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

๐Ÿ™‚ Solo nomad: Nelson is 1.3% cheaper than Dunedin without rent, and 11% more expensive with rent.
๐Ÿ™‚ Family of 3: Nelson is 1.9% cheaper than Dunedin without rent, and 12.7% more expensive with rent.
Currency
๐Ÿฝ Eating Out
Nelson
Dunedin
Difference
Meal at Budget Restaurant
$20.86 NZ$34.41
$12.25 NZ$20.2
70.29%
Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range
$85.7 NZ$141
$73.7 NZ$122
16.23%
Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)
$9.4 NZ$15.5
$10.95 NZ$18.07
-14.16%
Cappuccino
$3.17 NZ$5.22
$3.46 NZ$5.7
-8.38%
Coke/Pepsi/Fanta/Sprite (0.33 liter bottle)
$2.66 NZ$4.39
$2.2 NZ$3.63
20.91%
Water (0.33 liter bottle)
$2.76 NZ$4.56
$2.05 NZ$3.38
34.63%
Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)
$7.34 NZ$12.1
$7.2 NZ$11.87
1.94%
Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)
$5.95 NZ$9.82
$6.08 NZ$10.03
-2.14%
๐Ÿ›’ Groceries & Markets
Nelson
Dunedin
Difference
Milk (1 liter)
$2.34 NZ$3.86
$2.08 NZ$3.44
12.50%
White Bread (500g)
$2.32 NZ$3.82
$1.96 NZ$3.22
18.37%
Rice (white) (1kg)
$2.25 NZ$3.71
$1.81 NZ$2.99
24.31%
Eggs
$6.11 NZ$10.07
$5.67 NZ$9.35
7.76%
Local Cheese (1kg)
$9.87 NZ$16.28
$8.36 NZ$13.8
18.06%
Chicken Fillets (1kg)
$8.07 NZ$13.31
$10.62 NZ$17.52
-24.01%
Beef Round Steak (1kg)
$16.25 NZ$26.8
$13.05 NZ$21.53
24.52%
Apples (1kg)
$3.6 NZ$5.94
$2.86 NZ$4.72
25.87%
Banana (1kg)
$2.61 NZ$4.31
$2.24 NZ$3.69
16.52%
Oranges (1kg)
$2.97 NZ$4.9
$3.3 NZ$5.45
-10.00%
Tomato (1kg)
$6.46 NZ$10.66
$4.54 NZ$7.49
42.29%
Potato (1kg)
$3.73 NZ$6.15
$1.91 NZ$3.15
95.29%
Onion (1kg)
$2.58 NZ$4.25
$2.04 NZ$3.37
26.47%
Lettuce (1 head)
$2.5 NZ$4.13
$2.48 NZ$4.09
0.81%
Water (1.5 liter bottle)
$1.29 NZ$2.12
$1.07 NZ$1.76
20.56%
Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)
$29.66 NZ$48.91
$24.01 NZ$39.6
23.53%
Wine (Bottle)
$10.11 NZ$16.67
$8.7 NZ$14.34
16.21%
Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)
$3.2 NZ$5.28
$2.59 NZ$4.27
23.55%
Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)
$4.39 NZ$7.24
$3.63 NZ$5.99
20.94%
๐ŸšŒ Getting Around
Nelson
Dunedin
Difference
One-way Ticket (Public Transport)
$2.38 NZ$3.92
$1.25 NZ$2.05
90.40%
Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)
$63.3 NZ$104
$72.8 NZ$120
-13.12%
Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)
$4.25 NZ$7.01
$6.16 NZ$10.15
-31.01%
Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)
$1.81 NZ$2.98
$1.1 NZ$1.81
64.55%
Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)
$35.25 NZ$58.1
$30.44 NZ$50.2
15.80%
Gasoline (1 liter)
$1.72 NZ$2.83
$1.72 NZ$2.84
-
Midsize Hatchback 1.4l (Volkswagen Golf, Toyota Prius, Honda Civic, etc)
$18.6K NZ$30.7K
$19.7K NZ$32.5K
-5.60%
Compact Sedan 1.6l (Toyota Corolla, Mazda3, Kia K4, Hyundai Elantra, etc)
$22K NZ$36.2K
$25.6K NZ$42.3K
-14.34%
๐Ÿงพ Monthly Utilities & Internet
Nelson
Dunedin
Difference
Utilities for 2 People in 2-bedroom Apartment (Heating, Electricity, Gas, Water, Garbage) (85m2)
$222 NZ$367
$99.8 NZ$165
122.66%
SIM Card Monthly Plan (Calls and 10GB+ Data)
$36.1 NZ$59.5
$35.84 NZ$59.1
0.73%
Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)
$49.67 NZ$81.9
$55.6 NZ$91.8
-10.71%
๐ŸŽ‰ Sport & Entertainment
Nelson
Dunedin
Difference
Gym Membership (Monthly)
$48.98 NZ$80.8
$52 NZ$85.7
-5.72%
Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)
$20.68 NZ$34.11
$6.13 NZ$10.12
237.36%
Cinema Ticket
$10.13 NZ$16.7
$9.74 NZ$16.06
4.00%
๐Ÿงธ Childcare & Education
Nelson
Dunedin
Difference
Preschool or Kindergarten, Full Day, Private, 1 Child (Monthly)
$473 NZ$780
$577 NZ$952
-18.05%
International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)
$12.1K NZ$20K
$12.2K NZ$20.1K
-0.56%
๐Ÿ‘•๐Ÿ‘Ÿ Clothing & Footwear
Nelson
Dunedin
Difference
Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)
$59.5 NZ$98.2
$67.1 NZ$111
-11.36%
Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)
$66.8 NZ$110
$35.49 NZ$58.5
88.33%
Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)
$133 NZ$220
$94.1 NZ$155
41.71%
Men's Leather Business Shoes
$112 NZ$185
$123 NZ$203
-9.07%
๐Ÿ  Accommodation & Living
Nelson
Dunedin
Difference
1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)
$967 NZ$1,594
$879 NZ$1,450
9.92%
1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)
$749 NZ$1,235
$774 NZ$1,277
-3.23%
3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)
$1,446 NZ$2,384
$1,512 NZ$2,493
-4.37%
3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)
$1,209 NZ$1,994
$1,344 NZ$2,217
-10.06%
Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)
$2,910 NZ$4,799
$2,880 NZ$4,751
1.03%
Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)
$2,354 NZ$3,883
$2,002 NZ$3,303
17.58%
๐Ÿ’ต Salaries & Financials
Nelson
Dunedin
Difference
Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)
$2,850 NZ$4,701
$2,565 NZ$4,230
11.13%
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: October 29, 2025

Last update for Dunedin: October 28, 2025

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