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

Monthly Cost of Living

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $1,807 in New Plymouth versus $1,807 in Dunedin.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $2,786 in New Plymouth versus $2,801 in Dunedin.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $3,765 in New Plymouth versus $3,796 in Dunedin.

Monthly costs are close between New Plymouth and Dunedin; which city is cheaper depends on the spending category.

Both cities are pricier than the global median: New Plymouth 35% above, Dunedin 35% above.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$15.24 NZ$25.95

$12.23 NZ$20.84

24.61%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$78.7 NZ$134

$73.0 NZ$124

7.75%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$10.61 NZ$18.07

$10.87 NZ$18.52

-2.39%

Cappuccino

$3.74 NZ$6.37

$3.45 NZ$5.87

8.41%

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

$2.33 NZ$3.98

$2.18 NZ$3.71

6.88%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.95 NZ$3.32

$2.00 NZ$3.41

-2.50%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$5.24 NZ$8.93

$7.20 NZ$12.27

-27.22%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$7.18 NZ$12.23

$5.97 NZ$10.17

20.27%

Milk (1 liter)

$2.03 NZ$3.46

$2.07 NZ$3.52

-1.93%

White Bread (500g)

$1.55 NZ$2.64

$1.92 NZ$3.27

-19.27%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.74 NZ$2.96

$1.87 NZ$3.19

-6.95%

Eggs

$6.15 NZ$10.47

$5.73 NZ$9.75

7.33%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$7.59 NZ$12.93

$8.07 NZ$13.74

-5.95%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$13.05 NZ$22.23

$10.84 NZ$18.47

20.39%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$12.94 NZ$22.04

$13.17 NZ$22.43

-1.75%

Apples (1kg)

$2.15 NZ$3.66

$2.93 NZ$4.98

-26.62%

Banana (1kg)

$1.97 NZ$3.35

$2.25 NZ$3.84

-12.44%

Oranges (1kg)

$3.14 NZ$5.35

$3.43 NZ$5.84

-8.45%

Tomato (1kg)

$6.70 NZ$11.42

$4.45 NZ$7.58

50.56%

Potato (1kg)

$2.63 NZ$4.47

$1.98 NZ$3.37

32.83%

Onion (1kg)

$1.66 NZ$2.82

$2.02 NZ$3.44

-17.82%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.97 NZ$3.35

$2.56 NZ$4.37

-23.05%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$1.41 NZ$2.40

$1.08 NZ$1.83

30.56%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$21.22 NZ$36.14

$23.76 NZ$40.47

-10.69%

Wine (Bottle)

$8.67 NZ$14.76

$9.41 NZ$16.02

-7.86%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$3.87 NZ$6.60

$2.55 NZ$4.35

51.76%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$4.31 NZ$7.34

$3.66 NZ$6.24

17.76%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$1.83 NZ$3.12

$1.23 NZ$2.10

48.78%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$64.3 NZ$110

$73.6 NZ$125

-12.69%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$1.76 NZ$3.00

$6.14 NZ$10.45

-71.34%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$3.45 NZ$5.87

$1.15 NZ$1.96

200.00%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$36.28 NZ$61.8

$29.78 NZ$50.7

21.83%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.65 NZ$2.81

$1.66 NZ$2.83

-0.60%

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

$47.6K NZ$81.1K

$20.0K NZ$34.0K

138.16%

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

$23.7K NZ$40.4K

$25.4K NZ$43.2K

-6.53%

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

$214 NZ$365

$102 NZ$174

109.36%

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

$29.67 NZ$50.5

$35.87 NZ$61.1

-17.28%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$30.46 NZ$51.9

$54.3 NZ$92.6

-43.94%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$36.20 NZ$61.7

$52.2 NZ$88.9

-30.65%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$12.01 NZ$20.46

$6.13 NZ$10.45

95.92%

Cinema Ticket

$11.16 NZ$19.01

$9.67 NZ$16.47

15.41%

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

$741 NZ$1,263

$575 NZ$980

28.89%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$11.9K NZ$20.3K

-0.09%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$90.7 NZ$154

$67.2 NZ$115

34.82%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$36.47 NZ$62.1

$35.51 NZ$60.5

2.70%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$72.7 NZ$124

$94.2 NZ$161

-22.81%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$65.1 NZ$111

$121 NZ$207

-46.34%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$733 NZ$1,249

$884 NZ$1,507

-17.11%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$682 NZ$1,162

$757 NZ$1,290

-9.92%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,350 NZ$2,299

$1,481 NZ$2,523

-8.87%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,159 NZ$1,974

$1,332 NZ$2,270

-13.04%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$3,360 NZ$5,724

$3,023 NZ$5,150

11.15%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$2,703 NZ$4,605

$2,045 NZ$3,483

32.21%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$2,971 NZ$5,062

$2,611 NZ$4,448

13.79%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

5.93

7.07

-16.12%

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

Last update for New Plymouth: May 31, 2026

Last update for Dunedin: June 1, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $733 in New Plymouth and $884 in Dunedin. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

New Plymouth pays 14% more on average. How far that income stretches comes down to housing choices and lifestyle.

Dining out: $79.0 in New Plymouth vs $73.0 in Dunedin for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $344 vs $324 per month, with Dunedin cheaper across the board.

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 Dunedin: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

New Plymouth pays 14% more on average, which matters when comparing affordability. Whether that higher income actually nets you more depends on your spending habits and housing choices.

Rent for a central apartment: $733 in New Plymouth versus $884 in Dunedin. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

A monthly transit pass in New Plymouth runs roughly 15% less than in Dunedin. Both cities have functional networks, but the price difference matters if you're watching your budget.

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

At $1,807 in New Plymouth versus $1,807 in Dunedin, a $3,000 budget is realistic in New Plymouth but tight or insufficient in Dunedin. The gap between the two cities makes New Plymouth 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, New Plymouth 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.

It comes down to priorities – New Plymouth wins on affordability, Dunedin on earning potential. Factor in climate, language, visa rules, and proximity to places that matter to you before deciding.