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: $1,883 in Levin versus $1,850 in Dunedin.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $2,954 in Levin versus $2,791 in Dunedin.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $4,026 in Levin versus $3,732 in Dunedin.

Living in Levin is roughly 2% more expensive than Dunedin, driven mainly by Groceries & Markets.

Both cities are pricier than the global median: Levin 41% above, Dunedin 38% above.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$19.88 NZ$34.00

$11.94 NZ$20.42

66.50%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$98.4 NZ$168

$72.4 NZ$124

35.84%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$9.01 NZ$15.40

$10.65 NZ$18.21

-15.40%

Cappuccino

$3.03 NZ$5.19

$3.40 NZ$5.81

-10.88%

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

$2.42 NZ$4.13

$2.27 NZ$3.89

6.61%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.24 NZ$3.82

$2.03 NZ$3.47

10.34%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$7.39 NZ$12.63

$7.14 NZ$12.21

3.50%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$6.16 NZ$10.54

$6.08 NZ$10.39

1.32%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.69 NZ$2.89

$2.10 NZ$3.60

-19.52%

White Bread (500g)

$0.71 NZ$1.21

$1.91 NZ$3.27

-62.83%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.76 NZ$3.01

$1.82 NZ$3.10

-3.30%

Eggs

$6.26 NZ$10.70

$5.52 NZ$9.44

13.41%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$7.09 NZ$12.13

$8.41 NZ$14.39

-15.70%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$7.74 NZ$13.24

$10.82 NZ$18.50

-28.47%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$10.39 NZ$17.77

$13.21 NZ$22.59

-21.35%

Apples (1kg)

$1.86 NZ$3.17

$2.87 NZ$4.90

-35.19%

Banana (1kg)

$1.89 NZ$3.23

$2.27 NZ$3.89

-16.74%

Oranges (1kg)

$2.45 NZ$4.20

$3.42 NZ$5.85

-28.36%

Tomato (1kg)

$1.91 NZ$3.26

$4.44 NZ$7.60

-56.98%

Potato (1kg)

$2.08 NZ$3.56

$1.98 NZ$3.39

5.05%

Onion (1kg)

$2.26 NZ$3.86

$1.97 NZ$3.37

14.72%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.52 NZ$2.60

$2.54 NZ$4.34

-40.16%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.58 NZ$0.98

$1.07 NZ$1.82

-45.79%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$19.41 NZ$33.19

$24.35 NZ$41.64

-20.29%

Wine (Bottle)

$10.57 NZ$18.07

$9.36 NZ$16.00

12.93%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$2.41 NZ$4.13

$2.48 NZ$4.24

-2.82%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.73 NZ$4.67

$3.72 NZ$6.37

-26.61%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$2.07 NZ$3.54

$1.19 NZ$2.03

73.95%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$65.3 NZ$112

$72.0 NZ$123

-9.33%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$2.74 NZ$4.68

$5.86 NZ$10.02

-53.24%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.85 NZ$3.16

$1.11 NZ$1.90

66.67%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$35.82 NZ$61.3

$30.22 NZ$51.7

18.53%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.65 NZ$2.81

$1.71 NZ$2.92

-3.51%

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

$27.5K NZ$47.0K

$19.9K NZ$34.1K

37.64%

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

$22.8K NZ$39.0K

$25.8K NZ$44.1K

-11.46%

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

$199 NZ$341

$102 NZ$175

94.76%

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

$36.81 NZ$63.0

$36.18 NZ$61.9

1.74%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$47.36 NZ$81.0

$55.0 NZ$94.0

-13.89%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$36.95 NZ$63.2

$52.6 NZ$90.0

-29.77%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$12.03 NZ$20.58

$6.15 NZ$10.52

95.61%

Cinema Ticket

$9.21 NZ$15.74

$9.66 NZ$16.52

-4.66%

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

$751 NZ$1,284

$587 NZ$1,004

27.84%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$12.2K NZ$20.9K

0.09%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$101 NZ$172

$65.8 NZ$113

53.12%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$24.10 NZ$41.21

$34.85 NZ$59.6

-30.85%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$53.5 NZ$91.5

$94.3 NZ$161

-43.24%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$122 NZ$209

$124 NZ$212

-1.49%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$967 NZ$1,654

$878 NZ$1,501

10.23%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$772 NZ$1,321

$779 NZ$1,332

-0.84%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,591 NZ$2,721

$1,509 NZ$2,581

5.41%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,435 NZ$2,453

$1,320 NZ$2,258

8.64%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$4,588 NZ$7,845

$2,959 NZ$5,061

55.01%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$3,243 NZ$5,546

$2,063 NZ$3,528

57.19%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$2,561 NZ$4,380

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: April 28, 2026

Last update for Dunedin: April 28, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $967 in Levin and $878 in Dunedin. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Dining out: $98.0 in Levin vs $72.0 in Dunedin. Groceries flip the comparison at $250 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 2% in total monthly costs ($1,883 vs $1,850 including rent). Dunedin is meaningfully more affordable – a gap that matters a lot on a fixed or modest income.

You'd need roughly $2,824 in Levin and $2,775 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: $967 in Levin versus $878 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 10% less than in Levin. Both cities have functional networks, but the price difference matters if you're watching your budget.

Childcare runs $751 in Levin versus $587 in Dunedin. Over years of preschool, even a modest monthly gap compounds into a major financial factor for families.

At $1,850 in Dunedin versus $1,883 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 2% less than in Levin. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.