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

Name: Spain
Address: ES

Monthly Cost of Living

A single person spends $1,881 per month in New Zealand vs $1,642 in Spain, rent included.

A couple spends around $2,901 per month in New Zealand vs $2,399 in Spain, rent included.

A family of three spends $3,920 per month in New Zealand vs $3,155 in Spain, rent included.

New Zealand costs about 15% more than Spain on average – the gap runs across housing, groceries, transport, and services.

Both New Zealand and Spain are pricier than the global median – New Zealand by 40%, Spain by 22%.

Spain has a wider regional cost range ($1,127–$3,255) than New Zealand ($1,437–$2,800), so location matters more when choosing where to live in Spain.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$14.82 NZ$25.40

$15.98 €13.81

-7.26%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$77.4 NZ$133

$57.6 €49.77

34.39%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$9.78 NZ$16.76

$10.27 €8.88

-4.77%

Cappuccino

$3.40 NZ$5.83

$2.38 €2.05

42.86%

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

$2.26 NZ$3.87

$2.58 €2.23

-12.40%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.17 NZ$3.72

$1.83 €1.59

18.58%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$6.92 NZ$11.85

$3.54 €3.06

95.48%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$6.44 NZ$11.04

$4.09 €3.53

57.46%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.79 NZ$3.07

$1.22 €1.06

46.72%

White Bread (500g)

$1.89 NZ$3.24

$1.53 €1.32

23.53%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.86 NZ$3.19

$1.60 €1.39

16.25%

Eggs

$6.53 NZ$11.19

$2.93 €2.53

122.87%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$8.13 NZ$13.93

$14.33 €12.38

-43.27%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$9.45 NZ$16.19

$8.31 €7.18

13.72%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$13.11 NZ$22.47

$15.62 €13.50

-16.07%

Apples (1kg)

$2.87 NZ$4.93

$2.53 €2.18

13.44%

Banana (1kg)

$2.23 NZ$3.81

$1.99 €1.72

12.06%

Oranges (1kg)

$3.08 NZ$5.28

$2.11 €1.83

45.97%

Tomato (1kg)

$4.77 NZ$8.18

$2.54 €2.20

87.80%

Potato (1kg)

$2.05 NZ$3.50

$1.77 €1.53

15.82%

Onion (1kg)

$1.79 NZ$3.06

$1.98 €1.71

-9.60%

Lettuce (1 head)

$2.39 NZ$4.10

$1.30 €1.12

83.85%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$1.20 NZ$2.05

$0.74 €0.64

62.16%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$24.45 NZ$41.90

$6.19 €5.35

294.99%

Wine (Bottle)

$9.26 NZ$15.87

$5.93 €5.12

56.16%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$3.10 NZ$5.32

$1.25 €1.08

148.00%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.64 NZ$6.23

$2.07 €1.79

75.85%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$2.44 NZ$4.18

$1.78 €1.54

37.08%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$105 NZ$181

$34.91 €30.16

202.15%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$2.36 NZ$4.04

$4.48 €3.87

-47.32%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.93 NZ$3.31

$1.34 €1.15

44.03%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$36.23 NZ$62.1

$26.24 €22.68

38.07%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.73 NZ$2.96

$1.76 €1.52

-1.70%

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

$28.1K NZ$48.1K

$38.2K €33.0K

-26.55%

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

$21.3K NZ$36.6K

$31.6K €27.3K

-32.56%

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

$139 NZ$239

$149 €128

-6.36%

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

$34.93 NZ$59.9

$20.16 €17.42

73.26%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$52.0 NZ$89.0

$34.11 €29.48

52.30%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$36.77 NZ$63.0

$47.12 €40.72

-21.97%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$14.83 NZ$25.41

$15.83 €13.68

-6.32%

Cinema Ticket

$11.87 NZ$20.34

$9.47 €8.18

25.34%

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

$766 NZ$1,313

$517 €446

48.37%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$12.0K NZ$20.5K

$10.2K €8,777

18.03%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$67.3 NZ$115

$87.2 €75.3

-22.79%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$42.58 NZ$73.0

$37.36 €32.28

13.97%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$97.8 NZ$168

$91.3 €78.9

7.08%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$121 NZ$207

$106 €91.2

14.19%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,104 NZ$1,892

$1,074 €928

2.87%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$937 NZ$1,605

$815 €704

14.89%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,819 NZ$3,117

$1,691 €1,461

7.55%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,512 NZ$2,591

$1,228 €1,061

23.15%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$5,772 NZ$9,891

$4,338 €3,749

33.05%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$3,681 NZ$6,308

$2,744 €2,371

34.15%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$2,950 NZ$5,055

$2,031 €1,755

45.24%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

6.74

3.51

92.02%

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

Last update for New Zealand: June 8, 2026

Last update for Spain: June 9, 2026

Cost Breakdown

Average rent: $985 in New Zealand vs $898 in Spain. For reference, capital cities sit at $1,307 in Wellington and $1,609 in Madrid.

Average salary: $3,090 in New Zealand vs $2,011 in Spain. The income gap affects purchasing power and how far your budget stretches in each country.

Cost Highlights

Rent is 10% higher in New Zealand.

Dining out costs 42% more in New Zealand.

Public transport is 109% more expensive in New Zealand.

Salaries are 54% 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 Spain: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

New Zealand is the cheaper option – living costs run roughly 3% lower on average. The gap is consistent across housing, groceries, transport, and entertainment.

Housing costs more in Spain, and the gap is biggest in capital cities. Regional towns show less difference, but Spain consistently has higher rents.

Groceries, transport, and utilities all cost less in New Zealand, contributing to the overall 3% price gap. The savings show up everywhere – from supermarket receipts to monthly bills.

$2,000 buys a comfortable lifestyle in New Zealand, but in Spain 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.