Cost of Living Comparison Between Palmerston North and Dunedin Cost of Living Comparison Between Palmerston North and Dunedin

Monthly Cost of Living

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $1,689 in Palmerston North versus $1,850 in Dunedin.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $2,733 in Palmerston North versus $2,791 in Dunedin.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $3,777 in Palmerston North versus $3,732 in Dunedin.

Living in Palmerston North costs roughly 9% less than in Dunedin, driven mainly by Eating Out.

Both cities are pricier than the global median: Palmerston North 26% above, Dunedin 38% above.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$16.90 NZ$28.73

$11.94 NZ$20.30

41.54%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$72.5 NZ$123

$72.4 NZ$123

0.15%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$11.96 NZ$20.33

$10.65 NZ$18.10

12.30%

Cappuccino

$3.50 NZ$5.94

$3.40 NZ$5.78

2.94%

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

$2.38 NZ$4.05

$2.27 NZ$3.87

4.85%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.07 NZ$3.51

$2.03 NZ$3.45

1.97%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$7.09 NZ$12.05

$7.14 NZ$12.14

-0.70%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$6.42 NZ$10.91

$6.08 NZ$10.33

5.59%

Milk (1 liter)

$2.00 NZ$3.39

$2.10 NZ$3.58

-4.76%

White Bread (500g)

$2.02 NZ$3.44

$1.91 NZ$3.25

5.76%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.83 NZ$3.12

$1.82 NZ$3.09

0.55%

Eggs

$5.48 NZ$9.31

$5.52 NZ$9.39

-0.72%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$8.06 NZ$13.69

$8.41 NZ$14.30

-4.16%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$8.93 NZ$15.17

$10.82 NZ$18.39

-17.47%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$12.59 NZ$21.40

$13.21 NZ$22.45

-4.69%

Apples (1kg)

$2.53 NZ$4.31

$2.87 NZ$4.88

-11.85%

Banana (1kg)

$1.82 NZ$3.09

$2.27 NZ$3.86

-19.82%

Oranges (1kg)

$2.56 NZ$4.36

$3.42 NZ$5.82

-25.15%

Tomato (1kg)

$3.46 NZ$5.88

$4.44 NZ$7.55

-22.07%

Potato (1kg)

$2.06 NZ$3.49

$1.98 NZ$3.37

4.04%

Onion (1kg)

$2.15 NZ$3.65

$1.97 NZ$3.35

9.14%

Lettuce (1 head)

$2.14 NZ$3.64

$2.54 NZ$4.32

-15.75%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.99 NZ$1.68

$1.07 NZ$1.81

-7.48%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$20.62 NZ$35.05

$24.35 NZ$41.40

-15.32%

Wine (Bottle)

$8.97 NZ$15.24

$9.36 NZ$15.91

-4.17%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$2.49 NZ$4.24

$2.48 NZ$4.22

0.40%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$5.44 NZ$9.25

$3.72 NZ$6.33

46.24%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$4.74 NZ$8.06

$1.19 NZ$2.02

298.32%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$29.79 NZ$50.7

$72.0 NZ$122

-58.62%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$2.39 NZ$4.06

$5.86 NZ$9.96

-59.22%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.84 NZ$3.13

$1.11 NZ$1.89

65.77%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$17.02 NZ$28.94

$30.22 NZ$51.4

-43.68%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.73 NZ$2.94

$1.71 NZ$2.90

1.17%

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

$18.9K NZ$32.2K

$19.9K NZ$33.9K

-5.12%

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

$21.7K NZ$36.9K

$25.8K NZ$43.8K

-15.77%

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

$88.7 NZ$151

$102 NZ$174

-13.40%

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

$36.94 NZ$62.8

$36.18 NZ$61.5

2.10%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$48.19 NZ$81.9

$55.0 NZ$93.5

-12.38%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$35.58 NZ$60.5

$52.6 NZ$89.4

-32.37%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$12.89 NZ$21.92

$6.15 NZ$10.45

109.59%

Cinema Ticket

$8.84 NZ$15.03

$9.66 NZ$16.43

-8.49%

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

$1,020 NZ$1,735

$587 NZ$998

73.74%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$6,131 NZ$10.4K

$12.2K NZ$20.8K

-49.82%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$56.5 NZ$96.0

$65.8 NZ$112

-14.16%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$38.01 NZ$64.6

$34.85 NZ$59.3

9.07%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$89.4 NZ$152

$94.3 NZ$160

-5.13%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$91.7 NZ$156

$124 NZ$211

-26.01%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$828 NZ$1,408

$878 NZ$1,492

-5.63%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$692 NZ$1,176

$779 NZ$1,324

-11.19%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,567 NZ$2,664

$1,509 NZ$2,566

3.80%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,371 NZ$2,330

$1,320 NZ$2,245

3.80%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$2,185 NZ$3,714

$2,959 NZ$5,031

-26.18%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$1,927 NZ$3,276

$2,063 NZ$3,507

-6.60%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$2,588 NZ$4,400

$2,561 NZ$4,354

1.04%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

6.69

7.07

-5.37%

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

Last update for Palmerston North: April 27, 2026

Last update for Dunedin: April 28, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $828 in Palmerston North and $878 in Dunedin. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Palmerston North pays 1% more on average while also being the cheaper of the two. The combined effect is a noticeably stronger local purchasing power.

Dining out: $73.0 in Palmerston North vs $72.0 in Dunedin. Groceries flip the comparison at $299 vs $324, with Palmerston North cheaper for home cooking.

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 Dunedin: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Palmerston North and Dunedin differ by about 10% in total monthly costs ($1,689 vs $1,850 including rent). Palmerston North is meaningfully more affordable – a gap that matters a lot on a fixed or modest income.

Palmerston North pays 1% more on average, which matters when comparing affordability. Whether that higher income actually nets you more depends on your spending habits and housing choices.

Rent for a central apartment: $828 in Palmerston North versus $878 in Dunedin. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

A monthly transit pass in Palmerston North runs roughly 142% less than in Dunedin. Both cities have functional networks, but the price difference matters if you're watching your budget.

Childcare runs $1,020 in Palmerston North versus $587 in Dunedin. Over years of preschool, even a modest monthly gap compounds into a major financial factor for families.

At $1,689 in Palmerston North versus $1,850 in Dunedin, a $3,000 budget is realistic in Palmerston North but tight or insufficient in Dunedin. The gap between the two cities makes Palmerston North 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, Palmerston North 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 Palmerston North gentler on the wallet – expenses run 10% less than in Dunedin. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.