Last update: Nov 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Townsville and Hastings, New Zealand

For one person, living is cheaper in Hastings: $1,778 a month against $2,606 in Townsville, rent and utilities included – about $9,900 less a year. Rent and utilities account for most of the difference.

125

Cost of Living Index in Townsville
Learn more

Townsville Living Index
85

Cost of Living Index in Hastings
Learn more

Hastings Living Index

Jump to prices

Townsville

🇦🇺 Australia

$2,606

/mo nomad

Hastings

🇳🇿 New Zealand

$1,778

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

How much you'll spend in Townsville and in Hastings

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

A single person spends $2,606 per month in Townsville vs $1,778 in Hastings, rent included.

Townsville $2,606
Hastings $1,778

A couple spends around $3,842 per month in Townsville vs $2,590 in Hastings, rent included.

Townsville $3,842
Hastings $2,590

A family of three spends $5,078 per month in Townsville vs $3,402 in Hastings, rent included.

Townsville $5,078
Hastings $3,402

Townsville costs about 47% more than Hastings, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in eating out.

Both Townsville and Hastings sit above the global median – Townsville by 93%, Hastings by 31%.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$22.82 A$32.52

$11.32 NZ$20.09

101.59%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$70.4 A$100

$55.9 NZ$99.3

25.93%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$12.16 A$17.33

$9.28 NZ$16.48

31.03%

Cappuccino

$3.58 A$5.10

$3.23 NZ$5.73

10.84%

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

$2.64 A$3.76

$1.81 NZ$3.21

45.86%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.47 A$3.52

$1.41 NZ$2.50

75.18%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$8.53 A$12.16

$4.53 NZ$8.04

88.30%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$7.20 A$10.27

$5.72 NZ$10.16

25.87%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.77 A$2.53

$1.44 NZ$2.56

22.92%

White Bread (500g)

$2.27 A$3.23

$1.29 NZ$2.30

75.97%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.36 A$1.94

$1.85 NZ$3.28

-26.49%

Eggs

$5.23 A$7.45

$5.49 NZ$9.75

-4.74%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$8.16 A$11.63

$5.72 NZ$10.15

42.66%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$9.89 A$14.09

$7.48 NZ$13.28

32.22%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$13.37 A$19.06

$11.60 NZ$20.59

15.26%

Apples (1kg)

$4.13 A$5.89

$2.69 NZ$4.77

53.53%

Banana (1kg)

$2.70 A$3.85

$1.95 NZ$3.47

38.46%

Oranges (1kg)

$3.58 A$5.10

$3.25 NZ$5.78

10.15%

Tomato (1kg)

$4.29 A$6.11

$3.36 NZ$5.97

27.68%

Potato (1kg)

$2.64 A$3.76

$1.75 NZ$3.12

50.86%

Onion (1kg)

$2.85 A$4.07

$1.05 NZ$1.87

171.43%

Lettuce (1 head)

$2.30 A$3.28

$1.49 NZ$2.65

54.36%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$3.26 A$4.64

$0.97 NZ$1.73

236.08%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$30.58 A$43.58

$17.61 NZ$31.25

73.65%

Wine (Bottle)

