Cost of Living Comparison Between Queenstown and Dunedin Cost of Living Comparison Between Queenstown and Dunedin

Monthly Cost of Living

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $2,737 in Queenstown versus $1,795 in Dunedin.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $4,232 in Queenstown versus $2,789 in Dunedin.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $5,727 in Queenstown versus $3,783 in Dunedin.

Living in Queenstown is roughly 52% more expensive than in Dunedin, driven mainly by Clothing & Footwear.

Both cities are pricier than the global median: Queenstown 106% above, Dunedin 35% above.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$14.92 NZ$25.29

$11.86 NZ$20.10

25.80%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$85.2 NZ$144

$73.0 NZ$124

16.74%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$9.71 NZ$16.47

$10.87 NZ$18.43

-10.67%

Cappuccino

$3.33 NZ$5.65

$3.48 NZ$5.89

-4.31%

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

$2.40 NZ$4.06

$2.28 NZ$3.86

5.26%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.39 NZ$4.05

$2.00 NZ$3.39

19.50%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$7.43 NZ$12.59

$7.12 NZ$12.07

4.35%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$6.09 NZ$10.32

$5.90 NZ$10.01

3.22%

Milk (1 liter)

$2.19 NZ$3.71

$2.17 NZ$3.68

0.92%

White Bread (500g)

$2.09 NZ$3.54

$1.99 NZ$3.38

5.03%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$2.45 NZ$4.15

$1.91 NZ$3.24

28.27%

Eggs

$6.36 NZ$10.79

$5.59 NZ$9.47

13.77%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$9.76 NZ$16.54

$8.36 NZ$14.17

16.75%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$10.88 NZ$18.44

$10.65 NZ$18.05

2.16%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$16.92 NZ$28.69

$12.90 NZ$21.86

31.16%

Apples (1kg)

$3.11 NZ$5.28

$2.88 NZ$4.88

7.99%

Banana (1kg)

$2.43 NZ$4.12

$2.25 NZ$3.81

8.00%

Oranges (1kg)

$4.02 NZ$6.81

$3.38 NZ$5.73

18.93%

Tomato (1kg)

$5.67 NZ$9.61

$4.65 NZ$7.89

21.94%

Potato (1kg)

$2.70 NZ$4.58

$1.89 NZ$3.21

42.86%

Onion (1kg)

$2.36 NZ$3.99

$2.07 NZ$3.51

14.01%

Lettuce (1 head)

$2.85 NZ$4.83

$2.53 NZ$4.30

12.65%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$1.14 NZ$1.93

$1.12 NZ$1.89

1.79%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$28.54 NZ$48.38

$24.48 NZ$41.50

16.58%

Wine (Bottle)

$9.74 NZ$16.52

$8.96 NZ$15.18

8.71%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$4.78 NZ$8.10

$2.52 NZ$4.27

89.68%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$7.05 NZ$11.95

$3.57 NZ$6.05

97.48%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$2.65 NZ$4.49

$1.24 NZ$2.10

113.71%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$128 NZ$217

$71.9 NZ$122

77.85%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$2.89 NZ$4.90

$5.93 NZ$10.05

-51.26%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.89 NZ$3.21

$1.10 NZ$1.87

71.82%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$31.17 NZ$52.8

$30.03 NZ$50.9

3.80%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.65 NZ$2.79

$1.66 NZ$2.81

-0.60%

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

$30.4K NZ$51.5K

$19.7K NZ$33.3K

54.40%

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

$17.6K NZ$29.8K

$25.6K NZ$43.4K

-31.29%

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

$280 NZ$474

$102 NZ$172

175.29%

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

$39.68 NZ$67.3

$35.32 NZ$59.9

12.34%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$62.3 NZ$106

$54.6 NZ$92.5

14.16%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$58.2 NZ$98.6

$51.1 NZ$86.7

13.79%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$24.79 NZ$42.02

$6.13 NZ$10.40

304.40%

Cinema Ticket

$13.01 NZ$22.06

$9.69 NZ$16.42

34.26%

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

$488 NZ$827

$575 NZ$974

-15.16%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$6,947 NZ$11.8K

$11.9K NZ$20.1K

-41.55%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$88.2 NZ$150

$66.0 NZ$112

33.60%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$49.41 NZ$83.8

$34.51 NZ$58.5

43.18%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$97.8 NZ$166

$94.8 NZ$161

3.16%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$281 NZ$476

$121 NZ$206

131.34%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,502 NZ$2,547

$885 NZ$1,500

69.72%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,260 NZ$2,137

$758 NZ$1,285

66.25%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$2,944 NZ$4,990

$1,500 NZ$2,544

96.20%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$2,559 NZ$4,338

$1,347 NZ$2,284

89.89%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$7,751 NZ$13.1K

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$5,425 NZ$9,197

$2,237 NZ$3,792

142.52%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$3,095 NZ$5,247

$2,582 NZ$4,377

19.89%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

6.74

7.07

-4.67%

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

Last update for Queenstown: July 26, 2026

Last update for Dunedin: July 26, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $1,502 in Queenstown and $885 in Dunedin. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Queenstown pays 20% 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: $85.0 in Queenstown vs $73.0 in Dunedin for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $382 vs $324 per month, with Dunedin 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

Queenstown vs Dunedin: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Queenstown and Dunedin differ by about 52% in total monthly costs ($2,737 vs $1,795 including rent). Dunedin is meaningfully more affordable – a gap that matters a lot on a fixed or modest income.

Average pay runs 20% higher in Queenstown, 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: $1,502 in Queenstown versus $885 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 78% less than in Queenstown. Both cities have functional networks, but the price difference matters if you're watching your budget.

Childcare runs $488 in Queenstown versus $575 in Dunedin. Over years of preschool, even a modest monthly gap compounds into a major financial factor for families.

At $1,795 in Dunedin versus $2,737 in Queenstown, a $3,000 budget is realistic in Dunedin but tight or insufficient in Queenstown. The gap between the two cities makes Dunedin 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, Queenstown 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 Dunedin gentler on the wallet – expenses run 52% less than in Queenstown. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.