Cost of Living Comparison Between Timaru and Dunedin Cost of Living Comparison Between Timaru and Dunedin

๐Ÿ˜ Solo nomad: Timaru is 6.1% more expensive than Dunedin without rent, and 10.6% more expensive with rent.
๐Ÿ˜ Family of 3: Timaru is 11% more expensive than Dunedin without rent, and 14.3% more expensive with rent.
Currency
๐Ÿฝ Eating Out
Timaru
Dunedin
Difference
Meal at Budget Restaurant
$14.94 NZ$24.64
$12.25 NZ$20.2
21.96%
Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range
$79.5 NZ$131
$73.7 NZ$122
7.82%
Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)
$9.72 NZ$16.04
$10.95 NZ$18.07
-11.23%
Cappuccino
$3.51 NZ$5.79
$3.46 NZ$5.7
1.45%
Coke/Pepsi/Fanta/Sprite (0.33 liter bottle)
$2.17 NZ$3.59
$2.2 NZ$3.63
-1.36%
Water (0.33 liter bottle)
$1.89 NZ$3.11
$2.05 NZ$3.38
-7.80%
Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)
$5.92 NZ$9.77
$7.2 NZ$11.87
-17.78%
Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)
$6.21 NZ$10.24
$6.08 NZ$10.03
2.14%
๐Ÿ›’ Groceries & Markets
Timaru
Dunedin
Difference
Milk (1 liter)
$1.63 NZ$2.69
$2.08 NZ$3.44
-21.63%
White Bread (500g)
$1.99 NZ$3.28
$1.96 NZ$3.22
1.53%
Rice (white) (1kg)
$1.2 NZ$1.97
$1.81 NZ$2.99
-33.70%
Eggs
$6.43 NZ$10.6
$5.67 NZ$9.35
13.40%
Local Cheese (1kg)
$9.86 NZ$16.26
$8.36 NZ$13.8
17.94%
Chicken Fillets (1kg)
$10.69 NZ$17.64
$10.62 NZ$17.52
0.66%
Beef Round Steak (1kg)
$16.6 NZ$27.39
$13.05 NZ$21.53
27.20%
Apples (1kg)
$2.65 NZ$4.37
$2.86 NZ$4.72
-7.34%
Banana (1kg)
$2.52 NZ$4.16
$2.24 NZ$3.69
12.50%
Oranges (1kg)
$3.04 NZ$5.01
$3.3 NZ$5.45
-7.88%
Tomato (1kg)
$5.86 NZ$9.66
$4.54 NZ$7.49
29.07%
Potato (1kg)
$2.67 NZ$4.4
$1.91 NZ$3.15
39.79%
Onion (1kg)
$2.38 NZ$3.93
$2.04 NZ$3.37
16.67%
Lettuce (1 head)
$2.92 NZ$4.82
$2.48 NZ$4.09
17.74%
Water (1.5 liter bottle)
$1.16 NZ$1.91
$1.07 NZ$1.76
8.41%
Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)
$29 NZ$47.83
$24.01 NZ$39.6
20.78%
Wine (Bottle)
$7.28 NZ$12.01
$8.7 NZ$14.34
-16.32%
Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)
$4.84 NZ$7.98
$2.59 NZ$4.27
86.87%
Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)
$6.79 NZ$11.2
$3.63 NZ$5.99
87.05%
๐ŸšŒ Getting Around
Timaru
Dunedin
Difference
One-way Ticket (Public Transport)
$2.14 NZ$3.53
$1.25 NZ$2.05
71.20%
Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)
$63.5 NZ$105
$72.8 NZ$120
-12.86%
Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)
$2.9 NZ$4.78
$6.16 NZ$10.15
-52.92%
Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)
$1.09 NZ$1.8
$1.1 NZ$1.81
-0.91%
Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)
$31.85 NZ$52.5
$30.44 NZ$50.2
4.63%
Gasoline (1 liter)
$1.59 NZ$2.63
$1.72 NZ$2.84
-7.56%
Midsize Hatchback 1.4l (Volkswagen Golf, Toyota Prius, Honda Civic, etc)
$30.1K NZ$49.6K
$19.7K NZ$32.5K
52.59%
Compact Sedan 1.6l (Toyota Corolla, Mazda3, Kia K4, Hyundai Elantra, etc)
$18.2K NZ$30.1K
$25.6K NZ$42.3K
-28.88%
๐Ÿงพ Monthly Utilities & Internet
Timaru
Dunedin
Difference
Utilities for 2 People in 2-bedroom Apartment (Heating, Electricity, Gas, Water, Garbage) (85m2)
$192 NZ$316
$99.8 NZ$165
92.11%
SIM Card Monthly Plan (Calls and 10GB+ Data)
$23.72 NZ$39.12
$35.84 NZ$59.1
-33.82%
Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)
$60.5 NZ$99.7
$55.6 NZ$91.8
8.66%
๐ŸŽ‰ Sport & Entertainment
Timaru
Dunedin
Difference
Gym Membership (Monthly)
$36.92 NZ$60.9
$52 NZ$85.7
-28.93%
Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)
$12.27 NZ$20.23
$6.13 NZ$10.12
100.16%
Cinema Ticket
$13.36 NZ$22.03
$9.74 NZ$16.06
37.17%
๐Ÿงธ Childcare & Education
Timaru
Dunedin
Difference
Preschool or Kindergarten, Full Day, Private, 1 Child (Monthly)
$485 NZ$800
$577 NZ$952
-15.98%
International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)
$7,159 NZ$11.8K
$12.2K NZ$20.1K
-41.39%
๐Ÿ‘•๐Ÿ‘Ÿ Clothing & Footwear
Timaru
Dunedin
Difference
Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)
$88.3 NZ$146
$67.1 NZ$111
31.47%
Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)
$49.39 NZ$81.5
$35.49 NZ$58.5
39.17%
Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)
$96.2 NZ$159
$94.1 NZ$155
2.20%
Men's Leather Business Shoes
$276 NZ$455
$123 NZ$203
124.10%
๐Ÿ  Accommodation & Living
Timaru
Dunedin
Difference
1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)
$988 NZ$1,630
$879 NZ$1,450
12.35%
1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)
$790 NZ$1,303
$774 NZ$1,277
2.04%
3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)
$1,598 NZ$2,635
$1,512 NZ$2,493
5.70%
3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)
$1,431 NZ$2,360
$1,344 NZ$2,217
6.46%
Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)
$4,243 NZ$6,998
$2,880 NZ$4,751
47.31%
Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)
$3,354 NZ$5,532
$2,002 NZ$3,303
67.50%
๐Ÿ’ต Salaries & Financials
Timaru
Dunedin
Difference
Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)
-
$2,565 NZ$4,230
-
20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)
6.74
7.07
-4.67%

Citycost data is based on AI and user input โ€“ minor inaccuracies may occur.

Last update for Timaru: October 28, 2025

Last update for Dunedin: October 28, 2025

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