Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Timaru and Lae

For one person, living is cheaper in Lae: $840 a month against $1,980 in Timaru, rent and utilities included – about $13,700 less a year. Rent and utilities account for most of the difference.

90

Cost of Living Index in Timaru
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Timaru Living Index

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Timaru

🇳🇿 New Zealand

$1,980

/mo nomad

Lae

🇵🇬 Papua New Guinea

$840

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

How much you'll spend in Timaru and in Lae

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 Lae actually costs, broken down by who's living it.

A single person spends $1,980 per month in Timaru vs $840 in Lae, rent included.

Timaru $1,980
Lae $840

A couple spends around $2,925 per month in Timaru vs $1,503 in Lae, rent included.

Timaru $2,925
Lae $1,503

A family of three spends $3,870 per month in Timaru vs $2,166 in Lae, rent included.

Timaru $3,870
Lae $2,166

Timaru costs about 136% more than Lae, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in clothing.

Timaru sits 47% above the global median, while Lae is 38% below – they fall on opposite sides of the world average.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$13.80 NZ$24.41

$24.73 PGK 108

-44.20%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$62.1 NZ$110

$52.0 PGK 228

19.26%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$10.70 NZ$18.93

Cappuccino

$3.37 NZ$5.95

$2.71 PGK 11.87

24.35%

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

$2.03 NZ$3.59

$0.76 PGK 3.34

167.11%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.81 NZ$3.20

$0.58 PGK 2.53

212.07%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$5.72 NZ$10.11

$3.32 PGK 14.51

72.29%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$6.12 NZ$10.81

$5.36 PGK 23.46

14.18%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.11 NZ$1.96

$1.95 PGK 8.55

-43.08%

White Bread (500g)

$1.82 NZ$3.22

$1.48 PGK 6.48

22.97%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.09 NZ$1.93

$1.26 PGK 5.52

-13.49%

Eggs

$5.69 NZ$10.06

$4.05 PGK 17.74

40.49%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$8.24 NZ$14.57

$9.34 PGK 40.89

-11.78%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$9.13 NZ$16.15

$9.34 PGK 40.88

-2.25%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$16.33 NZ$28.89

$10.59 PGK 46.37

54.20%

Apples (1kg)

$2.92 NZ$5.17

$4.40 PGK 19.24

-33.64%

Banana (1kg)

$2.33 NZ$4.12

$2.78 PGK 12.16

-16.19%

Oranges (1kg)

$3.24 NZ$5.72

$6.13 PGK 26.82

-47.15%

Tomato (1kg)

$5.19 NZ$9.18

$1.62 PGK 7.08

220.37%

Potato (1kg)

$1.87 NZ$3.30

$3.51 PGK 15.39

-46.72%

Onion (1kg)

$1.78 NZ$3.14

$2.28 PGK 9.99

-21.93%

Lettuce (1 head)

$2.25 NZ$3.98

$0.65 PGK 2.85

246.15%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.55 NZ$0.97

$0.86 PGK 3.76

-36.05%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$20.75 NZ$36.70

$6.63 PGK 29.01

212.97%

Wine (Bottle)

$5.63 NZ$9.96

$12.12 PGK 53.1

-53.55%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$3.07 NZ$5.42

$2.60 PGK 11.39

18.08%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.18 NZ$2.09

$4.33 PGK 18.94

-72.75%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$1.65 NZ$2.91

$0.35 PGK 1.54

371.43%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$92.4 NZ$163

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$2.29 NZ$4.04

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$2.08 NZ$3.68

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$27.65 NZ$48.90

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.48 NZ$2.61

$1.04 PGK 4.55

42.31%

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

$24.8K NZ$43.9K

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

$24.9K NZ$44.1K

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

$110 NZ$194

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

$22.70 NZ$40.15

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$51.4 NZ$90.9

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$38.87 NZ$68.7

Cinema Ticket

$10.17 NZ$17.98

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

$579 NZ$1,025

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$17.1K NZ$30.3K

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$59.1 NZ$105

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$34.65 NZ$61.3

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$91.0 NZ$161

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$132 NZ$234

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$877 NZ$1,550

$447 PGK 1,956

96.16%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$946 NZ$1,674

$269 PGK 1,176

252.42%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,616 NZ$2,857

$1,248 PGK 5,465

29.40%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,510 NZ$2,670

$619 PGK 2,711

143.78%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$4,303 NZ$7,610

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$3,018 NZ$5,337

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$154 PGK 674

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 11, 2026

Last update for Lae: October 10, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Accommodation & Living

