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: $1,881 in New Zealand versus $1,719 in Italy.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $2,901 in New Zealand versus $2,625 in Italy.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $3,920 in New Zealand versus $3,531 in Italy.

Living in New Zealand is roughly 9% more expensive than Italy on average.

Both countries sit above the global median: New Zealand 40% above, Italy 28% above.

New Zealand ($1,437–$2,800) and Italy ($1,156–$2,452) have similar cost spreads. Where you settle within each country has roughly equal impact on the budget.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$14.82 NZ$25.31

$17.02 €14.66

-12.93%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$77.4 NZ$132

$82.3 €71.0

-5.99%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$9.78 NZ$16.70

$11.62 €10.01

-15.83%

Cappuccino

$3.40 NZ$5.80

$1.91 €1.64

78.01%

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

$2.26 NZ$3.85

$3.02 €2.60

-25.17%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.17 NZ$3.70

$1.31 €1.13

65.65%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$6.92 NZ$11.81

$5.81 €5.01

19.10%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$6.44 NZ$11.00

$5.12 €4.41

25.78%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.79 NZ$3.06

$1.64 €1.42

9.15%

White Bread (500g)

$1.89 NZ$3.23

$2.42 €2.09

-21.90%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.86 NZ$3.18

$2.92 €2.52

-36.30%

Eggs

$6.53 NZ$11.15

$4.12 €3.55

58.50%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$8.13 NZ$13.88

$16.70 €14.39

-51.32%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$9.45 NZ$16.13

$12.60 €10.86

-25.00%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$13.11 NZ$22.39

$20.61 €17.76

-36.39%

Apples (1kg)

$2.87 NZ$4.91

$2.48 €2.14

15.73%

Banana (1kg)

$2.23 NZ$3.80

$2.15 €1.85

3.72%

Oranges (1kg)

$3.08 NZ$5.26

$2.72 €2.35

13.24%

Tomato (1kg)

$4.77 NZ$8.15

$3.25 €2.80

46.77%

Potato (1kg)

$2.05 NZ$3.49

$1.94 €1.67

5.67%

Onion (1kg)

$1.79 NZ$3.05

$1.81 €1.56

-1.10%

Lettuce (1 head)

$2.39 NZ$4.08

$1.48 €1.27

61.49%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$1.20 NZ$2.04

$0.54 €0.47

122.22%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$24.45 NZ$41.75

$6.82 €5.87

258.50%

Wine (Bottle)

$9.26 NZ$15.81

$7.33 €6.32

26.33%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$3.10 NZ$5.30

$1.80 €1.55

72.22%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.64 NZ$6.21

$2.54 €2.19

43.31%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$2.44 NZ$4.17

$2.01 €1.73

21.39%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$105 NZ$180

$41.70 €35.93

152.95%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$2.36 NZ$4.03

$5.90 €5.09

-60.00%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.93 NZ$3.30

$1.52 €1.31

26.97%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$36.23 NZ$61.9

$34.23 €29.50

5.84%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.73 NZ$2.95

$2.13 €1.83

-18.78%

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

$28.1K NZ$47.9K

$32.8K €28.3K

-14.47%

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

$21.3K NZ$36.4K

$33.5K €28.9K

-36.32%

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

$139 NZ$238

$226 €194

-38.31%

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

$34.93 NZ$59.6

$13.32 €11.48

162.24%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$52.0 NZ$88.7

$31.26 €26.94

66.19%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$36.77 NZ$62.8

$56.9 €49.02

-35.37%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$14.83 NZ$25.32

$25.71 €22.15

-42.32%

Cinema Ticket

$11.87 NZ$20.26

$10.35 €8.92

14.69%

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

$766 NZ$1,309

$579 €499

32.35%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$12.0K NZ$20.5K

$10.5K €9,076

13.81%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$67.3 NZ$115

$90.2 €77.7

-25.36%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$42.58 NZ$72.7

$40.79 €35.15

4.39%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$97.8 NZ$167

$98.7 €85.1

-0.94%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$121 NZ$206

$133 €115

-9.42%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,104 NZ$1,886

$853 €735

29.46%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$937 NZ$1,599

$667 €575

40.44%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,819 NZ$3,106

$1,517 €1,307

19.92%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,512 NZ$2,582

$1,083 €933

39.68%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$5,772 NZ$9,856

$3,767 €3,245

53.24%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$3,681 NZ$6,286

$2,403 €2,071

53.18%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$2,950 NZ$5,037

$1,986 €1,711

48.56%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

6.74

4.41

52.83%

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

Last update for New Zealand: June 8, 2026

Last update for Italy: June 9, 2026

Cost Breakdown

National rent averages: $985 in New Zealand, $742 in Italy. Capital cities: $1,307 in Wellington vs $1,368 in Rome.

National salary averages: $3,090 in New Zealand, $1,931 in Italy. Higher pay doesn't always mean more spending money – weigh income against local costs.

Cost Highlights

Rent is 33% higher in New Zealand.

Public transport is 57% more expensive in New Zealand.

Salaries are 60% higher in New Zealand, giving New Zealand stronger purchasing power.

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 $1,804 per month in Italy and $2,119 in New Zealand, there's a 17% gap. Keep in mind it varies by city – the difference can be bigger or smaller depending on where you settle within each country.

Italy is simply cheaper day-to-day: 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 New Zealand beats Italy across the board, especially in major cities. Housing is usually the single biggest driver of the overall cost difference between the two countries.

In Italy, $2,500 covers most cities easily. In New Zealand, it works in regional areas but falls short in the capital – you'll need to make trade-offs on housing or lifestyle.

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