Cost of Living Comparison Between Spain and New Zealand Cost of Living Comparison Between Spain and New Zealand

Name: New Zealand
Address: NZ

Monthly Cost of Living

A single person spends $1,689 per month in Spain vs $1,927 in New Zealand, rent included.

A couple spends around $2,496 per month in Spain vs $2,922 in New Zealand, rent included.

A family of three spends $3,303 per month in Spain vs $3,916 in New Zealand, rent included.

The cost of living in Spain is roughly 12% lower than in New Zealand on average – the gap runs across housing, groceries, transport, and services.

Both Spain and New Zealand are pricier than the global median – Spain by 22%, New Zealand by 40%.

Cost ranges are similar: Spain spans $973–$2,672, New Zealand $863–$2,552. City choice affects budget similarly in either country.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$17.71 €15.27

$14.61 NZ$25.12

21.22%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$57.6 €49.61

$69.2 NZ$119

-16.77%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$11.81 €10.18

$9.27 NZ$15.94

27.40%

Cappuccino

$2.43 €2.10

$3.42 NZ$5.89

-28.95%

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

$2.76 €2.38

$2.25 NZ$3.86

22.67%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.84 €1.59

$1.98 NZ$3.41

-7.07%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$3.52 €3.03

$7.14 NZ$12.27

-50.70%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$4.16 €3.58

$6.93 NZ$11.91

-39.97%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.21 €1.04

$1.84 NZ$3.16

-34.24%

White Bread (500g)

$1.54 €1.32

$1.93 NZ$3.31

-20.21%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.64 €1.41

$1.88 NZ$3.23

-12.77%

Eggs

$3.59 €3.10

$6.38 NZ$10.96

-43.73%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$14.81 €12.77

$8.36 NZ$14.38

77.15%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$8.49 €7.32

$9.78 NZ$16.81

-13.19%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$16.68 €14.38

$14.84 NZ$25.51

12.40%

Apples (1kg)

$2.53 €2.18

$2.86 NZ$4.92

-11.54%

Banana (1kg)

$2.09 €1.80

$2.20 NZ$3.78

-5.00%

Oranges (1kg)

$2.13 €1.84

$3.07 NZ$5.27

-30.62%

Tomato (1kg)

$2.55 €2.20

$5.19 NZ$8.93

-50.87%

Potato (1kg)

$1.82 €1.57

$2.07 NZ$3.56

-12.08%

Onion (1kg)

$2.00 €1.72

$1.62 NZ$2.79

23.46%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.37 €1.18

$2.25 NZ$3.88

-39.11%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.81 €0.70

$1.09 NZ$1.88

-25.69%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$6.71 €5.79

$25.62 NZ$44.04

-73.81%

Wine (Bottle)

$5.64 €4.87

$9.63 NZ$16.56

-41.43%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.29 €1.11

$3.27 NZ$5.62

-60.55%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.10 €1.81

$3.48 NZ$5.98

-39.66%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$1.76 €1.51

$1.95 NZ$3.35

-9.74%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$34.25 €29.52

$110 NZ$190

-68.99%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$4.55 €3.92

$2.37 NZ$4.08

91.98%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.47 €1.27

$2.06 NZ$3.54

-28.64%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$25.66 €22.12

$34.14 NZ$58.7

-24.84%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.79 €1.54

$1.73 NZ$2.98

3.47%

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

$36.4K €31.4K

$26.5K NZ$45.6K

37.16%

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

$30.6K €26.4K

$24.4K NZ$42.0K

25.35%

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

$152 €131

$165 NZ$284

-7.86%

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

$18.49 €15.94

$33.20 NZ$57.1

-44.31%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$33.57 €28.94

$51.3 NZ$88.1

-34.51%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$47.38 €40.84

$36.85 NZ$63.4

28.58%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$15.56 €13.41

$15.10 NZ$25.96

3.05%

Cinema Ticket

$9.96 €8.59

$11.64 NZ$20.01

-14.43%

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

$548 €473

$928 NZ$1,596

-40.93%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$10.8K €9,343

$17.1K NZ$29.4K

-36.69%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$90.1 €77.6

$72.1 NZ$124

24.84%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$37.31 €32.16

$37.82 NZ$65.0

-1.35%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$92.0 €79.3

$96.4 NZ$166

-4.56%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$111 €96.1

$119 NZ$204

-6.03%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,049 €905

$1,150 NZ$1,978

-8.77%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$836 €720

$968 NZ$1,664

-13.67%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,663 €1,433

$1,757 NZ$3,021

-5.39%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,250 €1,078

$1,519 NZ$2,611

-17.67%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$4,240 €3,655

$5,844 NZ$10.0K

-27.44%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$2,711 €2,337

$3,903 NZ$6,711

-30.55%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$2,021 €1,742

$2,924 NZ$5,027

-30.88%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

3.28

6.3

-47.94%

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

Last update for Spain: September 7, 2026

Last update for New Zealand: September 7, 2026

Cost Breakdown

Average rent: $931 in Spain vs $957 in New Zealand. For reference, capital cities sit at $1,577 in Madrid and $1,297 in Wellington.

Average salary: $2,035 in Spain vs $3,030 in New Zealand. The income gap affects purchasing power and how far your budget stretches in each country.

Cost Highlights

Dining out costs 14% more in New Zealand.

Public transport is 148% more expensive in New Zealand.

Salaries are 49% higher in New Zealand, and purchasing power comes out stronger in New Zealand.

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

Spain vs New Zealand: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

New Zealand is the cheaper option – living costs run roughly 7% lower on average. The gap is consistent across housing, groceries, transport, and entertainment.

Housing costs more in Spain, and the gap is biggest in capital cities. Regional towns show less difference, but Spain consistently has higher rents.

Groceries, transport, and utilities all cost less in New Zealand, contributing to the overall 7% price gap. The savings show up everywhere – from supermarket receipts to monthly bills.

$2,000 buys a comfortable lifestyle in New Zealand, but in Spain it only works with careful planning outside the capital. Same money, very different lives.

New Zealand is the budget-friendly choice for expats – lower housing and daily costs. But cost isn't everything: visa policies, language, healthcare quality, and job markets all weigh in too.