Auckland vs Christchurch vs Wellington: Let’s compare the living costs
Auckland, Christchurch and Wellington are the New Zealand cities most popular with migrants. That’s why we wanted to compare the costs of basic expenses between these cities.
Our aim?
To give you the information you need to make an informed decision about where you want to live.
Our comparison covers the costs of:
- Rent;
- Utilities;
- Groceries;
- Getting around;
- Entertainment; and
- Childcare.
Of course it is important to also look at average salaries, so that you can see how your expenses are likely to relate to your income. This is why we start by sharing the average annual salary of each city.
Please note: All costs are quoted in New Zealand dollars.
Salaries
| Auckland | Christchurch | Wellington | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Average Annual Salary | 65,000 | 63,000 | 67,000 |
Monthly expenses
Your monthly expenses will include costs such as rent, groceries, and entertainment. Your rent will be the first expense to take care of each month, so let’s start there.
1. Rent
We look at 1-bedroom and 3-bedroom apartments both in and outside the city centre:
| Auckland | Christchurch | Wellington | |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1-bedroom apartment in the city | 1,931.38 | 1,465.45 | 1,815.68 |
| 1-bedroom apartment outside of the city centre | 1,616.67 | 1,185.83 | 1,415.19 |
| 3-bedroom apartment in the city | 3,443.58 | 2,231.67 | 3,252.38 |
| 3-bedroom apartment outside of the city centre | 2,769.48 | 1,866.67 | 2,457.20 |
2. Utilities
This is how much utilities could set you back each month:
| Auckland | Christchurch | Wellington | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Basic utilities for a 85m2 Apartment (Electricity, Heating, Cooling, Water, Garbage) | 169.64 | 181.91 | 170.61 |
| Internet (60 Mbps or More, Unlimited Data, Cable/ADSL) | 83.52 | 84.27 | 83.53 |
Now let’s look at some of the other monthly costs you’ll have to budget for…
3. Groceries
Groceries will demand a large chunk of your income each month. This is how much basic groceries could set you back:
| Auckland | Christchurch | Wellington | |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1L Milk | 2.58 | 2.78 | 2.99 |
| Loaf of bread (white) | 2.40 | 2.86 | 2.51 |
| 12 Eggs | 5.15 | 4.68 | 5.99 |
| 1kg Local cheese | 9.85 | 9.61 | 10.39 |
| 1kg Chicken fillets | 13.25 | 12.23 | 13.22 |
| 1kg Apples | 3.79 | 5.04 | 3.62 |
| 1kg Bananas | 2.92 | 3.17 | 2.84 |
| 1kg Tomatoes | 4.87 | 5.97 | 4.54 |
| Lettuce | 2.91 | 2.48 | 2.48 |
| 1.5L Water | 2.22 | 1.60 | 2.18 |
4. Getting around
If you don’t import your car, you’ll have to buy a new one or make use of public transport. This is how much both these options could cost you:
| Auckland | Christchurch | Wellington | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Volkswagen Golf 1.4 90 KW Trendline (or equivalent new car) | 35,000.00 | 36,990.00 | 34,990.0 |
| Toyota Corolla Sedan 1.6l 97kW Comfort (or equivalent new car) | 29,794.06 | 29,443.33 | 30,465.00 |
| 1-way Ticket (local transport) | 3.75 | 3.50 | 5.00 |
| Monthly pass (regular price) | 215.00 | 110.87 | 150.00 |
| 1L of Petrol | 2.24 | 2.21 | 2.23 |
5. Entertainment
No-one only works to pays the bills. We also also spend time with friends and loved ones! Here’s how much you could spend on entertainment:
| Auckland | Christchurch | Wellington | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Restaurant meal | 20.00 | 20.00 | 17.50 |
| 3-course Dinner for 2 | 90.00 | 100.00 | 90.00 |
| 330ml Imported Beer | 9.00 | 10.00 | 9.00 |
| Coke/Pepsi | 3.39 | 3.01 | 3.20 |
| Cappuccino | 4.82 | 4.75 | 4.56 |
| Movie ticket | 18.00 | 16.00 | 16.00 |
6. Childcare
If you’re a family moving over to New Zealand, you’ll have to enroll your children of school-going age into a school:
| Auckland | Christchurch | Wellington | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Private preschool (or kindergarten) - Monthly for 1 child (full day) | 1,220.04 | 1,112.50 | 1,108.08 |
| International primary school - Yearly for 1 child | 20,846.15 | 14,750.00 | 15,500.00 |
If there are any other costs you’re curious about, such as clothing, head on over to Numbeo. All of the costs above were taken from Numbeo and valid as at Feb 2020. Salaries were taken from Payscale.
