What is the cost of living in New Zealand vs Australia? (April 2022)
When comparing the cost of living in New Zealand vs Australia, New Zealand is the more affordable country to live in.
On average, consumer prices in New Zealand are 3.96% lower than in Australia. Rent and groceries cost 17.70% and 5.92% less. Eating out at a restaurant will also cost less in New Zealand.
Percentages means little though. Let’s look at actual numbers instead.
The cost of everyday goods and services in New Zealand compared to Australia
According to cost-of-living comparison website Numbeo, the costs below are how much you’ll spend on rent, groceries and dining out in New Zealand versus Australia.
All costs are in New Zealand dollars for a side-by-side comparison but we’ve also added the Australian costs in brackets.
Rent
Rent | New Zealand | Australia | |
---|---|---|---|
1-bedroom apartment in the city centre | 1,680.84 | 2,071.69 (A$1,913.50) | +23.25% |
1-bedroom apartment outside the city centre | 1,334.07 | 1,602.70 (A$1,480.32) | +20.14% |
3-bedroom apartment in the city centre | 2,782.55 | 3,552.98 (A$3,281.67) | +27.69% |
3-bedroom apartment outside the city centre | 2,244.46 | 2,444.50 (A$2,257.83) | +8.91% |
Groceries
Groceries | New Zealand | Australia | |
---|---|---|---|
Milk, 1L | 2.78 | 1.82 (A$1.68) | -34.35 |
Loaf of fresh white bread | 3.06 | 3.10 (A$2.86) | +1.28% |
White rice, 1kg | 3.04 | 2.91 (A$2.69) | -4.36% |
Eggs, 12 | 6.43 | 5.23 (A$4.83) | -18.66% |
Local cheese, 1kg | 12.96 | 12.09 (A$11.17) | -6.71% |
Chicken fillets, 1kg | 13.27 | 11.84 (A$10.94) | -10.78% |
Beef round, 1kg | 20.18 | 20.05 (A$18.52) | -0.64% |
Apples, 1kg | 3.98 | 4.80 (A$4.43) | +20.49% |
Bananas, 1kg | 3.13 | 3.89 (A$3.59) | +24.25% |
Oranges, 1kg | 4.38 | 4.05 (A$3.74) | -7.58% |
Tomato, 1kg | 4.67 | 5.71 (A$5.27) | +22.20% |
Potato, 1kg | 2.93 | 3.49 (A$3.23) | +19.22% |
Onion, 1kg | 2.58 | 2.80 (A$2.58) | +8.63% |
Lettuce | 3.65 | 2.93 (A$2.70) | -19.93% |
Dining out
Eating Out | New Zealand | Australia | |
---|---|---|---|
Meal, inexpensive restaurant | 22.00 | 21.65 (A$20.00) | -1.57% |
3-course meal for two people, mid-range restaurant | 110.00 | 108.27 (A$100.00) | -1.57% |
McMeal at McDonalds | 13.00 | 13.67 (A$12.62) | +5.14% |
Domestic beer, 500ml | 9.00 | 8.66 (A$8.00) | -3.76% |
Imported beer, 300ml | 10.00 | 9.74 (A$9.00) | -2.56% |
Cappuccino | 4.89 | 4.97 (A$4.59) | +1.58% |
Coke, 300ml | 3.46 | 3.71 (A$3.42) | +7.03% |
Water, 300ml bottle | 2.84 | 3.13 (A$2.89) | +10.23% |
Let’s also look at salaries to get the full picture
It’s not enough to only consider everyday costs when investigating the cost of living in a country.
You must also know how much you’ll to earn to get the full picture. A basket of groceries totaling $100 won’t affect someone earning $5,000 a month the same as someone who earns $10,000 a month.
That’s why we turned to Payscale to determine the annual average salaries for 22 skilled occupations.
The salaries are listed in New Zealand dollars but you’ll find the Australian salaries in brackets.
You can search for your own occupation on Payscale if you don’t see it on our list.
Job category | New Zealand (Annual) | Australia (Annual) |
---|---|---|
Architect | 67,667 | 62,134 (A$67,765) |
Actuary | 147,470 | 135,411 (A$102,331) |
Audiologist | 81,811 | 75,121 (A$76,932) |
Carpenter | 59,736 | 54,851 (A$62,723) |
Chemical Engineer | 64,996 | 59,681 (A$71,710) |
Diesel Mechanic* | 71,216 | 65,393 (A$74,860) |
Early Childhood Educator* | 53,089 | 48,748 (A$51,102) |
Electrician | 69,817 | 64,108 (A$72,569) |
General Practitioner* | 148,202 | 136,083 (A$129,379) |
Industrial Engineer | 77,511 | 71,173 (A$66,783) |
Maintenance Planner* | 76,978 | 70,684 (A$93,522) |
Mechanical Engineer* | 66,550 | 61108 (A$73,628) |
Optometrist | 82,995 | 76,209 (A$86,776) |
Psychiatrist* | 175,542 | 161,188 (A$141,784) |
Quantity Surveyor | 73,301 | 67,307 (A$73,585) |
Registered Nurse* | 62,433 | 57,328 (A$66,091) |
Social Worker | 56,163 | 51,571 (A$68,673) |
Software Engineer* | 73,820 | 67,784 (A$79,844) |
Speech Therapist | 67,806 | 62,262 (A$70,589) |
Veterinarian | 78,874 | 72,424 (A$68,166) |
Welder | 52,381 | 48,098 (A$57,199) |
In closing
The cost of living in New Zealand is lower than in Australia. You’ll spend less at the tills when doing your monthly grocery shopping, and you’ll also spend less at restaurants and when paying your rent.
