Living in New Zealand – What To Expect

Want to know what living in New Zealand is really like?! In this blog post, I’ll give you the lowdown on how to get a work visa for New Zealand, how to rent in New Zealand, and how expensive it really is to live in New Zealand.

In September 2017, myself and Paul packed our bags to relocate from Ireland far far away to the land of looming green mountains, crystal clear lakes, or “middle-earth” as it’s commonly called. We lived in this amazing country for four years and have the best memories. We lived in both the North and South Island, rented 4 different apartments, traveled the whole country and, worked a couple of different jobs between us. So, I guess you could say we really experienced New Zealand while living here.

Which is why, I’ve filled this blog with facts I wish I had known before moving to New Zealand. And I hope it will help you out, too!

Our experience moving to New Zealand

New Zealand actually wasn’t our first choice – okay, it wasn’t MY first choice. I really wanted to move to Capetown, South Africa. It was to be somewhere different a bit “off-the-wall” as my mother told me. But getting a work visa for South Africa is a bit of a nightmare. Basically, after speaking with an immigration lawyer we were told it could take up to eight months for us to be approved by the South African government, even with a job offer.

So, alas it was not to be. We told ourselves we will get there one day but, we were itching to leave again! So, Plan B rolled into place.

New Zealand was Paul’s first choice and, so it was decided. Getting a work visa for New Zealand is pretty simple – you fill out a short online form with Immigration New Zealand, pay the $455 NZD fee, and wait.

We waited just a few days for the work visa to come through to my email. It’s a hell of a lot easier and less time-consuming than our work visa for Vancouver, Canada. Some of you may already know that Paul was waiting a long time for his Canadian visa –  if you don’t well, that’s a story for another day.

Is New Zealand a good place to live?

New Zealand is arguably one of the most beautiful countries in the world – think jagged snowcapped peaks and wild beaches. Not only is New Zealand home to the adventure capital of the world (Queenstown) but it’s actual capital city Wellington is one of the coolest cities I’ve visited.

Plus, New Zealand is one of the safest countries in the world – it’s actually currently in the top 10 safest countries in the world.

But life in New Zealand is more than just how gorgeous it is. The pace of life here is slower and the work/life balance in New Zealand is better than most other countries. Yup, New Zealanders have a fantastic work-life balance with a minimum of 20 paid annual leave days and 10 paid sick days a year. If you’re a new mother, you can take up to 26 weeks of paid primary carer leave. And in addition to the above, the average work week in New Zealand is 38-40 hours!

The crime rate in New Zealand is low and overall it’s a very safe place to live. New Zealand is consistently ranked as one of the safest countries in the world to live in!

And once you’re a permanent resident or citizen you’re eligible for free public healthcare!

Is it expensive to live in New Zealand?

I’ll be honest with you, New Zealand is a notoriously expensive country to live in. My estimation is that start-up costs to move to New Zealand will cost you approx. $4,000 NZD. This includes your first month’s rent and your rental deposit (usually one month’s rent) as well as other smaller expenses.

Rent is of course going to be your biggest expense when living in New Zealand. Especially if you plan on living in one of the popular cities like Auckland, Wellington, or Queenstown, you can expect to pay around $600 NZD per week for a two-bedroom property. 

In New Zealand, a weekly food shop for two cost us around $200 NZD per week. Add on electricity and other bills like WiFi (both of which are quite reasonable), and my best estimate is that each person would need to earn $600 NZD per week to live comfortably in New Zealand!

What salary do you need to live comfortably in New Zealand?

The average salary in New Zealand is around $65,000 NZD which sounds like a lot. But, you likely won’t achieve this number until you’ve been working here a few years. As a newbie to the country, you will earn around the minimum wage of $23.15 NZD per hour. Which is enough to survive in New Zealand but not live comfortably if that makes sense.

For example, when I lived in Queenstown I earned around $30 NZD per hour working in a luxury hotel and this was sufficient to live comfortably in Queenstown.

How to get a work visa for New Zealand?

Unless you’re an Australian citizen/ permanent resident or one of your parents was born in New Zealand, you will likely need to obtain either a working holiday visa or a work visa to live and work in New Zealand.

