Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Thames and Auckland

For one person, living is cheaper in Thames: $1,966 a month against $2,388 in Auckland, rent and utilities included – about $5,100 less a year. Rent and utilities account for most of the difference.

96

Cost of Living Index in Thames
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Thames Living Index
117

Cost of Living Index in Auckland
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Auckland Living Index

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Thames

🇳🇿 New Zealand

$1,966

/mo nomad

Auckland

🇳🇿 New Zealand

$2,388

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

How much you'll spend in Thames 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 Thames and in Auckland actually costs, broken down by who's living it.

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $1,966 in Thames versus $2,388 in Auckland.

Thames $1,966
Auckland $2,388

Estimated couple costs with rent: $2,999 in Thames versus $3,355 in Auckland.

Thames $2,999
Auckland $3,355

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $4,032 in Thames versus $4,321 in Auckland.

Thames $4,032
Auckland $4,321

Living in Thames costs roughly 18% less than in Auckland, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in transport.

Both cities are pricier than the global median: Thames 46% above, Auckland 77% above.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$13.93 NZ$24.63

$14.10 NZ$24.93

-1.21%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$68.4 NZ$121

$65.9 NZ$116

3.84%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$8.89 NZ$15.72

$8.86 NZ$15.68

0.34%

Cappuccino

$3.42 NZ$6.06

$3.34 NZ$5.91

2.40%

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

$2.02 NZ$3.57

$2.00 NZ$3.54

1.00%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.74 NZ$3.08

$1.73 NZ$3.05

0.58%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$6.88 NZ$12.16

$6.64 NZ$11.74

3.61%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$6.73 NZ$11.90

$6.56 NZ$11.59

2.59%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.87 NZ$3.31

$1.96 NZ$3.46

-4.59%

White Bread (500g)

$2.22 NZ$3.93

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.79 NZ$3.16

$1.82 NZ$3.21

-1.65%

Eggs

$6.20 NZ$10.97

$6.14 NZ$10.86

0.98%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$8.79 NZ$15.55

$8.55 NZ$15.12

2.81%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$9.68 NZ$17.11

$9.73 NZ$17.21

-0.51%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$16.82 NZ$29.74

$17.27 NZ$30.54

-2.61%

Apples (1kg)

$2.80 NZ$4.95

$2.77 NZ$4.90

1.08%

Banana (1kg)

$2.16 NZ$3.82

$2.06 NZ$3.65

4.85%

Oranges (1kg)

$2.91 NZ$5.14

$3.01 NZ$5.31

-3.32%

Tomato (1kg)

$5.75 NZ$10.17

$5.79 NZ$10.24

-0.69%

Potato (1kg)

$2.13 NZ$3.77

Onion (1kg)

$1.52 NZ$2.69

$1.55 NZ$2.75

-1.94%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.98 NZ$3.50

$1.97 NZ$3.48

0.51%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$1.04 NZ$1.84

$1.09 NZ$1.92

-4.59%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$26.57 NZ$46.99

$26.91 NZ$47.59

-1.26%

Wine (Bottle)

$10.25 NZ$18.12

$10.31 NZ$18.24

-0.58%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$2.84 NZ$5.02

$2.72 NZ$4.82

4.41%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.38 NZ$5.98

$3.24 NZ$5.74

4.32%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$1.45 NZ$2.56

$2.47 NZ$4.37

-41.30%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$75.4 NZ$133

$123 NZ$218

-38.91%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$2.30 NZ$4.06

$2.27 NZ$4.01

1.32%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.92 NZ$3.40

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$32.20 NZ$56.9

$32.31 NZ$57.1

-0.34%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.87 NZ$3.31

$1.86 NZ$3.29

0.54%

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

$25.1K NZ$44.5K

$25.2K NZ$44.6K

-0.28%

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

$21.7K NZ$38.4K

$22.0K NZ$38.8K

-1.18%

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

$183 NZ$324

$179 NZ$316

2.58%

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

$26.20 NZ$46.33

$26.64 NZ$47.12

-1.65%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$50.7 NZ$89.6

$51.4 NZ$90.8

-1.34%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$41.84 NZ$74.0

$45.16 NZ$79.9

-7.35%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$18.06 NZ$31.95

Cinema Ticket

$13.10 NZ$23.17

$12.77 NZ$22.59

2.58%

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

$1,135 NZ$2,007

$1,134 NZ$2,005

0.10%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$19.2K NZ$34.0K

-0.13%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$79.2 NZ$140

$80.2 NZ$142

-1.30%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$39.93 NZ$70.6

$40.05 NZ$70.8

-0.30%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$92.3 NZ$163

$93.7 NZ$166

-1.56%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$111 NZ$197

$109 NZ$193

1.90%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$930 NZ$1,645

$1,290 NZ$2,281

-27.88%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$821 NZ$1,451

$1,191 NZ$2,107

-31.10%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,484 NZ$2,624

$2,209 NZ$3,906

-32.82%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,486 NZ$2,629

$1,659 NZ$2,934

-10.41%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$4,552 NZ$8,050

$7,466 NZ$13.2K

-39.03%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$3,773 NZ$6,673

$5,346 NZ$9,455

-29.42%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$2,881 NZ$5,095

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

5.37

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

Last update for Thames: October 11, 2026

Last update for Auckland: October 12, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Accommodation & Living

Thames

$821 41.7%

Auckland

$1.2K 49.9% 45.2% $371

Groceries & Markets

Thames

$337 17.1%

Auckland

$338 14.2% 0.4% $1.4

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Thames

$260 13.2%

Auckland

$257 10.8% 1.3% $3.5

Eating Out

Thames

$242 12.3%

Auckland

$241 10.1% 0.6% $1.4

Clothing & Footwear

Thames

$145 7.4%

Auckland

$146 6.1% 0.2% $0.3

Getting Around

Thames

$93 4.7%

Auckland

$145 6.1% 55.9% $52

Sport & Entertainment

Thames

$68 3.5%

Auckland

$71 3% 3.9% $2.7

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $930 in Thames and $1,290 in Auckland. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Dining out: $68.0 in Thames vs $66.0 in Auckland. Groceries flip the comparison at $337 vs $338, with Thames cheaper for home cooking.

Good to know

🇳🇿 Thames

🇳🇿 Auckland

🕒 Local time

23:28 11:28 PM

Same time as Thames

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

7,500

1,463,000

💱 Currency

New Zealand Dollar NZD $

📈 Exchange rate

1 NZD = 0.565 USD

1 NZD = 0.503 EUR

1 NZD = 0.565 USD

1 NZD = 0.503 EUR

Exchange rates and currency converter

On the map

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Highest

Between locations

Thames Auckland 76 km

From you

Thames
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

Thames vs Auckland: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Thames wins on cost – living expenses run 21% 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 $2,949 in Thames and $3,582 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: $930 in Thames versus $1,290 in Auckland. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Childcare runs $1,135 in Thames versus $1,134 in Auckland. Over years of preschool, even a modest monthly gap compounds into a major financial factor for families.

Supermarket bills run roughly 0% higher in Auckland. For households that cook at home regularly, that difference adds up over a month.

At $1,966 in Thames versus $2,388 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 $1,966 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 21% less than in Auckland. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.