Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Oamaru and Dunedin

For one person, living is cheaper in Oamaru: $1,809 a month against $1,987 in Dunedin, rent and utilities included – about $2,100 less a year. Other living expenses account for most of the difference.

93

Cost of Living Index in Oamaru
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Oamaru Living Index
96

Cost of Living Index in Dunedin
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Dunedin Living Index

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Oamaru

🇳🇿 New Zealand

$1,809

/mo nomad

Dunedin

🇳🇿 New Zealand

$1,987

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

How much you'll spend in Oamaru and in Dunedin

Real prices from locals and on-the-ground checks – rent, groceries, transit and the daily extras. Here's what a month in Oamaru and in Dunedin actually costs, broken down by who's living it.

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $1,809 in Oamaru versus $1,987 in Dunedin.

Oamaru $1,809
Dunedin $1,987

Estimated couple costs with rent: $2,753 in Oamaru versus $2,907 in Dunedin.

Oamaru $2,753
Dunedin $2,907

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $3,698 in Oamaru versus $3,828 in Dunedin.

Oamaru $3,698
Dunedin $3,828

Living in Oamaru costs roughly 9% less than in Dunedin, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in clothing.

Both cities are pricier than the global median: Oamaru 33% above, Dunedin 46% above.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$14.46 NZ$25.67

$14.03 NZ$24.90

3.06%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$68.4 NZ$121

$62.0 NZ$110

10.30%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$9.20 NZ$16.33

$11.40 NZ$20.23

-19.30%

Cappuccino

$3.35 NZ$5.94

$3.27 NZ$5.80

2.45%

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

$2.30 NZ$4.09

$2.07 NZ$3.68

11.11%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.78 NZ$3.15

$2.06 NZ$3.65

-13.59%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$6.64 NZ$11.79

$6.73 NZ$11.95

-1.34%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$6.97 NZ$12.37

$6.16 NZ$10.94

13.15%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.73 NZ$3.08

$2.15 NZ$3.81

-19.53%

White Bread (500g)

$1.32 NZ$2.34

$1.99 NZ$3.54

-33.67%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.47 NZ$2.60

$1.76 NZ$3.13

-16.48%

Eggs

$5.53 NZ$9.82

$5.90 NZ$10.48

-6.27%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$7.53 NZ$13.36

$8.52 NZ$15.12

-11.62%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$8.85 NZ$15.72

$9.21 NZ$16.36

-3.91%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$13.64 NZ$24.21

$16.72 NZ$29.68

-18.42%

Apples (1kg)

$2.39 NZ$4.25

$3.02 NZ$5.36

-20.86%

Banana (1kg)

$2.10 NZ$3.73

$2.29 NZ$4.06

-8.30%

Oranges (1kg)

$2.65 NZ$4.70

$3.27 NZ$5.80

-18.96%

Tomato (1kg)

$2.91 NZ$5.17

$5.13 NZ$9.11

-43.27%

Potato (1kg)

$1.50 NZ$2.67

$1.84 NZ$3.27

-18.48%

Onion (1kg)

$1.39 NZ$2.47

$1.87 NZ$3.33

-25.67%

Lettuce (1 head)

$2.07 NZ$3.68

$2.41 NZ$4.28

-14.11%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.65 NZ$1.16

$0.60 NZ$1.07

8.33%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$24.01 NZ$42.63

$20.90 NZ$37.11

14.88%

Wine (Bottle)

