Cost of Living Comparison Between New Plymouth and Auckland Cost of Living Comparison Between New Plymouth and Auckland

Monthly Cost of Living

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $1,843 in New Plymouth versus $2,292 in Auckland.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $2,815 in New Plymouth versus $3,473 in Auckland.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $3,788 in New Plymouth versus $4,654 in Auckland.

Living in New Plymouth costs roughly 20% less than in Auckland, driven mainly by Getting Around.

Both cities are pricier than the global median: New Plymouth 38% above, Auckland 72% above.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$14.90 NZ$25.45

$15.06 NZ$25.72

-1.06%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$76.9 NZ$131

$79.7 NZ$136

-3.55%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$10.63 NZ$18.16

$9.72 NZ$16.61

9.36%

Cappuccino

$3.64 NZ$6.22

$3.39 NZ$5.79

7.37%

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

$2.26 NZ$3.87

$2.38 NZ$4.06

-5.04%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.04 NZ$3.49

$2.27 NZ$3.88

-10.13%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$5.40 NZ$9.22

$7.43 NZ$12.70

-27.32%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$7.28 NZ$12.43

$7.07 NZ$12.08

2.97%

Milk (1 liter)

$2.00 NZ$3.41

$1.83 NZ$3.13

9.29%

White Bread (500g)

$1.53 NZ$2.61

$2.03 NZ$3.47

-24.63%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.75 NZ$2.99

$2.01 NZ$3.43

-12.94%

Eggs

$6.17 NZ$10.54

$7.00 NZ$11.96

-11.86%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$7.65 NZ$13.06

$8.56 NZ$14.62

-10.63%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$13.42 NZ$22.93

$9.54 NZ$16.30

40.67%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$13.11 NZ$22.39

$12.97 NZ$22.16

1.08%

Apples (1kg)

$2.12 NZ$3.62

$2.94 NZ$5.02

-27.89%

Banana (1kg)

$1.97 NZ$3.36

$2.22 NZ$3.80

-11.26%

Oranges (1kg)

$3.25 NZ$5.54

$3.36 NZ$5.74

-3.27%

Tomato (1kg)

$6.78 NZ$11.59

$4.07 NZ$6.94

66.58%

Potato (1kg)

$2.57 NZ$4.39

$1.97 NZ$3.37

30.46%

Onion (1kg)

$1.66 NZ$2.84

$1.70 NZ$2.91

-2.35%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.96 NZ$3.35

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$1.37 NZ$2.34

$1.29 NZ$2.21

6.20%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$20.80 NZ$35.53

$25.48 NZ$43.52

-18.37%

Wine (Bottle)

$8.65 NZ$14.78

$10.54 NZ$18.01

-17.93%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$3.75 NZ$6.40

$3.04 NZ$5.19

23.36%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$4.35 NZ$7.43

$3.79 NZ$6.48

14.78%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$1.76 NZ$3.00

$2.82 NZ$4.82

-37.59%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$64.7 NZ$110

$128 NZ$218

-49.31%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$1.77 NZ$3.02

$2.06 NZ$3.53

-14.08%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$3.29 NZ$5.61

$1.91 NZ$3.26

72.25%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$36.90 NZ$63.0

$34.79 NZ$59.4

6.06%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.71 NZ$2.92

$1.62 NZ$2.77

5.56%

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

$47.9K NZ$81.9K

$27.9K NZ$47.6K

71.90%

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

$23.9K NZ$40.8K

$21.8K NZ$37.2K

9.63%

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

$213 NZ$364

$143 NZ$244

49.30%

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

$30.35 NZ$51.9

$30.50 NZ$52.1

-0.49%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$30.24 NZ$51.7

$48.87 NZ$83.5

-38.12%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$36.10 NZ$61.7

$35.25 NZ$60.2

2.41%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$12.12 NZ$20.71

$16.51 NZ$28.20

-26.59%

Cinema Ticket

$10.91 NZ$18.64

$14.79 NZ$25.27

-26.23%

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

$735 NZ$1,256

$921 NZ$1,573

-20.14%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$11.9K NZ$20.3K

$13.5K NZ$23.0K

-11.95%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$91.7 NZ$157

$69.8 NZ$119

31.49%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$36.52 NZ$62.4

$49.44 NZ$84.5

-26.13%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$73.1 NZ$125

$97.8 NZ$167

-25.25%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$67.2 NZ$115

$127 NZ$217

-47.01%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$715 NZ$1,222

$1,264 NZ$2,159

-43.41%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$669 NZ$1,142

$1,119 NZ$1,912

-40.27%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,361 NZ$2,325

$2,411 NZ$4,119

-43.56%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,179 NZ$2,013

$1,830 NZ$3,127

-35.60%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$3,292 NZ$5,624

$7,873 NZ$13.4K

-58.18%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$2,646 NZ$4,521

$5,349 NZ$9,138

-50.52%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$2,862 NZ$4,890

$3,087 NZ$5,273

-7.28%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

5.93

6.37

-6.91%

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

Last update for New Plymouth: July 11, 2026

Last update for Auckland: July 14, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $715 in New Plymouth and $1,264 in Auckland. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Auckland pays 8% 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: $77.0 in New Plymouth vs $80.0 in Auckland. Groceries flip the comparison at $346 vs $325, with Auckland 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

New Plymouth vs Auckland: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

New Plymouth wins on cost – living expenses run 24% lower than in Auckland. Housing and daily spending are where you'll feel the difference most, making New Plymouth the obvious pick if budget is a priority.

On paper, salaries run 8% lower in Auckland. 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: $715 in New Plymouth versus $1,264 in Auckland. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Childcare runs $735 in New Plymouth versus $921 in Auckland. Over years of preschool, even a modest monthly gap compounds into a major financial factor for families.

Shoppers in Auckland pay roughly 6% less for everyday groceries. It's an unusual reversal that partly offsets higher costs elsewhere.

At $1,843 in New Plymouth versus $2,292 in Auckland, a $3,000 budget is realistic in New Plymouth but tight or insufficient in Auckland. The gap between the two cities makes New Plymouth the clear choice for anyone on this budget.

Both work as nomad bases, but New Plymouth delivers better value – similar infrastructure at $1,843 monthly. If stretching your runway or maximizing savings is the goal, the price difference makes New Plymouth hard to pass up.

Safety-wise, New Plymouth and Auckland 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 New Plymouth gentler on the wallet – expenses run 24% less than in Auckland. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.