Cost of Living in New Zealand - Updated Prices & Insights

Name: New Zealand
Address: NZ

Solo nomad: Estimated monthly costs are $990 (excluding rent), and $2,032 including rent.

Family of 3: Estimated monthly costs are $2,551 (excluding rent), and $4,163 including rent.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$15.14 NZ$26.35

$9.08 NZ$15.81

$27.26 NZ$47.43

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$79.8 NZ$139

$55.2 NZ$96.1

$123 NZ$214

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$9.55 NZ$16.61

$8.94 NZ$15.56

$11.04 NZ$19.21

Cappuccino

$3.43 NZ$5.97

$2.69 NZ$4.68

$4.19 NZ$7.29

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

$2.27 NZ$3.95

$1.78 NZ$3.09

$2.96 NZ$5.14

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.18 NZ$3.79

$1.72 NZ$2.99

$3.06 NZ$5.33

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$6.90 NZ$12.01

$4.30 NZ$7.47

$9.20 NZ$16.01

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$6.45 NZ$11.22

$4.99 NZ$8.68

$8.79 NZ$15.30

Milk (1 liter)

$1.86 NZ$3.24

$1.24 NZ$2.15

$2.77 NZ$4.82

White Bread (500g)

$1.98 NZ$3.44

$1.15 NZ$2.00

$3.07 NZ$5.34

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.89 NZ$3.28

$1.17 NZ$2.04

$3.07 NZ$5.34

Eggs

$6.62 NZ$11.51

$4.02 NZ$6.99

$8.78 NZ$15.28

Local Cheese (1kg)

$8.28 NZ$14.41

$5.98 NZ$10.40

$12.08 NZ$21.01

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$9.77 NZ$17.00

$5.49 NZ$9.55

$14.31 NZ$24.90

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$12.98 NZ$22.59

$8.91 NZ$15.50

$17.83 NZ$31.03

Apples (1kg)

$2.76 NZ$4.81

$1.18 NZ$2.05

$3.82 NZ$6.64

Banana (1kg)

$2.24 NZ$3.91

$1.78 NZ$3.10

$3.56 NZ$6.20

Oranges (1kg)

$3.04 NZ$5.29

$1.80 NZ$3.13

$4.79 NZ$8.34

Tomato (1kg)

$4.67 NZ$8.12

$1.77 NZ$3.08

$7.70 NZ$13.40

Potato (1kg)

$2.09 NZ$3.63

$1.23 NZ$2.13

$3.67 NZ$6.38

Onion (1kg)

$1.78 NZ$3.09

$0.91 NZ$1.58

$3.04 NZ$5.29

Lettuce (1 head)

$2.41 NZ$4.19

$1.54 NZ$2.68

$3.72 NZ$6.48

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$1.14 NZ$1.99

$0.59 NZ$1.02

$2.35 NZ$4.09

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$23.73 NZ$41.29

$21.36 NZ$37.17

$29.67 NZ$51.6

Wine (Bottle)

