Moving to New Zealand from Brazil
What to Expect
A comprehensive look at what changes when you move from Brazil to New Zealand — from daily expenses to quality of life.
If you moved from Brazil to New Zealand, you would find that New Zealand is 2.2 times more expensive than Brazil overall. A R$384,540 salary in Brazil would need to be roughly NZ$238,720 in New Zealand to maintain the same lifestyle, and you’d need to navigate life in English, Māori and New Zealand Sign Language. You’ll also switch from driving on the right to the left. Expect a noticeable climate shift — Wellington averages 62°F vs 80°F in Brasilia, making it significantly cooler.
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How your spending power changes when you relocate from Brazil to New Zealand.
What does your salary buy?
R$384,540 → NZ$238,720
To maintain the same standard of living in New Zealand
Calculate with your salary →The biggest cost differences at a glance
Restaurants
pay 2.2 times more
Groceries
pay 87.2% more
Transportation
pay 60.2% more
Housing
pay 2.8 times more
Childcare
pay 2.1 times more
Entertainment and Sports
pay 3.8 times more
Data: MyLifeElsewhere's crowdsourced cost of living database, with prices submitted and updated by users worldwide. Exchange rates are refreshed regularly from public sources.
Cost of living by city
Cost of living varies a lot by city. Each figure is a city's overall cost of living as a percentage of New York City (the priciest, = 100%).
On average, cities in New Zealand cost about 63% more than cities in Brazil.
Compare cities head-to-head
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Who Else Is Making This Move?
Real numbers on people moving from Brazil to New Zealand, and how the trend has changed.
people moved from Brazil to New Zealand · OECD (latest data available)
Who's moving to New Zealand?
Top countries of origin for New Zealand's foreign-born residents.
- 286,746
- 144,207
- 122,506
- 85,289
- 73,846
- 70,412
- · · ·
-
25.8,319
Brazil
Key Indicator Comparison
How Brazil and New Zealand stack up on safety, healthcare, jobs, and infrastructure.
Is it safe?
per 100,000 people per year
per 100,000 people per year
New Zealand performs significantly better than Brazil across all safety metrics.
How's the healthcare?
annual government + private spending per person
affects wait times and access to care
WHO index from 0–100 measuring essential service access
share of adults with obesity
per 100,000 people — a proxy for mental health support
Brazil generally does better on health & wellbeing, though New Zealand leads in doctors per 10,000 people.
What about the environment?
deaths attributable to air pollution per 100k people
tonnes of CO₂ emitted per person per year
Brazil generally does better on environment, though New Zealand leads in air pollution deaths.
Will I have good infrastructure?
fixed broadband subscriptions — key for remote work
higher means greater strain on freshwater supply
annual consumption — reflects grid capacity
share of households with internet
New Zealand generally does better on infrastructure, though Brazil leads in water stress level.
What are the job prospects?
percentage of the labour force without work
a broad measure of economic output per person
the highest marginal rate on personal income
New Zealand generally does better on employment & economy, though Brazil leads in top income tax rate.
Is it good for families?
average years of life at birth
deaths per 1,000 live births — lower is better
government spending on education as % of GDP
New Zealand generally does better on family life, though Brazil leads in education spending.
Data: Secretaria da Receita Federal do Brasil, The World Factbook, United Nations SDG Indicators, World Bank
What's the Climate Like?
Monthly averages — select a city to compare.
Avg. annual high / low
Avg. annual high / low
| Months | Brasilia | Wellington |
|---|---|---|
| Jan–Mar | 80°/63°F (27°/17°C) | 69°/58°F (21°/14°C) |
| Apr–Jun | 78°/59°F (26°/15°C) | 59°/49°F (15°/10°C) |
| Jul–Sep | 80°/58°F (27°/14°C) | 56°/46°F (13°/8°C) |
| Oct–Dec | 80°/64°F (27°/17°C) | 64°/53°F (18°/12°C) |
View all months
| Month | Brasilia | Wellington |
|---|---|---|
| Jan | 80°/63°F (26.9°/17.4°C) | 70°/58°F (21.2°/14.7°C) |
| Feb | 80°/63°F (26.7°/17.4°C) | 70°/59°F (21.3°/14.8°C) |
| Mar | 81°/64°F (27.1°/17.5°C) | 68°/56°F (19.8°/13.5°C) |
| Apr | 80°/62°F (26.6°/16.8°C) | 63°/53°F (17.4°/11.5°C) |
| May | 78°/59°F (25.7°/15.0°C) | 59°/49°F (15.2°/9.7°C) |
| Jun | 77°/56°F (25.2°/13.3°C) | 56°/46°F (13.1°/7.9°C) |
| Jul | 77°/55°F (25.1°/12.9°C) | 54°/44°F (12.3°/6.9°C) |
| Aug | 81°/58°F (27.3°/14.6°C) | 55°/45°F (12.9°/7.4°C) |
| Sep | 83°/61°F (28.3°/16.0°C) | 58°/48°F (14.5°/8.8°C) |
| Oct | 82°/63°F (27.5°/17.4°C) | 60°/50°F (15.8°/10.0°C) |
| Nov | 80°/64°F (26.6°/17.5°C) | 64°/53°F (17.5°/11.4°C) |
| Dec | 79°/64°F (26.2°/17.5°C) | 67°/56°F (19.6°/13.5°C) |
Data:
Instituto Nacional de Meteorologia,
New Zealand National Meteorological Service
Visitor Visa Requirements
Short-stay tourist visa rules between Brazil and New Zealand. To live, work, or study long-term in New Zealand, you'll need a separate residence or work visa — check New Zealand's immigration authority.
Brazil passport holder visiting New Zealand
Electronic Travel Authorisation
New Zealand passport holder visiting Brazil
Visa FreeData: Henley Passport Index. Check with the destination country's embassy for the most current requirements.
Frequently Asked Questions
Is it cheaper to live in New Zealand than Brazil?
Day-to-day costs in New Zealand run about 86% higher than Brazil on average; specific cities can swing further.
How much money do I need to move to New Zealand?
A safe rule of thumb is 3 months of local expenses plus relocation costs. On a R$384,540 comparable salary, that's around NZ$59,680 in New Zealand for everyday spending, before flights, shipping, a rental deposit, and visa fees.
Can I work remotely from New Zealand?
With 35.9 fixed broadband subscriptions per 100 people, New Zealand can support video calls in major cities. The hard part is paperwork — visa category, employer policy on overseas staff, and tax residency in Brazil and New Zealand.
Is New Zealand safe for expats?
New Zealand performs significantly better than Brazil across all safety metrics. The homicide rate in New Zealand is 1.1 per 100,000 people, compared to 20.6 in Brazil.
How is healthcare in New Zealand compared to Brazil?
Brazil generally does better on health & wellbeing, though New Zealand leads in doctors per 10,000 people. There are 35.7 doctors per 10,000 people in New Zealand, compared to 21.4 in Brazil. New Zealand scores 85 on the WHO universal health coverage index (Brazil: 80).
What's the weather like in New Zealand compared to Brazil?
The average high temperature in Wellington is 62°F, compared to 80°F in Brasilia. Wellington receives around 37.7 in of rainfall per year, while Brasilia gets 61.1 in.
What language do they speak in New Zealand?
The official languages in New Zealand are English, Māori and New Zealand Sign Language. In Brazil, the official language is Portuguese.