$10.71 A$15.26

$9.56 NZ$16.98

12.03%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$6.93 A$9.88

$3.88 NZ$6.89

78.61%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$8.54 A$12.17

$2.94 NZ$5.23

190.48%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$2.11 A$3.01

$2.80 NZ$4.97

-24.64%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$55.2 A$78.7

$104 NZ$184

-46.71%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$2.62 A$3.74

$3.71 NZ$6.59

-29.38%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$2.04 A$2.91

$2.81 NZ$4.98

-27.40%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$44.02 A$62.7

$29.41 NZ$52.2

49.68%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.24 A$1.76

$1.55 NZ$2.75

-20.00%

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

$28.1K A$40.1K

$28.0K NZ$49.7K

0.60%

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

$27.8K A$39.7K

$22.5K NZ$39.9K

23.97%

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

$383 A$545

$191 NZ$339

100.46%

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

$36.42 A$51.9

$36.96 NZ$65.6

-1.46%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$66.0 A$94.1

$59.7 NZ$106

10.57%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$55.4 A$78.9

$27.92 NZ$49.57

98.28%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$19.73 A$28.11

Cinema Ticket

$15.23 A$21.71

$10.09 NZ$17.92

50.94%

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

$2,084 A$2,970

$681 NZ$1,208

206.24%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$12.2K A$17.5K

$22.3K NZ$39.5K

-45.03%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$92.5 A$132

$46.85 NZ$83.2

97.46%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$70.1 A$99.9

$38.31 NZ$68.0

83.06%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$164 A$233

$95.0 NZ$169

72.30%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$131 A$187

$90.2 NZ$160

45.78%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,286 A$1,832

$817 NZ$1,450

57.45%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,025 A$1,460

$713 NZ$1,266

43.72%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$2,313 A$3,296

$1,581 NZ$2,807

46.28%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,845 A$2,630

$1,134 NZ$2,013

62.73%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$4,976 A$7,091

$4,858 NZ$8,624

2.44%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$4,112 A$5,860

$3,289 NZ$5,840

25.02%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$4,066 A$5,794

$1,574 NZ$2,794

158.32%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

5.68

6.83

-16.84%

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

Last update for Townsville: November 3, 2026

Last update for Hastings: November 3, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Accommodation & Living

Townsville

$1K 39.3%

Hastings

$713 40.1% 30.4% $312

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Townsville

$485 18.6%

Hastings

$288 16.2% 40.7% $198

Groceries & Markets

Townsville

$389 14.9%

Hastings

$270 15.2% 30.4% $118

Eating Out

Townsville

$340 13%

Hastings

$204 11.5% 39.9% $135

Clothing & Footwear

Townsville

$206 7.9%

Hastings

$122 6.8% 40.9% $84

Sport & Entertainment

Townsville

$86 3.3%

Hastings

$48 2.7% 43.9% $38

Getting Around

Townsville

$77 2.9%

Hastings

$133 7.5% 73.2% $56

Cost Breakdown

A central one-bedroom costs $1,286 in Townsville versus $817 in Hastings. Rent is usually the largest line item in a monthly budget, so the gap here sets the tone for the overall comparison.

Salaries in Townsville are about 2.6 times higher. Purchasing power depends on which expenses matter most to you.

A mid-range dinner for two costs $70 in Townsville versus $56 in Hastings. Monthly groceries follow the same trend: $389 vs $270 – making Hastings the more affordable choice for daily food spending.

Good to know

🇦🇺 Townsville

🇳🇿 Hastings

🕒 Local time

11:34 11:34 AM

14:34 2:34 PM

3 h ahead of Townsville

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

173,724

50,100

💱 Currency

Australian Dollar AUD $

New Zealand Dollar NZD $

📈 Exchange rate

1 AUD = 0.702 USD

1 AUD = 0.625 EUR

1 NZD = 0.563 USD

1 NZD = 0.502 EUR

Exchange rates and currency converter

NZD, USD, EUR to AUD – Australian Dollar Converter

🇺🇸 United States Dollar ($)

🇦🇺 Australian Dollar ($)

Australian Dollar exchange rates as of November 6, 2026: 1 USD = 1.43 AUD (1 AUD = 0.702 USD). 1 EUR = 1.6 AUD (1 AUD = 0.625 EUR).

New Zealand Dollar exchange rates as of November 6, 2026: 1 USD = 1.78 NZD (1 NZD = 0.563 USD). 1 EUR = 1.99 NZD (1 NZD = 0.502 EUR).

USD to AUD in detail →

On the map

Lowest

Highest

Between locations

Townsville Hastings 3,660 km ≈ 5 h nonstop flight

From you

Townsville
Hastings

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

Townsville vs Hastings: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Townsville costs about 47% more than Hastings, and outside of rent the gap comes mainly from eating out. That’s enough to noticeably affect everyday spending and lifestyle for anyone choosing between the two.

For a comfortable life, plan on about $3,910 per month in Townsville and $2,666 in Hastings. That covers rent, food, utilities, transport, and enough left over to feel settled – not just surviving.

Rent is clearly cheaper in Hastings, especially for central apartments: a one-bedroom in the center costs $817 there versus $1,286 in Townsville.

Groceries cost about 44% more in Townsville, though the gap depends on what you buy.

A mid-range dinner for two costs $70 in Townsville and $56 in Hastings. That’s a good indicator of the overall restaurant and café pricing gap between the two cities.

A $2,000 monthly budget goes further in Hastings, where all-in costs run around $1,778, than in Townsville at $2,606. In Hastings it covers expenses comfortably, while in Townsville it requires careful planning or may not stretch far enough.

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

Both cities have a reputation for safety. In either place, the choice of neighborhood matters more than the choice between the two cities.

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