Cost of Living Comparison Between Levin and Dunedin Cost of Living Comparison Between Levin and Dunedin

Monthly Cost of Living

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $1,891 in Levin versus $1,840 in Dunedin.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $2,948 in Levin versus $2,828 in Dunedin.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $4,005 in Levin versus $3,817 in Dunedin.

Living in Levin is roughly 3% more expensive than Dunedin, driven mainly by Groceries & Markets.

Both cities are pricier than the global median: Levin 41% above, Dunedin 37% above.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$19.92 NZ$34.01

$12.01 NZ$20.50

65.86%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$100 NZ$171

$73.1 NZ$125

36.85%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$8.94 NZ$15.26

$10.82 NZ$18.48

-17.38%

Cappuccino

$2.98 NZ$5.10

$3.45 NZ$5.89

-13.62%

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

$2.34 NZ$3.99

$2.23 NZ$3.80

4.93%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.25 NZ$3.84

$2.10 NZ$3.59

7.14%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$7.20 NZ$12.30

$7.44 NZ$12.70

-3.23%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$6.18 NZ$10.56

$5.96 NZ$10.17

3.69%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.75 NZ$2.99

$2.15 NZ$3.68

-18.60%

White Bread (500g)

$0.75 NZ$1.28

$1.88 NZ$3.21

-60.11%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.83 NZ$3.12

$1.84 NZ$3.13

-0.54%

Eggs

$6.26 NZ$10.69

$5.68 NZ$9.70

10.21%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$7.32 NZ$12.49

$8.38 NZ$14.32

-12.65%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$7.74 NZ$13.22

$10.78 NZ$18.40

-28.20%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$10.39 NZ$17.73

$12.89 NZ$22.01

-19.39%

Apples (1kg)

$1.84 NZ$3.14

$2.95 NZ$5.03

-37.63%

Banana (1kg)

$1.80 NZ$3.08

$2.28 NZ$3.89

-21.05%

Oranges (1kg)

$2.44 NZ$4.16

$3.42 NZ$5.85

-28.65%

Tomato (1kg)

$1.96 NZ$3.34

$4.46 NZ$7.61

-56.05%

Potato (1kg)

$2.15 NZ$3.67

$1.92 NZ$3.28

11.98%

Onion (1kg)

$2.18 NZ$3.72

$2.05 NZ$3.50

6.34%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.48 NZ$2.52

$2.54 NZ$4.33

-41.73%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.58 NZ$1.00

$1.08 NZ$1.84

-46.30%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$19.25 NZ$32.87

$24.59 NZ$42.00

-21.72%

Wine (Bottle)

$11.60 NZ$19.80

$9.22 NZ$15.74

25.81%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$2.53 NZ$4.33

$2.60 NZ$4.43

-2.69%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.63 NZ$4.50

$3.60 NZ$6.15

-26.94%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$2.14 NZ$3.65

$1.24 NZ$2.11

72.58%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$64.3 NZ$110

$72.5 NZ$124

-11.28%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$2.65 NZ$4.52

$6.08 NZ$10.38

-56.41%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.77 NZ$3.03

$1.09 NZ$1.87

62.39%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$35.15 NZ$60.0

$30.44 NZ$52.0

15.47%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.72 NZ$2.93

$1.71 NZ$2.93

0.58%

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

$26.8K NZ$45.8K

$20.0K NZ$34.2K

34.05%

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

$23.7K NZ$40.4K

$25.4K NZ$43.4K

-6.95%

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

$196 NZ$335

$103 NZ$176

90.28%

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

$38.11 NZ$65.1

$35.86 NZ$61.2

6.27%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$48.66 NZ$83.1

$56.2 NZ$95.9

-13.37%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$37.22 NZ$63.6

$52.2 NZ$89.2

-28.74%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$12.27 NZ$20.95

$6.17 NZ$10.54

98.87%

Cinema Ticket

$8.81 NZ$15.04

$9.44 NZ$16.12

-6.67%

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

$742 NZ$1,268

$589 NZ$1,005

26.12%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$12.1K NZ$20.7K

$12.0K NZ$20.6K

0.87%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$98.6 NZ$168

$66.0 NZ$113

49.35%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$24.60 NZ$42.01

$34.95 NZ$59.7

-29.61%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$54.8 NZ$93.6

$96.5 NZ$165

-43.14%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$120 NZ$206

$122 NZ$209

-1.47%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$986 NZ$1,684

$898 NZ$1,534

9.78%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$787 NZ$1,343

$775 NZ$1,324

1.47%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,551 NZ$2,648

$1,507 NZ$2,573

2.92%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,448 NZ$2,472

$1,340 NZ$2,288

8.02%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$4,109 NZ$7,017

$2,898 NZ$4,948

41.81%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$3,164 NZ$5,403

$1,986 NZ$3,391

59.32%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$2,548 NZ$4,351

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

6.69

7.07

-5.37%

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

Last update for Levin: June 8, 2026

Last update for Dunedin: June 8, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $986 in Levin and $898 in Dunedin. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Dining out: $100 in Levin vs $73.0 in Dunedin. Groceries flip the comparison at $254 vs $324, with Levin 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

Levin vs Dunedin: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Levin and Dunedin differ by about 3% in total monthly costs ($1,891 vs $1,840 including rent). Dunedin is meaningfully more affordable – a gap that matters a lot on a fixed or modest income.

You'd need roughly $2,837 in Levin and $2,760 in Dunedin to live well. The gap comes down to housing and overall price levels. Both cities are liveable on less, but these numbers represent actual comfort.

Rent for a central apartment: $986 in Levin versus $898 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 13% less than in Levin. Both cities have functional networks, but the price difference matters if you're watching your budget.

Childcare runs $742 in Levin versus $589 in Dunedin. Over years of preschool, even a modest monthly gap compounds into a major financial factor for families.

At $1,840 in Dunedin versus $1,891 in Levin, a $3,000 budget is realistic in Dunedin but tight or insufficient in Levin. 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, Levin 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 3% less than in Levin. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.