Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between New Zealand and Sydney

For one person, living is cheaper in New Zealand: $2,026 a month against $3,182 in Sydney, rent and utilities included – about $13,900 less a year. Rent and utilities account for most of the difference.

Jump to prices
🇳🇿 New Zealand
$2,026
/mo nomad
Sydney
🇦🇺 Australia
$3,182
/mo nomad
🙂 Solo nomad: New Zealand is 24.4% cheaper than Sydney without rent, and 36.3% cheaper with rent.
🙂 Family of 3: New Zealand is 23% cheaper than Sydney without rent, and 35.9% cheaper with rent.
Currency
🍽 Eating Out
New Zealand
Sydney
Difference
Meal at Budget Restaurant
$14.03 NZ$25.00
$17.66 A$25.28
-20.55%
Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range
$67.1 NZ$120
$97.1 A$139
-30.92%
Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)
$9.11 NZ$16.23
$11.94 A$17.09
-23.70%
Cappuccino
$3.26 NZ$5.82
$4.00 A$5.72
-18.50%
Coke/Pepsi/Fanta/Sprite (0.33 liter bottle)
$2.18 NZ$3.88
$2.84 A$4.06
-23.24%
Water (0.33 liter bottle)
$1.87 NZ$3.34
$2.27 A$3.25
-17.62%
Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)
$6.69 NZ$11.93
$7.89 A$11.29
-15.21%
Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)
$6.77 NZ$12.06
$7.13 A$10.20
-5.05%
🛒 Groceries & Markets
New Zealand
Sydney
Difference
Milk (1 liter)
$1.73 NZ$3.09
$1.66 A$2.38
4.22%
White Bread (500g)
$1.86 NZ$3.31
$2.79 A$4.00
-33.33%
Rice (white) (1kg)
$1.78 NZ$3.16
$2.32 A$3.33
-23.28%
Eggs
$5.96 NZ$10.63
$5.53 A$7.92
7.78%
Local Cheese (1kg)
$8.07 NZ$14.38
$12.08 A$17.28
-33.20%
Chicken Fillets (1kg)
$9.39 NZ$16.74
$9.84 A$14.09
-4.57%
Beef Round Steak (1kg)
$13.96 NZ$24.88
$16.61 A$23.78
-15.95%
Apples (1kg)
$2.73 NZ$4.87
$4.02 A$5.76
-32.09%
Banana (1kg)
$2.09 NZ$3.73
$3.15 A$4.51
-33.65%
Oranges (1kg)
$2.94 NZ$5.24
$3.50 A$5.01
-16.00%
Tomato (1kg)
$4.98 NZ$8.87
$4.47 A$6.39
11.41%
Potato (1kg)
$2.02 NZ$3.60
$3.32 A$4.76
-39.16%
Onion (1kg)
$1.48 NZ$2.64
$2.30 A$3.30
-35.65%
Lettuce (1 head)
$2.05 NZ$3.64
$2.34 A$3.35
-12.39%
Water (1.5 liter bottle)
$1.05 NZ$1.88
$1.15 A$1.65
-8.70%
Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)
$23.61 NZ$42.06
$45.02 A$64.4
-47.56%
Wine (Bottle)
$8.93 NZ$15.92
$13.96 A$19.97
-36.03%
Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)
$3.01 NZ$5.37
$3.98 A$5.70
-24.37%
Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)
$3.15 NZ$5.62
$4.07 A$5.82
-22.60%
🚌 Getting Around
New Zealand
Sydney
Difference
One-way Ticket (Public Transport)
$1.85 NZ$3.30
$3.16 A$4.52
-41.46%
Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)
$100 NZ$179
$150 A$215
-33.02%
Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)
$2.26 NZ$4.02
$3.45 A$4.94
-34.49%
Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)
$1.90 NZ$3.38
$1.63 A$2.33
16.56%
Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)
$32.21 NZ$57.4
$39.98 A$57.2
-19.43%
Gasoline (1 liter)
$1.68 NZ$3.00
$1.40 A$2.01
20.00%
Midsize Hatchback 1.4l (Volkswagen Golf, Toyota Prius, Honda Civic, etc)
$24.9K NZ$44.3K
$28.4K A$40.7K
-12.46%
Compact Sedan 1.6l (Toyota Corolla, Mazda3, Kia K4, Hyundai Elantra, etc)
$23.7K NZ$42.2K
$29.4K A$42.1K
-19.47%
🧾 Monthly Utilities & Internet
New Zealand
Sydney
Difference
Utilities for 2 People in 2-bedroom Apartment (Heating, Electricity, Gas, Water, Garbage) (85m2)
$155 NZ$277
$220 A$315
-29.31%
SIM Card Monthly Plan (Calls and 10GB+ Data)
$31.36 NZ$55.9
$27.70 A$39.64
13.21%
Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)
$47.95 NZ$85.5
$55.5 A$79.5
-13.65%
🎉 Sport & Entertainment
New Zealand
Sydney
Difference
Gym Membership (Monthly)
$34.82 NZ$62.1
$74.3 A$106
-53.15%
Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)
$14.77 NZ$26.33
$23.95 A$34.28
-38.33%
Cinema Ticket
$11.38 NZ$20.27
$17.73 A$25.37
-35.82%
🧸 Childcare & Education
New Zealand
Sydney
Difference
Preschool or Kindergarten, Full Day, Private, 1 Child (Monthly)
$879 NZ$1,566
$2,157 A$3,087
-59.26%
International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)
$16.4K NZ$29.3K
$28.3K A$40.5K
-41.90%
👕👟 Clothing & Footwear
New Zealand
Sydney
Difference
Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)
$68.7 NZ$122
$78.4 A$112
-12.43%
Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)
$35.27 NZ$62.8
$70.5 A$101
-49.99%
Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)
$91.6 NZ$163
$111 A$159
-17.74%
Men's Leather Business Shoes
$117 NZ$208
$132 A$189
-11.35%
🏠 Accommodation & Living
New Zealand
Sydney
Difference
1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)
$1,076 NZ$1,918
$2,514 A$3,598
-57.20%
1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)
$921 NZ$1,641
$1,732 A$2,478
-46.80%
3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)
$1,724 NZ$3,072
$4,889 A$6,996
-64.73%
3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)
$1,477 NZ$2,631
$3,039 A$4,349
-51.41%
Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)
$5,621 NZ$10.0K
$13.2K A$18.9K
-57.46%
Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)
$3,602 NZ$6,418
$8,117 A$11.6K
-55.62%
💵 Salaries & Financials
New Zealand
Sydney
Difference
Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)
$2,752 NZ$4,903
$4,082 A$5,842
-32.60%
20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)
6.27
5.84
7.36%

