Cost of living in New Zealand
New Zealand is a developed and not a cheap country. The cost of living is comparable with other developed countries in Europe, or, for example, with Australia. Prices for many products and even services can vary depending on the season.
We will try to cover a wide range of information about prices in New Zealand. How much do various products cost? What’s the price for the Internet and electricity? The costs of transportation and entertainment. And how much does it cost to rent a house in Auckland and other cities in New Zealand. Prices are relevant for 2024.
Content
- Groceries
- Dine out
- Car and service
- Transport
- Cost of other services
- Entertainment
- Rent
- Utilities
- Salaries
- Cost planning and results
Cost of Groceries
You can buy groceries in large supermarket chains, which are available in big cities and almost all small New Zealand towns. Prices in supermarkets can differ from place to place, from season to season, and some supermarkets are more expensive than others. Nevertheless, we will arrange them in approximate order of decreasing prices on average: New World, Woolworths (former Countdown), Pak n Save.
Next in line are Asian supermarkets, the prices in which may be slightly lower, though not always and the choice of goods there are more modest. And again, in the approximate order of price decrease: Fruit World, Tai Ping, Whenuapai, Dahua, Lim, Fresh and Save.
Smaller stores (corner stores) are also available, but groceries are usually more expensive in them. For example Four Square, Supervalue and various dairies.
Below is an approximate shopping cart for two people, if you shop in the Woolworths supermarket (which is not the cheapest) and during winter period (not the season for most crops and therefore prices are on its top).
Weekly Grocery Costs in New Zealand Dollars:
- Sausages – NZ$12 per kg
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Beef steak – NZ$17 per 500g
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Lamb steak – NZ$16 per 500g
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Minced beef – NZ$10 per 400g
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Chicken drumsticks – NZ$11 per kg
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Chicken breast – NZ$13 per kg
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Salmon fillet – NZ$23 per 500g
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Milk – NZ$5 for 2L
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Yoghurt – NZ$5 per kg
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Butter – NZ$7 per 500g
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Sour cream – NZ$4 per 250g
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Cream cheese – NZ$4 per 250g
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Cheese – NZ$10 per 500g
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Eggs – NZ$10 for 12
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Bread – NZ$4 per loaf
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Tomatoes – NZ$6 per kg
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Cucumbers – NZ$8 for 2 large
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Bell peppers – NZ$6 for 2
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Carrots – NZ$3 per kg
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Broccoli – NZ$7 for 2 heads
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Celery – NZ$4 per bunch
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Potatoes – NZ$4 per kg
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Avocados – NZ$8 for 2
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Bananas – NZ$4 per kg
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Mandarins – NZ$6 per kg
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Oranges – NZ$7 per kg
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Apples – NZ$5 per kg
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Canned beans – NZ$2 per can
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Juice – NZ$6 per litre
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Peanut butter – NZ$6 per 500g
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Biscuits – NZ$8 per 600g
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Chocolate – NZ$6 per 250g
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Toiletries – around NZ$10 per week
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Beer – NZ$22 for 12 bottles
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Wine – NZ$15 per bottle
Total: approx. NZ$300 per week for two adults
(for a varied, high-quality, and not overly frugal diet)
Dine out
Eating in cafes and restaurants can vary a lot. The cost of lunch in a cafe, for example, can strongly depend on the place itself. Here are average examples of prices for different food options:
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Main dish at a food court – NZ$15
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Main dish at a casual café – NZ$30
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Main dish at a restaurant – NZ$40
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Pizza – NZ$15
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Coffee – NZ$6
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Glass of beer – NZ$12
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Glass of wine – NZ$14
Estimated total: around NZ$150 per week for two people, assuming a couple eats out once or twice a week with drinks, in moderately priced places (nothing too fancy).
Cost of Cars and Service
Cars in New Zealand – this is not a matter of status, but a necessary and practically mandatory item for a comfortable life. The cost of cars here falls down in relation to its age quite rapidly. But the prices for car maintenance can be quite high.
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Toyota Corolla 2021 – NZ$30,000
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Toyota Corolla 2019 – NZ$20,000
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Toyota Corolla 2014 – NZ$12,000
Running Costs:
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91 petrol – NZ$3 per liter
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Warrant of Fitness (WOF) – NZ$80
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Vehicle registration – NZ$140 per year
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Optional insurance – NZ$400–700 per year
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Regular maintenance – NZ$270 per year
Estimated weekly cost:
Around NZ$100 per week, assuming you drive about 200 km weekly and set aside money for maintenance and insurance. -
Cost of Transport
In New Zealand, you can use public transport, such as buses and trains. Schedules, cost and routes can always be conveniently viewed, both in Google Maps and on the website of the transport service. The cost will depend on the distance.