When considering these costs, it’s also important to factor in how much you’ll earn to get a realistic idea of how much buying power your salary gives you.
- Published in Latest posts, Life in New Zealand
Does New Zealand have a good quality of life?
The short answer to whether or not New Zealand have a good quality of life? Absolutely!
Time and again, New Zealand performs well in quality of life reports. Even during times of hardship, like the COVID-19 pandemic.
Let’s look at four recent indexes and reports that measure the quality of life to see how New Zealand performed compared to other countries around the world:
1. Better Life Index – OECD
The OECD Better Life Index measures the well-being of societies by looking at 11 topics. These topics reflect what the OECD identified as essential to well-being in terms of material living conditions and quality of life.
The 38 countries that form part of the Index are all OECD members and include the world’s most developed economies and several emerging economies, plus Brazil, Russia and South Africa.
What is the OECD?
The OECD is the Organisation for Economic Co-operation and Development, and it’s an international organization that works to build better policies for better lives. The OECD’s goal is to shape policies that foster prosperity, equality, opportunity, and well-being.
Here’s how New Zealand performed:
New Zealand performs well in many dimensions of well-being relative to other countries in the Better Life Index. New Zealand outperforms the OECD average in income, jobs, education, health, environmental quality, social connections, civic engagement and life satisfaction.
- Disposable income: The average New Zealand household’s net-adjusted disposable income per capita is USD39,024 a year, which is more than the OECD average of USD30,490 a year.
- Employment: About 77% of people aged 15 to 64 in New Zealand have a paid job, which is above the OECD employment average of 66%.
- Education: The average New Zealand student scored 503 in reading literacy, maths and science in the OECD’s Programme for International Student Assessment (PISA). This score is higher than the OECD average of 488.
- Health: At birth, New Zealanders have a life expectancy of around 82 years, which is one year higher than the OECD average of 81 years.
- Social Connections: There is a strong sense of community in New Zealand, and 95% of people believe that they know someone they could rely on in time of need.
- Life satisfaction: When asked to rate their general satisfaction with life on a scale from 0 to 10, New Zealanders gave it a 7.3 grade on average, which is higher than the OECD average of 6.7.
2. The Global Liveability Report 2021 – The Economist Intelligence Unit
The Global Liveability Report ranks 140 global cities for their urban quality of life based on stability, healthcare, culture and environment, education, and infrastructure assessments. In 2021, the Report measured how COVID-19 affected liveability worldwide.
Who is the Economist Intelligence Unit?
The Economist Intelligence Unit (EIU) is the research and analysis division of The Economist Group, the sister company to The Economist newspaper. The EIU has a global team of economists, industry specialists, policy analysts and consultants.
Here’s how New Zealand’s cities performed:
The 10 most liveable cities in the world in 2021 were as follows:
- Auckland, New Zealand
- Osaka, Japan
- Adelaide, Australia
- Wellington, New Zealand
- Tokyo, Japan
- Perth, Australia
- Zurich, Switzerland
- Geneva, Switzerland
- Melbourne, Australia
- Brisbane, Australia
As you can see, Auckland is the world’s most liveable city! The city owes this ranking to its ability to contain the coronavirus (Covid-19) pandemic faster and thus lift restrictions earlier, unlike other cities around the world.
Wellington moved from 15th place in the 2020 Report to 4th place in the 2021 report, also due to its relative freedom during the COVID-19 pandemic.
3. Quality of Life Index 2022 – Numbeo
Numbeo’s Quality of Life Index is an estimation of the overall quality of life. It considers purchasing power, pollution, house price to income ratio, cost of living, safety, healthcare, traffic commute time, and climate.
Who is Numbeo?
Numbeo is the world’s largest database of user-contributed data about cities and countries worldwide.
Here’s how New Zealand performed:
New Zealand is in 9th place on the latest Quality of Life Index from Numbeo. The rest of the top 10 are Switzerland, Denmark, the Netherlands, Finland, Australia, Iceland, Germany, Austria, and Norway.
When looking at the indices, New Zealand ranked at number 19 for purchasing power, which means your money will go further in New Zealand than in many other countries. New Zealand also came in the top 20 for healthcare.
4. Quality of Life Ranking – US News
The Quality of Life Ranking from the US News measures the quality of life in 78 countries worldwide. The Ranking considers a variety of factors, ranging from the state of the job market to how family-friendly a country is.
Who is US News?
US News & World Report is a digital media company dedicated to helping consumers, business leaders and policy officials make important decisions. They use world-class data and technology to publish independent reporting, rankings, journalism and advice.
Here’s how New Zealand performed:
According to the Quality of Life Ranking from the US news, New Zealand has the tenth-highest quality of life globally. The other countries in the top 10 are Canada, Denmark, Sweden, Norway, Switzerland, Australia, the Netherlands, and Germany.
New Zealand scored particularly well for:
- Being family-friendly
- Being economically stable
- Its well-developed public education and health systems
- Being politically stable
- Being a safe country to live in
Why is New Zealand’s quality of life important?
Your quality of life matters because it directly affects your physical and mental well-being.
