-20.04%

Cappuccino

$3.47 NZ$5.95

$3.33 NZ$5.71

4.20%

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

$1.76 NZ$3.01

$2.21 NZ$3.79

-20.36%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.44 NZ$2.46

$2.08 NZ$3.57

-30.77%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$5.99 NZ$10.27

$7.13 NZ$12.22

-15.99%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$4.78 NZ$8.20

$5.96 NZ$10.22

-19.80%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.46 NZ$2.50

$2.08 NZ$3.56

-29.81%

White Bread (500g)

$1.83 NZ$3.13

$1.91 NZ$3.28

-4.19%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.71 NZ$2.94

$1.87 NZ$3.21

-8.56%

Eggs

$5.70 NZ$9.77

$5.79 NZ$9.93

-1.55%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$8.11 NZ$13.91

$8.10 NZ$13.90

0.12%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$9.17 NZ$15.73

$10.67 NZ$18.29

-14.06%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$13.67 NZ$23.43

$13.07 NZ$22.41

4.59%

Apples (1kg)

$2.72 NZ$4.67

$2.83 NZ$4.85

-3.89%

Banana (1kg)

$2.36 NZ$4.04

$2.26 NZ$3.88

4.42%

Oranges (1kg)

$2.59 NZ$4.44

$3.38 NZ$5.80

-23.37%

Tomato (1kg)

$3.68 NZ$6.32

$4.58 NZ$7.86

-19.65%

Potato (1kg)

$1.91 NZ$3.27

$1.99 NZ$3.40

-4.02%

Onion (1kg)

$1.78 NZ$3.05

$2.05 NZ$3.51

-13.17%

Lettuce (1 head)

$2.54 NZ$4.36

$2.52 NZ$4.33

0.79%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$1.11 NZ$1.91

$1.07 NZ$1.83

3.74%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$22.53 NZ$38.63

$24.33 NZ$41.71

-7.40%

Wine (Bottle)

$8.48 NZ$14.54

$8.82 NZ$15.12

-3.85%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$4.05 NZ$6.94

$2.49 NZ$4.27

62.65%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.71 NZ$6.36

$3.56 NZ$6.10

4.21%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$1.55 NZ$2.66

$1.23 NZ$2.11

26.02%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$63.8 NZ$109

$72.6 NZ$124

-12.13%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$2.43 NZ$4.17

$6.14 NZ$10.53

-60.42%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.91 NZ$3.28

$1.13 NZ$1.94

69.03%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$30.39 NZ$52.1

$30.04 NZ$51.5

1.17%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.70 NZ$2.92

$1.67 NZ$2.86

1.80%

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

$25.3K NZ$43.4K

$20.1K NZ$34.5K

25.60%

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

$19.9K NZ$34.1K

$25.1K NZ$43.1K

-20.83%

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

$103 NZ$176

$102 NZ$175

0.58%

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

$36.03 NZ$61.8

$35.71 NZ$61.2

0.90%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$50.6 NZ$86.8

$55.2 NZ$94.7

-8.38%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$29.14 NZ$49.97

$51.5 NZ$88.2

-43.37%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$11.98 NZ$20.54

$5.88 NZ$10.09

103.74%

Cinema Ticket

$9.47 NZ$16.24

$9.70 NZ$16.63

-2.37%

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

$595 NZ$1,020

$582 NZ$997

2.33%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$12.2K NZ$20.8K

$12.2K NZ$20.9K

-0.45%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$67.5 NZ$116

$66.6 NZ$114

1.38%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$35.69 NZ$61.2

$34.68 NZ$59.5

2.91%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$82.9 NZ$142

$93.8 NZ$161

-11.66%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$85.0 NZ$146

$122 NZ$210

-30.53%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$653 NZ$1,120

$894 NZ$1,532

-26.92%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$592 NZ$1,015

$757 NZ$1,298

-21.82%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$868 NZ$1,488

$1,497 NZ$2,567

-42.03%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,060 NZ$1,818

$1,334 NZ$2,287

-20.52%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$4,432 NZ$7,599

$2,927 NZ$5,018

51.43%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$3,432 NZ$5,884

$2,031 NZ$3,482

68.99%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$3,113 NZ$5,338

$2,559 NZ$4,388

21.63%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

6.87

7.07

-2.83%

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

Last update for Invercargill: June 16, 2026

Last update for Dunedin: June 13, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $653 in Invercargill and $894 in Dunedin. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Invercargill pays 22% more on average while also being the cheaper of the two. The combined effect is a noticeably stronger local purchasing power.

Dining out: $73.0 in Invercargill vs $71.0 in Dunedin. Groceries flip the comparison at $308 vs $322, with Invercargill 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

Invercargill vs Dunedin: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Invercargill and Dunedin differ by about 15% in total monthly costs ($1,573 vs $1,815 including rent). Invercargill is meaningfully more affordable – a gap that matters a lot on a fixed or modest income.

Invercargill pays 22% 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: $653 in Invercargill versus $894 in Dunedin. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

A monthly transit pass in Invercargill runs roughly 14% less than in Dunedin. Both cities have functional networks, but the price difference matters if you're watching your budget.

Childcare runs $595 in Invercargill versus $582 in Dunedin. Over years of preschool, even a modest monthly gap compounds into a major financial factor for families.

At $1,573 in Invercargill versus $1,815 in Dunedin, a $1,000 budget is realistic in Invercargill but tight or insufficient in Dunedin. The gap between the two cities makes Invercargill 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, Invercargill 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 Invercargill gentler on the wallet – expenses run 15% less than in Dunedin. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.