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: $2,535 in Queenstown versus $1,872 in Dunedin.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $3,889 in Queenstown versus $2,733 in Dunedin.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $5,243 in Queenstown versus $3,595 in Dunedin.

Living in Queenstown is roughly 35% more expensive than in Dunedin, driven mainly by Getting Around.

Both cities are pricier than the global median: Queenstown 85% above, Dunedin 37% above.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$14.50 NZ$25.31

$14.32 NZ$25.00

1.26%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$63.0 NZ$110

$63.2 NZ$110

-0.25%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$9.00 NZ$15.71

$11.37 NZ$19.85

-20.84%

Cappuccino

$3.37 NZ$5.88

$3.50 NZ$6.11

-3.71%

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

$2.19 NZ$3.82

$2.20 NZ$3.84

-0.45%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.15 NZ$3.76

$2.11 NZ$3.68

1.90%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$7.04 NZ$12.30

$7.11 NZ$12.41

-0.98%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$6.28 NZ$10.96

$6.26 NZ$10.93

0.32%

Milk (1 liter)

$2.24 NZ$3.91

$2.13 NZ$3.72

5.16%

White Bread (500g)

$2.08 NZ$3.63

$2.06 NZ$3.60

0.97%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.80 NZ$3.15

$1.74 NZ$3.04

3.45%

Eggs

$5.97 NZ$10.42

$5.83 NZ$10.17

2.40%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$8.55 NZ$14.92

$8.77 NZ$15.31

-2.51%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$10.37 NZ$18.09

$9.80 NZ$17.11

5.82%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$15.75 NZ$27.50

$16.66 NZ$29.09

-5.46%

Apples (1kg)

$3.08 NZ$5.37

$2.94 NZ$5.13

4.76%

Banana (1kg)

$2.40 NZ$4.19

$2.43 NZ$4.24

-1.23%

Oranges (1kg)

$3.97 NZ$6.93

$3.23 NZ$5.63

22.91%

Tomato (1kg)

$5.52 NZ$9.64

$5.18 NZ$9.04

6.56%

Potato (1kg)

$3.59 NZ$6.27

$1.86 NZ$3.25

93.01%

Onion (1kg)

$1.82 NZ$3.18

$1.83 NZ$3.19

-0.55%

Lettuce (1 head)

$2.36 NZ$4.13

$2.42 NZ$4.23

-2.48%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$1.95 NZ$3.41

$0.57 NZ$1.00

242.11%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$27.48 NZ$47.97

$21.71 NZ$37.90

26.58%

Wine (Bottle)

$9.27 NZ$16.19

$9.25 NZ$16.16

0.22%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$4.48 NZ$7.81

$3.18 NZ$5.54

40.88%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$6.71 NZ$11.72

$1.23 NZ$2.15

445.53%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$1.46 NZ$2.55

$1.13 NZ$1.97

29.20%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$125 NZ$217

$70.5 NZ$123

76.63%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$2.79 NZ$4.87

$5.79 NZ$10.10

-51.81%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.89 NZ$3.30

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$30.01 NZ$52.4

$29.15 NZ$50.9

2.95%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.65 NZ$2.88

$1.73 NZ$3.01

-4.62%

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

$25.9K NZ$45.3K

$26.0K NZ$45.4K

-0.39%

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

$23.7K NZ$41.3K

$25.7K NZ$44.9K

-8.03%

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

$114 NZ$199

$113 NZ$197

0.97%

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

$28.84 NZ$50.3

$28.94 NZ$50.5

-0.35%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$52.6 NZ$91.9

$52.8 NZ$92.2

-0.40%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$56.5 NZ$98.6

$49.64 NZ$86.7

13.76%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$26.97 NZ$47.08

Cinema Ticket

$10.58 NZ$18.47

$10.52 NZ$18.37

0.57%

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

$1,005 NZ$1,755

$610 NZ$1,064

64.86%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$7,770 NZ$13.6K

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$61.1 NZ$107

$60.5 NZ$106

0.98%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$47.58 NZ$83.1

$36.21 NZ$63.2

31.40%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$93.7 NZ$164

$94.7 NZ$165

-1.02%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$137 NZ$239

$141 NZ$246

-2.73%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,538 NZ$2,684

$893 NZ$1,558

72.28%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,286 NZ$2,245

$760 NZ$1,326

69.36%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$2,969 NZ$5,182

$1,510 NZ$2,636

96.60%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$2,644 NZ$4,616

$1,196 NZ$2,088

121.09%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$7,652 NZ$13.4K

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$5,345 NZ$9,330

$2,242 NZ$3,913

138.43%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$3,165 NZ$5,525

$2,586 NZ$4,515

22.39%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

6.12

7.07

-13.44%

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

Last update for Queenstown: September 13, 2026

Last update for Dunedin: September 12, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $1,538 in Queenstown and $893 in Dunedin. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Queenstown pays 22% 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: $63.0 in Queenstown vs $63.0 in Dunedin. Groceries flip the comparison at $374 vs $328, with Dunedin 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

Queenstown vs Dunedin: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Queenstown and Dunedin differ by about 35% in total monthly costs ($2,535 vs $1,872 including rent). Dunedin is meaningfully more affordable – a gap that matters a lot on a fixed or modest income.

Average pay runs 22% 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: $1,538 in Queenstown versus $893 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 77% less than in Queenstown. Both cities have functional networks, but the price difference matters if you're watching your budget.

Childcare runs $1,005 in Queenstown versus $610 in Dunedin. Over years of preschool, even a modest monthly gap compounds into a major financial factor for families.

At $1,872 in Dunedin versus $2,535 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 35% less than in Queenstown. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.