Someone who lives in a clean, safe and thriving country with quality healthcare, access to education and jobs, a stable economy, and plenty of opportunities will be much happier than a person living in a country that misses the mark on some or all of these indicators.
Thus, you want to ensure that when you move to another country it offers an enviable quality of life.
You don’t want to be worse off than where you are – you want to maintain or improve your and your family’s quality of life.
As we saw, New Zealand’s quality of life is among the best in the world. When you decide to call this beautiful country your home, your overall well-being will benefit tremendously!
- Published in Family Immigration, Latest posts, Life in New Zealand
FAQ: Skilled Migrant Visa of New Zealand

Do you want to learn more about the Skilled Migrant Visa of New Zealand? Then you’ve come to the right place!
We’re answering all of your burning questions about this visa in this article. If you’re eager to find out if you can apply for a Skilled Migrant Visa by the end of the article, you should book a consultation call with our licensed advisor.
Now on to those frequently asked questions:
1. What is the Skilled Migrant Visa?
The Skilled Migrant Visa is a work visa. This visa enables you to live and work in New Zealand permanently.
You may also study if you wish, but you may not be self-employed. If you want to run your own business, you’ll have to look into the Entrepreneur Visa.
2. What are the Skilled Migrant Visa requirements?
Immigration New Zealand seeks skilled migrants to fill labour gaps in the country’s workforce. For this reason, you’ll have to meet strict requirements to apply for a Skilled Migrant Visa.
You must:
- Be under the age of 55
- Score 6 points
- Have a skilled job or job offer with an accredited New Zealand employer
- Have an acceptable level of English
- Meet the health and character criteria
3. For how long is a Skilled Migrant Visa valid?
The Skilled Migrant Visa is a residency visa and is thus valid indefinitely. You can work, live and study in New Zealand, and include your partner, and dependent children aged 24 and under, in your visa application.
4. What is classed as skilled work in New Zealand?
Immigration New Zealand uses the Australian and New Zealand Standard Classification of Occupation (ANZSCO) to classify ‘skilled work’.
ANZSCO is used within the skilled migration programs to set guidelines for the skills and work experience visa applicants must meet to work in specific occupations in Australia or New Zealand.
When applying for a Skilled Migrant Visa, you must find the closest matching ANZSCO occupation for your current job or job offer. You must also be suitably qualified to do the job, which means your training and experience should match your occupation’s ANZSCO skill level.
INZ will assess your occupation as skilled if it:
- is described in the ANZSCO as a skill level 1, 2 or 3 occupation, and it
- mostly matches the ANZSCO description of that occupation
- meets the pay rate threshold of NZD $29.66 an hour (or equivalent annual salary) or more, or
- is described in the ANZSCO as a skill level 4 or 5 occupation, and it
- mostly matches the ANZSCO description of that occupation
- meets the pay rate threshold of NZD $44.49 an hour (or equivalent annual salary) or more, or
- has no matching description in the ANZSCO and meets the pay rate threshold of NZD $44.49 an hour (or equivalent annual salary) or more.
5. What jobs are in demand in New Zealand?
Jobs that are in high demand in New Zealand are in a few key industries:
- Healthcare: Nurses, General Practitioners, Specialist Physicians, etc
- Education: Early Childhood Teachers, Academic Advisers, University Lecturers, etc
- IT: Developers, ICT Project Managers, ICT Security Specialists, etc
- Construction: Construction Project Manager, Civil Engineer, Quantity Surveyors, etc
As New Zealand’s needs change, those industries change. For example, New Zealand focused heavily on healthcare at the height of the COVID-19 pandemic.
6. How do I get a skilled migrant visa for New Zealand?
The first step to getting a Skilled Migrant Visa for New Zealand is meeting the basic criteria, which includes scoring 6 points.
Once you’ve been assessed as skilled and you scored at least 6 points, you can submit an Expression of Interest (EOI).
If Immigration New Zealand selects your EOI, you’ll get an invitation to apply for a Skilled Migrant Visa.
At this stage, you’ll get to lodge your visa application – and if it’s successful, you’ll get a Skilled Migrant Visa.
8. How many points do I need to apply for a Skilled Migrant Visa?
You’ll need at least 6 points to submit an Expression of Interest. INZ automatically selects EOI with 6 points for verification and qualifying candidates may get an invitation to apply for a Skilled Migrant Visa.
What if I can’t score 160 points?
You might have to consider another work visa if you cannot score enough points. You could also explore other visas that allow you to live in New Zealand, such as the Entrepreneur or Investor visas.
9. What is an Expression of Interest?
Your Expression of Interest (EOI) is how you notify Immigration New Zealand of your desire to apply for a Skilled Migrant Visa.
Your EOI will contain information related to the criteria of the Skilled Migrant Visa, which means your:
- Age
- Occupation
- Skills
- Experience
- Qualifications
- Health
- English language ability
- Character
INZ automatically selects EOI with 6 points for verification and qualifying candidates may get an invitation to apply for a Skilled Migrant Visa.
10. How long does it take to get a Skilled Migrant Visa for New Zealand?
Currently (March 2024), INZ completes 80% of applications within 3 months, but some applications may take longer.
Your immigration advisor should also be able to give you a timeframe for the entire process.
- Published in FAQs - New Zealand Immigration, Latest posts, Working in New Zealand
New Zealand is opening sooner to Australians and travellers from visa-waiver countries!

