The cost of living in New Zealand

In addition to its incredible landscapes, New Zealand offers an undeniable quality of life. It’s not for nothing that Auckland has been named one of the world’s top 10 most livable cities. (3rd according to the Mercer Survey in 2019, 10th according to The Economist in 2023). Generally speaking, the cost of living in New Zealand is not as high as in Australia, much to the delight of working holiday makers, even if Auckland and Wellington remain among the top 100 most expensive cities in the world (more information in the « Ranking » part of this guide). However, salaries are also lower than in Australia.

The purpose of this guide is to help you prepare for your trip, by helping you estimate the budget you’ll need for your first few months in New Zealand, but perhaps also to help some of you choose your destination based on the cost of living in different New Zealand cities.

All the figures in this dossier are, of course, averages and approximations. The cost of living in different New Zealand cities varies according to your lifestyle, the supermarkets where you shop, the type of restaurants/bars you like, your ability to find good deals, the opportunities you come across, etc.

Your quality of life will also depend on how much you earn. We’ve provided an average salary for each city as a guide, but bear in mind that a working holiday maker who’s just arrived will often have to be a little patient before getting a good salary: odd jobs are often paid at minimum wage ($23.15 in 2024/2025 per hour, or $926 before tax for a 40-hour week). Of course, we hope you’ll soon find that rare gem.

And now, to your calculators!