Queenstown at a glance
- Queenstown is the most expensive of New Zealand's 10 priced cities: $2,172 a month in essentials, 84% above Rotorua at $1,182.
- The average net salary of $3,178 covers that 1.5×.
- 106.6 men per 100 women aged 20–39, measured at territorial authority level.
- PM2.5 averages 1.7 µg/m³ a year, 0× the WHO guideline of 5.
Green is the better side of each figure. Every line is computed from the tables below.
Monthly cost breakdown
Rent outside centre plus utilities, groceries, dining and local transport make up the essentials figure. Not a full lifestyle budget. The middle column is the median across the 10 New Zealand cities we track, so every row says whether Queenstown is the cheap side of its own market or the dear one. Green is the better side of each row.
| Essentials, monthlyrent outside centre + bills + food + transit | $2,172 | $1,915 | $257 |
|---|---|---|---|
| Rent, 1-bed outside centremonthly, USD | $1,325 | $1,070 | $256 |
| Rent, 1-bed city centremonthly, USD | $1,556 | $1,252 | $304 |
| Groceriesmonthly, one person | $209 | $179 | $30 |
| Dining outmonthly, one person | $360 | $321 | $39 |
| Utilitiesmonthly: power, water, heating, internet | $152 | $208 | 1.37ร as much |
| Local transportmonthly pass or fare equivalent | $126 | $90 | 1.40ร as much |
| Average net salarymonthly, after tax; average, not median | $3,178 | $3,000 | $178 |
| Rent, 3-bed outside centremonthly, USD | $2,630 | $1,540 | 1.71ร as much |
| Rent, 3-bed city centremonthly, USD | $3,035 | $1,699 | 1.79ร as much |
Single person, USD. Data updated August 6, 2026.
Everyday prices
What single items cost in Queenstown, in USD. The monthly figures above are built from these. Cheaper side of each row in green.
Eating out
| Meal, inexpensive restaurant | $17.57 | $14.50 | $3.07 |
|---|---|---|---|
| Meal for 2, mid-range, three courses | $64.42 | $70.28 | $5.86 |
| McMeal at McDonald's | $9.37 | $9.84 | $0.47 |
| Cappuccino, regular | $3.37 | $3.43 | $0.06 |
| Domestic beer, 0.5 L draught | $7.03 | $7.03 | same |
| Imported beer, 0.33 L bottle | $7.03 | $6.75 | $0.29 |
| Coke/Pepsi, 0.33 L | $2.26 | $2.21 | $0.04 |
| Water, 0.33 L bottle | $2.14 | $1.94 | $0.21 |
Groceries
| Milk, 1 L | $1.90 | $1.90 | same |
|---|---|---|---|
| White bread, 500 g | $1.77 | $1.90 | $0.13 |
| White rice, 1 kg | $1.80 | $1.80 | same |
| Eggs, 12 | $5.84 | $6.04 | $0.20 |
| Local cheese, 1 kg | $8.13 | $8.05 | $0.08 |
| Chicken fillets, 1 kg | $10.37 | $9.86 | $0.51 |
| Apples, 1 kg | $3.08 | $3.02 | $0.06 |
| Bananas, 1 kg | $2.43 | $2.19 | $0.24 |
| Tomatoes, 1 kg | $5.64 | $5.46 | $0.17 |
| Potatoes, 1 kg | $3.61 | $2.04 | 1.77ร as much |
| Onions, 1 kg | $1.89 | $1.60 | $0.28 |
| Water, 1.5 L bottle | $2.00 | $1.18 | 1.69ร as much |
Transport & bills
| One-way ticket, local transport | $1.46 | $1.76 | $0.30 |
|---|---|---|---|
| Monthly transit pass | $125.92 | $95.75 | 1.32ร as much |
| Taxi start | $2.75 | $2.34 | $0.41 |
| Taxi, 1 km | $1.94 | $1.93 | $0.01 |
| Gasoline, 1 L | $1.72 | $1.73 | $0.01 |
| Basic utilities, 85 mยฒ flat | $98.25 | $158.37 | 1.61ร as much |
| Internet, 60 Mbps+ | $54.23 | $51.60 | $2.63 |
| Mobile plan, monthly | $28.70 | $28.70 | same |
Leisure
| Gym, monthly | $57.84 | $40.16 | 1.44ร as much |
|---|---|---|---|
| Cinema, one seat | $10.69 | $10.76 | $0.07 |
Dating-age sex ratio
Queenstown has 106.6 men per 100 women aged 20–39 (territorial authority level). That is the highest of the 10 New Zealand cities we track. New Zealand's national figure is 103.7, so Queenstown runs 3 above the country as a whole.
A supply figure, 20–39. The dating-pool model is in Pro.
How Queenstown ranks against every city we track
Queenstown sits ahead of 100% of the 898 cities we track on clean air. On safety it is ahead of 94% of 562. Its weakest measure is city-centre rent, ahead of only 15% of 553.
Longer is better on every row: bar length is where Queenstown sits among all the cities carrying that measure, which is why the count differs by row.
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Photo: Marek ลlusarczyk (Tupungato) Photo portfolio, CC BY 3.0.
