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 $1,886 per month in New Zealand vs $1,644 in Spain, rent included.

A couple spends around $2,900 per month in New Zealand vs $2,400 in Spain, rent included.

A family of three spends $3,914 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 41%, Spain by 23%.

Spain has a wider regional cost range ($1,115–$3,300) than New Zealand ($1,421–$2,771), so location matters more when choosing where to live in Spain.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$14.82 NZ$25.19

$16.01 €13.67

-7.43%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$78.7 NZ$134

$59.0 €50.4

33.50%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$9.56 NZ$16.26

$10.26 €8.77

-6.82%

Cappuccino

$3.48 NZ$5.91

$2.29 €1.95

51.97%

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

$2.28 NZ$3.88

$2.59 €2.21

-11.97%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.12 NZ$3.60

$1.81 €1.55

17.13%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$6.98 NZ$11.87

$3.53 €3.01

97.73%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$6.69 NZ$11.37

$4.02 €3.44

66.42%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.79 NZ$3.05

$1.24 €1.06

44.35%

White Bread (500g)

$1.92 NZ$3.27

$1.52 €1.30

26.32%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.87 NZ$3.18

$1.60 €1.37

16.88%

Eggs

$6.56 NZ$11.16

$2.98 €2.54

120.13%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$8.28 NZ$14.08

$14.49 €12.38

-42.86%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$9.39 NZ$15.95

$8.37 €7.14

12.19%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$13.29 NZ$22.59

$15.94 €13.62

-16.62%

Apples (1kg)

$2.79 NZ$4.74

$2.54 €2.17

9.84%

Banana (1kg)

$2.25 NZ$3.82

$2.10 €1.79

7.14%

Oranges (1kg)

$3.08 NZ$5.24

$2.06 €1.76

49.51%

Tomato (1kg)

$4.82 NZ$8.19

$2.64 €2.25

82.58%

Potato (1kg)

$2.09 NZ$3.56

$1.84 €1.58

13.59%

Onion (1kg)

$1.80 NZ$3.07

$1.91 €1.63

-5.76%

Lettuce (1 head)

$2.29 NZ$3.89

$1.33 €1.14

72.18%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$1.14 NZ$1.94

$0.80 €0.68

42.50%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$24.04 NZ$40.86

$6.43 €5.49

273.87%

Wine (Bottle)

$9.37 NZ$15.93

$5.82 €4.97

61.00%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$3.10 NZ$5.27

$1.24 €1.06

150.00%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.67 NZ$6.23

$2.11 €1.80

73.93%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$2.39 NZ$4.06

$1.70 €1.45

40.59%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$106 NZ$181

$34.64 €29.58

207.02%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$2.40 NZ$4.08

$4.60 €3.93

-47.83%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.93 NZ$3.28

$1.35 €1.15

42.96%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$35.57 NZ$60.5

$27.00 €23.06

31.74%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.71 NZ$2.91

$1.84 €1.57

-7.07%

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

$27.5K NZ$46.7K

$38.3K €32.7K

-28.24%

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

$21.6K NZ$36.7K

$31.2K €26.7K

-30.87%

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

$139 NZ$237

$151 €129

-7.84%

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

$35.74 NZ$60.8

$20.30 €17.34

76.06%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$51.8 NZ$88.1

$33.21 €28.36

55.98%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$36.66 NZ$62.3

$47.38 €40.47

-22.63%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$15.08 NZ$25.63

$15.74 €13.44

-4.19%

Cinema Ticket

$11.93 NZ$20.28

$9.06 €7.74

31.68%

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

$762 NZ$1,295

$523 €446

45.79%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$11.6K NZ$19.8K

$9,978 €8,521

16.72%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$66.8 NZ$113

$87.7 €74.9

-23.91%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$42.07 NZ$71.5

$37.32 €31.87

12.73%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$96.3 NZ$164

$88.7 €75.8

8.55%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$122 NZ$208

$106 €90.8

14.87%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,095 NZ$1,861

$1,052 €899

4.05%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$937 NZ$1,593

$809 €691

15.85%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,816 NZ$3,086

$1,674 €1,429

8.48%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,529 NZ$2,599

$1,213 €1,036

26.07%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$5,777 NZ$9,821

$4,487 €3,832

28.76%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$3,747 NZ$6,370

$2,733 €2,334

37.10%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$2,993 NZ$5,088

$2,111 €1,803

41.78%

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: April 26, 2026

Last update for Spain: April 25, 2026

Cost Breakdown

Average rent: $981 in New Zealand vs $899 in Spain. For reference, capital cities sit at $1,327 in Wellington and $1,595 in Madrid.

Average salary: $3,086 in New Zealand vs $2,010 in Spain. The income gap affects purchasing power and how far your budget stretches in each country.

Cost Highlights

Rent is 9% higher in New Zealand.

Dining out costs 43% more in New Zealand.

Public transport is 106% 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 5% 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 5% 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.