On 16 March, Prime Minister Jacinda Ardern announced that New Zealand is bringing forward the date for opening the borders to Australians and arrivals from visa-waiver countries.
This announcement comes after New Zealand also brought forward the date for allowing New Zealanders and other eligible travellers through the country’s borders.
Australians welcome from 12 April, and borders are opening to visa-waiver travellers from 1 May
In New Zealand’s original 5-stage border reopening plan, its borders would’ve opened to Australians and travellers from visa-waiver countries in July.
Now the borders will open to these groups of people two months earlier than planned!
Australians can once again travel to New Zealand from Tuesday, 12 April at 11.59pm, while vaccinated travellers from visa-waiver countries are welcome from Sunday, 1 May at 11.59pm.
“Reopening in time for the upcoming Australian school holidays will help spur our economic recovery in the short term and is good news for the winter ski season,” said Prime Minister Ardern.
She added, “In a world still battling COVID-19, travellers will be discerning about where they go in the short term. Our strong health response, including the lowest death rate in the OECD over the past two years and our high rates of vaccination, alongside our reputation as a beautiful place to visit, will be an asset in this market. I am proud that New Zealand is a country which is able to provide a safe place for tourists to return to due to our strong health response to COVID-19.”
New Zealand’s also welcoming temporary visa holders and international students from 12 April
As per New Zealand’s original 5-stage plan, its borders will reopen to current offshore temporary visa holders and international students on 12 April:
- Temporary work and student visa holders who still meet their visa requirements — this includes people currently outside New Zealand and those who leave and want to return
- Up to 5000 international students to study in semester 2
The rest of the border reopening plan also remains as is
Immigration New Zealand has announced no other changes to date. That means the following:
- From July: New Zealand’s borders will open to Accredited Employer Work Visa (AEWV) holders.
- From October: The border reopens, and standard visa processing resumes for all categories, including visitor and student visas, unless the visa is closed or paused.
Stay up to date with immigration news from New Zealand
Follow us on Facebook or LinkedIn to stay informed about immigration changes. We post news as soon as it happens.
- Published in Latest posts, News
Two big border announcements from the New Zealand government!
COVID-19 Response Minister Chris Hipkins made two big announcements on 28 February 2022.
The first announcement was that New Zealand is removing self-isolation requirements for vaccinated travellers. The other announcement was that New Zealand is bringing forward stage two of the border reopening plan.
All self-isolation requirements removed from 2 March for fully vaccinated travellers
The New Zealand government has decided to drop the requirement for self-isolation for fully vaccinated travellers upon arrival in New Zealand after consultation with the Strategic COVID-19 Public Health Advisory Group and the Director General of Health.
This decision means that all New Zealanders coming home and tourists entering the country will be able to step off the plan and enter the community immediately, and it takes effect on Wednesday, 2 March.
Travellers must still have a negative pre-departure PCR test, though, and undertake two rapid antigen tests on arrival and also at day 5 or 6. Anyone who tests positive for COVID-19 will have to report it and isolate for the same period as a community case (at least 10 days).
“Caution has served us well during the past two years and as we continue to move through the Omicron outbreak and peak, we will continue to remove restrictions when advised it is safe to do so – as we always said we would,” Minister Hipkins said.
New Zealand is bringing forward stage two of the border reopening plan
New Zealand released a 5-stage border reopening plan on 3 February 2022.
The first stage of the plan kicked off on 27 February. The second stage, that’ll allow travel to New Zealand from anywhere in the world for fully vaccinated New Zealanders and eligible travellers, was scheduled for 13 March.
The New Zealand government has now confirmed that it’ll bring forward the second stage to Friday, 4 March.
“We are able to take these decisions because we have a highly vaccinated population and good public health restrictions through the COVID-19 Protection Framework in place,” Minister Hipkins said.
Minister Hipkins also said that the New Zealand government will review the timings of the remaining stages of the border reopening plan in the coming weeks. That could mean that we could see New Zealand’s borders reopen fully much sooner than October.
Be the first to know about more positive changes to border restrictions
The two changes the New Zealand government made in February has been welcome news. Especially after almost no movement on COVID-19 regulations and border restrictions after two years!
You can rest assured that we’ll keep you informed of any changes that happens in the future. Hopefully it won’t be too long until we can do so either. Follow us on Facebook or LinkedIn to ensure that you stay in the loop.
- Published in Latest posts, News
5 Things you should know before moving to New Zealand
You’ve decided to give yourself and your family a better life in New Zealand. You can’t wait to pack your bags.
Hold on just a minute before grabbing your suitcases. There are some things that are important to know long before moving to New Zealand.
1. You’ll need patience (and lots of it)
Immigrating is not for the fainthearted.
You’re going to have to become familiar with complex immigration terms, compile stacks and stacks of paperwork, and deal with bureaucracy. You might also wait longer than you wish to on the outcome of your visa application.
And that’s all before you even set foot in New Zealand.
When things test your patience, take a couple of deep breaths, go for a walk, listen to your favourite music or have a laugh with a friend. Even better – get direction from a licensed immigration advisoer. You’ll get back to organising your immigration with a clearer mind and more energy.
2. Culture shock is real – even if you’re moving from another English-speaking country
Every country in the world has different customs and traditions, and work in unique ways, making culture shock part and parcel of moving to another country.
You’ll find it in the big things, like how to buy a house, and the little things, like how to greet people.