- Travel by bus or train – NZ $ 5 per trip on average
- Taxi within the city – NZ $ 50 per trip on average
- Taxi from the airport – NZ $ 70 per trip on average
Estimated weekly cost: from NZ$ 50 if one of the members of a family uses public transportation.
Cost of other services
Perhaps the most expensive thing in New Zealand is the payment for people’s labour. Therefore, the cost of services can be quite high, although it also depends on the level and quality. Here is an example of the most popular services.
- Hairdresser – NZ $ 40 for men, NZ $ 60 for a woman’s haircut
- Gym with swimming pool – NZ $ 22 per week
- Massage – NZ $ 80 per hour
- Manicure or pedicure – NZ $ 40 per procedure
- Nanny – from NZ $ 24 per hour
- Tutor – NZ $ 40 per hour
- Kindergarten – NZ $ 8 per hour + subsidies up to 20 hours per week are possible
Estimated weekly cots: NZ $ 50 per week for basic things.
Cost of Entertainment
In New Zealand, there is a lot of entertainment that is free, as well as that which costs. You can read more about it in our separate article. In addition, you can see the list of 100 different classes that can be found in Auckland. The cost of entertainment is limited only by your imagination and possibilities, but let’s just give the most popular examples.
- Day Excursions – NZ $ 100 per person
- Cinema – NZ $ 15 per ticket
- Zoo, museum, amusement park and other – NZ $ 25 per ticket
- A mug of beer or a glass of wine in a bar – NZ $ 11
- Rent a kayak or bicycle – NZ $ 55-80 for a day
Estimated weekly cost: around NZ$ 50 / week more for simple entertainments like cinema and popcorn.
Cost of Rent
Prices for rental housing in Auckland and other cities in New Zealand can vary greatly. You can read the description of the districts of Auckland, as well as about various cities on our website. In addition, you can see the prices and availability of rental housing by districts and cities on the interactive map.
More information about accommodation options can be found in our separate article, and here we will analyze the average examples of housing prices in Auckland. In Tauranga, Wellington, Hamilton, Christchurch and some other cities, the cost of housing can be 10-40% lower.
- Single room – NZ $ 200-300 per week
- Studio – NZ $ 300-400 per week
- Unit (part of a house with separate entrance) – NZ $ 400-550 per week
- Townhouse with 2 bedrooms – NZ $ 500-700 per week
- House with 2-3 bedrooms – NZ $ 700-900 per week
Estimated weekly cost: on average around 700 NZ$ for accommodation for 2 people
Read more about accommodation options in our article.
Cost of Utilities
Paying bills takes up a large part of the cost of living in New Zealand. The prices quoted, again, may vary, depending on the living conditions. Nevertheless, here are the average figures for a family of two people.
- Electricity – NZ $ 100-400 per month, and depending on your usage
- Internet – NZ $ 80-100 per month
- Water – NZ $ 30-50 per month
- Mobile communication – NZ $ 20-40 per month
Approximately NZ $ 400-450 per month for two.
Average Salaries
The median or average salary in New Zealand is about NZ $ 67,000 per year before taxes and NZ $ 53,000 after taxes. As elsewhere, the salary will depend on the scope of your activity, on your work experience, on the level of competence, on the city, and also on the employer as a whole. More details about the chances for employment in a separate section. A common site for finding information about salaries and prospects in various specialities and areas.
A website for researching salaries and career prospects across different professions and industries. You may view Trade Me Salary Guide as well. There, you can explore the income potential for your specific job titles within relevant sectors.
For more details on employment opportunities and how to search for jobs in New Zealand, visit our dedicated section.
Cost planning and results
Let’s sum up the cost of living in New Zealand for a couple. Considering comfortable conditions, separate housing and approximate other costs. In other words, approximate weekly expenses for the basic comfortable level of life:
- Groceries – NZ$ 300
- Cafes / bars – NZ$ 150
- Car costs – NZ $ 100
- Public transport – NZ$ 50
- Services – NZ$ 50
- Entertainment – NZ$ 50
- Rental housing – NZ$ 700
- Bills – NZ$ 100
Total: approximately NZ$ 1500 per week, or NZ$ 6,000 – 6,500 per month, or NZ$ 72,000 – 78,000 per year.
Thus, the usual average salary of one person may not be enough, and for a more or less comfortable stay of a couple in a beautiful and safe country by the sea, it will either be necessary to cut expenses, or earn more, or work for two family members. At the same time, many manage to save and spend much less than these amounts, not losing out too much in the quality of life: flatting with others, buying groceries in inexpensive supermarkets, keeping other expenses in tighter control.
Wage growth and the work of two family members significantly increase your earnings, but our desires grow with them. For example, average income after taxes of NZ$ 100,000 / year for a family of 2 people allows them to live comfortably, save, travel etc. We recommend that you carefully approach the issue of financial planning. For convenience, you can use various online resources, for example, the budget planner on the site Sorted.
