These are the cheapest places to live in New Zealand

The West Coast is the cheapest place to live in New Zealand, whether you’re renting or buying a house. 

• The average rent is far lower than any other region, with three bedroom standalone houses renting for as little as $400 a week on Trade Me Property and one bedroom self-contained units starting at $250 to $300. 

• If you’re looking to buy, the West Coast is home to some of the cheapest houses in New Zealand - you’ll find properties for under $200,000 if you look hard enough. 

• In fact, the cheapest property sold in 2023 was in a West Coast town called Runanga - it went for just $57,000. 

The West Coast isn’t just the cheapest, it’s one of the most beautiful places in New Zealand with wild, windswept beaches, untouched glaciers and fabulous hiking. 

Southland is another of the cheapest places to live in New Zealand. The average rental property here costs $430 a week and the average home costs just over $500,000. Look a little closer and there are even cheaper regions in Southland, such as Taupere, which has a median house price of just $280,050, according to Opes Partners. 

Similar to the West Coast, Southland is also known for its natural beauty. There’s great surfing at the Catlins, the wild and wonderful Fiordland and of course, delicious Bluff oysters. 

Christchurch has the lowest cost of living of any major city in New Zealand by a large margin -  compared to Wellington and Auckland, this southern centre is a bargain. The average rent here is $550 a week, and if you’re looking to buy, the average one to two bedroom home goes for $528,550.

Auckland has some of the world’s least affordable property, with an average asking price on Trade Me Property of $1,225,950. Rent here is expensive too, averaging $660 per week - more than any region except the Bay of Plenty. 

But if you look a little closer you’ll find affordable suburbs in Auckland. 

For example, in Auckland central there are thousands of small apartments starting at around $300 per week for a one bedroom. Further away from the city centre the average three bedroom home goes for a bit more than $500 per week in areas like Tuakau, Waiuku, Pukekohe, Ōtara  and Rānui. 

There are even some cheap rentals going on the beachy, breezy North Shore - a three bedroom home averages around $600 a week in Beach Haven. 

Whether you fancy a nosy or you’re looking for somewhere to call home, you can use Trade Me Property to find the cheapest places to live in New Zealand (or an affordable home in the city of your choice). 

It’s easy - just visit Trademeproperty.co.nz choose for sale or for rent, pick a location and a price range and hit search.