The best way to adjust to life in New Zealand is to go easy on yourself. Give yourself time to get used to the new way of doing things. Rome wasn’t built in a day!
3. New Zealand might not meet all your expectations
It’s normal to daydream about your new life in New Zealand, and to imagine all the ways in which your life will be better.
And it’s highly likely that your life will improve. After all, New Zealand is one of the safest countries in the world, and it offers an exceptionally high quality of life.
But that doesn’t mean New Zealand will meet all your expectations. You might still be disappointed about some aspects of daily life in New Zealand.
That is okay, and it’s normal. No country is perfect.
4. You might find it tough to make new friends – but it is possible
Unless you already have friends and family in New Zealand, you’ll have to build a brand-new social circle once you’ve settled.
You might find this exercise hard. It’s not always easy to meet new people in a new country!
Here’s what you can do to make friends:
- Say ‘yes’ if colleagues invite you to lunch or drinks after work.
- Join expat groups like Internations to meet other people who are in the same boat as you are.
- Take a class in something you’re passionate about, like pottery, dance or cooking.
- Join a local hiking club or any other sports club.
Until you have a group of new friends, make an extra effort to stay in touch with loved ones back home. It’ll do wonders for your mental health.
5. It’s all going to be worth it!
You’re going to hit times of uncertainty when you wonder if you’ve made the right decision. Especially when things are testing your patience or taking longer than expected.
Here’s the good news – it’s going to be worth it.
You’ll get exposed to new experiences, make new memories, grow professionally, and get to see your children flourish. You’ll grow beyond your comfort zone, and you’ll be a fully-fledge New Zealander before you know it.
- Published in Latest posts, New Zealand Immigration Advice
New Zealand announces new 5-stage reopening of its borders
Immigration New Zealand had a plan to start reopening its borders in January. Unfortunately, a new COVID variant started spreading around the world in December.
New Zealand quickly decided to push back the start of its border plan to the end of February.
Today we’re happy to report that New Zealand is not delaying the reopening of its borders any further! The first stage of New Zealand’s new 5-staged plan kicks off at the end of this month.
Stage 1 – New Zealanders and eligible travellers in Australia, 27 February 2022
During the first stage, fully vaccinated New Zealanders and other travellers eligible under current border settings can enter New Zealand from Australia and self-isolate upon arrival.
Unvaccinated travellers, and those who do not meet New Zealand’s vaccination criteria but are eligible to enter New Zealand will continue to enter managed isolation and quarantine (MIQ).
Stage 2 – New Zealanders and eligible travellers around the world, 13 March 2022
During the second stage of the border reopening, fully vaccinated New Zealanders and other travellers eligible under current border settings will be allowed to travel to New Zealand.
The border will also reopen to skilled workers earning at least 1.5 times the median wage. At the moment, these workers must demonstrate that their skills aren’t readily obtained in New Zealand. New Zealand will remove this requirement from the 13th of March.
Furthermore, New Zealand will reopen its Working Holiday Scheme.
Stage 3 – Temporary visa holders and international students, 12 April 2022
In this stage, New Zealand’s borders will reopen to current offshore temporary visa holders who are fully vaccinated and still able to meet their visa requirements.
The borders will also reopen to up to 5,000 fully vaccinated international students. Furthermore, New Zealand will implement additional and expanded class exceptions for critical workers earning below 1.5 times the median wage.
Stage 4 – Borders open to travellers from Australia and visa waiver countries, July 2022
New Zealand will reopen to fully vaccinated visitors from Australia and visa waiver countries from July, allowing family members of more onshore temporary migrants to visit New Zealand.
At this point, New Zealand will also phase out the border exception pathway for critical workers because of the opening of the new Accredited Employer Work Visa (AEWV) category. The AEWV will be limited mainly to roles with pay above the median wage.
Stage 5 – Borders fully reopen, and most visa categories reopen, October 2022
Immigration New Zealand will resume the processing of most visa categories, including visitor and student visas, from October.
Self-isolation requirements
Self-isolation is only available for fully vaccinated travellers who are eligible to enter New Zealand.
Travellers will self-isolate for 10 days. If New Zealand’s self-isolation period changes, such as a drop to 7 days, the self-isolation period for travellers will also change.
Travellers will also get three rapid antigen tests at the airport – one for use on day 0/1, and one for use on day 5/6, with one extra for backup.
Anyone who tests positive will need to take a PCR test at a Community Testing Centre or GP.
Comment from Immigration New Zealand
COVID-19 Response Minister Chris Hipkins and Immigration Minister Kris Faafoi released a joint statement detailing New Zealand’s border reopening.
“This is a very carefully developed plan that replaces MIQ for the vast majority of travellers while ensuring we maintain ongoing measures to reduce the spread of COVID-19 in our community from recent arrivals,” Minister Hipkins said.
He added that the plan “…has built-in protections to help manage risks such as future variants. A phased approach to reopening reduces the risk of a surge of cases while prioritising the return of New Zealanders and the much-needed entry of skilled workers. Having MIQ for every traveller was a temporary setting for when none of us had protection. New Zealanders need to reconnect with one another. Families and friends need to reunite. Our businesses need skills to grow. Exporters need to travel to make new connections.”
Keep up with the reopening stages
Our team will post reminders about the stages of the border reopening on social media. If you’d like to stay up to date, follow us on Facebook or LinkedIn.
