Cost
of Living in New Zealand
The
cost of living varies depending on where you live in
New Zealand. The New Zealand Immigration Service advises
prospective migrants the average cost per week including
dining out, rent or home ownership (mortgages etc),
running and equipping the home, clothing and footwear
and transport and travel would be in the vicinity of
NZ$450.00. However, we believe these figures to be on
the conservative side particularly for Auckland residents.
Auckland
is the most expensive city in New Zealand in which to
live, particularly for housing. However, Auckland salaries
tend to be higher. The further South, the less expensive
the cost of living becomes.
Groceries
For a family of four, weekly grocery spending would
be approximately $150.00 per week. The four major grocery
chains, Foodtown, Big Fresh, Woolworths and New World
are competitive.
Below
is an indication of what you may pay for various items.
(Prices for October 1998)
|
Milk
(2 litres)
|
$2.20
|
Butter
|
$2.25
|
|
Margarine
|
$2.25
|
Eggs
(1 doz)
|
$2.20
|
|
Cheese
(250 gm)
|
$3.35
|
Bread
(1 loaf)
|
$2.20
|
|
Cereal
|
$3.98
|
Pasta
|
$2.35
|
|
Marmalade
(500 gm)
|
$2.20
|
|
|
|
Jam
(500 gm)
|
$2.20
|
|
|
|
Coffee
(instant 100 gm)
|
$4.91
|
Coffee
beans (kg)
|
$37.00
|
|
Tea
Bags
|
$3.20
|
Biscuits
(pkt)
|
$2.20
|
|
Rice
(kg)
|
$1.80
|
|
|
|
|
Tissues
|
$2.00
|
Toilet
Paper (pk of 4)
|
$3.15
|
|
Dishwashing
Liquid
|
$1.98
|
Washing
Powder
|
$3.49
|
|
Canned
foods
|
|
Tomato
Sauce (580 gm)
|
$2.00
|
Baked
Beans (425gm)
|
$2.00
|
|
Spaghetti
(300 gm)
|
$1.12
|
Salmon
(210gm)
|
$2.60
|
|
Toiletries
|
|
Toothpaste
|
$2.20
|
Soap
(one)
|
$0.70
|
|
Deodorant
|
$3.50
|
Shampoo
|
$4.99
|
|
Staple
foods
|
|
Sugar
1.5 kg
|
$1.96
|
Flour
|
$1.80
|
|
Meat
and Poultry
|
|
Ground
tenderbeef (500gm)
|
$5.00
|
Sirloin
Steak ( 500gm)
|
$8.00
|
|
Chicken
Drumsticks (6)
|
$5.50
|
Chicken
breasts (500gm)
|
$10.00
|
|
Sausages
|
$3.00
|
Snapper
(500gm)
|
$13.00
|
|
|
|
|
|
Fruit
and Vegetables
|
|
Potatoes
(1 kg)
|
$1.65
|
Carrots
(1 kg)
|
$1.23
|
|
Broccoli
head
|
$1.30
|
Mushrooms
(250 gm)
|
$3.00
|
|
Tomatoes
1 kg)
|
$4.50
|
Frozen
Peas (1 kg)
|
$2.00
|
|
Oranges
(1 kg)
|
$3.50
|
Apples
(1 kg)
|
$1.50
|
|
Bananas
(1 kg)
|
$2.20
|
|
Motor
Vehicles
A wide range of motor vehicles are available and prices
vary depending on the make, year and mileage. Vehicles
can be purchased from Motor Vehicle Dealers, Auctions
or privately.
Japanese
Imports are popular and affordable. A reliable family
car can be purchased for as little as NZ$5,000. New
cars range from $20,000 upwards depending on the make.
Late model and second hand European cars such as Puegeot,
Mercedes Benz, Porsche, Jaguar, BMW Alfa Romeo etc range
from $30,000 depending on the make and year.
Banks
New
Zealand's economic development has attracted large amounts
of foreign investments in recent years. Our banks are
on the forefront of new technologies, with all offering
Internet banking, some of them since 1997. You will
find links to most of our banks and a number of financial
services firms below.
