Cost of Living Comparison Between New Zealand and Italy Cost of Living Comparison Between New Zealand and Italy

Name: Italy
Address: IT

Monthly Cost of Living

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $1,886 in New Zealand versus $1,782 in Italy.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $2,855 in New Zealand versus $2,722 in Italy.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $3,823 in New Zealand versus $3,662 in Italy.

Living in New Zealand is roughly 6% more expensive than in Italy on average.

Both countries sit above the global median: New Zealand 38% above, Italy 30% above.

New Zealand ($867–$2,535) and Italy ($1,169–$2,657) have similar cost spreads. Where you settle within each country has roughly equal impact on the budget.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$14.26 NZ$24.89

$21.07 €18.35

-32.32%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$69.3 NZ$121

$81.0 €70.6

-14.55%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$9.45 NZ$16.50

$11.50 €10.02

-17.83%

Cappuccino

$3.37 NZ$5.88

$2.10 €1.83

60.48%

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

$2.12 NZ$3.70

$3.07 €2.67

-30.94%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.04 NZ$3.56

$1.44 €1.25

41.67%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$6.86 NZ$11.98

$5.86 €5.10

17.06%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$6.76 NZ$11.79

$5.72 €4.98

18.18%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.88 NZ$3.28

$1.59 €1.39

18.24%

White Bread (500g)

$1.83 NZ$3.19

$2.41 €2.10

-24.07%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.78 NZ$3.11

$2.99 €2.61

-40.47%

Eggs

$6.19 NZ$10.80

$4.34 €3.78

42.63%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$8.63 NZ$15.06

$17.62 €15.35

-51.02%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$9.37 NZ$16.36

$12.69 €11.05

-26.16%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$14.35 NZ$25.05

$20.80 €18.12

-31.01%

Apples (1kg)

$2.84 NZ$4.96

$2.61 €2.28

8.81%

Banana (1kg)

$2.16 NZ$3.78

$2.14 €1.86

0.93%

Oranges (1kg)

$3.02 NZ$5.27

$2.79 €2.43

8.24%

Tomato (1kg)

$5.07 NZ$8.85

$3.37 €2.93

50.45%

Potato (1kg)

$1.98 NZ$3.46

$2.04 €1.78

-2.94%

Onion (1kg)

$1.55 NZ$2.70

$1.96 €1.71

-20.92%

Lettuce (1 head)

$2.13 NZ$3.71

$1.56 €1.35

36.54%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$1.11 NZ$1.94

$0.53 €0.46

109.43%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$24.12 NZ$42.11

$6.84 €5.96

252.63%

Wine (Bottle)

$9.15 NZ$15.96

$7.71 €6.72

18.68%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$3.23 NZ$5.63

$1.86 €1.62

73.66%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.39 NZ$5.91

$2.49 €2.17

36.14%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$1.94 NZ$3.39

$1.91 €1.67

1.57%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$109 NZ$190

$44.16 €38.47

146.40%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$2.34 NZ$4.09

$5.87 €5.11

-60.14%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$2.04 NZ$3.56

$1.70 €1.48

20.00%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$32.29 NZ$56.4

$35.16 €30.63

-8.16%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.69 NZ$2.95

$2.11 €1.84

-19.91%

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

$25.5K NZ$44.6K

$36.9K €32.2K

-30.84%

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

$23.8K NZ$41.6K

$36.5K €31.8K

-34.69%

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

$157 NZ$274

$229 €200

-31.54%

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

$32.35 NZ$56.5

$12.09 €10.53

167.58%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$49.20 NZ$85.9

$31.57 €27.51

55.84%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$35.90 NZ$62.7

$54.1 €47.15

-33.67%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$14.88 NZ$25.97

$24.51 €21.36

-39.29%

Cinema Ticket

$11.75 NZ$20.51

$10.78 €9.39

9.00%

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

$901 NZ$1,573

$562 €490

60.21%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$16.7K NZ$29.1K

$12.2K €10.7K

36.33%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$69.7 NZ$122

$94.3 €82.1

-26.07%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$36.94 NZ$64.5

$40.72 €35.47

-9.28%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$94.1 NZ$164

$104 €90.6

-9.55%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$119 NZ$207

$136 €119

-12.89%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,117 NZ$1,949

$832 €724

34.29%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$969 NZ$1,692

$646 €563

49.92%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,725 NZ$3,011

$1,450 €1,263

18.97%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,517 NZ$2,648

$1,081 €942

40.28%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$5,730 NZ$10.0K

$3,816 €3,324

50.16%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$3,731 NZ$6,512

$2,312 €2,014

61.39%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$2,846 NZ$4,968

$1,954 €1,702

45.67%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

6.29

3.57

76.19%

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

Last update for New Zealand: September 12, 2026

Last update for Italy: September 13, 2026

Cost Breakdown

National rent averages: $931 in New Zealand, $748 in Italy. Capital cities: $1,235 in Wellington vs $1,238 in Rome.

National salary averages: $2,981 in New Zealand, $1,958 in Italy. Higher pay doesn't always mean more spending money – weigh income against local costs.

Cost Highlights

Rent is 24% higher in New Zealand.

Dining out costs 14% more in Italy.

Public transport is 74% more expensive in New Zealand.

Salaries are 52% higher in New Zealand, and purchasing power comes out stronger in New Zealand.

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 Italy: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

At $1,913 per month in Italy and $1,701 in New Zealand, there's a 12% gap. Keep in mind it varies by city – the difference can be bigger or smaller depending on where you settle within each country.

Day-to-day life is simply cheaper in New Zealand: lower food prices, cheaper commutes, smaller household bills. Over time, those daily savings make a real difference to your monthly budget and ability to put money away.

Rent in Italy is consistently higher than in New Zealand across the board, especially in major cities. Housing is usually the single biggest driver of the overall cost difference between the two countries.

In New Zealand, $2,000 covers most cities easily; in Italy it stretches only to regional areas and falls short in the capital – you'll need to make trade-offs on housing or lifestyle.

It depends on what you're after: New Zealand wins on affordability; Italy may offer higher salaries, better infrastructure, and different cultural perks. Both attract large expat communities for different reasons.