- Published in Latest posts, New Zealand Immigration Advice, News
The cost of living New Zealand: How does it compare? (2022)
Some of the most frequently asked questions about the cost of living in New Zealand are, “Is it expensive to live in New Zealand?” and “What salary do you need to live in New Zealand?”
These are the questions we’re going to answer today by comparing New Zealand’s cost of living to that of four other nations – the UK, South Africa, the USA, and India.
Residents from these four countries often immigrate to New Zealand.
How does the comparison work?
To give you a realistic idea of how much New Zealand’s cost of living compares to the countries on our list, our comparison will look at the cost of seven everyday expenses:
- Rent
- Utilities
- Groceries
- Schooling
- Clothing
- Transport
- Restaurants
We’ve pulled all the costs from Numbeo, which is the “world’s largest cost of living database”. The costs are crowdsourced, so keep in mind that costs are averages.
To keep things simple, we’ve converted all costs into New Zealand dollars. You can, however, look at the costs in each country’s local currency on its Numbeo page:
Let’s dive into the comparison
As explained above, we’re comparing rent, utilities, groceries, clothing, transport, schooling, and restaurants today.
On average, consumer prices in New Zealand are higher than in the UK, South Africa, the USA, and India.
The biggest difference is between New Zealand and India, with New Zealand’s consumer prices being 201.50% higher than India’s.
What about purchasing power?
You can’t do a living cost comparison without also looking at purchasing power.
Purchasing power is important because, all else being equal, inflation decreases the number of goods or services you would be able to purchase. So says Investopedia, that defines purchasing power as “the value of a currency expressed in terms of the number of goods or serves that one unit of money can buy.”
In other words, purchasing power is “the financial ability to buy products and services”.
On average, the local purchasing power in New Zealand is:
- 6.15% lower than in the UK
- 6.79% higher than in South Africa
- 21.34% lower than in the USA
- 67.47% higher than in India.
Let’s see how this looks in practice. We’ll start with rent which is the biggest monthly expense for most people.
1. Rent
Rent in New Zealand is lower than in the United States while it’s higher than in the UK, South Africa, and India. In fact, on average, rent in New Zealand is 257.65% higher than in India!
Let’s break it down by looking at the rental prices of 1-bedroom and 3-bedroom apartments both in the city and in the suburbs:
New Zealand | UK | South Africa | USA | India | |
---|---|---|---|---|---|
1-Bedroom Apartment in City Centre | 1,642.69 | 1,527.17 | 672.15 | 2,037.95 | 234.21 |
1-Bedroom Apartment Outside of City Centre | 1,319.84 | 1,258.77 | 582.55 | 1,653.64 | 148.73 |
3-Bedroom Apartment in City Centre | 2,813.73 | 2,494.74 | 1,439.73 | 3,342.84 | 516.81 |
3-Bedroom Apartment Outside of City Centre | 2,221.89 | 1,994.28 | 1,177.08 | 2,702.99 | 326.06 |
Are you keen to further explore New Zealand’s rental prices? Use realestate.co.nz and myRent search for apartments and houses in specific cities or suburbs.
2. Utilities
Whether you rent or own, you’ll have utilities to budget for. We’re specifically going to look at the costs of basic household utilities such as water and electricity and internet.
As you can see from the information above, the cost of New Zealand’s internet is on par with that of the UK, South Africa, and India. You’re thus going to spend roughly the same on your internet connection if you’re moving to New Zealand from one of these countries.
New Zealand | UK | South Africa | USA | India | |
---|---|---|---|---|---|
Basic Utilities (Electricity, Heating, Cooling, Water, Garbage) for 85m2 Apartment | 194.15 | 314.23 | 167.49 | 252.23 | 57.08 |
Internet (60 Mbps or More, Unlimited Data, Cable/ADSL) | 81.96 | 61.90 | 85.94 | 99.94 | 15.19 |
There are bigger cost variances when looking at basic household utilities. You’re going to spend much less, on average, if you’re moving to New Zealand from the UK.
However, you can expect to allocate more of your monthly budget to household utilities if you’re moving from South Africa or India.
3. Groceries
Let’s start by looking at the average cost of a basket of groceries in New Zealand in comparison to the other countries:
As you can see, the cost of a basket of groceries won’t differ much if you’re moving from the USA. But you’ll spend more at the tills if you’re moving from the UK, South Africa, or India.
Now let’s look at the prices of the individual items we put in our basket:
Groceries | New Zealand | UK | South Africa | USA | India |
---|---|---|---|---|---|
Milk, 1L | 2.71 | 1.86 | 1.59 | 1.30 | 1.03 |
Loaf of fresh white bread | 2.59 | 1.97 | 1.39 | 4.17 | 0.70 |
White rice, 1kg | 3.08 | 2.24 | 2.19 | 5.92 | 1.06 |
Eggs, 12 | 5.60 | 3.91 | 2.93 | 3.47 | 1.42 |
Local cheese, 1kg | 11.51 | 11.25 | 10.94 | 16.66 | 8.04 |
Chicken fillets, 1kg | 13.18 | 10.89 | 7.09 | 14.00 | 4.72 |
Beef round, 1kg | 19.98 | 16.46 | 10.97 | 19.42 | 8.78 |
Apples, 1kg | 3.88 | 3.70 | 2.30 | 6.84 | 2.96 |
Bananas, 1kg | 3.07 | 2.18 | 2.14 | 2.34 | 0.99 |
Oranges, 1kg | 4.10 | 3.40 | 2.32 | 5.97 | 1.49 |
Tomato, 1kg | 4.26 | 3.64 | 2.13 | 6.44 | 0.73 |
Potato, 1kg | 2.87 | 2.17 | 1.82 | 3.87 | 0.58 |
Onion, 1kg | 2.50 | 1.96 | 1.71 | 3.84 | 0.71 |
Lettuce | 3.09 | 1.42 | 1.57 | 2.49 | 0.79 |
TOTAL | 82.42 | 67.05 | 51.09 | 96.73 | 34 |
4. Schooling
Most children in New Zealand get some form of early childhood education, and early learning facilities may charge fees.
