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: $1,449 in Invercargill versus $1,872 in Dunedin.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $2,182 in Invercargill versus $2,733 in Dunedin.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $2,916 in Invercargill versus $3,595 in Dunedin.

Living in Invercargill costs roughly 23% less than in Dunedin, driven mainly by Getting Around.

Both cities are pricier than the global median: Invercargill 6% above, Dunedin 37% above.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$14.58 NZ$25.48

$14.32 NZ$25.04

1.82%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$62.7 NZ$110

$63.2 NZ$110

-0.85%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$8.60 NZ$15.03

$11.37 NZ$19.88

-24.36%

Cappuccino

$3.24 NZ$5.67

$3.50 NZ$6.12

-7.43%

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

$1.77 NZ$3.10

$2.20 NZ$3.85

-19.55%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.08 NZ$3.64

$2.11 NZ$3.69

-1.42%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$2.93 NZ$5.11

$7.11 NZ$12.42

-58.79%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.80 NZ$4.90

$6.26 NZ$10.95

-55.27%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.73 NZ$3.02

$2.13 NZ$3.72

-18.78%

White Bread (500g)

$1.86 NZ$3.26

$2.06 NZ$3.60

-9.71%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.76 NZ$3.07

$1.74 NZ$3.05

1.15%

Eggs

$5.78 NZ$10.10

$5.83 NZ$10.19

-0.86%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$8.46 NZ$14.80

$8.77 NZ$15.33

-3.53%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$8.89 NZ$15.55

$9.80 NZ$17.13

-9.29%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$12.27 NZ$21.46

$16.66 NZ$29.13

-26.35%

Apples (1kg)

$2.69 NZ$4.70

$2.94 NZ$5.14

-8.50%

Banana (1kg)

$2.41 NZ$4.21

$2.43 NZ$4.24

-0.82%

Oranges (1kg)

$2.62 NZ$4.57

$3.23 NZ$5.64

-18.89%

Tomato (1kg)

$3.59 NZ$6.28

$5.18 NZ$9.06

-30.69%

Potato (1kg)

$3.20 NZ$5.60

$1.86 NZ$3.25

72.04%

Onion (1kg)

$1.74 NZ$3.04

$1.83 NZ$3.20

-4.92%

Lettuce (1 head)

$2.41 NZ$4.22

$2.42 NZ$4.24

-0.41%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$1.11 NZ$1.95

$0.57 NZ$1.00

94.74%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$17.83 NZ$31.17

$21.71 NZ$37.96

-17.87%

Wine (Bottle)

$8.49 NZ$14.85

$9.25 NZ$16.18

-8.22%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$3.07 NZ$5.37

$3.18 NZ$5.55

-3.46%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.35 NZ$5.85

$1.23 NZ$2.15

172.36%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$1.47 NZ$2.57

$1.13 NZ$1.97

30.09%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$70.5 NZ$123

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$2.25 NZ$3.94

$5.79 NZ$10.11

-61.14%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.97 NZ$3.44

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$28.93 NZ$50.6

$29.15 NZ$51.0

-0.75%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.66 NZ$2.90

$1.73 NZ$3.02

-4.05%

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

$24.1K NZ$42.1K

$26.0K NZ$45.5K

-7.41%

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

$18.9K NZ$33.1K

$25.7K NZ$45.0K

-26.34%

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

$114 NZ$199

$113 NZ$197

0.77%

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

$32.46 NZ$56.8

$28.94 NZ$50.6

12.16%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$43.31 NZ$75.7

$52.8 NZ$92.4

-18.02%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$28.25 NZ$49.39

$49.64 NZ$86.8

-43.09%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$14.18 NZ$24.80

Cinema Ticket

$9.12 NZ$15.94

$10.52 NZ$18.40

-13.31%

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

$596 NZ$1,042

$610 NZ$1,066

-2.28%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$60.3 NZ$105

$60.5 NZ$106

-0.33%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$36.12 NZ$63.2

$36.21 NZ$63.3

-0.25%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$72.5 NZ$127

$94.7 NZ$166

-23.41%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$82.4 NZ$144

$141 NZ$246

-41.48%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$609 NZ$1,064

$893 NZ$1,560

-31.82%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$572 NZ$999

$760 NZ$1,328

-24.75%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$855 NZ$1,495

$1,510 NZ$2,640

-43.37%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$792 NZ$1,384

$1,196 NZ$2,091

-33.81%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$5,751 NZ$10.1K

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$5,151 NZ$9,004

$2,242 NZ$3,919

129.76%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$2,834 NZ$4,954

$2,586 NZ$4,521

9.57%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

6.72

7.07

-4.95%

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

Last update for Invercargill: September 13, 2026

Last update for Dunedin: September 12, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $609 in Invercargill and $893 in Dunedin. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Invercargill pays 10% more on average while also being the cheaper of the two. The combined effect is a noticeably stronger local purchasing power.

Dining out: $63.0 in Invercargill vs $63.0 in Dunedin for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $304 vs $328 per month, with Invercargill 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

Invercargill vs Dunedin: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Invercargill and Dunedin differ by about 29% in total monthly costs ($1,449 vs $1,872 including rent). Invercargill is meaningfully more affordable – a gap that matters a lot on a fixed or modest income.

Average pay runs 10% higher in Invercargill, 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: $609 in Invercargill versus $893 in Dunedin. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Supermarket bills run roughly 8% higher in Dunedin. For households that cook at home regularly, that difference adds up over a month.

All in, you'll spend $1,449 per month in Invercargill versus $1,872 in Dunedin – a 29% gap that adds up to real savings over time for anyone picking the cheaper option.

At $1,449 in Invercargill versus $1,872 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 29% less than in Dunedin. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.