Cost of Living Comparison Between Thames and Dunedin Cost of Living Comparison Between Thames and Dunedin

Monthly Cost of Living

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $1,908 in Thames versus $1,857 in Dunedin.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $2,931 in Thames versus $2,803 in Dunedin.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $3,954 in Thames versus $3,748 in Dunedin.

Living in Thames is roughly 3% more expensive than in Dunedin, driven mainly by Eating Out.

Both cities are pricier than the global median: Thames 43% above, Dunedin 39% above.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$15.02 NZ$25.72

$11.97 NZ$20.49

25.48%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$78.1 NZ$134

$71.7 NZ$123

8.84%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$9.53 NZ$16.32

$11.05 NZ$18.92

-13.76%

Cappuccino

$3.44 NZ$5.88

$3.46 NZ$5.92

-0.58%

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

$2.37 NZ$4.06

$2.20 NZ$3.77

7.73%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.27 NZ$3.89

$2.04 NZ$3.50

11.27%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$7.36 NZ$12.60

$7.21 NZ$12.34

2.08%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$7.20 NZ$12.32

$5.86 NZ$10.04

22.87%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.81 NZ$3.09

$2.07 NZ$3.55

-12.56%

White Bread (500g)

$2.05 NZ$3.51

$1.99 NZ$3.41

3.02%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$2.00 NZ$3.42

$1.88 NZ$3.22

6.38%

Eggs

$6.70 NZ$11.47

$5.71 NZ$9.78

17.34%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$8.91 NZ$15.26

$8.44 NZ$14.46

5.57%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$9.69 NZ$16.59

$10.71 NZ$18.33

-9.52%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$12.94 NZ$22.16

$13.14 NZ$22.50

-1.52%

Apples (1kg)

$2.79 NZ$4.78

$2.90 NZ$4.96

-3.79%

Banana (1kg)

$2.26 NZ$3.87

$2.24 NZ$3.84

0.89%

Oranges (1kg)

$3.25 NZ$5.57

$3.44 NZ$5.88

-5.52%

Tomato (1kg)

$4.08 NZ$6.99

$4.47 NZ$7.65

-8.72%

Potato (1kg)

$2.07 NZ$3.54

$1.98 NZ$3.39

4.55%

Onion (1kg)

$1.66 NZ$2.83

$1.98 NZ$3.39

-16.16%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.96 NZ$3.36

$2.54 NZ$4.35

-22.83%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$1.29 NZ$2.20

$1.10 NZ$1.89

17.27%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$24.89 NZ$42.62

$24.44 NZ$41.84

1.84%

Wine (Bottle)

$10.51 NZ$18.00

$8.76 NZ$14.99

19.98%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$2.96 NZ$5.06

$2.58 NZ$4.41

14.73%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.99 NZ$6.84

$3.66 NZ$6.27

9.02%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$2.07 NZ$3.54

$1.20 NZ$2.05

72.50%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$63.6 NZ$109

$72.9 NZ$125

-12.72%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$2.07 NZ$3.55

$6.10 NZ$10.45

-66.07%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$2.02 NZ$3.45

$1.13 NZ$1.94

78.76%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$35.06 NZ$60.0

$30.14 NZ$51.6

16.32%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.65 NZ$2.82

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

$28.6K NZ$49.0K

$19.7K NZ$33.7K

45.64%

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

$22.2K NZ$38.0K

$25.2K NZ$43.2K

-12.12%

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

$141 NZ$241

$102 NZ$175

37.80%

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

$30.17 NZ$51.7

$36.07 NZ$61.8

-16.36%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$49.69 NZ$85.1

$54.4 NZ$93.2

-8.69%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$36.13 NZ$61.9

$52.1 NZ$89.1

-30.60%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$12.14 NZ$20.78

$6.20 NZ$10.62

95.81%

Cinema Ticket

$15.36 NZ$26.31

$9.56 NZ$16.37

60.67%

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

$909 NZ$1,557

$584 NZ$1,000

55.77%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$13.8K NZ$23.6K

$12.0K NZ$20.5K

14.90%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$71.2 NZ$122

$66.7 NZ$114

6.86%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$49.32 NZ$84.4

$35.81 NZ$61.3

37.73%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$98.6 NZ$169

$96.8 NZ$166

1.82%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$127 NZ$217

$122 NZ$209

3.82%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$991 NZ$1,696

$895 NZ$1,533

10.68%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$774 NZ$1,326

$776 NZ$1,328

-0.17%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,591 NZ$2,724

$1,524 NZ$2,609

4.41%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,404 NZ$2,404

$1,307 NZ$2,239

7.41%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$4,297 NZ$7,357

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$2,882 NZ$4,935

$2,229 NZ$3,816

29.32%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$2,522 NZ$4,318

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

6.37

7.07

-9.90%

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

Last update for Thames: July 12, 2026

Last update for Dunedin: July 11, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $991 in Thames and $895 in Dunedin. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Dining out: $78.0 in Thames vs $72.0 in Dunedin for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $325 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

Thames vs Dunedin: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Thames and Dunedin differ by about 3% in total monthly costs ($1,908 vs $1,857 including rent). Dunedin is meaningfully more affordable – a gap that matters a lot on a fixed or modest income.

You'd need roughly $2,863 in Thames and $2,785 in Dunedin 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: $991 in Thames versus $895 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 15% less than in Thames. Both cities have functional networks, but the price difference matters if you're watching your budget.

Childcare runs $909 in Thames versus $584 in Dunedin. Over years of preschool, even a modest monthly gap compounds into a major financial factor for families.

At $1,857 in Dunedin versus $1,908 in Thames, a $3,000 budget is realistic in Dunedin but tight or insufficient in Thames. 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, Thames 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 3% less than in Thames. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.