Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Whanganui and Dunedin

For one person, living costs are similar in Whanganui and in Dunedin: $2,000 and $1,987 a month, rent and utilities included.

96

Cost of Living Index in Whanganui
Learn more

Whanganui Living Index
96

Cost of Living Index in Dunedin
Learn more

Dunedin Living Index

Jump to prices

Whanganui

🇳🇿 New Zealand

$2,000

/mo nomad

Dunedin

🇳🇿 New Zealand

$1,987

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

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

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $2,000 in Whanganui versus $1,987 in Dunedin.

Whanganui $2,000
Dunedin $1,987

Estimated couple costs with rent: $2,910 in Whanganui versus $2,907 in Dunedin.

Whanganui $2,910
Dunedin $2,907

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $3,820 in Whanganui versus $3,828 in Dunedin.

Whanganui $3,820
Dunedin $3,828

Monthly costs are close between Whanganui and Dunedin; which city is cheaper depends on the spending category.

Both cities are pricier than the global median: Whanganui 47% above, Dunedin 46% above.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$12.42 NZ$22.04

$14.03 NZ$24.90

-11.48%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$73.0 NZ$130

$62.0 NZ$110

17.77%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$8.38 NZ$14.89

$11.40 NZ$20.23

-26.49%

Cappuccino

$3.36 NZ$5.97

$3.27 NZ$5.80

2.75%

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

$2.21 NZ$3.93

$2.07 NZ$3.68

6.76%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.04 NZ$3.63

$2.06 NZ$3.65

-0.97%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$5.48 NZ$9.73

$6.73 NZ$11.95

-18.57%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$5.48 NZ$9.73

$6.16 NZ$10.94

-11.04%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.34 NZ$2.37

$2.15 NZ$3.81

-37.67%

White Bread (500g)

$1.01 NZ$1.79

$1.99 NZ$3.54

-49.25%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.16 NZ$2.05

$1.76 NZ$3.13

-34.09%

Eggs

$5.54 NZ$9.84

$5.90 NZ$10.48

-6.10%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$5.64 NZ$10.02

$8.52 NZ$15.12

-33.80%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$7.49 NZ$13.30

$9.21 NZ$16.36

-18.68%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$11.96 NZ$21.23

$16.72 NZ$29.68

-28.47%

Apples (1kg)

$2.21 NZ$3.93

$3.02 NZ$5.36

-26.82%

Banana (1kg)

$1.98 NZ$3.51

$2.29 NZ$4.06

-13.54%

Oranges (1kg)

$1.89 NZ$3.35

$3.27 NZ$5.80

-42.20%

Tomato (1kg)

$3.51 NZ$6.23

$5.13 NZ$9.11

-31.58%

Potato (1kg)

$1.70 NZ$3.03

$1.84 NZ$3.27

-7.61%

Onion (1kg)

$1.32 NZ$2.34

$1.87 NZ$3.33

-29.41%

Lettuce (1 head)

$2.27 NZ$4.02

$2.41 NZ$4.28

-5.81%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.52 NZ$0.93

$0.60 NZ$1.07

-13.33%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$23.29 NZ$41.35

$20.90 NZ$37.11

11.44%

Wine (Bottle)

$9.56 NZ$16.97

$9.01 NZ$16.00

6.10%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$2.60 NZ$4.61

$3.17 NZ$5.63

-17.98%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.23 NZ$3.96

$1.26 NZ$2.23

76.98%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$1.96 NZ$3.48

$1.43 NZ$2.54

37.06%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$109 NZ$193

$102 NZ$180

6.78%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$3.59 NZ$6.38

$5.76 NZ$10.22

-37.67%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$2.04 NZ$3.62

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$31.45 NZ$55.8

$28.63 NZ$50.8

9.85%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.62 NZ$2.87

$1.77 NZ$3.14

-8.47%

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

$28.2K NZ$50.0K

$28.2K NZ$50.1K

-0.22%

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

$22.7K NZ$40.3K

$23.5K NZ$41.7K

-3.24%

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

$197 NZ$351

$110 NZ$196

78.85%

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

$32.21 NZ$57.2

$29.44 NZ$52.3

9.41%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$47.07 NZ$83.6

$52.3 NZ$92.8

-9.98%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$39.46 NZ$70.1

$45.90 NZ$81.5

-14.03%

Cinema Ticket

$5.66 NZ$10.05

$11.20 NZ$19.89

-49.46%

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

$686 NZ$1,218

$588 NZ$1,045

16.64%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$23.1K NZ$41.1K

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$61.3 NZ$109

$58.8 NZ$104

4.29%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$38.61 NZ$68.6

$35.28 NZ$62.6

9.44%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$93.4 NZ$166

$91.3 NZ$162

2.30%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$106 NZ$188

$135 NZ$240

-21.50%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,030 NZ$1,828

$1,013 NZ$1,798

1.69%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$939 NZ$1,668

$897 NZ$1,593

4.72%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,657 NZ$2,941

$1,632 NZ$2,897

1.52%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,465 NZ$2,602

$1,358 NZ$2,410

7.95%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$4,694 NZ$8,334

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$2,967 NZ$5,267

$2,273 NZ$4,035

30.54%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$2,464 NZ$4,374

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

6.8

7.07

-3.82%

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

Last update for Whanganui: October 27, 2026

Last update for Dunedin: October 25, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Accommodation & Living

Whanganui

$939 47%

Dunedin

$897 45.2% 4.5% $42

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Whanganui

$277 13.8%

Dunedin

$192 9.7% 30.6% $85

Groceries & Markets

Whanganui

$248 12.4%

Dunedin

$324 16.3% 30.5% $76

Eating Out

Whanganui

$220 11%

Dunedin

$248 12.5% 12.7% $28

Clothing & Footwear

Whanganui

$135 6.7%

Dunedin

$144 7.3% 7% $9.5

Getting Around

Whanganui

$130 6.5%

Dunedin

$113 * 5.7% 13.1% $17

Sport & Entertainment

Whanganui

$51 2.5%

Dunedin

$68 3.4% 34.5% $18

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 $1,030 in Whanganui and $1,013 in Dunedin. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Dining out: $73 in Whanganui vs $62 in Dunedin. Groceries flip the comparison at $248 vs $324, with Whanganui cheaper for home cooking.

Good to know

🇳🇿 Whanganui

🇳🇿 Dunedin

🕒 Local time

05:41 5:41 AM

Same time as Whanganui

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

42,300

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

Lowest

Highest

Between locations

Whanganui Dunedin 760 km ≈ 1 h 30 min nonstop flight

From you

Whanganui
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

Whanganui vs Dunedin: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

You’d need roughly $3,000 in Whanganui 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: $1,030 in Whanganui 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 Dunedin runs roughly 6% less than in Whanganui. The price difference matters if you commute daily and watch your budget.

Shoppers in Whanganui pay roughly 23% less for everyday groceries. It’s an unusual reversal that partly offsets higher costs elsewhere.

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