Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Palmerston North and Dubrovnik

For one person, living is cheaper in Palmerston North: $1,562 a month against $1,979 in Dubrovnik, rent and utilities included – about $5,000 less a year. Rent and utilities account for most of the difference.

76

Cost of Living Index in Palmerston North
Learn more

Palmerston North Living Index
97

Cost of Living Index in Dubrovnik
Learn more

Dubrovnik Living Index

Jump to prices

Palmerston North

🇳🇿 New Zealand

$1,562

/mo nomad

Dubrovnik

🇭🇷 Croatia

$1,979

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

How much you'll spend in Palmerston North and in Dubrovnik

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

A single person spends $1,562 per month in Palmerston North vs $1,979 in Dubrovnik, rent included.

Palmerston North $1,562
Dubrovnik $1,979

A couple spends around $2,537 per month in Palmerston North vs $2,933 in Dubrovnik, rent included.

Palmerston North $2,537
Dubrovnik $2,933

A family of three spends $3,511 per month in Palmerston North vs $3,886 in Dubrovnik, rent included.

Palmerston North $3,511
Dubrovnik $3,886

Palmerston North is about 21% cheaper than Dubrovnik, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in eating out.

Both Palmerston North and Dubrovnik sit above the global median – Palmerston North by 16%, Dubrovnik by 47%.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$13.50 NZ$23.87

$19.49 €17.34

-30.73%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$63.7 NZ$113

$77.3 €68.8

-17.65%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$8.80 NZ$15.56

$12.71 €11.30

-30.76%

Cappuccino

$3.13 NZ$5.54

$4.21 €3.74

-25.65%

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

$2.36 NZ$4.18

$4.50 €4.01

-47.56%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.68 NZ$2.97

$4.49 €3.99

-62.58%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$6.43 NZ$11.38

$5.45 €4.85

17.98%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$6.52 NZ$11.53

$7.98 €7.10

-18.30%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.84 NZ$3.26

$1.08 €0.96

70.37%

White Bread (500g)

$2.14 NZ$3.78

$1.21 €1.07

76.86%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.37 NZ$2.42

$2.30 €2.05

-40.43%

Eggs

$4.85 NZ$8.58

$4.18 €3.72

16.03%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$6.41 NZ$11.34

$9.90 €8.81

-35.25%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$9.50 NZ$16.80

$8.96 €7.97

6.03%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$10.78 NZ$19.06

$9.60 €8.54

12.29%

Apples (1kg)

$2.54 NZ$4.48

$1.77 €1.58

43.50%

Banana (1kg)

$2.23 NZ$3.94

$1.36 €1.21

63.97%

Oranges (1kg)

$2.30 NZ$4.07

$1.70 €1.51

35.29%

Tomato (1kg)

$5.53 NZ$9.78

$2.74 €2.44

101.82%

Potato (1kg)

$1.41 NZ$2.49

$0.86 €0.77

63.95%

Onion (1kg)

$0.86 NZ$1.53

$0.91 €0.81

-5.49%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.72 NZ$3.04

$1.10 €0.98

56.36%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.75 NZ$1.33

$1.25 €1.11

-40.00%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$22.06 NZ$39.00

$5.36 €4.76

311.57%

Wine (Bottle)

