Cost of Living Comparison Between Upper Hutt and Dunedin Cost of Living Comparison Between Upper Hutt and Dunedin

Monthly Cost of Living

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $1,947 in Upper Hutt versus $1,872 in Dunedin.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $2,924 in Upper Hutt versus $2,733 in Dunedin.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $3,900 in Upper Hutt versus $3,595 in Dunedin.

Living in Upper Hutt is roughly 4% more expensive than in Dunedin, driven mainly by Eating Out.

Both cities are pricier than the global median: Upper Hutt 42% above, Dunedin 37% above.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$8.64 NZ$15.11

$14.32 NZ$25.04

-39.66%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$57.9 NZ$101

$63.2 NZ$110

-8.34%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$8.75 NZ$15.30

$11.37 NZ$19.88

-23.04%

Cappuccino

$2.93 NZ$5.13

$3.50 NZ$6.12

-16.29%

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

$2.56 NZ$4.48

$2.20 NZ$3.85

16.36%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.75 NZ$3.05

$2.11 NZ$3.69

-17.06%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$7.63 NZ$13.34

$7.11 NZ$12.42

7.31%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$6.79 NZ$11.87

$6.26 NZ$10.95

8.47%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.99 NZ$3.47

$2.13 NZ$3.72

-6.57%

White Bread (500g)

$2.17 NZ$3.79

$2.06 NZ$3.60

5.34%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.90 NZ$3.31

$1.74 NZ$3.05

9.20%

Eggs

$6.95 NZ$12.15

$5.83 NZ$10.19

19.21%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$5.81 NZ$10.16

$8.77 NZ$15.33

-33.75%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$9.67 NZ$16.91

$9.80 NZ$17.13

-1.33%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$15.54 NZ$27.17

$16.66 NZ$29.13

-6.72%

Apples (1kg)

$3.22 NZ$5.63

$2.94 NZ$5.14

9.52%

Banana (1kg)

$2.19 NZ$3.82

$2.43 NZ$4.24

-9.88%

Oranges (1kg)

$3.08 NZ$5.39

$3.23 NZ$5.64

-4.64%

Tomato (1kg)

$6.69 NZ$11.70

$5.18 NZ$9.06

29.15%

Potato (1kg)

$2.13 NZ$3.72

$1.86 NZ$3.25

14.52%

Onion (1kg)

$1.27 NZ$2.22

$1.83 NZ$3.20

-30.60%

Lettuce (1 head)

$2.08 NZ$3.64

$2.42 NZ$4.24

-14.05%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$1.23 NZ$2.16

$0.57 NZ$1.00

115.79%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$26.45 NZ$46.24

$21.71 NZ$37.96

21.83%

Wine (Bottle)

$11.67 NZ$20.39

$9.25 NZ$16.18

26.16%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$3.21 NZ$5.61

$3.18 NZ$5.55

0.94%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.86 NZ$5.00

$1.23 NZ$2.15

132.52%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$1.53 NZ$2.67

$1.13 NZ$1.97

35.40%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$84.5 NZ$148

$70.5 NZ$123

19.82%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$1.90 NZ$3.32

$5.79 NZ$10.11

-67.18%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.90 NZ$3.33

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$34.44 NZ$60.2

$29.15 NZ$51.0

18.15%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.93 NZ$3.38

$1.73 NZ$3.02

11.56%

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

$25.8K NZ$45.2K

$26.0K NZ$45.5K

-0.74%

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

$26.2K NZ$45.9K

$25.7K NZ$45.0K

2.04%

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

$114 NZ$198

$113 NZ$197

0.58%

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

$26.22 NZ$45.83

$28.94 NZ$50.6

-9.40%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$55.2 NZ$96.5

$52.8 NZ$92.4

4.45%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$38.97 NZ$68.1

$49.64 NZ$86.8

-21.49%

Cinema Ticket

$12.26 NZ$21.44

$10.52 NZ$18.40

16.54%

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

$1,083 NZ$1,894

$610 NZ$1,066

77.67%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$13.2K NZ$23.0K

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$79.0 NZ$138

$60.5 NZ$106

30.52%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$28.64 NZ$50.1

$36.21 NZ$63.3

-20.91%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$105 NZ$183

$94.7 NZ$166

10.44%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$157 NZ$275

$141 NZ$246

11.72%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$916 NZ$1,602

$893 NZ$1,560

2.66%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$841 NZ$1,471

$760 NZ$1,328

10.77%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,834 NZ$3,206

$1,510 NZ$2,640

21.46%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,697 NZ$2,967

$1,196 NZ$2,091

41.91%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$4,311 NZ$7,537

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$3,133 NZ$5,476

$2,242 NZ$3,919

39.74%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$2,586 NZ$4,521

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

5.39

7.07

-23.76%

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

Last update for Upper Hutt: September 12, 2026

Last update for Dunedin: September 12, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $916 in Upper Hutt and $893 in Dunedin. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Dining out: $58.0 in Upper Hutt vs $63.0 in Dunedin. Groceries flip the comparison at $342 vs $328, with Dunedin cheaper for home cooking.

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

Upper Hutt vs Dunedin: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Upper Hutt and Dunedin differ by about 4% in total monthly costs ($1,947 vs $1,872 including rent). Dunedin is meaningfully more affordable – a gap that matters a lot on a fixed or modest income.

You'd need roughly $2,920 in Upper Hutt and $2,808 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: $916 in Upper Hutt versus $893 in Dunedin. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

A monthly transit pass in Dunedin runs roughly 20% less than in Upper Hutt. Both cities have functional networks, but the price difference matters if you're watching your budget.

Childcare runs $1,083 in Upper Hutt versus $610 in Dunedin. Over years of preschool, even a modest monthly gap compounds into a major financial factor for families.

At $1,872 in Dunedin versus $1,947 in Upper Hutt, a $3,000 budget is realistic in Dunedin but tight or insufficient in Upper Hutt. The gap between the two cities makes Dunedin the clear choice for anyone on this budget.

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, Upper Hutt and Dunedin are on par. Petty crime is typical for cities this size, and most residents feel comfortable going about their daily routines in either place.

Expats usually find Dunedin gentler on the wallet – expenses run 4% less than in Upper Hutt. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.