Cost of Living Comparison Between Nelson and Dunedin Cost of Living Comparison Between Nelson and Dunedin

๐Ÿ˜ Solo nomad: Nelson is 14.5% more expensive than Dunedin without rent, and 10.3% more expensive with rent.
๐Ÿ˜ Family of 3: Nelson is 14.2% more expensive than Dunedin without rent, and 9.6% more expensive with rent.
Currency
๐Ÿฝ Eating Out
Nelson
Dunedin
Difference
Meal at Budget Restaurant
$20.81 NZ$35.37
$12.23 NZ$20.80
70.16%
Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range
$82.9 NZ$141
$73.1 NZ$124
13.51%
Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)
$9.72 NZ$16.53
$10.64 NZ$18.10
-8.65%
Cappuccino
$3.21 NZ$5.45
$3.35 NZ$5.70
-4.18%
Coke/Pepsi/Fanta/Sprite (0.33 liter bottle)
$2.56 NZ$4.35
$2.20 NZ$3.74
16.36%
Water (0.33 liter bottle)
$2.75 NZ$4.67
$2.02 NZ$3.43
36.14%
Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)
$7.08 NZ$12.03
$7.17 NZ$12.20
-1.26%
Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)
$5.95 NZ$10.11
$6.18 NZ$10.51
-3.72%
๐Ÿ›’ Groceries & Markets
Nelson
Dunedin
Difference
Milk (1 liter)
$2.43 NZ$4.14
$2.07 NZ$3.52
17.39%
White Bread (500g)
$2.23 NZ$3.79
$1.88 NZ$3.20
18.62%
Rice (white) (1kg)
$2.33 NZ$3.96
$1.88 NZ$3.20
23.94%
Eggs
$6.30 NZ$10.72
$5.67 NZ$9.65
11.11%
Local Cheese (1kg)
$9.88 NZ$16.80
$8.15 NZ$13.85
21.23%
Chicken Fillets (1kg)
$7.81 NZ$13.27
$10.78 NZ$18.33
-27.55%
Beef Round Steak (1kg)
$16.11 NZ$27.38
$13.16 NZ$22.38
22.42%
Apples (1kg)
$3.54 NZ$6.02
$2.83 NZ$4.80
25.09%
Banana (1kg)
$2.62 NZ$4.45
$2.31 NZ$3.93
13.42%
Oranges (1kg)
$3.10 NZ$5.27
$3.39 NZ$5.77
-8.55%
Tomato (1kg)
$6.66 NZ$11.32
$4.41 NZ$7.49
51.02%
Potato (1kg)
$3.70 NZ$6.29
$2.00 NZ$3.41
85.00%
Onion (1kg)
$2.46 NZ$4.18
$2.08 NZ$3.54
18.27%
Lettuce (1 head)
$2.63 NZ$4.47
$2.53 NZ$4.30
3.95%
Water (1.5 liter bottle)
$1.28 NZ$2.17
$1.08 NZ$1.83
18.52%
Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)
$30.46 NZ$51.8
$24.25 NZ$41.22
25.61%
Wine (Bottle)
$10.20 NZ$17.34
$9.16 NZ$15.57
11.35%
Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)
$3.20 NZ$5.45
$2.61 NZ$4.43
22.61%
Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)
$4.41 NZ$7.49
$3.60 NZ$6.12
22.50%
๐ŸšŒ Getting Around
Nelson
Dunedin
Difference
One-way Ticket (Public Transport)
$2.46 NZ$4.18
$1.24 NZ$2.11
98.39%
Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)
$62.9 NZ$107
$73.6 NZ$125
-14.52%
Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)
$4.34 NZ$7.39
$6.08 NZ$10.34
-28.62%
Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)
$1.78 NZ$3.02
$1.14 NZ$1.94
56.14%
Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)
$35.68 NZ$60.7
$29.86 NZ$50.8
19.49%
Gasoline (1 liter)
$1.64 NZ$2.79
$1.71 NZ$2.92
-4.09%
Midsize Hatchback 1.4l (Volkswagen Golf, Toyota Prius, Honda Civic, etc)
$18.6K NZ$31.7K
$20.0K NZ$34.0K
-6.64%
Compact Sedan 1.6l (Toyota Corolla, Mazda3, Kia K4, Hyundai Elantra, etc)
$22.7K NZ$38.6K
$26.0K NZ$44.3K
-12.70%
๐Ÿงพ Monthly Utilities & Internet
Nelson
Dunedin
Difference
Utilities for 2 People in 2-bedroom Apartment (Heating, Electricity, Gas, Water, Garbage) (85m2)
$221 NZ$376
$103 NZ$176
113.62%
SIM Card Monthly Plan (Calls and 10GB+ Data)
$35.55 NZ$60.4
$35.51 NZ$60.4
0.11%
Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)
$49.58 NZ$84.3
$55.7 NZ$94.7
-10.97%
๐ŸŽ‰ Sport & Entertainment
Nelson
Dunedin
Difference
Gym Membership (Monthly)
$49.38 NZ$84.0
$51.4 NZ$87.4
-3.97%
Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)
$21.47 NZ$36.49
$5.91 NZ$10.05
263.28%
Cinema Ticket
$9.92 NZ$16.86
$9.93 NZ$16.88
-0.10%
๐Ÿงธ Childcare & Education
Nelson
Dunedin
Difference
Preschool or Kindergarten, Full Day, Private, 1 Child (Monthly)
$477 NZ$811
$588 NZ$999
-18.87%
International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)
$12.2K NZ$20.8K
$11.9K NZ$20.3K
2.52%
๐Ÿ‘•๐Ÿ‘Ÿ Clothing & Footwear
Nelson
Dunedin
Difference
Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)
$61.3 NZ$104
$66.9 NZ$114
-8.32%
Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)
$65.0 NZ$111
$35.00 NZ$59.5
85.77%
Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)
$130 NZ$221
$93.8 NZ$159
38.56%
Men's Leather Business Shoes
$110 NZ$188
$123 NZ$210
-10.53%
๐Ÿ  Accommodation & Living
Nelson
Dunedin
Difference
1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)
$979 NZ$1,665
$904 NZ$1,537
8.34%
1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)
$728 NZ$1,238
$774 NZ$1,315
-5.84%
3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)
$1,417 NZ$2,409
$1,488 NZ$2,529
-4.74%
3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)
$1,218 NZ$2,070
$1,305 NZ$2,219
-6.71%
Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)
$3,898 NZ$6,626
$2,930 NZ$4,982
33.01%
Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)
$3,140 NZ$5,338
$2,050 NZ$3,486
53.14%
๐Ÿ’ต Salaries & Financials
Nelson
Dunedin
Difference
Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)
$2,709 NZ$4,605
$2,703 NZ$4,595
0.22%
20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)
6.82
7.07
-3.54%

CityCost data is based on AI and user input โ€“ minor inaccuracies may occur.

Last update for Nelson: March 2, 2026

Last update for Dunedin: March 3, 2026

City Median Internet Speeds Comparison (Updated December 2025)

The chart highlights the Precision Threshold for mobile and fixed broadband internet speeds, updated quarterly.
Digital Nomad Cost of Living Index

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