Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between New Zealand and Australia

Name: Australia
Address: AU

For one person, living is cheaper in New Zealand: $2,043 a month against $2,542 in Australia, rent and utilities included – about $6,000 less a year. Rent and utilities account for most of the difference.

99

Cost of Living Index in New Zealand
Learn more

New Zealand Living Index
124

Cost of Living Index in Australia
Learn more

Australia Living Index

Jump to prices

🇳🇿 New Zealand

$2,043

/mo nomad

🇦🇺 Australia

$2,542

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

How much you'll spend in New Zealand and in Australia

Real prices from locals and on-the-ground checks – rent, groceries, transit and the daily extras. Here's what a month in New Zealand and in Australia actually costs, broken down by who's living it.

A single person spends $2,043 per month in New Zealand vs $2,542 in Australia, rent included.

New Zealand $2,043
Australia $2,542

A couple spends around $2,998 per month in New Zealand vs $3,717 in Australia, rent included.

New Zealand $2,998
Australia $3,717

A family of three spends $3,954 per month in New Zealand vs $4,893 in Australia, rent included.

New Zealand $3,954
Australia $4,893

Cost ranges are similar: New Zealand spans $832–$2,416, Australia $1,646–$3,152. City choice affects budget similarly in either country.

The cost of living in New Zealand is roughly 20% lower than in Australia on average.

Both New Zealand and Australia are pricier than the global median – New Zealand by 51%, Australia by 88%.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$13.80 NZ$24.36

$17.16 A$24.65

-19.58%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$66.8 NZ$118

$83.9 A$121

-20.39%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$9.05 NZ$15.98

$11.20 A$16.09

-19.20%

Cappuccino

$3.20 NZ$5.66

$3.92 A$5.63

-18.37%

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

$2.16 NZ$3.81

$2.83 A$4.06

-23.67%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.87 NZ$3.29

$2.30 A$3.30

-18.70%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$6.55 NZ$11.55

$7.68 A$11.04

-14.71%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$6.65 NZ$11.73

$8.25 A$11.85

-19.39%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.74 NZ$3.07

$1.76 A$2.53

-1.14%

White Bread (500g)

$1.85 NZ$3.27

$2.77 A$3.98

-33.21%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.71 NZ$3.01

$2.19 A$3.15

-21.92%

Eggs

$5.90 NZ$10.41

$4.99 A$7.17

18.24%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$8.16 NZ$14.40

$9.94 A$14.28

-17.91%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$9.13 NZ$16.11

$9.03 A$12.97

1.11%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$13.80 NZ$24.36

$15.25 A$21.91

-9.51%

Apples (1kg)

$2.79 NZ$4.93

$3.67 A$5.27

-23.98%

Banana (1kg)

$2.13 NZ$3.77

$3.05 A$4.39

-30.16%

Oranges (1kg)

$2.91 NZ$5.13

$3.12 A$4.49

-6.73%

Tomato (1kg)

$4.97 NZ$8.77

$4.56 A$6.55

8.99%

Potato (1kg)

$1.99 NZ$3.51

$2.81 A$4.03

-29.18%

Onion (1kg)

$1.53 NZ$2.70

$2.39 A$3.43

-35.98%

Lettuce (1 head)

$2.04 NZ$3.60

$2.35 A$3.38

-13.19%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$1.05 NZ$1.85

$1.64 A$2.36

-35.98%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$24.16 NZ$42.64

$38.42 A$55.2

-37.12%

Wine (Bottle)

