Cost of living in Auckland

Living in Auckland is expensive, but you have options.

Where do you want to live?

Inner city apartment

Pros Cons
Secure apartment buildings Mostly only 1-2 bedrooms
Walking distance to University/city centre Smaller than houses
May have gyms and other facilities No outside living
May be furnished Parking may cost extra
  Living close to neighbours

Suburban house

Pros Cons
More options: apartment/house Older houses can be cold/expensive to heat
Outside area (e.g. garden, lawn) You must take care of the outside area
Generally more space/bigger rooms Time/cost to get to the University
Free parking Not usually furnished

University accommodation

Halls of Residence

Pros Cons
Five locations available First-year students only
Mentoring and support services  
Secure buildings  
Car parking is extra but very reasonably
priced ($20-$30 per week)		  
Walk to University/city centre  
All have recreation and study spaces  
Bicycle parking  

For more information, see Halls of Residence

University flats/apartments

Pros Cons
Eight locations 5-20 minute walk to City Campus
More independent lifestyle Not all have lockable bike storage
Fully furnished  
Recreation space  
Car parking is extra but very reasonably priced
($20-$30 per week). 		 
Water, electricity, gas, heating and internet included  

For more information, see University flats/apartments

Want to share a house or flat?

Start searching early

If you plan to go flatting at the start of the University year (February), you need to start looking in November/December. By mid-January, hundreds of students are looking for rentals.To secure a flat, you may have to begin paying rent before the semester starts.

Upfront costs

You (and your flatmates) may have to pay:

  • Four weeks’ rent in advance
  • A bond (equal to no more than four week’s rent)
  • Letting fee (this can be equal to a week’s rent + GST)
  • Check whether your rent includes water charges

For example:

Medium-sized house sharing with two other people Large house sharing with four other people
Rent $500 per week Rent $1,000
You might have to pay in advance $4,575 You might have to pay in advance $9,150
That’s $1,525 each That’s $1,830 each
Your weekly rent $167 Your weekly rent $200
Maximum single person’s student allowance $210.13 a week after tax Maximum single person’s student allowance $210.13 a week after tax

Note: The closer you are to the City Campus, the more you will pay. Think about the suburbs and choosing somewhere close to public transport.
Tenancy Services is a government service. It has useful information about:

Living costs

We can help you work out what it might cost to live in Auckland.

Before you start, think about the essential costs

You should use this information as a guide only.

Necessities What you might pay each
week (Could be less if you are sharing.)
Electricity (light, heating) and gas $30 - $75
Mobile phone $5 - $20
Internet $20 - $30
Cleaning products, food basics, meat, fruit, vegetables $50 - $100
Insurance for household items and personal possessions   $10 - $25
Bus/train $30
University parking at City Campus $5 an hour, $25 all day
Car/motorbike/scooter $35 - $130

For more information:

Other costs

You also need to budget for other costs. Here are some examples, but your spending may differ.

Item What you might pay each week
Entertainment (one meal, one movie, one sports event per week) $50 - $100
Doctor’s visit $55 - $85 (per visit)
Dentist visit $150 - $500 (per visit)
Haircut $30 - $100 (per visit)
Student Rec Centre (one year $314) $7.65

Budgeting advice

First, read our advice on How to budget.
Then, use the budget worksheet to check your costs.
Studylink also has a great reality check calculator.