Timaru

$946 47.8%

Lae

–

Groceries & Markets

Timaru

$297 15%

Lae

–

Eating Out

Timaru

$239 12.1%

Lae

–

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Timaru

$184 9.3%

Lae

–

Clothing & Footwear

Timaru

$143 7.2%

Lae

–

Getting Around

Timaru

$112 5.6%

Lae

–

Sport & Entertainment

Timaru

$59 3%

Lae

–

Cost Breakdown

A central one-bedroom costs $877 in Timaru versus $447 in Lae. Rent is usually the largest line item in a monthly budget, so the gap here sets the tone for the overall comparison.

A mid-range dinner for two costs $62.0 in Timaru versus $52.0 in Lae. Groceries tell a different story – $297 in Timaru vs $307 in Lae – so Timaru wins on supermarket bills even if dining out costs more.

Good to know

🇳🇿 Timaru

🇵🇬 Lae

🕒 Local time

08:51 8:51 AM

05:51 5:51 AM

3 h behind Timaru

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

28,600

250,948

💱 Currency

New Zealand Dollar NZD $

Papua New Guinean Kina PGK K

📈 Exchange rate

1 NZD = 0.565 USD

1 NZD = 0.503 EUR

1 PGK = 0.228 USD

1 PGK = 0.203 EUR

Exchange rates and currency converter

PGK, USD, EUR to NZD – New Zealand Dollar Converter

🇺🇸 United States Dollar ($)

🇳🇿 New Zealand Dollar ($)

New Zealand Dollar exchange rates as of October 17, 2026: 1 USD = 1.77 NZD (1 NZD = 0.565 USD). 1 EUR = 1.99 NZD (1 NZD = 0.503 EUR).

Papua New Guinean Kina exchange rates as of October 17, 2026: 1 USD = 4.38 PGK (1 PGK = 0.228 USD). 1 EUR = 4.92 PGK (1 PGK = 0.203 EUR).

USD to NZD in detail →

On the map

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Highest

Between locations

Timaru Lae 4,800 km ≈ 7 h nonstop flight

From you

Timaru
Lae

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 Lae: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Timaru costs about 136% more than Lae, and outside of rent the gap comes mainly from clothing. That's enough to noticeably affect everyday spending and lifestyle for anyone choosing between the two.

For a comfortable life, plan on about $2,970 per month in Timaru and $1,260 in Lae. That covers rent, food, utilities, transport, and enough left over to feel settled – not just surviving.

Rent is clearly cheaper in Lae, especially for central apartments. Housing is actually the single biggest factor behind the overall cost gap between these two cities.

Monthly expenses with rent come to $1,980 in Timaru and $840 in Lae. That's a gap of about 136%.

Interestingly, groceries are about 3% cheaper in Timaru – one category where the pricier city actually offers better value, probably thanks to stronger retail competition or local farming.

A $1,000 monthly budget goes further in Lae, where all-in costs run around $840, than in Timaru at $1,980. In Lae it covers expenses comfortably, while in Timaru it requires careful planning or may not stretch far enough.

Families tend to lean toward Lae – lower housing and cheaper childcare make a real difference, especially on a single income or when paying for private education.

Both have safer and rougher neighborhoods, but overall safety is comparable to other large cities. Neighborhood choice matters more than the city-level comparison – central, well-trafficked areas feel secure in both.

If budget matters most, go with Lae. If higher salaries, better infrastructure, or specific career opportunities are the priority, Timaru makes more sense. Both are solid long-term options with distinct trade-offs.