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

Last update for New Zealand: October 5, 2026

Last update for Sydney: October 5, 2026

Monthly budget structure
Share of the monthly basket for one person, rent included.
Accommodation & Living
New Zealand
$921
Sydney
$1.7K 88% $810
Groceries & Markets
New Zealand
$312
Sydney
$380 21.9% $68
Eating Out
New Zealand
$242
Sydney
$299 23.7% $57
Monthly Utilities & Internet
New Zealand
$235
Sydney
$303 29.1% $68
Clothing & Footwear
New Zealand
$141
Sydney
$176 25.5% $36
Getting Around
New Zealand
$120
Sydney
$174 45.6% $55
Sport & Entertainment
New Zealand
$58
Sydney
$110 90.6% $52
Good to know
🇳🇿 New Zealand
🇦🇺 Sydney
🕒 Local time
00:57 12:57 AM
22:57 10:57 PM
2 h behind New Zealand
🌤 Weather
👥 Population
5,118,700
4,840,600
💱 Currency
New Zealand Dollar NZD $
Australian Dollar AUD $
📈 Exchange rate
1 NZD = 0.561 USD
1 NZD = 0.501 EUR
1 AUD = 0.699 USD
1 AUD = 0.624 EUR
Exchange rates and currency converter

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

New Zealand Dollar exchange rates as of October 10, 2026: 1 USD = 1.78 NZD (1 NZD = 0.561 USD). 1 EUR = 2 NZD (1 NZD = 0.501 EUR).

Australian Dollar exchange rates as of October 10, 2026: 1 USD = 1.43 AUD (1 AUD = 0.699 USD). 1 EUR = 1.6 AUD (1 AUD = 0.624 EUR).

USD to NZD in detail →
On the map
Between locations
  • New Zealand Sydney 2,230 km ≈ 3 h 15 min nonstop flight
From you
  • New Zealand
  • Sydney

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 other spots: cost of living compared

🇳🇿 New Zealand
$2,026
/mo nomad
🇺🇸 United States
$2,785
/mo nomad
🇳🇿 New Zealand
$2,026
/mo nomad
🇦🇺 Australia
$2,537
/mo nomad
🇳🇿 New Zealand
$2,026
/mo nomad
🇮🇳 India
$380
/mo nomad
🇳🇿 New Zealand
$2,026
/mo nomad
🇸🇧 Solomon Islands
$1,912
/mo nomad
Show more

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