Costs of living in Auckland, NEW ZEALAND


Rent - $330 a week

Food - $160 a week

Phone and Internet - $20 a week

Power - $25 a week

Transport - $80 a week

Mortgage of $520,000 @ 8% interest = monthly payments $4,000
This is for a 5 bedroom 100 year old villa in a provincial town within commuting distance to Auckland (Pukekohe) 20-25 minute drive to my work in South Auckland, much longer to Auckland CBD.

The above housing value probably looks high but is what you have to go to if you want to live in a decent area & home. Cheaper parts of Auckland itself are very differentiated by race and would be a no-go. Interest rates are falling so mortgage costs could fall short-term but NZ interest rates are always much higher than other western countries.

Food for 2 adults & 2 children = $350/week This is buying high quality ingredients - good quality meat, fresh fruit & vegetables, little processed food as we have a chef in the family.

Power = $250/month (plus $1000 per annum for wood heating)

Phone plus broadband internet = $100/month

Cable TV = $100/month

House & contents insurance = $80/month

Local rates & water = $2,000 per annum

Fuel = $1.62 per litre I have a vehicle as part of my salary package but to drive a decent vehicle and commute to South Auckland would cost $80.00 per week in fuel, plus insurance, registration, maintenance approx $2,000 per annum. Very little public transport available

State education is very poor, we used to pay $25,000 per annum to send our 2 boys to private school but are now homeschooling instead. State schools also charge "donations" which if you don't pay your kids will be persecuted for, this could cost $500 per year plus around the same for uniforms etc - per child.

Tertiary education is user-pays but there is a student loan scheme - most new graduates come out with a debt of $30K to $50K. Recent change in government means if you want your kids to get a tertiary education it will continue to cost you, as students do not get any government allowance.

State medical provision is excellent and cheap (kids free, adults $25 for a GP visit) you do not need medical insurance.

Dental provision is purely private and can be expensive.

Rent $290/wk 2 bedroom unit,

$50/wk food and groceries,

$350/yr healthcare (insurances)

water- $30/mo,

electricity-$50/mo,

car a low budget car for abt $4000.

Petrol $1.38/ltr,

insurance $800/yr,

rego $300/yr.

Bus/train is cheaper. Tho service is not too good, esp on weekends.

NZD 180 per week (room in 2 bedroom flat, my own bathroom, balcony)

Health insurance NZD 12 per week (doesn't include GP costs)

12 eggs approx. NZD 6

1 trim mild NZD 2.80

Take away food from NZD 7

1 piece of Sushi from NZD 1.30

1 glass Sauvignon Blanc from NZD 8

1 glass Cab Sav from NZD 9.50

mobile phone contracts from NZD 19.95 a month

bus fares from NZD 0.50

movie ticket NZD 15.00


Living in Auckland is definitely not cheap! Saving money is quite difficult...

Rent: $130 per week for a room in a 4 bedroom house shared with three others. It is in the Waitakeres, 20km west of Auckland central

Utilities: approx $30 per week. But we have had enormous power bills requiring extra as it's damp in the Waitakeres and we've had to run a dehumidifier almost constantly

Transport: approx $40 per week. A lot of driving to and from town; not so good when petrol costs high

Food: we pay $30 per week into a communal account, which covers some eating at home; but I also spend about $70 per week on food and coffee out.

rent: $400 for an average size 3 bed room house

Food: milk $4 for 2 litres
Mcdonalds $7 for a combo
Banana $3 a kilo
Average resteraunt meal for 1: $25-35

Movie ticket: $16

Rent: $450 per week for a 2 bedroom townhouse

Utilities: $200 per month for three people - Power (elect and gas), Phone, Water

Food: $150-200 per week for three people (household food not inclusive of eating out)

Healthcare - Doctor visit is approx $60, hospital care is free for public though for major operations better to use private. Health Insurance (basic) is about $65 per quarter.

Transport - petrol is anything from $1.40 to $1.8 per litre at the moment, bus fare about $1.70 per stage.

Dozen eggs $5-6, Milk $2.70 per litre

No mortgage or rent own my home Live Alone

Electricity - winter A whopping $168.84 for a month - house is all electric.

Petrol - $2.05. litre - green unleaded

Water - $124.44 for 90 days, previous bill $193

Sky TV - $61.71 per month, $12 pm for extra channels

Rates - $1,399.60 per annum - payable 5 instalments for 2 bedroom house, semi-detached, good area,

Cinema - $9.00 discount senior citizen

Telephone - $92-130 per month, varies according to toll calls. Includes telephone line, tolls and broadband unlimited.

Food - $60-120 varies, per week

Health - $57 GP visit $3 prescription discount for senior citizen

Health Insurance $147 per month covers surgery and specialist, , hospital

Restaurant $12.00 lunch $28-40 dinner, coffee $4.50 wine glass $7-9

No mortgage

- utilities approx $180 pm

- food $500 pm

- health care $30 (Normal - exceeded at present as have cancer)

- education - nil,

recreation - $50.

Motoring - $400.

We will spend more on recreation as we have caravan of often go away in it.

I just want to express my appreciation for everyone who has posted their budgets here, I am just in the process of figuring out whether to take a job and relocate to Auckland and this has proved very helpful! I have been working overseas, on boats, since 2005 so am very out of touch with the cost of everything - THANKYOU!!