The New Zealand Government subsidises all children who attend early learning services for up to six hours a day, up until children go to school or turn six. Children aged 3, 4 and 5 years old, who are enrolled in an early learning service, can receive a higher funding subsidy called 20 Hours ECE.
As you can see from our graph, New Zealand’s pre-school costs are more affordable than that of the UK and the USA.
South African parents will have to fork out more than they’re used to on pre-school once in New Zealand. The same goes for parents moving to New Zealand from India.
New Zealand | UK | South Africa | USA | India | |
---|---|---|---|---|---|
Preschool (or Kindergarten), Full Day, Private, Monthly for 1 Child | 1,086.41 | 1,903.64 | 320.48 | 1,411.52 | 82.12 |
International Primary School, Yearly for 1 Child | 16,950.00 | 26,339.90 | 7,237.14 | 23,539.79 | 2,302.12 |
When it comes to primary schools, the picture looks the same as for preschools. Keep in mind, however, that we’re looking at international schools. Your child’s education is free between the ages of five and 19 at state schools if you’re a New Zealand citizen or permanent resident.
5. Clothing
Filling up your closet costs relatively the same in New Zealand, the UK, South Africa, and the USA.
When compared to India, the price of a summer dress is relatively similar. The average cost of the rest of the items on our list is going to be less affordable in New Zealand.
New Zealand | UK | South Africa | USA | India | |
---|---|---|---|---|---|
1 Pair of Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar) | 106.98 | 118.54 | 73.83 | 66.12 | 45.52 |
1 Summer Dress in a Chain Store (Zara, H&M, Etc) | 62.41 | 58.87 | 49.56 | 53.19 | 45.01 |
1 Pair of Nike Running Shoes (Mid-Range) | 144.30 | 125.43 | 132.03 | 115.24 | 70.50 |
1 Pair of Men Leather Business Shoes | 175.14 | 124.10 | 123.52 | 146.05 | 52.93 |
6. Transport
You can see from the table below that getting around in New Zealand, whether by public transport or car, is going to cost you more or less the same as in the UK and South Africa.
You will, however, spend more on public transport if you’re moving from the USA or India.
New Zealand | UK | South Africa | USA | India | |
---|---|---|---|---|---|
One-way Ticket (Local Transport) | 3.50 | 5.04 | 2.45 | 3.37 | 0.40 |
Monthly Pass (Regular Price) | 164.78 | 131.14 | 66.03 | 97.31 | 12.00 |
Taxi 1km (Normal Tariff) | 3.00 | 2.50 | 1.17 | 2.42 | 0.34 |
1L Gasoline | 2.36 | 2.85 | 1.78 | 1.09 | 1.84 |
Volkswagen Golf 1.4 90 KW Trendline (Or Equivalent New Car) | 36,000.00 | 40,351.92 | 29,346.18 | 35,178.74 | 19,001.17 |
Toyota Corolla Sedan 1.6l 97kW Comfort (Or Equivalent New Car) | 31,796.77 | 42,162.07 | 33,474.22 | 32,972.04 | 33,785.4 |
7. Restaurants
New Zealand has a vibrant food and wine scene, and is home to roughly 700 wineries that produce high-quality wines.
You’ll find when eating out that you’re spending relatively the same as in your home country if you’re from Australia, the UK or the USA.
South Africans and Indians won’t though, and they’ll spend more of their monthly budget on dining than they’re used to.
New Zealand | UK | South Africa | USA | India | |
---|---|---|---|---|---|
Lunch at Inexpensive Restaurant | 20.00 | 26.23 | 14.67 | 22.46 | 3.60 |
3-Course Dinner for Two at a Mid-Range Restaurant | 100.00 | 100.88 | 58.69 | 89.83 | 18.00 |
500ml Domestic Beer | 9.00 | 7.67 | 2.93 | 7.49 | 3.00 |
330ml Imported Beer | 9.00 | 8.07 | 3.91 | 8.98 | 5.45 |
Cappuccino | 4.86 | 5.62 | 2.81 | 6.55 | 2.38 |
330ml Coke or Pepsi | 3.39 | 2.74 | 1.44 | 2.92 | 0.67 |
330ml Water | 2.80 | 1.97 | 1.11 | 2.34 | 0.30 |
Also keep your salary in mind when considering the cost of living in New Zealand
Knowing how much you’ll earn is a big part of deciding whether or not you can afford New Zealand’s cost of living.
Someone who earns NZD10,000 a month can obviously live more comfortably than someone earning NZD4,000 a month.
To get an idea of how much you can earn, got to PayScale. You’ll get averages for a wide range of industries. News media website Stuff recently reported that wage rises are setting new records as employers compete for workers in 2022.