$5.66 NZ$10.05

$9.01 NZ$16.00

-37.18%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$3.42 NZ$6.08

$3.17 NZ$5.63

7.89%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$4.44 NZ$7.89

$1.26 NZ$2.23

252.38%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$2.05 NZ$3.63

$1.43 NZ$2.54

43.36%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$108 NZ$191

$102 NZ$180

5.77%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$2.58 NZ$4.58

$5.76 NZ$10.22

-55.21%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.72 NZ$3.06

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$28.67 NZ$50.9

$28.63 NZ$50.8

0.14%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.62 NZ$2.88

$1.77 NZ$3.14

-8.47%

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

$28.8K NZ$51.2K

$28.2K NZ$50.1K

2.15%

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

$23.7K NZ$42.1K

$23.5K NZ$41.7K

1.10%

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

$157 NZ$279

$110 NZ$196

42.26%

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

$20.20 NZ$35.86

$29.44 NZ$52.3

-31.39%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$44.97 NZ$79.8

$52.3 NZ$92.8

-14.00%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$39.17 NZ$69.6

$45.90 NZ$81.5

-14.66%

Cinema Ticket

$10.03 NZ$17.81

$11.20 NZ$19.89

-10.45%

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

$677 NZ$1,202

$588 NZ$1,045

15.09%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$22.4K NZ$39.7K

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$57.6 NZ$102

$58.8 NZ$104

-1.91%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$17.36 NZ$30.83

$35.28 NZ$62.6

-50.79%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$45.93 NZ$81.6

$91.3 NZ$162

-49.68%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$51.0 NZ$90.6

$135 NZ$240

-62.22%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,042 NZ$1,850

$1,013 NZ$1,798

2.89%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$799 NZ$1,419

$897 NZ$1,593

-10.88%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,588 NZ$2,820

$1,632 NZ$2,897

-2.66%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,426 NZ$2,531

$1,358 NZ$2,410

5.03%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$4,866 NZ$8,638

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$3,783 NZ$6,716

$2,273 NZ$4,035

66.44%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$1,950 NZ$3,462

$2,464 NZ$4,374

-20.85%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

5.91

7.07

-16.41%

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

Last update for Oamaru: October 26, 2026

Last update for Dunedin: October 25, 2026

Monthly budget structure

Share of the monthly basket for one person, rent included.

Accommodation & Living

Oamaru

$799 44.2%

Dunedin

$897 45.2% 12.2% $98

Groceries & Markets

Oamaru

$277 15.3%

Dunedin

$324 16.3% 17% $47

Eating Out

Oamaru

$247 13.7%

Dunedin

$248 12.5% 0.5% $1.2

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Oamaru

$222 12.3%

Dunedin

$192 9.7% 13.5% $30

Getting Around

Oamaru

$127 7%

Dunedin

$113 * 5.7% 10.9% $14

Clothing & Footwear

Oamaru

$77 4.3%

Dunedin

$144 7.3% 86.3% $67

Sport & Entertainment

Oamaru

$59 3.3%

Dunedin

$68 3.4% 15.3% $9.1

Categories marked with * are only partly priced – their share counts the items that do have prices.

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $1,042 in Oamaru and $1,013 in Dunedin. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Dunedin pays 26% more on average. How far that income stretches comes down to housing choices and lifestyle.

Dining out: $68 in Oamaru vs $62 in Dunedin. Groceries flip the comparison at $277 vs $324, with Oamaru cheaper for home cooking.

Good to know

🇳🇿 Oamaru

🇳🇿 Dunedin

🕒 Local time

08:18 8:18 AM

Same time as Oamaru

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

13,850

105,000

💱 Currency

New Zealand Dollar NZD $

📈 Exchange rate

1 NZD = 0.563 USD

1 NZD = 0.504 EUR

1 NZD = 0.563 USD

1 NZD = 0.504 EUR

Exchange rates and currency converter

On the map

Lowest

Highest

Between locations

Oamaru Dunedin 93 km

From you

Oamaru
Dunedin

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

Oamaru vs Dunedin: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Total monthly costs including rent come to $1,809 in Oamaru and $1,987 in Dunedin, so Oamaru is about 9% cheaper – a gap that matters a lot on a fixed or modest income.

On paper, salaries run 21% lower in Oamaru. 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: $1,042 in Oamaru versus $1,013 in Dunedin. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

A monthly transit pass in Dunedin runs roughly 5% less than in Oamaru. The price difference matters if you commute daily and watch your budget.

Childcare runs $677 in Oamaru versus $588 in Dunedin. Over years of preschool, even a modest monthly gap compounds into a major financial factor for families.

Either city works on $2,500 a month, though Oamaru gives you more room to save. At this income level, the choice is more about lifestyle than financial pressure.

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 both considered safe, so it’s unlikely to be the deciding factor between them.

It comes down to priorities – Oamaru wins on affordability, Dunedin on earning potential. Factor in climate, language, visa rules, and proximity to places that matter to you before deciding.