Cost of Living Comparison Between Waitakere and Dunedin Cost of Living Comparison Between Waitakere and Dunedin

Monthly Cost of Living

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $1,876 in Waitakere versus $1,795 in Dunedin.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $2,940 in Waitakere versus $2,789 in Dunedin.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $4,003 in Waitakere versus $3,783 in Dunedin.

Living in Waitakere is roughly 5% more expensive than in Dunedin, driven mainly by Eating Out.

Both cities are pricier than the global median: Waitakere 41% above, Dunedin 35% above.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$15.15 NZ$25.69

$11.86 NZ$20.10

27.74%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$77.8 NZ$132

$73.0 NZ$124

6.61%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$9.56 NZ$16.20

$10.87 NZ$18.43

-12.05%

Cappuccino

$3.52 NZ$5.96

$3.48 NZ$5.89

1.15%

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

$2.33 NZ$3.95

$2.28 NZ$3.86

2.19%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.05 NZ$3.47

$2.00 NZ$3.39

2.50%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$7.28 NZ$12.33

$7.12 NZ$12.07

2.25%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$6.39 NZ$10.83

$5.90 NZ$10.01

8.31%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.82 NZ$3.09

$2.17 NZ$3.68

-16.13%

White Bread (500g)

$1.99 NZ$3.37

$1.99 NZ$3.38

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.81 NZ$3.07

$1.91 NZ$3.24

-5.24%

Eggs

$6.19 NZ$10.50

$5.59 NZ$9.47

10.73%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$8.24 NZ$13.97

$8.36 NZ$14.17

-1.44%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$9.46 NZ$16.03

$10.65 NZ$18.05

-11.17%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$13.01 NZ$22.05

$12.90 NZ$21.86

0.85%

Apples (1kg)

$2.78 NZ$4.70

$2.88 NZ$4.88

-3.47%

Banana (1kg)

$2.25 NZ$3.81

Oranges (1kg)

$2.98 NZ$5.05

$3.38 NZ$5.73

-11.83%

Tomato (1kg)

$4.66 NZ$7.90

$4.65 NZ$7.89

0.22%

Potato (1kg)

$1.97 NZ$3.34

$1.89 NZ$3.21

4.23%

Onion (1kg)

$1.88 NZ$3.18

$2.07 NZ$3.51

-9.18%

Lettuce (1 head)

$2.19 NZ$3.72

$2.53 NZ$4.30

-13.44%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$1.11 NZ$1.88

$1.12 NZ$1.89

-0.89%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$23.70 NZ$40.18

$24.48 NZ$41.50

-3.19%

Wine (Bottle)

$9.84 NZ$16.68

$8.96 NZ$15.18

9.82%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$2.51 NZ$4.26

$2.52 NZ$4.27

-0.40%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.75 NZ$6.36

$3.57 NZ$6.05

5.04%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$2.17 NZ$3.68

$1.24 NZ$2.10

75.00%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$63.2 NZ$107

$71.9 NZ$122

-12.08%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$2.76 NZ$4.68

$5.93 NZ$10.05

-53.46%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.78 NZ$3.01

$1.10 NZ$1.87

61.82%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$34.93 NZ$59.2

$30.03 NZ$50.9

16.32%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.74 NZ$2.95

$1.66 NZ$2.81

4.82%

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

$28.0K NZ$47.4K

$19.7K NZ$33.3K

42.25%

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

$22.1K NZ$37.4K

$25.6K NZ$43.4K

-13.77%

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

$143 NZ$243

$102 NZ$172

41.23%

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

$36.30 NZ$61.5

$35.32 NZ$59.9

2.77%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$51.5 NZ$87.4

$54.6 NZ$92.5

-5.61%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$36.22 NZ$61.4

$51.1 NZ$86.7

-29.17%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$11.83 NZ$20.06

$6.13 NZ$10.40

92.99%

Cinema Ticket

$10.78 NZ$18.27

$9.69 NZ$16.42

11.25%

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

$743 NZ$1,260

$575 NZ$974

29.31%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$11.9K NZ$20.1K

-0.05%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$69.2 NZ$117

$66.0 NZ$112

4.80%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$38.08 NZ$64.6

$34.51 NZ$58.5

10.34%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$93.8 NZ$159

$94.8 NZ$161

-1.06%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$115 NZ$196

$121 NZ$206

-4.85%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$978 NZ$1,657

$885 NZ$1,500

10.45%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$778 NZ$1,318

$758 NZ$1,285

2.57%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,567 NZ$2,656

$1,500 NZ$2,544

4.42%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,420 NZ$2,407

$1,347 NZ$2,284

5.39%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$4,825 NZ$8,180

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$3,140 NZ$5,323

$2,237 NZ$3,792

40.36%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$2,582 NZ$4,377

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

6.74

7.07

-4.67%

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

Last update for Waitakere: July 27, 2026

Last update for Dunedin: July 26, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $978 in Waitakere and $885 in Dunedin. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Dining out: $78.0 in Waitakere vs $73.0 in Dunedin. Groceries flip the comparison at $315 vs $324, with Waitakere 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

Waitakere vs Dunedin: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Waitakere and Dunedin differ by about 5% in total monthly costs ($1,876 vs $1,795 including rent). Dunedin is meaningfully more affordable – a gap that matters a lot on a fixed or modest income.

You'd need roughly $2,814 in Waitakere and $2,692 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: $978 in Waitakere versus $885 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 14% less than in Waitakere. Both cities have functional networks, but the price difference matters if you're watching your budget.

Childcare runs $743 in Waitakere versus $575 in Dunedin. Over years of preschool, even a modest monthly gap compounds into a major financial factor for families.

At $1,795 in Dunedin versus $1,876 in Waitakere, a $3,000 budget is realistic in Dunedin but tight or insufficient in Waitakere. 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, Waitakere 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 5% less than in Waitakere. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.