Our final recommendation is to speak to a recruiter working in your industry. Recruiters can give you accurate salary expectations based on your skills and experience.
- Published in Family Immigration, Life in New Zealand
Update: New Zealand’s phased border reopening plan
The New Zealand government announced a phased approach to reopening its border on 24 November last year.
On the same day, South Africa reported Omicron, a new COVID-19 variant, to the World Health Organisation.
It wasn’t long before other countries around the world started to report their first cases of Omicron. As a result, New Zealand decided to change its reopening plan.
Phased reopening plan pushed out to the end of February 2022
On 21 December last year, Immigration New Zealand announced that it’ll push out the reopening of its borders until the end of February 2022.
Immigration New Zealand’s statement said the following:
There is no doubt this is disappointing and will upset many holiday plans, but it is important to set these changes out clearly today so they can have time to consider those plans.
COVID-19 keeps throwing new curveballs, and we have to respond in a way that continues to protect lives and livelihoods without putting in place restrictions and lockdowns unless absolutely necessary.
Waiting till the end of February 2022 will increase New Zealand’s overall protection and slow Omicron’s eventual spread.
The reopening was planned for 16 January originally
New Zealand’s initial plan was to kick off with the first phase of its border plan on 16 January of this year.
In this phase, New Zealand will allow travel from Australia for:
- fully vaccinated New Zealand citizens,
- residence-class visa holders, and
- other travellers eligible under its current border settings.
Travellers won’t have to spend time in Managed Isolation and Quarantine (MIQ).
The second and third phases were planned for 13 February and 30 April, respectively.
The second phase will allow travel from all other countries around the world, except Very High-Risk countries, for the same group of people as in the first phase.
The third and last phase will see New Zealand allowing travel to the country for all fully vaccinated travellers from around the globe.
As with the first phase, eligible travellers from the second and third phases won’t have to stay in MIQ.
No announcement on a new date yet
New Zealand has not yet made any further announcements regarding the border reopening. We suspect that New Zealand may release an update in the next week or two, as we near the end of February.
As soon as there is an announcement, though, we’ll share it on our social media. You can follow us on Facebook or LinkedIn to stay in the loop.
Hopefully, the border reopening does start at the end of the month! New Zealand has been good at containing the spread of Omicron so far.
- Published in Uncategorised
New Zealand announces phased plan to reopen borders to travellers
After being unable to see each other in person for nearly two years, New Zealanders and their family overseas finally have a date for when the country’s borders will start to reopen.
The government’s phased plan was announced in a statement by the Minister for COVID-19 Response Chris Hipkins on 24 November:
Step 1: Fully vaccinated Kiwis and other eligible international travellers – Travel to New Zealand from Australia
The first phase of the border reopening kicks off on Sunday, 16 January 2022.
During this phase, fully vaccinated New Zealand citizens and residence-class visa holders and other travellers eligible under New Zealand’s current border settings will be able to travel to New Zealand from Australia. The requirement is that travellers must have been in Australia or New Zealand 14 days before travelling.
Step 2: Fully vaccinated Kiwis and other eligible international travellers – Travel to New Zealand from all other countries
From 13 February 2022, fully vaccinated New Zealand citizens and residence-class visa holders and other travellers eligible under New Zealand’s current border settings will be able to travel to New Zealand from all other countries except Very High-Risk countries.
Step 3: All fully vaccinated international travellers – Travel to New Zealand
All fully vaccinated international travellers will be able to travel to NZ from 30 April 2022 onwards, with the re-opening staged over time.
This phase of the plan is what New Zealanders and their families are looking forward to most!
“A phased approach is the safest approach”
“Closing our border was one of the first steps we took to keep our country safe from COVID-19 and it’ll be the last thing we open up, following our transition into the traffic light protection framework system and lifting of the Auckland boundary.”, Minister Hipkins said in his statement.
He continued, saying, “We always said we’d open in a controlled way, and this started with halving the time spent in MIQ to seven days.[…]In the end, we’ve done what we’ve always done, and that is to follow expert advice – which continues to show us the border is our biggest risk for new cases.”
“A phased approach to reconnecting with the world is the safest approach to ensure risk is carefully managed. This reduces any potential impacts on vulnerable communities and the New Zealand health system.” Minister Hipkins concluded.
MIQ requirements for travellers
Fully vaccinated New Zealanders and travellers no longer have to spend time in Managed Isolation and Quarantine (MIQ) from the 16th of January 2022.
That doesn’t mean New Zealand is going to take any chances with its citizens’ safety. Fully vaccinated New Zealanders and travellers not required to go into MIQ will still need:
- a negative pre-departure COVID-19 test,
- proof of full vaccination,
- a passenger declaration about travel history,
- a day 0/1 test on arrival, and
- spend seven days in self-isolation and
- a final negative COVID-19 test before entering the community
Travellers who aren’t fully vaccinated, but still permitted to enter New Zealand under the current border setting, will continue to enter MIQ upon arrival for seven days, followed by three days of home isolation. This requirement will also apply to travellers from Very High-Risk countries.
Follow us on social media for reminders as the border reopens
Eager to reunite with your family in New Zealand? Follow us on either Facebook or LinkedIn where we’ll post reminders about the phases of the border reopening. In the meantime, please do not hesitate to contact us if you need any immigration assistance.
- Published in Latest posts, New Zealand Immigration Advice, News