$9.15 NZ$15.92

$6.86 NZ$11.94

$12.58 NZ$21.88

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$3.05 NZ$5.31

$1.53 NZ$2.66

$6.10 NZ$10.61

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.54 NZ$6.16

$1.49 NZ$2.60

$7.16 NZ$12.46

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$2.42 NZ$4.21

$1.22 NZ$2.11

$3.64 NZ$6.33

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$105 NZ$183

$46.49 NZ$80.9

$137 NZ$238

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$2.36 NZ$4.11

$1.78 NZ$3.09

$4.73 NZ$8.23

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.89 NZ$3.28

$1.45 NZ$2.52

$2.78 NZ$4.84

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$36.47 NZ$63.5

$30.39 NZ$52.9

$60.8 NZ$106

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.71 NZ$2.98

$1.58 NZ$2.75

$1.83 NZ$3.18

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

$27.9K NZ$48.5K

$24.3K NZ$42.2K

$32.7K NZ$57.0K

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

$21.8K NZ$38.0K

$20.0K NZ$34.9K

$24.3K NZ$42.3K

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

$139 NZ$241

$85.9 NZ$150

$243 NZ$422

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

$34.99 NZ$60.9

$17.95 NZ$31.23

$47.86 NZ$83.3

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$52.0 NZ$90.4

$42.33 NZ$73.7

$67.1 NZ$117

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$37.17 NZ$64.7

$12.13 NZ$21.11

$67.9 NZ$118

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$14.69 NZ$25.57

$5.94 NZ$10.33

$23.76 NZ$41.33

Cinema Ticket

$11.86 NZ$20.63

$8.89 NZ$15.47

$14.82 NZ$25.78

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

$769 NZ$1,337

$445 NZ$775

$1,210 NZ$2,105

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$11.8K NZ$20.6K

$7,887 NZ$13.7K

$15.8K NZ$27.4K

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$68.7 NZ$120

$42.62 NZ$74.2

$104 NZ$180

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$43.57 NZ$75.8

$24.49 NZ$42.62

$73.5 NZ$128

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$98.7 NZ$172

$60.7 NZ$106

$145 NZ$252

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$118 NZ$205

$65.1 NZ$113

$207 NZ$360

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,120 NZ$1,949

$675 NZ$1,175

$1,597 NZ$2,778

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$904 NZ$1,573

$473 NZ$824

$1,361 NZ$2,368

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,785 NZ$3,106

$1,206 NZ$2,098

$2,894 NZ$5,035

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,512 NZ$2,630

$957 NZ$1,664

$2,092 NZ$3,641

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$5,346 NZ$9,302

$3,145 NZ$5,472

$8,176 NZ$14.2K

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$3,736 NZ$6,501

$2,487 NZ$4,328

$5,490 NZ$9,552

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$2,915 NZ$5,072

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

6.74

5.59

7.3

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

Last update: January 13, 2026

By City in New Zealand

Lowest

Highest

Rank	City	Population	Living Index	Solo costs (no rent) / month	Solo costs (with rent) / month	Family of 3 costs (no rent) / month	Family of 3 costs (with rent) / month	Mobile download speed (Mbps)	Internet download speed (Mbps)
1	Ashburton	20500	94	$1,075	$1,890	$2,747	$3,942	140.3	108.34
2	Auckland	1463000	116	$1,022	$2,302	$2,624	$4,616	174.02	249.44
3	Blenheim	28800	78	$819	$1,556	$2,487	$3,532	18.51	147.71
4	Cambridge	21400	112	$935	$2,204	$2,256	$3,854	140.79	197.56
5	Canterbury	-	88	$757	$1,777	$2,342	$3,661	180.48	203.8
6	Christchurch	380600	113	$989	$2,259	$2,401	$3,948	201.67	267
7	Cromwell	5000	91	$859	$1,795	$2,319	$3,776	43.45	155.93
8	Dargaville	4600	94	$863	$1,906	$2,395	$3,873	61.88	165.6
9	Dunedin	105000	92	$960	$1,828	$2,318	$3,727	239.82	240.51
10	Feilding	17350	94	$1,030	$1,865	$2,289	$3,880	150.35	157.05
11	Fox Glacier	-	94	$1,077	$1,886	$2,483	$4,020	107.25	103.03
12	Gisborne	37300	98	$1,019	$1,974	$2,402	$3,891	92.98	106.02
13	Gore	3100	94	$1,023	$1,874	$2,143	$3,944	65.31	200.1
14	Greymouth	4000	95	$1,087	$1,864	$2,318	$4,027	136.93	186.3
15	Hamilton	169500	94	$926	$1,836	$2,314	$4,086	115.36	274.65
16	Hastings	50100	72	$829	$1,457	$2,539	$3,115	429.96	196.1
17	Invercargill	56200	78	$751	$1,578	$2,098	$3,283	36.33	228.38
18	Kerikeri	8000	92	$970	$1,859	$2,265	$3,893	44.84	140.59
19	Levin	18800	94	$857	$1,877	$2,638	$3,942	157.88	125.78
20	Lower Hutt	111800	114	$913	$2,250	$2,434	$4,412	131.89	269.89
21	Manukau	-	92	$969	$1,832	$2,053	$3,857	34.11	244.04
22	Masterton	26800	76	$899	$1,529	$2,006	$3,307	22.56	163.77
23	Napier	65000	97	$969	$1,971	$2,935	$4,320	53.23	194.85
24	Nelson	51100	102	$1,214	$1,990	$2,691	$4,048	148.27	220.39
25	New Plymouth	58400	91	$858	$1,829	$2,348	$3,731	89.61	205.17
26	North Shore	-	91	$752	$1,825	$2,059	$3,766	111.64	293.59
27	Oamaru	13850	88	$921	$1,733	$2,238	$3,766	47.34	89.2
28	Paeroa	4000	94	$834	$1,859	$2,038	$3,873	46.99	146.98
29	Paihia	1800	95	$1,096	$1,892	$1,905	$3,859	86.32	140.59
30	Palmerston North	90500	84	$853	$1,700	$2,426	$3,778	61.34	171.35
31	Papamoa Beach	25272	94	$980	$1,844	$2,070	$4,021	108.59	229.31
32	Porirua	61900	96	$983	$1,911	$2,378	$4,123	65.46	266.73
33	Pukekohe	26900	87	$795	$1,743	$1,894	$3,431	171.21	244.04
34	Queenstown	15450	139	$1,225	$2,802	$3,034	$5,914	22.07	159.42
35	Rolleston	28000	93	$828	$1,872	$2,055	$3,482	50.07	219.13
36	Rotorua	58400	73	$828	$1,438	$2,100	$2,975	135.69	187.69
37	Taupo	26000	95	$940	$1,873	$2,576	$4,024	11.83	173.68
38	Tauranga	155200	108	$822	$2,157	$2,418	$3,991	127.25	229.31
39	Te Awamutu	13350	82	$872	$1,665	$2,039	$3,478	92.22	197.56
40	Thames	7500	95	$909	$1,912	$2,091	$4,051	275.68	159.36
41	Timaru	28600	102	$962	$2,027	$2,958	$4,224	42.27	94
42	Upper Hutt	44600	95	$1,089	$1,910	$2,762	$4,042	351.21	255.08
43	Waiheke Island	-	94	$993	$1,846	$2,160	$4,012	328.33	249.83
44	Waihi	4700	94	$995	$1,896	$2,720	$3,948	16.49	146.98
45	Wairoa	4300	94	$875	$1,885	$2,355	$3,882	309.57	53.26
46	Waitakere	-	94	$863	$1,871	$2,503	$3,969	110.93	150.18
47	Wanaka	11600	93	$780	$1,886	$2,188	$3,989	169.41	159.42
48	Wellington	215900	116	$1,067	$2,278	$2,665	$4,715	199.91	268.35
49	Whakatane	16700	91	$838	$1,814	$2,408	$3,905	252.03	141.83
50	Whanganui	42300	87	$835	$1,725	$2,245	$3,712	234.74	222.14

