Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Waihi and Dunedin

For one person, living is cheaper in Waihi: $1,922 a month against $1,987 in Dunedin, rent and utilities included – about $780 less a year. Rent and utilities account for about half of the difference.

96

Cost of Living Index in Waihi
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Waihi Living Index
96

Cost of Living Index in Dunedin
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Dunedin Living Index

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Waihi

🇳🇿 New Zealand

$1,922

/mo nomad

Dunedin

🇳🇿 New Zealand

$1,987

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

How much you'll spend in Waihi 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 Waihi and in Dunedin actually costs, broken down by who's living it.

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $1,922 in Waihi versus $1,987 in Dunedin.

Waihi $1,922
Dunedin $1,987

Estimated couple costs with rent: $2,966 in Waihi versus $2,907 in Dunedin.

Waihi $2,966
Dunedin $2,907

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $4,010 in Waihi versus $3,828 in Dunedin.

Waihi $4,010
Dunedin $3,828

Living in Waihi costs roughly 3% less than in Dunedin, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in eating out.

Both cities are pricier than the global median: Waihi 41% above, Dunedin 46% above.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$12.46 NZ$22.12

$14.03 NZ$24.90

-11.19%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$66.5 NZ$118

$62.0 NZ$110

7.25%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$10.30 NZ$18.28

$11.40 NZ$20.23

-9.65%

Cappuccino

$3.27 NZ$5.81

$3.27 NZ$5.80

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

$2.29 NZ$4.07

$2.07 NZ$3.68

10.63%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.88 NZ$3.33

$2.06 NZ$3.65

-8.74%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$7.02 NZ$12.46

$6.73 NZ$11.95

4.31%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$6.34 NZ$11.25

$6.16 NZ$10.94

2.92%

Milk (1 liter)

$2.05 NZ$3.63

$2.15 NZ$3.81

-4.65%

White Bread (500g)

$2.09 NZ$3.70

$1.99 NZ$3.54

5.03%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.75 NZ$3.10

$1.76 NZ$3.13

-0.57%

Eggs

$6.56 NZ$11.65

$5.90 NZ$10.48

11.19%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$8.02 NZ$14.23

$8.52 NZ$15.12

-5.87%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$8.37 NZ$14.86

$9.21 NZ$16.36

-9.12%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$13.24 NZ$23.51

$16.72 NZ$29.68

-20.81%

Apples (1kg)

$2.42 NZ$4.29

$3.02 NZ$5.36

-19.87%

Banana (1kg)

$2.43 NZ$4.32

$2.29 NZ$4.06

6.11%

Oranges (1kg)

$3.46 NZ$6.15

$3.27 NZ$5.80

5.81%

Tomato (1kg)

$5.45 NZ$9.68

$5.13 NZ$9.11

6.24%

Potato (1kg)

$2.19 NZ$3.89

$1.84 NZ$3.27

19.02%

Onion (1kg)

$1.29 NZ$2.28

$1.87 NZ$3.33

-31.02%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.99 NZ$3.53

$2.41 NZ$4.28

-17.43%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$1.23 NZ$2.19

$0.60 NZ$1.07

105.00%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$22.43 NZ$39.81

$20.90 NZ$37.11

7.32%

Wine (Bottle)

$8.51 NZ$15.10

$9.01 NZ$16.00

-5.55%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$3.06 NZ$5.44

$3.17 NZ$5.63

-3.47%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.91 NZ$5.16

$1.26 NZ$2.23

130.95%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$1.75 NZ$3.10

$1.43 NZ$2.54

22.38%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$91.9 NZ$163

$102 NZ$180

-9.54%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$1.93 NZ$3.43

$5.76 NZ$10.22

-66.49%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.91 NZ$3.40

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$27.33 NZ$48.51

$28.63 NZ$50.8

-4.54%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.46 NZ$2.60

$1.77 NZ$3.14

-17.51%

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

$26.4K NZ$46.8K

$28.2K NZ$50.1K

-6.51%

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

$22.7K NZ$40.3K

$23.5K NZ$41.7K

-3.22%

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

$98.2 NZ$174

$110 NZ$196

-11.08%

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

$32.20 NZ$57.2

$29.44 NZ$52.3

9.38%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$56.7 NZ$101

$52.3 NZ$92.8

8.45%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$38.41 NZ$68.2

$45.90 NZ$81.5

-16.32%

Cinema Ticket

$10.15 NZ$18.03

$11.20 NZ$19.89

-9.37%

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

$637 NZ$1,131

$588 NZ$1,045

8.32%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$15.9K NZ$28.2K

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$56.8 NZ$101

$58.8 NZ$104

-3.37%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$36.02 NZ$64.0

$35.28 NZ$62.6

2.10%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$79.8 NZ$142

$91.3 NZ$162

-12.62%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$124 NZ$220

$135 NZ$240

-8.41%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,043 NZ$1,852

$1,013 NZ$1,798

2.98%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$880 NZ$1,563

$897 NZ$1,593

-1.86%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,835 NZ$3,258

$1,632 NZ$2,897

12.44%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,618 NZ$2,873

$1,358 NZ$2,410

19.19%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$4,648 NZ$8,251

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$3,823 NZ$6,788

$2,273 NZ$4,035

68.22%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$2,464 NZ$4,374

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

5.83

7.07

-17.54%

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

Last update for Waihi: October 25, 2026

Last update for Dunedin: October 25, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Accommodation & Living

Waihi

$880 45.8%

Dunedin

$897 45.2% 1.9% $17

Groceries & Markets

Waihi

$318 16.6%

Dunedin

$324 16.3% 1.8% $5.9

Eating Out

Waihi

$234 12.2%

Dunedin

$248 12.5% 5.9% $14

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Waihi

$187 9.7%

Dunedin

$192 9.7% 2.7% $5

Clothing & Footwear

Waihi

$133 6.9%

Dunedin

$144 7.3% 8.1% $11

Getting Around

Waihi

$110 5.8%

Dunedin

$113 * 5.7% 2.4% $2.7

Sport & Entertainment

Waihi

$59 3.1%

Dunedin

$68 3.4% 16.3% $9.6

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 $1,043 in Waihi and $1,013 in Dunedin. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Dining out: $66 in Waihi vs $62 in Dunedin. Groceries flip the comparison at $318 vs $324, with Waihi cheaper for home cooking.

Good to know

🇳🇿 Waihi

🇳🇿 Dunedin

🕒 Local time

13:35 1:35 PM

Same time as Waihi

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

4,700

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

Waihi Dunedin 1,040 km ≈ 1 h 45 min nonstop flight

From you

Waihi
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

Waihi vs Dunedin: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Total monthly costs including rent come to $1,922 in Waihi and $1,987 in Dunedin, so Waihi is about 3% cheaper – a gap that matters a lot on a fixed or modest income.

You’d need roughly $2,883 in Waihi 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: $1,043 in Waihi versus $1,013 in Dunedin. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

A monthly transit pass in Waihi runs roughly 10% less than in Dunedin. The price difference matters if you commute daily and watch your budget.

All in, you’ll spend $1,922 per month in Waihi versus $1,987 in Dunedin – Waihi is about 3% cheaper, which adds up to real savings over time.

Either city works on $3,000 a month, though Waihi 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, Waihi and Dunedin are both considered safe, so it’s unlikely to be the deciding factor between them.