Cost of Living
Many migrants expect a cheaper cost of living in New Zealand than their home country, which is not necessarily the case. However, new migrants generally find that New Zealand offers a better balance between cost of living and lifestyle than they had back home.
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Housing in New Zealand is often found to be more reasonable than in many parts of Asia, Europe and North America. New Zealand produces a wide range of competitively priced consumer goods of a similar style and quality to those found overseas. The items we do need to import such as motor vehicles, electrical and computer equipment and petroleum products are priced similarly to or, in many cases, are cheaper than in other comparable countries. While bargains can be found during frequent retail sales, overall the cost of individual items doesn't vary markedly between regions. |
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Goods & Services Tax
New Zealand also has a goods and services tax (GST) of 12.5 percent. In most instances this is included in the price of goods and services and is not charged separately at the cash register.
Below is an approximate costing of what you may pay for various items (prices in $NZ as at 17 September 2008).
| Apples 1kg | 2.87 |
| Beer Local (12 pack 330ml) | 21.15 |
| Big Mac Burger | 4.45 |
| Bread (Sliced White 700g) | 3.79 |
| Bus Fare (Adult) | 3.10 |
| Butter (500g) | 4.99 |
| Carrots (1kg) | 1.99 |
| CD (New Release) | 35.00 |
| Cheese (500g) | 6.99 |
| Chicken Drumsticks (1kg) | 8.99 |
| Chocolate Block (340g) | 5.00 |
| Coca Cola (1.5L) | 2.49 |
| Coffee (Instant 100g) | 4.99 |
| Ground Beef (Prime 1kg) | 12.99 |
| Ice Cream (2L) | 5.48 |
| Milk (1L) | 2.33 |
| Movie Theatre Pass (Adult) | 15.00 |
| Newspaper | 2.20 |
| Pasta (Spaghetti Dry) | 2.18 |
| Petrol (1L Unleaded) | 2.00 |
| Sugar (1.5kg) | 2.48 |
| Taxi Fare (per km) | 2.00 |
| Toilet Paper (4 pack) | 2.39 |
| Toothbrush | 4.99 |
Source: New Zealand's Information Network and Immmigration NZ
