How much is rent in NZ?

New Zealand’s median weekly rent is $620 as of September 2023, according to the Trademe Rental Price Index.

Major cities and tourist hotspots like Auckland, Wellington and the Bay of Plenty have higher median weekly median rents than the national median, whereas all other regions have lower median rents.

Auckland is home to New Zealand’s most expensive urban property market, with a median weekly rent of $670.

It is, of course, possible to find areas that are much cheaper. In fact, the median rent for urban houses in Auckland (townhouses, units and apartments) is $590, and the median rent for apartments is just $570. Generally speaking, rents for detached homes tend to be higher in the North Shore ($710 median rent), East Auckland and central suburbs like Grey Lynn and Herne Bay - but lower in suburbs in South and West Auckland such as Henderson, Massey and Otara.

Wellington has experienced a rental shortage in the last several years, which has caused its median weekly rent to reach $640 in September, 2023. Units and apartments are much cheaper, with median rents of just $495 and $570, respectively. 

Affluent central suburbs in Wellington tend to have higher median weekly rents, such as Te Aro, Mount Victoria and Thorndon. Locations further out of Wellington central tend to have lower rents such as Porirua, Upper Hutt and Tawa. 

Of New Zealand’s major cities, Christchurch has the lowest median rents — just $505 for urban properties and $550 for the wider Canterbury region.

Units and apartments in the Garden City are reasonably affordable, possibly due to the high levels of new development of smaller urban homes. The median unit price is just $430 per week, whereas apartments are $495.

If you’re looking for cheaper rent you’ll find it in Woolston and Christchurch central, whereas Fendalton is known for its leafy streets, large homes and high rental prices.