What Tier City is Auckland and Why It Matters for Living Standards

I recently came across a post comparing Auckland with second and third-tier cities in China. While I’ve never lived in a smaller Chinese city, I spent over 30 years in the bustling Pudong area of a first-tier city. Upon arriving in Auckland, I took my family to Mount Eden. My mother-in-law, looking around, remarked, “Isn’t this just a shantytown?” I explained that these houses are actually much larger and more valuable than they appear.

My personal experience tells me that it all comes down to one’s lifestyle. For instance, a colleague invited me to see a good movie. It had been a while since I last watched one, but the cinema was too far and required driving, making it quite a hassle. In Shanghai, I could easily walk to a nearby theater, enjoy a film at a reasonable price, and even grab a late-night snack after a midnight show.

When it comes to shopping, there’s no contest. In Shanghai, everything is readily available, and online shopping is fast and efficient. Here in New Zealand, while online shopping exists, the delivery times can be frustratingly slow.

In terms of dining out, I didn’t do it often in Shanghai, except when meeting friends or colleagues. There, the options were endless. In Auckland, the choices are more limited, and you frequently bump into familiar faces, which can be both comforting and confining. Let’s not even get into the price differences.

Transportation is another challenge. Without a car, getting around can be incredibly inconvenient, especially if your activities aren’t in busy areas. You often have to transfer, and sometimes buses are canceled. The bus fares here are also quite steep.

One of the best aspects for me is the relaxed learning environment for children. In China, there are tuition fees, whereas public schools in New Zealand are generally free. It feels like with a bit of effort, getting into university should be within reach.

However, the fixed expenses are significantly different. In China, our income covered the private primary school tuition for two children, which cost around 100,000 RMB. Our house was paid off, and we spent a bit more on cars and parking at the family company. My husband was an avid RV enthusiast and frequently visited racetracks, burning through tires and oil. We traveled extensively, almost every month abroad, and the children stayed in dormitories.

Here, the various costs associated with the house, such as property taxes, insurance, and deductibles, are hard to adjust to. In the first year, excluding the house purchase, we spent 200,000 NZD in just a few months. Reflecting on the past five or six years, the 3 million RMB reduction in our assets was likely spent in the first two years. The fixed expenses are just too high.

I’m also finding it challenging to adapt to the social environment. In Shanghai, my social circle was small, and everyone knew each other well, and we shared similar backgrounds. Now, I encounter a diverse range of people, and I tend to speak my mind, which can unintentionally offend others.

In summary, it’s difficult to say which place is better or worse. You can only determine which place is most suitable for you after living there. I haven’t found the perfect city yet, possibly due to economic factors.

Finding a definitive answer to this question on Xiaohongshu can be quite challenging, given that everyone’s living habits, preferences, and family backgrounds are uniquely diverse. After all, life is a journey spanning several decades, and accumulating a wealth of experiences along the way is certainly not a bad thing!