Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Timaru and Dunedin

For one person, living costs are similar in Timaru and in Dunedin: $1,992 and $1,987 a month, rent and utilities included.

96

Cost of Living Index in Timaru
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Timaru Living Index
96

Cost of Living Index in Dunedin
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Dunedin Living Index

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Timaru

🇳🇿 New Zealand

$1,992

/mo nomad

Dunedin

🇳🇿 New Zealand

$1,987

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

How much you'll spend in Timaru and in Dunedin

Real prices from locals and on-the-ground checks – rent, groceries, transit and the daily extras. Here's what a month in Timaru and in Dunedin actually costs, broken down by who's living it.

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $1,992 in Timaru versus $1,987 in Dunedin.

Timaru $1,992
Dunedin $1,987

Estimated couple costs with rent: $3,048 in Timaru versus $2,907 in Dunedin.

Timaru $3,048
Dunedin $2,907

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $4,104 in Timaru versus $3,828 in Dunedin.

Timaru $4,104
Dunedin $3,828

Monthly costs are close between Timaru and Dunedin; which city is cheaper depends on the spending category.

Both cities are pricier than the global median: Timaru 46% above, Dunedin 46% above.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$14.41 NZ$25.62

$14.03 NZ$24.94

2.71%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$61.3 NZ$109

$62.0 NZ$110

-1.05%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$10.87 NZ$19.32

$11.40 NZ$20.26

-4.65%

Cappuccino

$3.29 NZ$5.85

$3.27 NZ$5.81

0.61%

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

$2.13 NZ$3.78

$2.07 NZ$3.68

2.90%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.78 NZ$3.16

$2.06 NZ$3.65

-13.59%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$5.70 NZ$10.12

$6.73 NZ$11.97

-15.30%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$6.12 NZ$10.87

$6.16 NZ$10.95

-0.65%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.15 NZ$2.05

$2.15 NZ$3.82

-46.51%

White Bread (500g)

$1.79 NZ$3.18

$1.99 NZ$3.54

-10.05%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.12 NZ$1.99

$1.76 NZ$3.14

-36.36%

Eggs

$5.98 NZ$10.62

$5.90 NZ$10.49

1.36%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$8.28 NZ$14.72

$8.52 NZ$15.14

-2.82%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$9.21 NZ$16.37

$9.21 NZ$16.38

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$16.69 NZ$29.66

$16.72 NZ$29.71

-0.18%

Apples (1kg)

$2.93 NZ$5.21

$3.02 NZ$5.37

-2.98%

Banana (1kg)

$2.42 NZ$4.29

$2.29 NZ$4.07

5.68%

Oranges (1kg)

$3.17 NZ$5.64

$3.27 NZ$5.81

-3.06%

Tomato (1kg)

$5.25 NZ$9.33

$5.13 NZ$9.13

2.34%

Potato (1kg)

$1.86 NZ$3.30

$1.84 NZ$3.27

1.09%

Onion (1kg)

$1.85 NZ$3.29

$1.87 NZ$3.33

-1.07%

Lettuce (1 head)

$2.32 NZ$4.13

$2.41 NZ$4.28

-3.73%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.55 NZ$0.98

$0.60 NZ$1.07

-8.33%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$21.06 NZ$37.44

$20.90 NZ$37.16

0.77%

Wine (Bottle)

$5.57 NZ$9.91

$9.01 NZ$16.02

-38.18%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$3.17 NZ$5.64

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.26 NZ$2.23

$1.26 NZ$2.24

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$1.94 NZ$3.45

$1.43 NZ$2.54

35.66%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$110 NZ$196

$102 NZ$181

8.41%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$2.23 NZ$3.97

$5.76 NZ$10.23

-61.28%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.79 NZ$3.18

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$28.93 NZ$51.4

$28.63 NZ$50.9

1.05%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.56 NZ$2.76

$1.77 NZ$3.14

-11.86%

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

$28.5K NZ$50.6K

$28.2K NZ$50.2K

0.90%

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

$22.9K NZ$40.8K

$23.5K NZ$41.7K

-2.26%

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

$113 NZ$201

$110 NZ$196

2.45%

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

$22.85 NZ$40.63

$29.44 NZ$52.3

-22.38%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$52.5 NZ$93.3

$52.3 NZ$93.0

0.34%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$39.92 NZ$71.0

$45.90 NZ$81.6

-13.03%

Cinema Ticket

$11.39 NZ$20.25

$11.20 NZ$19.91

1.70%

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

$590 NZ$1,048

$588 NZ$1,046

0.24%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$16.1K NZ$28.6K

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$59.4 NZ$106

$58.8 NZ$104

1.16%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$35.10 NZ$62.4

$35.28 NZ$62.7

-0.51%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$91.0 NZ$162

$91.3 NZ$162

-0.33%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$137 NZ$244

$135 NZ$240

1.66%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,108 NZ$1,970

$1,013 NZ$1,800

9.43%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$921 NZ$1,637

$897 NZ$1,594

2.66%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,790 NZ$3,182

$1,632 NZ$2,901

9.70%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,674 NZ$2,975

$1,358 NZ$2,413

23.29%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$4,547 NZ$8,083

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$2,866 NZ$5,094

$2,273 NZ$4,040

26.10%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$2,464 NZ$4,379

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

7.07

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

Last update for Timaru: October 26, 2026

Last update for Dunedin: October 25, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Accommodation & Living

Timaru

$921 46.2%

Dunedin

$897 45.2% 2.6% $24

Groceries & Markets

Timaru

$302 15.1%

Dunedin

$324 16.3% 7.4% $22

Eating Out

Timaru

$244 12.2%

Dunedin

$248 12.5% 1.8% $4.4

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Timaru

$188 9.5%

Dunedin

$192 9.7% 2% $3.7

Clothing & Footwear

Timaru

$145 7.3%

Dunedin

$144 7.3% 0.8% $1.1

Getting Around

Timaru

$129 6.5%

Dunedin

$113 * 5.7% 12.4% $16

Sport & Entertainment

Timaru

$63 3.2%

Dunedin

$68 3.4% 8.9% $5.6

Categories marked with * are only partly priced – their share counts the items that do have prices.

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $1,108 in Timaru and $1,013 in Dunedin. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Dining out: $61 in Timaru vs $62 in Dunedin for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $302 vs $324 per month, with Timaru cheaper across the board.

Good to know

🇳🇿 Timaru

🇳🇿 Dunedin

🕒 Local time

19:02 7:02 PM

Same time as Timaru

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

28,600

105,000

💱 Currency

New Zealand Dollar NZD $

📈 Exchange rate

1 NZD = 0.563 USD

1 NZD = 0.504 EUR

1 NZD = 0.563 USD

1 NZD = 0.504 EUR

Exchange rates and currency converter

On the map

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Between locations

Timaru Dunedin 170 km

From you

Timaru
Dunedin

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

Timaru vs Dunedin: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

You’d need roughly $2,987 in Timaru and $2,980 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: $1,108 in Timaru versus $1,013 in Dunedin. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Childcare runs $590 in Timaru versus $588 in Dunedin. Over years of preschool, even a modest monthly gap compounds into a major financial factor for families.

Shoppers in Timaru pay roughly 7% less for everyday groceries. It’s an unusual reversal that partly offsets higher costs elsewhere.

Either city works on $3,000 a month, though Dunedin gives you more room to save. At this income level, the choice is more about lifestyle than financial pressure.

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, Timaru and Dunedin are both considered safe, so it’s unlikely to be the deciding factor between them.