Cost of Living in New Zealand - Updated Prices & Insights

Name: New Zealand
Address: NZ

Solo nomad: Estimated monthly costs are $1,002 (excluding rent), and $2,070 including rent.

Family of 3: Estimated monthly costs are $2,503 (excluding rent), and $4,149 including rent.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$15.30 NZ$26.63

$9.18 NZ$15.97

$27.55 NZ$47.94

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$77.3 NZ$134

$53.5 NZ$93.1

$119 NZ$207

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$9.79 NZ$17.04

$9.17 NZ$15.96

$11.32 NZ$19.70

Cappuccino

$3.52 NZ$6.12

$2.76 NZ$4.80

$4.29 NZ$7.47

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

$2.25 NZ$3.92

$1.76 NZ$3.07

$2.93 NZ$5.11

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.12 NZ$3.69

$1.68 NZ$2.92

$2.98 NZ$5.19

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$6.72 NZ$11.69

$4.18 NZ$7.28

$8.96 NZ$15.59

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$6.58 NZ$11.45

$5.09 NZ$8.86

$8.98 NZ$15.62

Milk (1 liter)

$1.86 NZ$3.23

$1.23 NZ$2.15

$2.76 NZ$4.81

White Bread (500g)

$1.97 NZ$3.43

$1.15 NZ$2.00

$3.06 NZ$5.32

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.87 NZ$3.25

$1.16 NZ$2.02

$3.04 NZ$5.29

Eggs

$6.36 NZ$11.06

$3.86 NZ$6.71

$8.43 NZ$14.68

Local Cheese (1kg)

$8.12 NZ$14.13

$5.86 NZ$10.20

$11.84 NZ$20.61

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$9.92 NZ$17.26

$5.57 NZ$9.69

$14.53 NZ$25.28

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$12.98 NZ$22.58

$8.91 NZ$15.50

$17.82 NZ$31.01

Apples (1kg)

$2.91 NZ$5.06

$1.24 NZ$2.15

$4.01 NZ$6.98

Banana (1kg)

$2.33 NZ$4.05

$1.85 NZ$3.22

$3.70 NZ$6.43

Oranges (1kg)

$2.97 NZ$5.17

$1.76 NZ$3.06

$4.68 NZ$8.14

Tomato (1kg)

$4.73 NZ$8.24

$1.79 NZ$3.12

$7.82 NZ$13.60

Potato (1kg)

$2.07 NZ$3.61

$1.22 NZ$2.12

$3.64 NZ$6.34

Onion (1kg)

$1.80 NZ$3.12

$0.92 NZ$1.60

$3.07 NZ$5.34

Lettuce (1 head)

$2.30 NZ$3.99

$1.47 NZ$2.56

$3.55 NZ$6.18

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$1.15 NZ$1.99

$0.59 NZ$1.02

$2.36 NZ$4.11

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$24.31 NZ$42.30

$21.88 NZ$38.07

$30.39 NZ$52.9

Wine (Bottle)

