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New migrants generally find that New Zealand
offers a better balance between cost of living and lifestyle than they
had before.
Housing in New Zealand is often found to be more reasonable
than in many parts of Asia, Europe and North America.
New Zealand produces a wide range of competitively priced
consumer goods of a similar style and quality to those found overseas.
The items we do need to import such as motor vehicles,
electrical and computer equipment and petroleum products are priced similarly
to or, in many cases, are cheaper than in other comparable countries.
While bargains can be found during frequent retail sales,
overall the cost of individual items doesn’t vary markedly between
regions.
New Zealand also has a goods and services tax (GST)
of 12.5 percent. In most instances this is included in the price of goods
and services and is not charged separately at the cash register.
To give you an idea of the standard cost of consumer
items in New Zealand, here are some examples in New Zealand dollars.
Washing machine
5kg electronic
NZ$600
Big Mac
NZ$4.45
Television
Sony – 29” SW29
NZ$800
Movie ticket
NZ$15
Golf: Round of golf
18 holes
NZ$20-100
Cup of coffee
Cappuccino / Latte
NZ$3 - $3.50 (regular size)
NZ$4 - $4.50 (bowl size)
Pair of Jeans Pair of jeans
NZ$80-200
Car Ford Focus
1.6L, 5 speed manual,
5 door hatch
NZ$26,990
Car insurance
NZ$350/year
Litre of petrol
NZ $1.55
(Prices fluctuate)
Source: New
Zealand Immigration Service, accessed April 2006
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