Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Sioux City, IA and Auckland

For one person, living is cheaper in Sioux City, IA: $2,168 a month against $2,388 in Auckland, rent and utilities included – about $2,600 less a year. Higher rent and utilities in Auckland outweigh lower spending on other living expenses.

106

Cost of Living Index in Sioux City, IA
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Sioux City, IA Living Index
117

Cost of Living Index in Auckland
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Auckland Living Index

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Sioux City, IA

🇺🇸 United States

$2,168

/mo nomad

Auckland

🇳🇿 New Zealand

$2,388

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

How much you'll spend in Sioux City, IA and in Auckland

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

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $2,168 in Sioux City, IA versus $2,388 in Auckland.

Sioux City, IA $2,168
Auckland $2,388

Estimated couple costs with rent: $3,305 in Sioux City, IA versus $3,355 in Auckland.

Sioux City, IA $3,305
Auckland $3,355

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $4,442 in Sioux City, IA versus $4,321 in Auckland.

Sioux City, IA $4,442
Auckland $4,321

Living in Sioux City, IA costs roughly 9% less than in Auckland, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in transport.

Both cities are pricier than the global median: Sioux City, IA 61% above, Auckland 77% above.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$20.33 $20.33

$14.10 NZ$24.93

44.18%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$56.0 $56.0

$65.9 NZ$116

-15.00%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$10.65 $10.65

$8.86 NZ$15.68

20.20%

Cappuccino

$6.14 $6.14

$3.34 NZ$5.91

83.83%

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

$2.11 $2.11

$2.00 NZ$3.54

5.50%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.77 $1.77

$1.73 NZ$3.05

2.31%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$5.07 $5.07

$6.64 NZ$11.74

-23.64%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$5.61 $5.61

$6.56 NZ$11.59

-14.48%

Milk (1 liter)

$0.87 $0.87

$1.96 NZ$3.46

-55.61%

White Bread (500g)

$2.92 $2.92

$2.22 NZ$3.93

31.53%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$3.38 $3.38

$1.82 NZ$3.21

85.71%

Eggs

$3.60 $3.60

$6.14 NZ$10.86

-41.37%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$7.92 $7.92

$8.55 NZ$15.12

-7.37%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$7.58 $7.58

$9.73 NZ$17.21

-22.10%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$16.77 $16.77

$17.27 NZ$30.54

-2.90%

Apples (1kg)

$4.74 $4.74

$2.77 NZ$4.90

71.12%

Banana (1kg)

$1.52 $1.52

$2.06 NZ$3.65

-26.21%

Oranges (1kg)

$4.02 $4.02

$3.01 NZ$5.31

33.55%

Tomato (1kg)

$3.96 $3.96

$5.79 NZ$10.24

-31.61%

Potato (1kg)

$1.99 $1.99

$2.13 NZ$3.77

-6.57%

Onion (1kg)

$4.87 $4.87

$1.55 NZ$2.75

214.19%

Lettuce (1 head)

$2.38 $2.38

$1.97 NZ$3.48

20.81%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$2.13 $2.13

$1.09 NZ$1.92

95.41%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$8.94 $8.94

$26.91 NZ$47.59

-66.78%

Wine (Bottle)

