Cost of Living Comparison Between Timaru and Auckland Cost of Living Comparison Between Timaru and Auckland

🙂 Solo nomad: Timaru is 1.2% cheaper than Auckland without rent, and 12.2% cheaper with rent.
😐 Family of 3: Timaru is 19.7% more expensive than Auckland without rent, and 8.6% cheaper with rent.
Currency
🍽 Eating Out
Timaru
Auckland
Difference
Meal at Budget Restaurant
$15.18 NZ$25.81
$15.10 NZ$25.67
0.53%
Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range
$78.8 NZ$134
$79.1 NZ$134
-0.37%
Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)
$9.52 NZ$16.18
$9.45 NZ$16.07
0.74%
Cappuccino
$3.33 NZ$5.66
$3.52 NZ$5.99
-5.40%
Coke/Pepsi/Fanta/Sprite (0.33 liter bottle)
$2.15 NZ$3.65
$2.32 NZ$3.95
-7.33%
Water (0.33 liter bottle)
$1.97 NZ$3.36
$2.18 NZ$3.71
-9.63%
Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)
$6.14 NZ$10.44
$7.10 NZ$12.07
-13.52%
Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)
$5.95 NZ$10.11
$7.06 NZ$12.00
-15.72%
🛒 Groceries & Markets
Timaru
Auckland
Difference
Milk (1 liter)
$1.64 NZ$2.79
$1.82 NZ$3.10
-9.89%
White Bread (500g)
$1.96 NZ$3.33
$2.02 NZ$3.44
-2.97%
Rice (white) (1kg)
$1.19 NZ$2.02
$1.93 NZ$3.28
-38.34%
Eggs
$6.38 NZ$10.84
$6.83 NZ$11.61
-6.59%
Local Cheese (1kg)
$10.18 NZ$17.30
$8.91 NZ$15.14
14.25%
Chicken Fillets (1kg)
$10.58 NZ$17.99
$9.85 NZ$16.74
7.41%
Beef Round Steak (1kg)
$17.04 NZ$28.97
$12.80 NZ$21.76
33.12%
Apples (1kg)
$2.51 NZ$4.27
$2.78 NZ$4.72
-9.71%
Banana (1kg)
$2.49 NZ$4.23
$2.25 NZ$3.83
10.67%
Oranges (1kg)
$3.08 NZ$5.24
$3.34 NZ$5.68
-7.78%
Tomato (1kg)
$5.76 NZ$9.79
$4.20 NZ$7.14
37.14%
Potato (1kg)
$2.62 NZ$4.45
$2.09 NZ$3.55
25.36%
Onion (1kg)
$2.30 NZ$3.91
$1.62 NZ$2.76
41.98%
Lettuce (1 head)
$2.94 NZ$4.99
$1.96 NZ$3.33
50.00%
Water (1.5 liter bottle)
$1.15 NZ$1.95
$1.29 NZ$2.20
-10.85%
Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)
$29.48 NZ$50.1
$25.40 NZ$43.18
16.06%
Wine (Bottle)
$7.49 NZ$12.74
$10.25 NZ$17.43
-26.93%
Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)
$4.85 NZ$8.25
$3.08 NZ$5.24
57.47%
Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)
$7.16 NZ$12.18
$3.79 NZ$6.44
88.92%
🚌 Getting Around
Timaru
Auckland
Difference
One-way Ticket (Public Transport)
$2.13 NZ$3.63
$2.70 NZ$4.58
-21.11%
Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)
$65.1 NZ$111
$128 NZ$218
-49.27%
Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)
$2.77 NZ$4.71
$2.07 NZ$3.51
33.82%
Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)
$1.15 NZ$1.95
$1.91 NZ$3.24
-39.79%
Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)
$31.45 NZ$53.5
$35.55 NZ$60.4
-11.53%
Gasoline (1 liter)
$1.67 NZ$2.83
$1.63 NZ$2.77
2.45%
Midsize Hatchback 1.4l (Volkswagen Golf, Toyota Prius, Honda Civic, etc)
$29.5K NZ$50.2K
$28.0K NZ$47.6K
5.48%
Compact Sedan 1.6l (Toyota Corolla, Mazda3, Kia K4, Hyundai Elantra, etc)
$17.7K NZ$30.1K
$22.0K NZ$37.4K
-19.46%
🧾 Monthly Utilities & Internet
Timaru
Auckland
Difference
Utilities for 2 People in 2-bedroom Apartment (Heating, Electricity, Gas, Water, Garbage) (85m2)
$187 NZ$319
$141 NZ$240
33.01%
SIM Card Monthly Plan (Calls and 10GB+ Data)
$24.26 NZ$41.24
$30.79 NZ$52.3
-21.21%
Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)
$59.8 NZ$102
$49.52 NZ$84.2
20.78%
🎉 Sport & Entertainment
Timaru
Auckland
Difference
Gym Membership (Monthly)
$37.28 NZ$63.4
$35.66 NZ$60.6
4.54%
Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)
$12.22 NZ$20.78
$16.36 NZ$27.80
-25.31%
Cinema Ticket
$13.03 NZ$22.15
$15.06 NZ$25.60
-13.48%
🧸 Childcare & Education
Timaru
Auckland
Difference
Preschool or Kindergarten, Full Day, Private, 1 Child (Monthly)
$497 NZ$844
$920 NZ$1,564
-46.02%
International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)
$6,932 NZ$11.8K
$13.9K NZ$23.6K
-49.98%
👕👟 Clothing & Footwear
Timaru
Auckland
Difference
Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)
$86.7 NZ$147
$69.7 NZ$118
24.47%
Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)
$49.89 NZ$84.8
$49.31 NZ$83.8
1.18%
Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)
$98.0 NZ$167
$97.6 NZ$166
0.40%
Men's Leather Business Shoes
$282 NZ$480
$123 NZ$209
129.49%
🏠 Accommodation & Living
Timaru
Auckland
Difference
1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)
$973 NZ$1,654
$1,283 NZ$2,181
-24.14%
1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)
$776 NZ$1,319
$1,150 NZ$1,955
-32.52%
3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)
$1,577 NZ$2,681
$2,450 NZ$4,166
-35.64%
3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)
$1,442 NZ$2,451
$1,880 NZ$3,196
-23.30%
Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)
$5,057 NZ$8,596
$7,596 NZ$12.9K
-33.43%
Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)
$3,472 NZ$5,902
$5,334 NZ$9,067
-34.91%
💵 Salaries & Financials
Timaru
Auckland
Difference
Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)
-
$3,207 NZ$5,452
-
20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)
6.74
6.37
5.81%

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

Last update for Timaru: April 13, 2026

Last update for Auckland: April 12, 2026

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

Timaru vs other spots: cost of living compared

Similar cities