$7.91 NZ$13.99

$4.41 €3.92

79.37%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$2.65 NZ$4.69

$1.32 €1.18

100.76%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.78 NZ$4.91

$2.88 €2.56

-3.47%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$3.93 NZ$6.95

$2.83 €2.51

38.87%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$82.3 NZ$146

$54.6 €48.53

50.82%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$1.87 NZ$3.30

$4.41 €3.92

-57.60%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.78 NZ$3.14

$1.22 €1.08

45.90%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$16.63 NZ$29.40

$7.40 €6.58

124.73%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.64 NZ$2.90

$1.80 €1.60

-8.89%

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

$21.6K NZ$38.1K

$25.9K €23.0K

-16.75%

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

$23.9K NZ$42.3K

$25.5K €22.7K

-6.15%

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

$68.2 NZ$121

$178 €158

-61.57%

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

$32.09 NZ$56.8

$22.58 €20.09

42.12%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$34.64 NZ$61.3

$42.34 €37.66

-18.19%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$21.79 NZ$38.54

$70.1 €62.4

-68.92%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$14.08 NZ$24.90

$23.39 €20.81

-39.80%

Cinema Ticket

$11.60 NZ$20.52

$8.00 €7.12

45.00%

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

$1,034 NZ$1,829

$90.6 €80.6

1041.46%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$8,550 NZ$15.1K

$6,922 €6,157

23.52%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$69.5 NZ$123

$73.3 €65.2

-5.12%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$27.70 NZ$48.98

$27.46 €24.43

0.87%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$83.1 NZ$147

$66.3 €58.9

25.36%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$82.5 NZ$146

$78.4 €69.7

5.30%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$906 NZ$1,602

$1,442 €1,283

-37.21%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$639 NZ$1,129

$906 €806

-29.47%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,587 NZ$2,807

$1,964 €1,747

-19.17%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,311 NZ$2,318

$1,442 €1,283

-9.11%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$2,023 NZ$3,577

$7,912 €7,038

-74.44%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$1,836 NZ$3,247

$4,158 €3,698

-55.84%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$2,494 NZ$4,411

$1,437 €1,279

73.53%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

5.39

3.79

42.22%

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

Last update for Palmerston North: October 12, 2026

Last update for Dubrovnik: October 11, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Accommodation & Living

Palmerston North

$639 40.9%

Dubrovnik

$906 45.8% 41.8% $267

Groceries & Markets

Palmerston North

$283 18.1%

Dubrovnik

$235 11.9% 17.2% $49

Eating Out

Palmerston North

$233 14.9%

Dubrovnik

$324 16.4% 38.7% $90

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Palmerston North

$135 8.6%

Dubrovnik

$242 12.3% 79.6% $107

Clothing & Footwear

Palmerston North

$118 7.6%

Dubrovnik

$110 5.6% 6.6% $7.8

Getting Around

Palmerston North

$109 7%

Dubrovnik

$76 3.9% 29.8% $32

Sport & Entertainment

Palmerston North

$45 2.9%

Dubrovnik

$86 4.4% 91.4% $41

Cost Breakdown

A central one-bedroom costs $906 in Palmerston North versus $1,442 in Dubrovnik. Rent is usually the largest line item in a monthly budget, so the gap here sets the tone for the overall comparison.

Salaries run about 74% higher in Palmerston North, which reinforces the cost advantage – you earn more and spend less. Purchasing power leans clearly in its favor.

A mid-range dinner for two costs $64.0 in Palmerston North versus $77.0 in Dubrovnik. Groceries tell a different story – $283 in Palmerston North vs $235 in Dubrovnik – so Dubrovnik wins on supermarket bills even if dining out costs more.

Good to know

🇳🇿 Palmerston North

🇭🇷 Dubrovnik

🕒 Local time

14:21 2:21 PM

03:21 3:21 AM

11 h behind Palmerston North

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

90,500

41,562

💱 Currency

New Zealand Dollar NZD $

Euro EUR €

📈 Exchange rate

1 NZD = 0.565 USD

1 NZD = 0.503 EUR

1 EUR = 1.12 USD

Exchange rates and currency converter

EUR, USD to NZD – New Zealand Dollar Converter

🇺🇸 United States Dollar ($)

🇳🇿 New Zealand Dollar ($)

New Zealand Dollar exchange rates as of October 20, 2026: 1 USD = 1.77 NZD (1 NZD = 0.565 USD). 1 EUR = 1.99 NZD (1 NZD = 0.503 EUR).

Euro exchange rates as of October 20, 2026: 1 USD = 0.889 EUR (1 EUR = 1.12 USD).

USD to NZD in detail →

On the map

Lowest

Highest

Between locations

Palmerston North Dubrovnik 18,130 km ≈ 23 h nonstop flight

From you

Palmerston North
Dubrovnik

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

Palmerston North vs Dubrovnik: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Monthly costs with rent: $1,562 in Palmerston North, $1,979 in Dubrovnik – roughly 27% apart. Outside of rent, the biggest gap is in eating out.

For a comfortable life, plan on about $2,343 per month in Palmerston North and $2,969 in Dubrovnik. That covers rent, food, utilities, transport, and enough left over to feel settled – not just surviving.

Rent is clearly cheaper in Palmerston North, especially for central apartments. Housing is actually the single biggest factor behind the overall cost gap between these two cities.

Public transport costs about 51% less in Palmerston North. For daily commuters, that gap adds up to noticeable savings over a year.

Kindergarten costs $1,034 per month in Palmerston North and $90.6 in Dubrovnik. For families with young kids, this one expense can tip the scales when choosing between the two cities.

A $2,000 monthly budget goes further in Palmerston North, where all-in costs run around $1,562, than in Dubrovnik at $1,979. In Palmerston North it covers expenses comfortably, while in Dubrovnik it requires careful planning or may not stretch far enough.

Families tend to lean toward Palmerston North – lower housing and cheaper childcare make a real difference, especially on a single income or when paying for private education.

Both have safer and rougher neighborhoods, but overall safety is comparable to other large cities. Neighborhood choice matters more than the city-level comparison – central, well-trafficked areas feel secure in both.

If budget matters most, go with Palmerston North. If higher salaries, better infrastructure, or specific career opportunities are the priority, Dubrovnik makes more sense. Both are solid long-term options with distinct trade-offs.