Cost of Living for a Family of Four in New Zealand: First Year Budget Guide
Taking a family of four in Auckland as an example, for a family of three, the cost can be appropriately reduced by about 10%. Of course, the level of spending is up to personal preference, and the following data is for reference only. (Unit: New Zealand Dollar NZD)
🚗 Initial Expenses
Car purchase (7-seater used Japanese hybrid car): 14,000
👉 Japanese hybrid cars are very popular in New Zealand due to their fuel efficiency and low maintenance costs. Some friends have bought decent used cars for 6,000, and most of the time, a 5-seater model can be purchased for under 10,000.
Settling-in expenses (furniture and appliances, mainly second-hand): 3,000
Car insurance: 1,200
🏠 Living & Daily Life
Rent: 650 × 52 weeks = 33,800
👉 For a 3-bedroom standalone house in the central area, the price ranges from 650 to 750, with slightly lower prices in other areas.
Water, electricity, and internet: 250 × 12 months = 3,000
Daily purchases (mainly food): 250 × 52 weeks = 13,000
Phone bills (three SIM cards): 800
Insurance (Auckland family health insurance plan): 2,100
Daily commuting fuel: 25 × 52 weeks = 1,300
👨👩👧👦 Child-related expenses, approximately 4,000
👉 This includes school uniforms, extracurricular activities, donations, and hobby classes (one per person).
🎉 Leisure and Entertainment Expenses
Weekend family activities: approximately 1,000
👉 This includes small trips to museums, the seaside, parks, zoos, etc., excluding long-distance travel.
Eating out: approximately 1,000
👉 Tried a few Chinese restaurants when first arrived, but mostly ate at home afterwards, occasionally changing the taste.
👕 Other daily expenses
Clothing, daily necessities, etc., vary from person to person, and are not detailed here.
💰 Total Costs
Total: 78,200 NZD
Converted to RMB (exchange rate calculated at 4.2) approximately 328,400 RMB
✈️ If considering returning to China once a year…
Round-trip tickets for four: approximately 7,000 RMB × 4 = 28,000 RMB
(Airfare prices fluctuate, for reference only)
Total including airfare: approximately 356,400 RMB