$9.06 NZ$15.98

$13.77 A$19.79

-34.20%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$3.04 NZ$5.37

$4.69 A$6.74

-35.18%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.25 NZ$5.74

$5.08 A$7.30

-36.02%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$1.86 NZ$3.29

$2.72 A$3.91

-31.62%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$102 NZ$181

$95.8 A$138

6.84%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$2.25 NZ$3.98

$3.54 A$5.09

-36.44%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.91 NZ$3.37

$1.55 A$2.23

23.23%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$31.89 NZ$56.3

$40.00 A$57.5

-20.27%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.68 NZ$2.97

$1.30 A$1.87

29.23%

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

$25.5K NZ$45.1K

$28.2K A$40.5K

-9.38%

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

$23.8K NZ$42.0K

$28.5K A$40.9K

-16.31%

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

$151 NZ$267

$198 A$285

-23.71%

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

$31.79 NZ$56.1

$28.75 A$41.30

10.57%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$49.67 NZ$87.7

$58.6 A$84.2

-15.30%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$34.87 NZ$61.5

$56.7 A$81.5

-38.53%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$14.70 NZ$25.94

$19.08 A$27.42

-22.96%

Cinema Ticket

$11.03 NZ$19.48

$15.02 A$21.58

-26.56%

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

$871 NZ$1,538

$2,154 A$3,094

-59.54%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$16.1K NZ$28.5K

$17.9K A$25.7K

-9.91%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$68.7 NZ$121

$78.0 A$112

-11.99%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$35.23 NZ$62.2

$54.8 A$78.7

-35.70%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$91.2 NZ$161

$112 A$161

-18.55%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$114 NZ$201

$124 A$179

-8.29%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,074 NZ$1,896

$1,540 A$2,212

-30.21%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$943 NZ$1,665

$1,222 A$1,755

-22.77%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,678 NZ$2,961

$2,478 A$3,560

-32.29%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,474 NZ$2,601

$1,930 A$2,773

-23.66%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$5,473 NZ$9,661

$8,153 A$11.7K

-32.87%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$3,627 NZ$6,402

$6,053 A$8,697

-40.08%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$2,791 NZ$4,926

$3,944 A$5,667

-29.25%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

6.27

5.93

5.73%

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

Last update for New Zealand: October 10, 2026

Last update for Australia: October 13, 2026

Monthly budget structure

Share of the monthly basket for one person, rent included.

Accommodation & Living

New Zealand

$943 46.2%

Australia

$1.2K 48.1% 29.5% $278

Groceries & Markets

New Zealand

$311 15.2%

Australia

$370 14.6% 19.1% $59

Eating Out

New Zealand

$238 11.7%

Australia

$293 11.5% 23.2% $55

Monthly Utilities & Internet

New Zealand

$233 11.4%

Australia

$286 11.2% 22.8% $53

Clothing & Footwear

New Zealand

$139 6.8%

Australia

$166 6.5% 19.4% $27

Getting Around

New Zealand

$122 6%

Australia

$118 4.6% 3% $3.6

Sport & Entertainment

New Zealand

$57 2.8%

Australia

$87 3.4% 52.4% $30

Cost Breakdown

Average rent: $934 in New Zealand vs $1,366 in Australia. For reference, capital cities sit at $1,226 in Wellington and $1,716 in Canberra.

Average salary: $2,874 in New Zealand vs $3,849 in Australia. The income gap affects purchasing power and how far your budget stretches in each country.

Cost Highlights

Rent is 46% higher in Australia.

Dining out costs 26% more in Australia.

Salaries are 34% higher in Australia, and purchasing power comes out stronger in Australia.

Good to know

🇳🇿 New Zealand

🇦🇺 Australia

🕒 Local time

17:54 5:54 PM

15:54 3:54 PM

2 h behind New Zealand

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

5,118,700

26,473,055

💱 Currency

New Zealand Dollar NZD $

Australian Dollar AUD $

📈 Exchange rate

1 NZD = 0.567 USD

1 NZD = 0.503 EUR

1 AUD = 0.696 USD

1 AUD = 0.618 EUR

Exchange rates and currency converter

AUD, USD, EUR to NZD – New Zealand Dollar Converter

🇺🇸 United States Dollar ($)

🇳🇿 New Zealand Dollar ($)

New Zealand Dollar exchange rates as of October 17, 2026: 1 USD = 1.77 NZD (1 NZD = 0.567 USD). 1 EUR = 1.99 NZD (1 NZD = 0.503 EUR).

Australian Dollar exchange rates as of October 17, 2026: 1 USD = 1.44 AUD (1 AUD = 0.696 USD). 1 EUR = 1.62 AUD (1 AUD = 0.618 EUR).

USD to NZD in detail →

On the map

Lowest

Highest

Between locations

New Zealand Australia 2,330 km ≈ 3 h 30 min nonstop flight

From you

New Zealand
Australia

Distances are measured in a straight line. Your location is detected approximately.

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 Zealand vs Australia: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

New Zealand is the cheaper option – living costs run roughly 24% lower on average.

Housing costs more in Australia: a central one-bedroom averages $1,366 versus $934 in New Zealand.

Groceries, public transport, and eating out all cost less in New Zealand, adding to the overall 24% price gap.

$2,000 buys a comfortable lifestyle in New Zealand, but in Australia it only works with careful planning outside the capital. Same money, very different lives.

New Zealand is the budget-friendly choice for expats – lower housing and daily costs. But cost isn't everything: visa policies, language, healthcare quality, and job markets all weigh in too.