New migrants generally find that New Zealand offers a better balance between cost of living and lifestyle than they had before.

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.

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.

The cost of living varies depending on where you choose to live in New Zealand. Auckland is a more expensive city in which to live but it seems that the further South you travel the less expensive the cost of living becomes. Housing may cost more in Auckland than it does in Dunedin but the average employment wage in Auckland will be a lot higher than in Dunedin, so living costs tend to 'balance out', wherever you choose to reside.

Items	Price(NZ$)
Apples 1kg	1.89
Beer Local (12 pack 330ml)	17.49
Big Mac Burger	4.45
Bread (Sliced White 700g)	1.75
Bus Fare (Adult)	3.10
Butter (500g)	2.20
Carrots 1kg	1.99
CD (New Release)	35.00
Cheese (500g)	5.79
Chicken Drumsticks (1kg)	8.99
Chocolate Block (150g)	3.45
Coca Cola (1.5L)	2.00
Coffee (Instant 100g)	3.99
Ground Beef (Prime 1kg)	9.99
Ice Cream (3 L)	3.70
Milk (1 L)	1.80
Movie Theatre Pass (Adult)	12.00
Newspaper	1.80
Pasta (Spaghetti Dry)	1.85
Petrol (1 L Unleaded)	1.61
Sugar (1.5 kg)	2.19
Taxi Fare (per km)	1.90
Toilet Paper (4 pack)	3.30
Toothbrush	2.99