Affordable living in Palmerston North
Most people find Palmerston North an easy and affordable place to live. This page has guidelines to living costs in our city.
Accommodation in Palmerston North: relatively affordable
- Rental properties range from lower cost student accommodation to executive houses.
- Most rental properties are unfurnished.
- Most rent excludes electricity, phone etc.
Cost of buying a home in Palmerston North (2007)
Buying a property in Palmerston North is easy with many real estate offices and a good selection of properties available.
The average house price in Palmerston North in June 2007 was $301,000, making Palmerston North one of the cheapest cities in New Zealand.
| Palmerston North |
$301,000 |
| Auckland |
$490,000 |
| Wellington |
$438,000 |
| Christchurch |
$356,000 |
Cost of family rental properties in Palmerston North (2007)
| 2 bedroom |
$160 - $240 per week |
| 3 bedroom |
$250 - $400 per week |
| 4+ bedroom |
$300 - $500+ per week |
Shopping in Palmerston North
New Zealand prices can be affected by our geographical isolation and small population. Many migrants find the cost of living higher than expected.
This table gives you an idea of the cost of consumer goods in 2007.
| Washing machine (5kg top loader) |
$850+ |
| Big Mac |
$4.45 |
| Television (Sony 40” LCD) |
$2,999 |
| Movie Ticket |
$8 |
| Round of Golf (casual 18 holes) |
$20 - $100 |
| Cappuccino / Latte |
$3.50 |
| Pair of Jeans |
$80 - $200 |
| Car Insurance (for a male mid thirties, no claims, average car) |
$350 per annum |
| Litre of Petrol |
$1.55 |
| Ford Focus (New, 1.6L, 5 sp manual) |
$26,990 |
| Beer (dozen cans) |
$15 - $20 |
| Bottle of Wine |
$10+ |
| Milk (2 litre) |
$3.80 |
| Loaf of bread (white sandwich) |
$1.90 |
| Average weekly living expenses per household, 2004 |
$888 |
New Zealand in profile 2007: people, economy and environment (Statistics NZ) (external website)
Interest rates for financing your car purchase may be significantly higher than in your home country.
Some popular online shopping sites
Groceries: Woolworths (external website)
Clothing & housewares: EziBuy , Palmerston North (external website)
Electronics and computers: Dick Smith Electronics (external website)
Used cars: research cars for sale on Autotrader (external website)
Used cars: check before you buy, with AA (external website)
University and college education in Palmerston North: an amazing bargain
Many migrants find tertiary education in New Zealand an amazing bargain – you can get a world class education at a cost that is very affordable by international standards. Palmerston North offers an excellent range of tertiary education opportunities to suit all kinds of people.