I’ve listed the most common work visas for New Zealand below:

• Working Holiday Visa – Working holiday visas to New Zealand are available if you’re in the 18-30 age bracket, but 18-35 in a select few countries. They let you travel and work in New Zealand for up to 12 months, or 23 months if you’re from the UK or Canada. You need to have a return ticket, or enough money to pay for one, and be coming mainly to holiday, with work being a secondary intention. The Working Holiday Visa to New Zealand is probably the least difficult and least time-consuming visa of all the work visas to New Zealand.

• Accredited Employer Work Visa – To avail of the Accredited Employer Work Visa you will need to have a job offer from a pre-approved New Zealand employer who can provide you with over 30 hours per week of work. Your employer will sponsor your application and the process takes around 15 weeks.

• Post-study Work Visa: If you’ve recently graduated from a New Zealand university you can apply for this visa. It’s so that you can gain work experience. It lasts for up to 3 years.

• Recognized Seasonal Employer Limited Visa can be given by accredited seasonal employers in industries like agriculture, horticulture, and viticulture. Typically this visa is only given to people from Pacific Nations.

• Specific Purpose Work Visa is for those with specific skills and qualifications needed for a short-term project or event.

READ HERE: For more detailed information on how to apply for a visa for New Zealand 

What is the quality of life like in New Zealand?

Overall the quality of life in New Zealand is great, as I explained above, the work/life balance in New Zealand is decent with the average working week here between 38 – 40 hours. Plus, most employers offer 20 days of annual leave – and 10 days of sick leave. If you’re a new mother, you can take up to 26 weeks of paid primary carer leave.

And the average salary in New Zealand is $65,000 NZD – this means that most people in New Zealand can afford a few vacations a year.

Pros of living in New Zealand:

• It’s safe – New Zealand is one of the safest countries in the world to live in, gun crime is pretty non-existent here and there aren’t many dangerous animals here (unlike in Australia next door)

• Brilliant work/life balance – As I said, the average working week here is between 38 – 40 hours. And, most employers offer 20 days of annual leave – and 10 days of sick leave.

• High salary – The average salary here is $65,000 NZD per annum which is great! And the minimum wage in New Zealand is a decent $23.15 NZD per hour.

• It’s insanely beautiful – New Zealand is known as one of the most beautiful countries in the world, think jagged snowcapped peaks and wild beaches.

Cons of living in New Zealand:

• Difficult to get a work visa – If you’re not eligible for a Working Holiday Visa then it can be difficult to get one of the other work visas.

• It’s expensive – If you don’t have a well-paying job it can be hard to survive in New Zealand as the cost of living here is high. Rent is the highest cost.

• It’s far away from the rest of the world – Thus, flight prices can be high to the rest of the world, so keep that in mind.

Is it easy to rent in New Zealand?

The rental market in New Zealand is struggling to meet the demand. Especially in places like Auckland, Wellington and, Queenstown. Thus, you need to prepare yourself that you may need to stay in a hostel or short-term apartment for a couple of weeks when you first arrive. As rentals are hard to come by.

My top tips are to sign up with letting agents like Harcourts and LJ Hooker early so that you get notified early of any rental properties. Other good places to search for a place to rent in New Zealand are on Realestate.co.nz and Trademe

Because the competition is fierce, be sure to come prepared for a rental viewing in New Zealand. The documents you should have at every rental viewing include:

• A form of I.D like your driver’s license or passport
• References from past landlords
• A current work reference
• A current payslip or bank statement that shows your income

The best cities to live in New Zealand

Wellington

Wellington is the capital city of New Zealand, nicknamed ‘Windy Wellington’ because it’s open to the elements this quirky city is my favorite city in New Zealand. If you love coffee, you’ll feel right at home here as it’s where the Flat White was invented. My favorite things to do in Wellington include wandering down colorful Cuba Street, catching the cable car, and visiting the Te Papa museum.

The average rent in Wellington is $579 NZD per week for a two-bedroom property and the best areas to live in Wellington include Miramar, Oriental Bay, and Pukerua Bay.

Auckland

Auckland is the biggest city in New Zealand with a population of over 5 million. It’s also where you’ll likely land when you first arrive in the country as it’s home to New Zealand’s biggest and busiest airport. Auckland is known for being one of the safest cities in the world and the downtown area is also very walkable. The climate here is very mild, and the winters never get too cold.

The average weekly rent in Auckland sits at around $624 NZD per week.

Queenstown

Queenstown is stunningly beautiful! And thankfully it’s a great place to live as an expat. We lived in Queenstown for over two years here and had the best time! However, because it’s a resort town – finding a place to live here can be a challenge as Airbnb has taken over the long-term rental market.

