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

Monthly Cost of Living

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $1,860 in Nelson versus $1,872 in Dunedin.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $2,868 in Nelson versus $2,733 in Dunedin.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $3,876 in Nelson versus $3,595 in Dunedin.

Living in Nelson costs roughly 1% less than in Dunedin, driven mainly by Getting Around.

Both cities are pricier than the global median: Nelson 36% above, Dunedin 37% above.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$14.35 NZ$25.09

$14.32 NZ$25.04

0.21%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$66.2 NZ$116

$63.2 NZ$110

4.76%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$8.42 NZ$14.72

$11.37 NZ$19.88

-25.95%

Cappuccino

$3.36 NZ$5.88

$3.50 NZ$6.12

-4.00%

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

$1.85 NZ$3.24

$2.20 NZ$3.85

-15.91%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.75 NZ$3.05

$2.11 NZ$3.69

-17.06%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$7.53 NZ$13.17

$7.11 NZ$12.42

5.91%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$5.64 NZ$9.86

$6.26 NZ$10.95

-9.90%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.99 NZ$3.48

$2.13 NZ$3.72

-6.57%

White Bread (500g)

$2.18 NZ$3.82

$2.06 NZ$3.60

5.83%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.96 NZ$3.43

$1.74 NZ$3.05

12.64%

Eggs

$5.88 NZ$10.28

$5.83 NZ$10.19

0.86%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$9.46 NZ$16.54

$8.77 NZ$15.33

7.87%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$7.86 NZ$13.74

$9.80 NZ$17.13

-19.80%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$14.05 NZ$24.57

$16.66 NZ$29.13

-15.67%

Apples (1kg)

$3.09 NZ$5.41

$2.94 NZ$5.14

5.10%

Banana (1kg)

$2.29 NZ$4.01

$2.43 NZ$4.24

-5.76%

Oranges (1kg)

$3.10 NZ$5.41

$3.23 NZ$5.64

-4.02%

Tomato (1kg)

$5.93 NZ$10.36

$5.18 NZ$9.06

14.48%

Potato (1kg)

$2.20 NZ$3.84

$1.86 NZ$3.25

18.28%

Onion (1kg)

$1.32 NZ$2.31

$1.83 NZ$3.20

-27.87%

Lettuce (1 head)

$2.05 NZ$3.58

$2.42 NZ$4.24

-15.29%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$1.05 NZ$1.84

$0.57 NZ$1.00

84.21%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$26.03 NZ$45.51

$21.71 NZ$37.96

19.90%

Wine (Bottle)

$9.57 NZ$16.73

$9.25 NZ$16.18

3.46%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$3.22 NZ$5.64

$3.18 NZ$5.55

1.26%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.88 NZ$5.03

$1.23 NZ$2.15

134.15%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$2.28 NZ$3.99

$1.13 NZ$1.97

101.77%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$70.5 NZ$123

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$1.86 NZ$3.25

$5.79 NZ$10.11

-67.88%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.89 NZ$3.31

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$35.26 NZ$61.6

$29.15 NZ$51.0

20.96%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.66 NZ$2.90

$1.73 NZ$3.02

-4.05%

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

$17.8K NZ$31.1K

$26.0K NZ$45.5K

-31.76%

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

$22.5K NZ$39.3K

$25.7K NZ$45.0K

-12.62%

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

$135 NZ$236

$113 NZ$197

19.42%

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

$32.58 NZ$57.0

$28.94 NZ$50.6

12.58%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$39.95 NZ$69.8

$52.8 NZ$92.4

-24.38%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$57.8 NZ$101

$49.64 NZ$86.8

16.42%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$34.24 NZ$59.9

Cinema Ticket

$11.00 NZ$19.24

$10.52 NZ$18.40

4.56%

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

$461 NZ$807

$610 NZ$1,066

-24.33%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$13.1K NZ$22.9K

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$54.9 NZ$95.9

$60.5 NZ$106

-9.29%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$28.61 NZ$50.0

$36.21 NZ$63.3

-20.99%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$106 NZ$185

$94.7 NZ$166

11.53%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$146 NZ$254

$141 NZ$246

3.42%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,047 NZ$1,831

$893 NZ$1,560

17.36%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$845 NZ$1,477

$760 NZ$1,328

11.20%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,770 NZ$3,094

$1,510 NZ$2,640

17.19%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,511 NZ$2,642

$1,196 NZ$2,091

26.33%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$1,439 NZ$2,516

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$872 NZ$1,524

$2,242 NZ$3,919

-61.12%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$2,148 NZ$3,756

$2,586 NZ$4,521

-16.93%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

5.39

7.07

-23.76%

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

Last update for Nelson: September 12, 2026

Last update for Dunedin: September 12, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $1,047 in Nelson and $893 in Dunedin. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Dunedin pays 20% more on average. The extra income cushions the higher costs, though housing choices and lifestyle decide how much of the gap is truly closed.

Dining out: $66.0 in Nelson vs $63.0 in Dunedin. Groceries flip the comparison at $325 vs $328, with Nelson 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

Nelson vs Dunedin: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Nelson and Dunedin differ by about 1% in total monthly costs ($1,860 vs $1,872 including rent). Nelson is meaningfully more affordable – a gap that matters a lot on a fixed or modest income.

On paper, salaries run 20% lower in Dunedin. That's worth factoring in alongside costs, though remote workers earning in a stronger currency may not notice the difference at all.

Rent for a central apartment: $1,047 in Nelson versus $893 in Dunedin. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Supermarket bills run roughly 1% higher in Dunedin. For households that cook at home regularly, that difference adds up over a month.

All in, you'll spend $1,860 per month in Nelson versus $1,872 in Dunedin – a 1% gap that adds up to real savings over time for anyone picking the cheaper option.

At $1,860 in Nelson versus $1,872 in Dunedin, a $2,000 budget is realistic in Nelson but tight or insufficient in Dunedin. The gap between the two cities makes Nelson 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, Nelson 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 Nelson gentler on the wallet – expenses run 1% less than in Dunedin. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.