Digital Nomad Cost of Living Index

Cost of Living in New Zealand - Frequently Asked Questions

New Zealand offers a mixed affordability picture. In general, essentials and services feel well priced for quality, but housing in cities like Auckland and Wellington can push the overall cost higher. If you’re flexible about location, you’ll often find more value in regional centers and in longer stays that reduce daily costs. Transport is efficient, dining out ranges widely by neighborhood, and you’ll find abundant markets and outdoor recreation that lower leisure expenses. Cost of Living in New Zealand serves as a useful reference, yet your personal budget depends on where you live and how you move. Tip: start with a longer trial stay in several neighborhoods to gauge true costs.

For daily life, expect a practical mix: housing searches focus on lease terms and proximity to work hubs or outdoor escapes. In cities, you’ll find flats, townhouses, and houses with good light and space, but demand can be brisk. Food options span farmers markets, dairies, and bigger supermarkets; cooking at home saves money and supports a healthy routine. Transport varies by city: reliable buses and trains exist, while many people cycle or use car sharing for weekend trips. Co-working spaces are common near universities and tech zones, making it easy to meet people. New Zealand living cost is influenced by city choice and transport needs. Tip: map errands to a neighborhood with a grocery store, pharmacy, and post office nearby.

Quality of life improves when you budget around essentials and flexible discretionary spending, and when you tailor your schedule to local seasons and pace. Use a simple framework that prioritizes housing, groceries, transport, and experiences, then adjust as you settle in. In practice, neighborhood fit matters: urban cores give quick access to coworking, services, and social scenes, while regional towns offer space, nature, and slower rhythms. Seasonality can affect energy use and outdoor activities, so factor those shifts into your planning. Tap into local groups, markets, and regional events to stretch value without sacrificing experience. Tip: pick a base with easy access to both work and nature, and rotate neighborhoods to stay inspired.