Cost of Living Comparison Between Thames and Auckland Cost of Living Comparison Between Thames and Auckland

Monthly Cost of Living

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $1,866 in Thames versus $2,302 in Auckland.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $2,899 in Thames versus $3,464 in Auckland.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $3,931 in Thames versus $4,626 in Auckland.

Living in Thames costs roughly 19% less than in Auckland, driven mainly by Getting Around.

Both cities are pricier than the global median: Thames 39% above, Auckland 72% above.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$14.94 NZ$25.23

$14.83 NZ$25.04

0.74%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$77.1 NZ$130

$77.6 NZ$131

-0.64%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$9.40 NZ$15.88

$9.55 NZ$16.12

-1.57%

Cappuccino

$3.38 NZ$5.70

$3.50 NZ$5.92

-3.43%

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

$2.28 NZ$3.86

$2.28 NZ$3.84

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.21 NZ$3.73

$2.27 NZ$3.84

-2.64%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$7.30 NZ$12.33

$7.42 NZ$12.52

-1.62%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$7.17 NZ$12.11

$7.06 NZ$11.92

1.56%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.74 NZ$2.94

$1.80 NZ$3.04

-3.33%

White Bread (500g)

$2.10 NZ$3.54

$2.10 NZ$3.55

Rice (white) (1kg)

$2.03 NZ$3.42

$1.99 NZ$3.36

2.01%

Eggs

$6.82 NZ$11.51

$6.74 NZ$11.38

1.19%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$8.89 NZ$15.00

$8.44 NZ$14.25

5.33%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$9.68 NZ$16.35

$9.82 NZ$16.58

-1.43%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$13.18 NZ$22.25

$12.92 NZ$21.81

2.01%

Apples (1kg)

$2.93 NZ$4.95

$2.91 NZ$4.91

0.69%

Banana (1kg)

$2.26 NZ$3.81

$2.22 NZ$3.75

1.80%

Oranges (1kg)

$3.33 NZ$5.63

$3.22 NZ$5.44

3.42%

Tomato (1kg)

$3.98 NZ$6.72

$4.11 NZ$6.94

-3.16%

Potato (1kg)

$2.07 NZ$3.50

$2.09 NZ$3.52

-0.96%

Onion (1kg)

$1.65 NZ$2.78

$1.63 NZ$2.76

1.23%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.89 NZ$3.20

$1.90 NZ$3.21

-0.53%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$1.28 NZ$2.15

$1.29 NZ$2.17

-0.78%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$25.49 NZ$43.03

$25.66 NZ$43.31

-0.66%

Wine (Bottle)

$10.01 NZ$16.91

$9.98 NZ$16.85

0.30%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$2.95 NZ$4.99

$2.94 NZ$4.96

0.34%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.86 NZ$6.52

$3.98 NZ$6.73

-3.02%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$2.13 NZ$3.59

$2.75 NZ$4.64

-22.55%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$64.1 NZ$108

$131 NZ$221

-51.03%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$2.15 NZ$3.62

$2.09 NZ$3.53

2.87%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.92 NZ$3.25

$1.95 NZ$3.29

-1.54%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$34.69 NZ$58.6

$35.65 NZ$60.2

-2.69%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.65 NZ$2.78

$1.69 NZ$2.85

-2.37%

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

$28.4K NZ$48.0K

$28.4K NZ$47.9K

0.10%

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

$22.3K NZ$37.6K

$22.2K NZ$37.5K

0.33%

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

$141 NZ$239

$146 NZ$247

-3.31%

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

$30.14 NZ$50.9

$30.66 NZ$51.8

-1.70%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$48.45 NZ$81.8

$48.24 NZ$81.4

0.44%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$36.47 NZ$61.6

$36.08 NZ$60.9

1.08%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$11.89 NZ$20.08

$16.60 NZ$28.03

-28.37%

Cinema Ticket

$15.18 NZ$25.63

$15.28 NZ$25.79

-0.65%

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

$900 NZ$1,519

$922 NZ$1,557

-2.42%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$13.5K NZ$22.8K

$13.6K NZ$23.0K

-0.99%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$69.5 NZ$117

$70.8 NZ$120

-1.84%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$49.36 NZ$83.3

$49.43 NZ$83.5

-0.14%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$96.8 NZ$163

$96.7 NZ$163

0.11%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$125 NZ$212

$124 NZ$209

1.29%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$979 NZ$1,653

$1,264 NZ$2,135

-22.58%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$773 NZ$1,305

$1,158 NZ$1,954

-33.23%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,545 NZ$2,608

$2,413 NZ$4,074

-35.98%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,442 NZ$2,434

$1,862 NZ$3,143

-22.55%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$4,612 NZ$7,786

$8,096 NZ$13.7K

-43.03%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$3,448 NZ$5,821

$5,456 NZ$9,211

-36.81%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$3,260 NZ$5,504

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

6.37

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

Last update for Thames: May 30, 2026

Last update for Auckland: May 31, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $979 in Thames and $1,264 in Auckland. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Dining out: $77.0 in Thames vs $78.0 in Auckland. Groceries flip the comparison at $325 vs $324, with Auckland 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

Thames vs Auckland: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Thames wins on cost – living expenses run 23% lower than in Auckland. Housing and daily spending are where you'll feel the difference most, making Thames the obvious pick if budget is a priority.

You'd need roughly $2,799 in Thames and $3,453 in Auckland to live well. The gap comes down to housing and overall price levels. Both cities are liveable on less, but these numbers represent actual comfort.

Rent for a central apartment: $979 in Thames versus $1,264 in Auckland. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Childcare runs $900 in Thames versus $922 in Auckland. Over years of preschool, even a modest monthly gap compounds into a major financial factor for families.

Shoppers in Auckland pay roughly 0% less for everyday groceries. It's an unusual reversal that partly offsets higher costs elsewhere.

At $1,866 in Thames versus $2,302 in Auckland, a $2,500 budget is realistic in Thames but tight or insufficient in Auckland. The gap between the two cities makes Thames the clear choice for anyone on this budget.

Both work as nomad bases, but Thames delivers better value – similar infrastructure at $1,866 monthly. If stretching your runway or maximizing savings is the goal, the price difference makes Thames hard to pass up.

Safety-wise, Thames 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 Thames gentler on the wallet – expenses run 23% less than in Auckland. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.