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: $1,575 in Invercargill versus $1,795 in Dunedin.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $2,457 in Invercargill versus $2,789 in Dunedin.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $3,338 in Invercargill versus $3,783 in Dunedin.

Living in Invercargill costs roughly 12% less than in Dunedin, driven mainly by Clothing & Footwear.

Both cities are pricier than the global median: Invercargill 18% above, Dunedin 35% above.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$11.85 NZ$20.09

$11.86 NZ$20.10

-0.08%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$73.0 NZ$124

0.05%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$8.43 NZ$14.29

$10.87 NZ$18.43

-22.45%

Cappuccino

$3.50 NZ$5.93

$3.48 NZ$5.89

0.57%

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

$1.75 NZ$2.96

$2.28 NZ$3.86

-23.25%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.47 NZ$2.49

$2.00 NZ$3.39

-26.50%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$6.09 NZ$10.32

$7.12 NZ$12.07

-14.47%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$4.74 NZ$8.03

$5.90 NZ$10.01

-19.66%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.51 NZ$2.56

$2.17 NZ$3.68

-30.41%

White Bread (500g)

$1.81 NZ$3.06

$1.99 NZ$3.38

-9.05%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.79 NZ$3.04

$1.91 NZ$3.24

-6.28%

Eggs

$5.66 NZ$9.60

$5.59 NZ$9.47

1.25%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$8.12 NZ$13.76

$8.36 NZ$14.17

-2.87%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$9.49 NZ$16.09

$10.65 NZ$18.05

-10.89%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$13.20 NZ$22.38

$12.90 NZ$21.86

2.33%

Apples (1kg)

$2.84 NZ$4.81

$2.88 NZ$4.88

-1.39%

Banana (1kg)

$2.36 NZ$4.00

$2.25 NZ$3.81

4.89%

Oranges (1kg)

$2.67 NZ$4.52

$3.38 NZ$5.73

-21.01%

Tomato (1kg)

$3.67 NZ$6.21

$4.65 NZ$7.89

-21.08%

Potato (1kg)

$1.98 NZ$3.36

$1.89 NZ$3.21

4.76%

Onion (1kg)

$1.76 NZ$2.98

$2.07 NZ$3.51

-14.98%

Lettuce (1 head)

$2.47 NZ$4.20

$2.53 NZ$4.30

-2.37%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$1.10 NZ$1.87

$1.12 NZ$1.89

-1.79%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$22.35 NZ$37.88

$24.48 NZ$41.50

-8.70%

Wine (Bottle)

$8.46 NZ$14.33

$8.96 NZ$15.18

-5.58%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$4.02 NZ$6.81

$2.52 NZ$4.27

59.52%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.51 NZ$5.96

$3.57 NZ$6.05

-1.68%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$1.59 NZ$2.70

$1.24 NZ$2.10

28.23%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$62.9 NZ$107

$71.9 NZ$122

-12.57%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$2.34 NZ$3.96

$5.93 NZ$10.05

-60.54%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.88 NZ$3.19

$1.10 NZ$1.87

70.91%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$30.28 NZ$51.3

$30.03 NZ$50.9

0.83%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.65 NZ$2.80

$1.66 NZ$2.81

-0.60%

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

$25.5K NZ$43.2K

$19.7K NZ$33.3K

29.54%

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

$19.8K NZ$33.6K

$25.6K NZ$43.4K

-22.54%

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

$102 NZ$174

$102 NZ$172

0.81%

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

$36.37 NZ$61.7

$35.32 NZ$59.9

2.97%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$49.29 NZ$83.6

$54.6 NZ$92.5

-9.71%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$29.70 NZ$50.4

$51.1 NZ$86.7

-41.92%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$12.26 NZ$20.78

$6.13 NZ$10.40

100.00%

Cinema Ticket

$9.74 NZ$16.52

$9.69 NZ$16.42

0.52%

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

$592 NZ$1,004

$575 NZ$974

3.02%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$12.2K NZ$20.7K

$11.9K NZ$20.1K

2.64%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$66.9 NZ$113

$66.0 NZ$112

1.35%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$35.28 NZ$59.8

$34.51 NZ$58.5

2.23%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$81.3 NZ$138

$94.8 NZ$161

-14.28%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$83.8 NZ$142

$121 NZ$206

-30.97%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$641 NZ$1,087

$885 NZ$1,500

-27.54%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$578 NZ$980

$758 NZ$1,285

-23.72%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$869 NZ$1,474

$1,500 NZ$2,544

-42.05%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,079 NZ$1,829

$1,347 NZ$2,284

-19.94%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$5,735 NZ$9,722

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$5,153 NZ$8,736

$2,237 NZ$3,792

130.36%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$3,099 NZ$5,253

$2,582 NZ$4,377

20.03%

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: July 26, 2026

Last update for Dunedin: July 26, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $641 in Invercargill and $885 in Dunedin. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Invercargill pays 20% 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 $73.0 in Dunedin for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $308 vs $324 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 14% in total monthly costs ($1,575 vs $1,795 including rent). Invercargill is meaningfully more affordable – a gap that matters a lot on a fixed or modest income.

Average pay runs 20% 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: $641 in Invercargill versus $885 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 $592 in Invercargill versus $575 in Dunedin. Over years of preschool, even a modest monthly gap compounds into a major financial factor for families.

At $1,575 in Invercargill versus $1,795 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 14% less than in Dunedin. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.