For example, you’re looking at paying around $500 NZD per week for a one-bedroom apartment in or close to the CBD and around $900 NZD for a two-bedroom apartment in the CBD. If you go further afield to Shotover Country/ Lake Hayes (a 20-minute drive from town), average rental prices for a one-bedroom decrease to about $400 NZD per week. Or, you can rent a room from about $250 – 300 NZD per week!

If you plan to move to Queenstown, we recommend first joining local Facebook groups to get a ‘feel for the town’ – these groups are also great for finding jobs or rooms to rent. Facebook groups I recommend include –

• Queenstown Trading
• For Rent in Queenstown, New Zealand
• Queenstown Houses to Rent

Christchurch

Located on the South Island, Christchurch is the second biggest city in New Zealand with a population of around 400,000. It’s one of the most affordable cities to rent or buy a house in the country, with median rent in Christchurch sitting at $540 NZD per week. The best areas to live in Christchurch include the CBD area, Merivale, and Findleton.

My favorite things to do in Christchurch include wandering through the Botanic Gardens, visiting the Earthquake Memorial, and enjoying the views from the Christchurch Gondola.

Rotorua

Rotorua with a population of 78,000 is a small, friendly city that’s famous for its geothermal activity and Maori culture. Some of the best things to do in Rotorua include a visit to Te Puia, which is one of only two geyser fields in the world, and relaxing at the famous Polynesian Spa. The average weekly rent in Rotorua is $585 NZD.

Bay of Islands

If it’s a beachy lifestyle you’re after look no further than the Bay of Islands in the winterless far north. As you can guess, this region enjoys some of the best weather in New Zealand, and the winters here are very mild. The Bay of Islands is home to stunning beaches and a relaxed way of life. We lived in nearby Kerikeri for over a year and really loved our time there.

The best things to do in the Northland region include visiting the historic Waitangi Treaty Grounds (it’s a super important site to the native Maoris) and catching a boat tour out to the hole in the rock. As for the average rent in the Bay of Islands expect to pay around $550 NZD per week.

Finding a job in New Zealand

Depending on the type of work you do, it should be fairly easy to get a job in New Zealand. You will find it easier to get a job in bigger cities like Auckland, Wellington, and Christchurch but you may need to start ‘at the bottom’ as employers here favor local experience. While in ‘tourist’ cities like Queenstown many people change careers to work in the tourism industry (hotels, restaurants) as there aren’t many other industries based here.

A good idea is to sign up with a recruitment agency like Adecco or Beyond Recruitment when you arrive in the country.

Some good websites to search for a job in New Zealand, include –

• Seek
• Indeed
• Trade Me Jobs

Insights into our daily life in New Zealand

Life here is slow, and I feel more at home here than “city boy” Paul. We have a little house in Kerikeri in the Bay of Islands with a wraparound deck and a garden filled with orange and lemon trees. We can drive 10 minutes to the beach or walk to the rivers and waterfalls in town. It’s different for sure, especially since our last home was in the adrenalin-packed Whistler, but it’s good different.

We are saving money (rent is cheap here in Kerikeri) and earning decent wages and so we’re already planning lots of travel.

Fiji, Samoa, Tonga and Hawaii have all been added to the list and all are a reasonable and short flight from here. Also, we were very excited to find out that internal flights in New Zealand are very cheap (a lot different to Whistler, Canada, where we lived previously)

We highly recommend living in New Zealand!

For anyone thinking of living in New Zealand – I say DO IT (x100). The working holiday visa (if you’re eligible) is easy and quick to obtain, the country is beyond stunning, the people are so warm and welcoming and a little similar to the Irish if I’m honest.

My attitude is – life is short, the world is big so explore it while you can. I don’t think anyone can say that we haven’t lived our lives. Yes, moving to a new country can be scary and daunting especially if you’re doing it alone but I promise the benefits once you do it far outweigh these fears.

Tell me – what do you think of my advice on living in New Zealand? Let me know in the comments below.

Why not, read next –

48 Hours in Queenstown (A Fun Two-Day Queenstown Itinerary)

12 Best Cafes on the South Island 

Best Cafes on the North Island

12 Things You Must Know Before Renting a Car in New Zealand

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Last Updated on January 15, 2025 by snaphappytravel