Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Wanaka and Dunedin

For one person, living is cheaper in Wanaka: $1,696 a month against $1,987 in Dunedin, rent and utilities included – about $3,500 less a year. Other living expenses account for most of the difference.

81

Cost of Living Index in Wanaka
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Wanaka Living Index
96

Cost of Living Index in Dunedin
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Dunedin Living Index

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Wanaka

🇳🇿 New Zealand

$1,696

/mo nomad

Dunedin

🇳🇿 New Zealand

$1,987

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

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

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $1,696 in Wanaka versus $1,987 in Dunedin.

Wanaka $1,696
Dunedin $1,987

Estimated couple costs with rent: $2,695 in Wanaka versus $2,907 in Dunedin.

Wanaka $2,695
Dunedin $2,907

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $3,694 in Wanaka versus $3,828 in Dunedin.

Wanaka $3,694
Dunedin $3,828

Living in Wanaka costs roughly 15% less than in Dunedin, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in transport.

Both cities are pricier than the global median: Wanaka 25% above, Dunedin 46% above.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$13.97 NZ$24.80

$14.03 NZ$24.90

-0.43%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$57.1 NZ$101

$62.0 NZ$110

-7.79%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$8.60 NZ$15.28

$11.40 NZ$20.23

-24.56%

Cappuccino

$3.03 NZ$5.38

$3.27 NZ$5.80

-7.34%

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

$1.71 NZ$3.04

$2.07 NZ$3.68

-17.39%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.91 NZ$3.38

$2.06 NZ$3.65

-7.28%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$6.96 NZ$12.37

$6.73 NZ$11.95

3.42%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$6.35 NZ$11.28

$6.16 NZ$10.94

3.08%

Milk (1 liter)

$2.12 NZ$3.76

$2.15 NZ$3.81

-1.40%

White Bread (500g)

$2.01 NZ$3.57

$1.99 NZ$3.54

1.01%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.79 NZ$3.17

$1.76 NZ$3.13

1.70%

Eggs

$6.00 NZ$10.65

$5.90 NZ$10.48

1.69%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$8.51 NZ$15.10

$8.52 NZ$15.12

-0.12%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$9.71 NZ$17.24

$9.21 NZ$16.36

5.43%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$16.78 NZ$29.78

$16.72 NZ$29.68

0.36%

Apples (1kg)

$2.90 NZ$5.15

$3.02 NZ$5.36

-3.97%

Banana (1kg)

$2.14 NZ$3.79

$2.29 NZ$4.06

-6.55%

Oranges (1kg)

$3.30 NZ$5.86

$3.27 NZ$5.80

0.92%

Tomato (1kg)

$5.10 NZ$9.06

$5.13 NZ$9.11

-0.58%

Potato (1kg)

$1.89 NZ$3.36

$1.84 NZ$3.27

2.72%

Onion (1kg)

$1.78 NZ$3.16

$1.87 NZ$3.33

-4.81%

Lettuce (1 head)

$2.28 NZ$4.05

$2.41 NZ$4.28

-5.39%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.60 NZ$1.07

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$22.66 NZ$40.23

$20.90 NZ$37.11

8.42%

Wine (Bottle)

$8.85 NZ$15.71

$9.01 NZ$16.00

-1.78%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$3.15 NZ$5.59

$3.17 NZ$5.63

-0.63%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.26 NZ$2.24

$1.26 NZ$2.23

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$1.43 NZ$2.54

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$102 NZ$180

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$5.83 NZ$10.34

$5.76 NZ$10.22

1.22%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$28.08 NZ$49.85

$28.63 NZ$50.8

-1.92%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.80 NZ$3.19

$1.77 NZ$3.14

1.69%

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

$28.6K NZ$50.8K

$28.2K NZ$50.1K

1.43%

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

$23.0K NZ$40.9K

$23.5K NZ$41.7K

-1.95%

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

$112 NZ$200

$110 NZ$196

1.87%

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

$29.42 NZ$52.2

$29.44 NZ$52.3

-0.07%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$51.9 NZ$92.2

$52.3 NZ$92.8

-0.73%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$45.90 NZ$81.5

Cinema Ticket

$11.57 NZ$20.54

$11.20 NZ$19.89

3.30%

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

$601 NZ$1,068

$588 NZ$1,045

2.23%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$59.9 NZ$106

$58.8 NZ$104

1.91%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$35.14 NZ$62.4

$35.28 NZ$62.6

-0.40%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$68.5 NZ$122

$91.3 NZ$162

-24.93%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$73.9 NZ$131

$135 NZ$240

-45.23%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$971 NZ$1,723

$1,013 NZ$1,798

-4.17%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$806 NZ$1,430

$897 NZ$1,593

-10.20%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,880 NZ$3,338

$1,632 NZ$2,897

15.21%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,656 NZ$2,940

$1,358 NZ$2,410

21.99%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$5,641 NZ$10.0K

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$2,273 NZ$4,035

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$4,352 NZ$7,727

$2,464 NZ$4,374

76.65%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

7.07

-43.42%

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

Last update for Wanaka: 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

Wanaka

$805 47.5%

Dunedin

$897 45.2% 11.4% $92

Groceries & Markets

Wanaka

$324 19.1%

Dunedin

$324 16.3% 0.2% $0.5

Eating Out

Wanaka

$236 13.9%

Dunedin

$248 12.5% 5.2% $12

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Wanaka

$194 11.4%

Dunedin

$192 9.7% 0.9% $1.7

Clothing & Footwear

Wanaka

$107 6.3%

Dunedin

$144 7.3% 34.9% $37

Sport & Entertainment

Wanaka

$23 * 1.4%

Dunedin

$68 3.4% 195% $45

Getting Around

Wanaka

$5.8 * 0.3%

Dunedin

$113 * 5.7% 1840% $107

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 $971 in Wanaka and $1,013 in Dunedin. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Wanaka pays 77% more on average while also being the cheaper of the two. The combined effect is a noticeably stronger local purchasing power.

Dining out: $57 in Wanaka vs $62 in Dunedin for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $324 vs $324 per month, with Wanaka cheaper across the board.

Good to know

🇳🇿 Wanaka

🇳🇿 Dunedin

🕒 Local time

04:26 4:26 AM

Same time as Wanaka

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

11,600

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

Wanaka Dunedin 170 km

From you

Wanaka
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

Wanaka vs Dunedin: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Total monthly costs including rent come to $1,696 in Wanaka and $1,987 in Dunedin, so Wanaka is about 15% cheaper – a gap that matters a lot on a fixed or modest income.

Average pay runs 77% higher in Wanaka, which matters when comparing affordability. Whether that higher income actually nets you more depends on your spending habits and housing choices.

Rent for a central apartment: $971 in Wanaka versus $1,013 in Dunedin. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Childcare runs $601 in Wanaka versus $588 in Dunedin. Over years of preschool, even a modest monthly gap compounds into a major financial factor for families.

All in, you’ll spend $1,696 per month in Wanaka versus $1,987 in Dunedin – Wanaka is about 15% cheaper, which adds up to real savings over time.

Either city works on $2,500 a month, though Wanaka 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, Wanaka and Dunedin are both considered safe, so it’s unlikely to be the deciding factor between them.