Cost of living in New Zealand

The cost of living is the amount of money needed for basic expenses like housing, food, and healthcare in a specific place. It varies between countries due to differences in wages, taxes, and the availability of goods and services. It changes over time because of inflation, economic conditions, and shifts in supply and demand.

What to consider

To calculate it for yourself, consider these expenses:

• Housing: Rent or mortgage payments.
• Food: Groceries and dining out.
• Transportation: Public transit, car expenses.
• Healthcare: Insurance, medical costs.
• Utilities: Electricity, water, internet.

New Zealand is a remote country with a small population. Imported goods from your home country may cost more due to long distances and low demand. Goods that are produced in New Zealand, or can be imported from nearby countries like Australia, may cost less.

Housing

Buying a house

House prices may vary based on their size, location within a city or suburb, and type. In larger cities like Auckland and Wellington, houses are much more expensive than in smaller regions like Invercargill. Quotable Value NZ (QV) has information on average house prices by region, or you can look at specific listings on websites like TradeMe.

QV House Price index

Renting a house or flat

Rent varies based on the size, location within a city or suburb, region, and type of housing you are renting. In New Zealand, rent is typically charged each week, and you may be charged up to 4 weeks of rent as bond (rental deposit). Check out the market rate for the area you are moving to below, or check websites like TradeMe’s rental listings for specific costs.

When you first arrive you may be sharing a flat or house with other people. Keep this in mind if you are planning to bring your partner or family with you. You may be limited to a single room in a house with other people.

Market rent | Tenancy Services

Food

Restaurants

New Zealand has many places to eat out, from cheap takeaways (takeout) to more expensive restaurants and bars. Food delivery is common in larger cities like Auckland, Wellington, and Hamilton, but usually costs more than buying directly from the restaurant.

Groceries

New Zealand has several large supermarket companies. Most areas in New Zealand will have a supermarket nearby.

Staple items such as milk, bread, or eggs are often on discount. You can find specific prices for your staple grocery items using the supermarket websites below.

Woolworths
Pak'nSave
New World

You can also buy basic groceries from most dairies (New Zealand convenience stores), or get specialty organic, discounted, or international food from other smaller supermarkets. The prices at these stores may vary depending on the food and overall availability in New Zealand.

New Zealand-made food products, particularly dairy and some local produce, are generally higher quality than imported food products.

Transport

Public transport

Most regions will have a dedicated transport card, which is usually cheaper than paying cash. These transport cards also offer 25-50% discounts off the transport card price for students, seniors, children, and people with disabilities or other special circumstances. Some cities also offer monthly passes, which allow unlimited travel for a set amount.

Check out the local transport card websites for New Zealand’s biggest cities below for more information on rates and discounts.

Auckland: AT HOP card 
Wellington: Snapper card 
Christchurch: MetroCard
Hamilton: Hamilton bus fares | BUSIT
Dunedin: Dunedin bus fares | Otago Regional Council

Personal transport

Buying a car in New Zealand is dependent on your vehicle type and model. New cars, especially from Europe or the United States, can be expensive. Japanese-brand cars tend to be cheaper, especially if they are used or pre-owned.

Used cars | TradeMe
New car prices | Autocar NZ

Alongside the cost of the car itself, there are other costs to maintain your vehicle and ability to drive, such as petrol (gasoline) or electricity for electric vehicles, warrant of fitness (a regular safety check required for all cars), vehicle rego (licencing/registration), and driver’s licence fees. The New Zealand Transport Agency website has information on the average price and process for many of these.

Vehicle insurance is not compulsory in New Zealand. ‘Third party’ insurance covers the cost of damage to someone else’s vehicle and is recommended as a minimum. If you have borrowed money to buy the car, the lender will require the vehicle to be fully insured when you take ownership.

Weekly fuel cost monitoring | MBIE
Warrant of fitness | NZ Transport Agency
Vehicle licensing (rego) | NZ Transport Agency
Licence fees (driver’s licence) | NZ Transport Agency

You should check if any money is owed for the vehicle as it could be repossessed.
Vehicle finance check

Healthcare

You may be eligible for New Zealand's free or low-cost public healthcare system if you hold a work visa valid for two years or more or if you are a citizen or a resident. The government pays most of the costs.

If you are not eligible, make sure you have travel insurance that includes health cover.

Find out more on our dedicated healthcare services page.
Paying for healthcare services | Live and Work New Zealand

Doctor’s fees

Appointments with your General Practitioner (GP) doctor varies by location and practice. In general, there are discounted prices for students, seniors (65+), teens (14-17) and children (0-14). There are resources online to compare or see the price and availability of your local GP before you make your appointment. Your GP may refer you to a specialist for scans, tests and some conditions such as ear, eye and respiratory.

Find fees for your local GP | Doctor Pricer
Visiting a doctor - costs | Ministry of Health
List of local health websites | Te Whatu Ora

Injuries

Most injuries are covered or subsidised by the New Zealand government through the Accident Compensation Corporation (ACC), even if you are not a resident. They can help you pay for treatments, cover some of your salary, and give you equipment to help you recover.

What we cover | ACC

Dental

In general, dental is not subsidised by the government, so prices may vary by practice. Major dental procedures such as extractions, root canals, caps or braces may cost more.

Dental care | New Zealand Government
Dentist fees | Consumer NZ

Utilities

Water

Water is generally provided by the local council of your city or region in New Zealand. The cost may vary depending on the region. If you are renting, your landlord is responsible for any fixed charge for wastewater, but you will be responsible for any metered water charges.

Local government | Live and Work New Zealand
Water and wastewater charges | Tenancy Services

Electricity and power

Your power bill will depend on how much you use, the property you live in, and the type of power you use (electricity, gas, or LPG). Some power providers offer bundles with internet or TV. If you have an idea of where you want to live in New Zealand, you can use the website below to compare providers in your area.

Powerswitch | Consumer NZ

Internet

Your internet bill will depend on the type of connection (broadband, fibre, wireless) and your use. Most internet providers will offer unlimited use and price depending on speed. Many mobile carriers also offer internet bundles with their plans, which may discount the original price. If you have an idea of where you want to live in New Zealand, you can use the website below to compare providers in your area.

Broadband compare | NZ Compare

What do others think?

See what some successfully settled New Zealand migrants say about the balance between cost of living and quality of life

New Zealand cost of living comparison

01:57

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View transcript

Here in New Zealand I did realise that the pay difference was considerable.

Just like with anything else,

it's weighing the benefits and the risks.

There's other benefits that make it worthwhile.

The cost of living was always a concern for us

housing, food, transport even.

But once you weigh that up against what you actually get here

is real quality of life.

We found that going away from the city would allow us to buy a nice place

and at the same time have a different lifestyle.

We get a seven hundred squaremetre land

big garden, standalone house.

it's just not something you can get easily in China.
00:52
For me the cost of living in New Zealand is probably more

than in South Africa.

that could be offset by the fact that you don't have

to have expensive security system or a private company looking after you.

It's balanced out for us as a family.

New Zealand is a place with awesome products

like all the veggies are great.

the meat is just beautiful,

it's much better than what we get in Europe

There are different markets

especially on the weekends and you can go and buy

fresh veggies and foods.

Food is roughly twice as expensive as we could get back in home.

There's a number of trade-offs when you take up specific jobs or move

to specific places.

One thing for me would be I can earn more money in the UK

but I'm paid back in so many other ways that for me that balance is correct.

The wine, the scenery, the climate

it's just a little piece of heaven.
English

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