$15.12 $15.12

$10.31 NZ$18.24

46.65%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.70 $1.70

$2.72 NZ$4.82

-37.50%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.08 $3.08

$3.24 NZ$5.74

-4.94%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$1.77 $1.77

$2.47 NZ$4.37

-28.34%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$47.88 $47.88

$123 NZ$218

-61.19%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$1.97 $1.97

$2.27 NZ$4.01

-13.22%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.20 $1.20

$1.92 NZ$3.40

-37.50%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$19.61 $19.61

$32.31 NZ$57.1

-39.31%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$0.91 $0.91

$1.86 NZ$3.29

-51.08%

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

$35.4K $35.4K

$25.2K NZ$44.6K

40.32%

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

$25.0K $25.0K

$22.0K NZ$38.8K

14.09%

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

$167 $167

$179 NZ$316

-6.82%

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

$52.4 $52.4

$26.64 NZ$47.12

96.58%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$69.0 $69.0

$51.4 NZ$90.8

34.31%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$98.8 $98.8

$45.16 NZ$79.9

118.73%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$20.08 $20.08

$18.06 NZ$31.95

11.18%

Cinema Ticket

$15.05 $15.05

$12.77 NZ$22.59

17.85%

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

$1,098 $1,098

$1,134 NZ$2,005

-3.13%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$12.0K $12.0K

$19.2K NZ$34.0K

-37.78%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$43.40 $43.40

$80.2 NZ$142

-45.89%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$21.73 $21.73

$40.05 NZ$70.8

-45.74%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$77.2 $77.2

$93.7 NZ$166

-17.64%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$89.3 $89.3

$109 NZ$193

-18.32%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$923 $923

$1,290 NZ$2,281

-28.46%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$922 $922

$1,191 NZ$2,107

-22.63%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,481 $1,481

$2,209 NZ$3,906

-32.93%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,743 $1,743

$1,659 NZ$2,934

5.07%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$1,546 $1,546

$7,466 NZ$13.2K

-79.30%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$1,546 $1,546

$5,346 NZ$9,455

-71.08%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$3,592 $3,592

$2,881 NZ$5,095

24.69%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

6.57

5.37

22.35%

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

Last update for Sioux City, IA: October 10, 2026

Last update for Auckland: October 12, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Accommodation & Living

Sioux City, IA

$922 42.5%

Auckland

$1.2K 49.9% 29.3% $270

Groceries & Markets

Sioux City, IA

$342 15.8%

Auckland

$338 14.2% 1.2% $4.1

Eating Out

Sioux City, IA

$320 14.8%

Auckland

$241 10.1% 24.9% $80

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Sioux City, IA

$288 13.3%

Auckland

$257 10.8% 10.8% $31

Sport & Entertainment

Sioux City, IA

$129 5.9%

Auckland

$71 3% 45.1% $58

Clothing & Footwear

Sioux City, IA

$104 4.8%

Auckland

$146 6.1% 39.6% $41

Getting Around

Sioux City, IA

$63 2.9%

Auckland

$145 6.1% 131% $82

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $923 in Sioux City, IA and $1,290 in Auckland. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Sioux City, IA pays 25% more on average while also being the cheaper of the two. The combined effect is a noticeably stronger local purchasing power.

Dining out: $56.0 in Sioux City, IA vs $66.0 in Auckland. Groceries flip the comparison at $342 vs $338, with Auckland cheaper for home cooking.

Good to know

🇺🇸 Sioux City, IA

🇳🇿 Auckland

🕒 Local time

10:23 10:23 AM

04:23 4:23 AM

18 h ahead of Sioux City, IA

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

85,797

1,463,000

💱 Currency

United States Dollar USD $

New Zealand Dollar NZD $

📈 Exchange rate

1 USD = 0.89 EUR

1 NZD = 0.565 USD

1 NZD = 0.503 EUR

Exchange rates and currency converter

NZD, EUR to USD – United States Dollar Converter

🇳🇿 New Zealand Dollar ($)

🇺🇸 United States Dollar ($)

United States Dollar exchange rates as of October 19, 2026: 1 EUR = 1.12 USD (1 USD = 0.89 EUR).

New Zealand Dollar exchange rates as of October 19, 2026: 1 USD = 1.77 NZD (1 NZD = 0.565 USD). 1 EUR = 1.99 NZD (1 NZD = 0.503 EUR).

NZD to USD in detail →

On the map

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Between locations

Sioux City, IA Auckland 12,580 km ≈ 16 h nonstop flight

From you

Sioux City, IA
Auckland

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

Sioux City, IA vs Auckland: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Sioux City, IA wins on cost – living expenses run 10% lower than in Auckland. Housing and daily spending are where you'll feel the difference most, making Sioux City, IA the obvious pick if budget is a priority.

Average pay runs 25% higher in Sioux City, IA, 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: $923 in Sioux City, IA versus $1,290 in Auckland. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Childcare runs $1,098 in Sioux City, IA versus $1,134 in Auckland. Over years of preschool, even a modest monthly gap compounds into a major financial factor for families.

Shoppers in Auckland pay roughly 1% less for everyday groceries. It's an unusual reversal that partly offsets higher costs elsewhere.

At $2,168 in Sioux City, IA versus $2,388 in Auckland, a $3,000 budget is realistic in Sioux City, IA but tight or insufficient in Auckland. The gap between the two cities makes Sioux City, IA the clear choice for anyone on this budget.

Both work as nomad bases, but Sioux City, IA delivers better value – similar infrastructure at $2,168 monthly. If stretching your runway or maximizing savings is the goal, the price difference makes Sioux City, IA hard to pass up.

Safety-wise, Sioux City, IA and Auckland 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 Sioux City, IA gentler on the wallet – expenses run 10% less than in Auckland. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.