Cost of Living Comparison Between Oamaru and Dunedin Cost of Living Comparison Between Oamaru and Dunedin

Monthly Cost of Living

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $1,726 in Oamaru versus $1,795 in Dunedin.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $2,682 in Oamaru versus $2,789 in Dunedin.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $3,638 in Oamaru versus $3,783 in Dunedin.

Living in Oamaru costs roughly 4% less than in Dunedin, driven mainly by Clothing & Footwear.

Both cities are pricier than the global median: Oamaru 30% above, Dunedin 35% above.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$17.10 NZ$29.00

$11.86 NZ$20.10

44.18%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$72.5 NZ$123

$73.0 NZ$124

-0.67%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$9.57 NZ$16.23

$10.87 NZ$18.43

-11.96%

Cappuccino

$3.48 NZ$5.91

$3.48 NZ$5.89

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

$2.27 NZ$3.85

$2.28 NZ$3.86

-0.44%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.05 NZ$3.48

$2.00 NZ$3.39

2.50%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$7.21 NZ$12.23

$7.12 NZ$12.07

1.26%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$7.10 NZ$12.03

$5.90 NZ$10.01

20.34%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.79 NZ$3.04

$2.17 NZ$3.68

-17.51%

White Bread (500g)

$1.15 NZ$1.95

$1.99 NZ$3.38

-42.21%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.23 NZ$2.09

$1.91 NZ$3.24

-35.60%

Eggs

$3.89 NZ$6.60

$5.59 NZ$9.47

-30.41%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$8.06 NZ$13.66

$8.36 NZ$14.17

-3.59%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$9.13 NZ$15.48

$10.65 NZ$18.05

-14.27%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$12.89 NZ$21.84

$12.90 NZ$21.86

-0.08%

Apples (1kg)

$2.46 NZ$4.18

$2.88 NZ$4.88

-14.58%

Banana (1kg)

$1.82 NZ$3.09

$2.25 NZ$3.81

-19.11%

Oranges (1kg)

$2.96 NZ$5.02

$3.38 NZ$5.73

-12.43%

Tomato (1kg)

$5.59 NZ$9.48

$4.65 NZ$7.89

20.22%

Potato (1kg)

$1.54 NZ$2.61

$1.89 NZ$3.21

-18.52%

Onion (1kg)

$1.22 NZ$2.07

$2.07 NZ$3.51

-41.06%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.86 NZ$3.16

$2.53 NZ$4.30

-26.48%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$1.40 NZ$2.38

$1.12 NZ$1.89

25.00%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$23.75 NZ$40.25

$24.48 NZ$41.50

-2.98%

Wine (Bottle)

$5.92 NZ$10.04

$8.96 NZ$15.18

-33.93%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$3.77 NZ$6.39

$2.52 NZ$4.27

49.60%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$4.94 NZ$8.38

$3.57 NZ$6.05

38.38%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$2.10 NZ$3.56

$1.24 NZ$2.10

69.35%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$63.2 NZ$107

$71.9 NZ$122

-12.08%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$2.73 NZ$4.63

$5.93 NZ$10.05

-53.96%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.69 NZ$2.87

$1.10 NZ$1.87

53.64%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$30.64 NZ$52.0

$30.03 NZ$50.9

2.03%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.68 NZ$2.85

$1.66 NZ$2.81

1.20%

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

$27.7K NZ$46.9K

$19.7K NZ$33.3K

40.64%

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

$19.7K NZ$33.4K

$25.6K NZ$43.4K

-23.08%

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

$118 NZ$201

$102 NZ$172

16.52%

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

$18.23 NZ$30.91

$35.32 NZ$59.9

-48.39%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$47.64 NZ$80.8

$54.6 NZ$92.5

-12.73%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$37.05 NZ$62.8

$51.1 NZ$86.7

-27.55%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$12.30 NZ$20.84

$6.13 NZ$10.40

100.65%

Cinema Ticket

$10.80 NZ$18.31

$9.69 NZ$16.42

11.46%

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

$653 NZ$1,107

$575 NZ$974

13.67%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$9,274 NZ$15.7K

$11.9K NZ$20.1K

-21.97%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$61.0 NZ$103

$66.0 NZ$112

-7.68%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$17.94 NZ$30.40

$34.51 NZ$58.5

-48.02%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$48.00 NZ$81.4

$94.8 NZ$161

-49.39%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$54.8 NZ$92.8

$121 NZ$206

-54.87%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$983 NZ$1,667

$885 NZ$1,500

11.07%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$780 NZ$1,322

$758 NZ$1,285

2.90%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,550 NZ$2,628

$1,500 NZ$2,544

3.33%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,420 NZ$2,407

$1,347 NZ$2,284

5.39%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$4,804 NZ$8,143

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$3,073 NZ$5,210

$2,237 NZ$3,792

37.39%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$2,013 NZ$3,412

$2,582 NZ$4,377

-22.04%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

7.07

-15.13%

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

Last update for Oamaru: July 27, 2026

Last update for Dunedin: July 26, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $983 in Oamaru and $885 in Dunedin. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Dunedin pays 28% more on average. The extra income cushions the higher costs, though housing choices and lifestyle decide how much of the gap is truly closed.

Dining out: $72.0 in Oamaru vs $73.0 in Dunedin for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $293 vs $324 per month, with Oamaru cheaper across the board.

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

Oamaru vs Dunedin: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Oamaru and Dunedin differ by about 4% in total monthly costs ($1,726 vs $1,795 including rent). Oamaru is meaningfully more affordable – a gap that matters a lot on a fixed or modest income.

On paper, salaries run 28% lower in Dunedin. That's worth factoring in alongside costs, though remote workers earning in a stronger currency may not notice the difference at all.

Rent for a central apartment: $983 in Oamaru versus $885 in Dunedin. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

A monthly transit pass in Oamaru runs roughly 14% less than in Dunedin. Both cities have functional networks, but the price difference matters if you're watching your budget.

Childcare runs $653 in Oamaru versus $575 in Dunedin. Over years of preschool, even a modest monthly gap compounds into a major financial factor for families.

At $1,726 in Oamaru versus $1,795 in Dunedin, a $2,500 budget is realistic in Oamaru but tight or insufficient in Dunedin. The gap between the two cities makes Oamaru the clear choice for anyone on this budget.

Both cities offer a good standard of living with different trade-offs. Neither is objectively better – the right pick depends on what matters most: affordability, career, cultural scene, or climate.

Safety-wise, Oamaru and Dunedin are on par. Petty crime is typical for cities this size, and most residents feel comfortable going about their daily routines in either place.

Expats usually find Oamaru gentler on the wallet – expenses run 4% less than in Dunedin. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.