$9.36 NZ$16.28

$7.02 NZ$12.22

$12.87 NZ$22.39

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$2.96 NZ$5.15

$1.48 NZ$2.57

$5.91 NZ$10.28

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.60 NZ$6.26

$1.52 NZ$2.64

$7.28 NZ$12.66

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$2.38 NZ$4.14

$1.20 NZ$2.08

$3.58 NZ$6.22

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$108 NZ$188

$47.74 NZ$83.1

$140 NZ$244

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$2.37 NZ$4.13

$1.78 NZ$3.10

$4.75 NZ$8.26

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.84 NZ$3.21

$1.42 NZ$2.47

$2.72 NZ$4.73

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$36.82 NZ$64.1

$30.68 NZ$53.4

$61.4 NZ$107

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.71 NZ$2.97

$1.58 NZ$2.74

$1.82 NZ$3.16

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

$27.6K NZ$48.0K

$24.0K NZ$41.8K

$32.4K NZ$56.4K

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

$21.4K NZ$37.3K

$19.6K NZ$34.2K

$23.8K NZ$41.4K

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

$140 NZ$244

$86.8 NZ$151

$245 NZ$427

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

$34.60 NZ$60.2

$17.74 NZ$30.88

$47.32 NZ$82.3

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$51.3 NZ$89.3

$41.79 NZ$72.7

$66.3 NZ$115

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$37.13 NZ$64.6

$12.12 NZ$21.09

$67.9 NZ$118

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$14.83 NZ$25.81

$5.99 NZ$10.43

$23.98 NZ$41.72

Cinema Ticket

$12.00 NZ$20.87

$8.99 NZ$15.65

$14.99 NZ$26.08

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

$769 NZ$1,338

$445 NZ$775

$1,211 NZ$2,106

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$11.6K NZ$20.2K

$7,720 NZ$13.4K

$15.4K NZ$26.9K

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$69.3 NZ$120

$42.96 NZ$74.8

$104 NZ$182

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$42.10 NZ$73.3

$23.66 NZ$41.17

$71.0 NZ$124

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$97.1 NZ$169

$59.8 NZ$104

$143 NZ$249

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$118 NZ$206

$65.4 NZ$114

$208 NZ$362

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,118 NZ$1,944

$674 NZ$1,172

$1,593 NZ$2,771

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$909 NZ$1,581

$476 NZ$828

$1,369 NZ$2,381

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,762 NZ$3,066

$1,190 NZ$2,071

$2,856 NZ$4,970

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,550 NZ$2,696

$981 NZ$1,706

$2,145 NZ$3,732

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$5,428 NZ$9,444

$3,195 NZ$5,559

$8,306 NZ$14.5K

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$3,714 NZ$6,463

$2,475 NZ$4,307

$5,463 NZ$9,505

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$2,922 NZ$5,085

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 18, 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	$1,085	$1,848	$2,591	$3,916	140.3	108.34
2	Auckland	1463000	116	$1,021	$2,327	$2,572	$4,513	174.02	249.44
3	Blenheim	28800	78	$997	$1,556	$2,313	$3,529	18.51	147.71
4	Cambridge	21400	112	$1,051	$2,246	$2,418	$3,786	140.79	197.56
5	Canterbury	-	88	$797	$1,718	$1,915	$3,599	180.48	203.8
6	Christchurch	380600	113	$952	$2,292	$2,416	$3,950	201.67	267
7	Cromwell	5000	91	$1,038	$1,795	$2,288	$3,852	43.45	155.93
8	Dargaville	4600	94	$820	$1,884	$2,347	$3,926	61.88	165.6
9	Dunedin	105000	92	$962	$1,827	$2,344	$3,852	239.82	240.51
10	Feilding	17350	94	$878	$1,849	$2,579	$3,872	150.35	157.05
11	Fox Glacier	-	94	$916	$1,882	$2,103	$4,022	107.25	103.03
12	Gisborne	37300	98	$1,030	$1,930	$2,276	$3,793	92.98	106.02
13	Gore	3100	94	$840	$1,862	$2,326	$3,969	65.31	200.1
14	Greymouth	4000	95	$910	$1,896	$2,363	$4,058	136.93	186.3
15	Hamilton	169500	94	$907	$1,857	$2,386	$4,111	115.36	274.65
16	Hastings	50100	72	$817	$1,431	$2,538	$3,086	429.96	196.1
17	Invercargill	56200	78	$747	$1,566	$2,376	$3,286	36.33	228.38
18	Kerikeri	8000	92	$1,020	$1,806	$2,046	$3,884	44.84	140.59
19	Levin	18800	94	$927	$1,848	$2,167	$4,005	157.88	125.78
20	Lower Hutt	111800	114	$937	$2,319	$2,190	$4,448	131.89	269.89
21	Manukau	-	92	$974	$1,807	$2,539	$3,840	34.11	244.04
22	Masterton	26800	76	$880	$1,522	$2,286	$3,348	22.56	163.77
23	Napier	65000	97	$869	$1,901	$2,431	$4,373	53.23	194.85
24	Nelson	51100	102	$1,181	$2,032	$2,636	$4,053	148.27	220.39
25	New Plymouth	58400	91	$1,022	$1,837	$2,050	$3,773	89.61	205.17
26	North Shore	-	91	$774	$1,831	$2,262	$3,738	111.64	293.59
27	Oamaru	13850	88	$882	$1,748	$2,127	$3,684	47.34	89.2
28	Paeroa	4000	94	$1,040	$1,901	$2,148	$3,999	46.99	146.98
29	Paihia	1800	95	$929	$1,901	$1,912	$3,843	86.32	140.59
30	Palmerston North	90500	84	$1,024	$1,713	$2,349	$3,735	61.34	171.35
31	Papamoa Beach	25272	94	$888	$1,869	$2,325	$4,017	108.59	229.31
32	Porirua	61900	96	$844	$1,878	$2,102	$4,043	65.46	266.73
33	Pukekohe	26900	87	$773	$1,740	$1,892	$3,397	171.21	244.04
34	Queenstown	15450	139	$1,227	$2,796	$2,999	$5,858	22.07	159.42
35	Rolleston	28000	93	$936	$1,849	$2,242	$3,509	50.07	219.13
36	Rotorua	58400	73	$679	$1,477	$1,975	$3,030	135.69	187.69
37	Taupo	26000	95	$983	$1,882	$2,334	$3,931	11.83	173.68
38	Tauranga	155200	108	$941	$2,113	$2,255	$4,000	127.25	229.31
39	Te Awamutu	13350	82	$738	$1,675	$2,040	$3,476	92.22	197.56
40	Thames	7500	95	$1,089	$1,866	$2,535	$4,032	275.68	159.36
41	Timaru	28600	102	$1,066	$2,039	$2,624	$4,323	42.27	94
42	Upper Hutt	44600	95	$976	$1,898	$2,460	$3,975	351.21	255.08
43	Waiheke Island	-	94	$913	$1,872	$2,047	$4,013	328.33	249.83
44	Waihi	4700	94	$972	$1,852	$2,689	$3,964	16.49	146.98
45	Wairoa	4300	94	$861	$1,849	$2,126	$3,942	309.57	53.26
46	Waitakere	-	94	$881	$1,894	$2,557	$3,986	110.93	150.18
47	Wanaka	11600	93	$930	$1,876	$1,978	$4,016	169.41	159.42
48	Wellington	215900	116	$1,069	$2,354	$2,652	$4,741	199.91	268.35
49	Whakatane	16700	91	$849	$1,842	$1,996	$3,853	252.03	141.83
50	Whanganui	42300	87	$1,022	$1,764	$2,225	$3,729	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.