Cost of living

Clothing and footwear prices in New Zealand can vary greatly.

A number of global clothing brands, such as Zara, H&M, Topshop and Nike have stores in large cities. These complement many New Zealand-owned specialty and department stores.

Explore these popular shops to get an idea of prices:

Low-cost: The Warehouse, Cotton On, Number One Shoes

Medium cost: Farmers, Glassons, Hallenstein Brothers, Hannahs Shoes

High-cost: Cue, Marcs, Karen Walker, Mi Piaci

Renting or buying a house

Rent and house purchase prices vary widely depending on where you are in New Zealand, so find out the current rental prices. A popular place to start is online at Trade Me Property.

Residential property | Trade Me Property

Rates

Rates are the taxes levied by councils to help fund the work they do locally. They are based on the value of your property and charged to the home owner. If you are renting you will not have to pay this cost directly. You can find out what the rates are going to be on a property by looking on the council’s website.

Councils by region | localcouncils.govt.nz

Mortgages

You can find a list of mortgage, personal and business lenders on the privately operated website interest.co.nz.

Mortgage providers & rates | Interest.co.nz

Electricity

The energy website of New Zealand’s leading consumer organisation has a lot of information about energy providers and their charges.

Energy providers | Consumer Powerswitch

More information

Our housing pages have information about what you might expect to pay when buying or renting a home, apartment or room.

Housing in New Zealand

Most New Zealand rental properties are unfurnished, so whether you rent or buy you will need to purchase household items when you arrive in New Zealand.

Most of the large retailers have online stores where you can explore prices for common household items.

You can also purchase second-hand goods from Trade Me.

Useful links

• Harvey Norman
• Smith City
• The Warehouse
• Briscoes
• Trade Me Marketplace

New Zealand’s public health system is subsidised by the government, but there may be part-charges for services when private providers are involved.

You qualify for subsidised care if you are a citizen or resident or hold a work visa that is valid for two years or more from when you first arrive. If you meet these criteria, then your children aged 17 years or under will also be eligible for publicly funded healthcare.

If you are on a work visa that is for less than two years, you will need to pay for your healthcare as and when you need it. However, most costs of injuries from accidents are covered by our accident compensation scheme, called ACC.

Useful links

• Paying for healthcare services

Most people in New Zealand need a car for their daily travel. Many buy their cars second hand. Trade Me Motors can give you a good idea of what used cars cost here.

An annual expense involved with owning a car is the vehicle registration. Registration costs vary according to the car’s make and its age.

All cars also need to be tested for a Warrant of Fitness to ensure they are safe to drive. How often you need to have your car tested will depend on the age of the car, but for most cars it is an annual process.

If you choose a diesel engine car, you will also pay road user charges which are calculated per kilometre.

All New Zealand cities and most towns have buses and Auckland and Wellington both have city-suburban rail services. Many New Zealanders use buses and trains to get to and from work. Prices vary depending on the location.

Useful links

• Browse cars, bikes and boats | Trade Me
• Vehicle registration and licensing fees | NZ Transport Agency
• Getting a Warrant of Fitness | NZ Transport Agency
• Road user charges for diesel vehicles | NZ Transport Agency
• Petrol and diesel prices | Automobile Association (AA)

New Zealand is known as nature’s playground. There are a huge range of recreational activities on offer in New Zealand, from skiing to kitesurfing, rugby to tennis and swimming to horse-riding. It offers something for everyone and every budget.

While New Zealand is a young country, its diverse wealth of Māori culture, performing arts, literature, museums and art galleries provide opportunities for the lovers of arts and culture. It also has a strong festival culture celebrating local and international music, film, food and comedy. Some festivals are free to attend while others, such as the many musical festivals, will cost from $50 to $200.

Useful links

• Recreation in New Zealand

New Zealand has a range of educational choices, both public and private (fee paying), from preschool through to high school. Most public schools require a donation of around $50 to $250 per child a year, while there is a large variation in private school fees. Schools may also charge extra fees for activities throughout the school year. Stationary supplies are not covered by schools and can range from between $80 to $200 a year, per child. Some primary and many intermediate and secondary schools also require students to purchase a laptop or tablet.

Tertiary education also varies widely in cost, depending on the type of institution you study at and the course taken.

Useful links

• Education and schooling in New Zealand

Insurance costs

To get an idea of the costs of life, health, income and mortgage insurance, TradeMe has a site where you can source quotes from a range of providers.

Try an internet search for vehicle, house and contents insurance prices.

LifeDirect | Trade Me