Cost of Living Comparison Between Rolleston and Dunedin Cost of Living Comparison Between Rolleston and Dunedin

Monthly Cost of Living

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $1,878 in Rolleston versus $1,850 in Dunedin.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $2,665 in Rolleston versus $2,791 in Dunedin.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $3,453 in Rolleston versus $3,732 in Dunedin.

Living in Rolleston is roughly 2% more expensive than Dunedin, driven mainly by Eating Out.

Both cities are pricier than the global median: Rolleston 40% above, Dunedin 38% above.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$16.76 NZ$28.49

$11.94 NZ$20.30

40.37%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$72.8 NZ$124

$72.4 NZ$123

0.52%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$9.54 NZ$16.21

$10.65 NZ$18.10

-10.42%

Cappuccino

$3.34 NZ$5.67

$3.40 NZ$5.78

-1.76%

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

$2.22 NZ$3.78

$2.27 NZ$3.87

-2.20%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.99 NZ$3.38

$2.03 NZ$3.45

-1.97%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$7.03 NZ$11.95

$7.14 NZ$12.14

-1.54%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$6.00 NZ$10.21

$6.08 NZ$10.33

-1.32%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.82 NZ$3.09

$2.10 NZ$3.58

-13.33%

White Bread (500g)

$1.98 NZ$3.36

$1.91 NZ$3.25

3.66%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.75 NZ$2.98

$1.82 NZ$3.09

-3.85%

Eggs

$5.50 NZ$9.36

$5.52 NZ$9.39

-0.36%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$8.50 NZ$14.44

$8.41 NZ$14.30

1.07%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$9.72 NZ$16.52

$10.82 NZ$18.39

-10.17%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$13.08 NZ$22.24

$13.21 NZ$22.45

-0.98%

Apples (1kg)

$2.86 NZ$4.87

$2.87 NZ$4.88

-0.35%

Banana (1kg)

$2.26 NZ$3.84

$2.27 NZ$3.86

-0.44%

Oranges (1kg)

$3.09 NZ$5.26

$3.42 NZ$5.82

-9.65%

Tomato (1kg)

$5.77 NZ$9.81

$4.44 NZ$7.55

29.95%

Potato (1kg)

$1.93 NZ$3.28

$1.98 NZ$3.37

-2.53%

Onion (1kg)

$1.99 NZ$3.38

$1.97 NZ$3.35

1.02%

Lettuce (1 head)

$2.98 NZ$5.06

$2.54 NZ$4.32

17.32%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$1.11 NZ$1.88

$1.07 NZ$1.81

3.74%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$24.04 NZ$40.87

$24.35 NZ$41.40

-1.27%

Wine (Bottle)

$9.08 NZ$15.44

$9.36 NZ$15.91

-2.99%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$3.78 NZ$6.42

$2.48 NZ$4.22

52.42%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.56 NZ$6.06

$3.72 NZ$6.33

-4.30%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$2.09 NZ$3.55

$1.19 NZ$2.02

75.63%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$63.4 NZ$108

$72.0 NZ$122

-11.88%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$2.75 NZ$4.67

$5.86 NZ$9.96

-53.07%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.14 NZ$1.94

$1.11 NZ$1.89

2.70%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$29.63 NZ$50.4

$30.22 NZ$51.4

-1.95%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.63 NZ$2.77

$1.71 NZ$2.90

-4.68%

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

$19.6K NZ$33.3K

$19.9K NZ$33.9K

-1.91%

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

$20.0K NZ$34.0K

$25.8K NZ$43.8K

-22.38%

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

$102 NZ$174

-0.24%

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

$31.84 NZ$54.1

$36.18 NZ$61.5

-12.00%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$54.1 NZ$91.9

$55.0 NZ$93.5

-1.71%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$36.15 NZ$61.5

$52.6 NZ$89.4

-31.29%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$12.08 NZ$20.54

$6.15 NZ$10.45

96.42%

Cinema Ticket

$9.68 NZ$16.46

$9.66 NZ$16.43

0.21%

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

$586 NZ$996

$587 NZ$998

-0.23%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$7,151 NZ$12.2K

$12.2K NZ$20.8K

-41.47%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$62.7 NZ$107

$65.8 NZ$112

-4.67%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$36.40 NZ$61.9

$34.85 NZ$59.3

4.45%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$92.7 NZ$158

$94.3 NZ$160

-1.73%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$121 NZ$205

$124 NZ$211

-2.49%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$975 NZ$1,658

$878 NZ$1,492

11.13%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$775 NZ$1,318

$779 NZ$1,324

-0.48%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,097 NZ$1,866

$1,509 NZ$2,566

-27.30%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,023 NZ$1,740

$1,320 NZ$2,245

-22.50%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$4,759 NZ$8,090

$2,959 NZ$5,031

60.80%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$3,473 NZ$5,905

$2,063 NZ$3,507

68.35%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$4,675 NZ$7,948

$2,561 NZ$4,354

82.55%

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 Rolleston: April 26, 2026

Last update for Dunedin: April 28, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $975 in Rolleston and $878 in Dunedin. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Rolleston pays 83% 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: $73.0 in Rolleston vs $72.0 in Dunedin for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $328 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

Rolleston vs Dunedin: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Rolleston and Dunedin differ by about 2% in total monthly costs ($1,878 vs $1,850 including rent). Dunedin is meaningfully more affordable – a gap that matters a lot on a fixed or modest income.

Rolleston pays 83% 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: $975 in Rolleston versus $878 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 13% less than in Rolleston. Both cities have functional networks, but the price difference matters if you're watching your budget.

Childcare runs $586 in Rolleston versus $587 in Dunedin. Over years of preschool, even a modest monthly gap compounds into a major financial factor for families.

At $1,850 in Dunedin versus $1,878 in Rolleston, a $3,000 budget is realistic in Dunedin but tight or insufficient in Rolleston. 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, Rolleston 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 2% less than in Rolleston. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.