Moving to New Zealand from Ireland
What to Expect
Considering a move from Ireland to New Zealand? Here's how the two compare on cost, climate, safety, and more.
If you moved from Ireland to New Zealand, you would find that New Zealand is 9.4% cheaper than Ireland overall. A €65,577 salary in Ireland would need to be roughly NZ$96,511 in New Zealand to maintain the same lifestyle.
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A breakdown of how everyday costs differ between Ireland and New Zealand.
What does your salary buy?
€65,577 → NZ$96,511
To maintain the same standard of living in New Zealand
Calculate with your salary →How key spending categories compare
Restaurants
pay 13.0% less
Groceries
pay 0.3% more
Transportation
pay 30.1% less
Housing
pay 31.0% less
Childcare
pay 25.4% more
Entertainment and Sports
pay 14.1% less
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 31% less than cities in Ireland.
Compare cities head-to-head
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Who Else Is Making This Move?
What the data shows about people moving from Ireland to New Zealand.
people moved from Ireland 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
- · · ·
-
20.11,361
Ireland
Key Indicator Comparison
The numbers behind daily life in New Zealand compared to Ireland.
Is it safe?
per 100,000 people per year
per 100,000 people per year
Ireland performs better than New Zealand 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
Ireland generally does better on health & wellbeing, though New Zealand leads in healthcare spending per person.
What about the environment?
deaths attributable to air pollution per 100k people
tonnes of CO₂ emitted per person per year
Ireland 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 performs significantly better than Ireland across all infrastructure metrics.
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 Ireland leads in gdp per capita.
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 performs significantly better than Ireland across all family life metrics.
Data: The Office of the Revenue Commissioners, 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 | Dublin | Wellington |
|---|---|---|
| Jan–Mar | 49°/37°F (10°/3°C) | 69°/58°F (21°/14°C) |
| Apr–Jun | 59°/44°F (15°/7°C) | 59°/49°F (15°/10°C) |
| Jul–Sep | 66°/52°F (19°/11°C) | 56°/46°F (13°/8°C) |
| Oct–Dec | 51°/41°F (11°/5°C) | 64°/53°F (18°/12°C) |
View all months
| Month | Dublin | Wellington |
|---|---|---|
| Jan | 47°/36°F (8.1°/2.4°C) | 70°/58°F (21.2°/14.7°C) |
| Feb | 47°/36°F (8.3°/2.3°C) | 70°/59°F (21.3°/14.8°C) |
| Mar | 54°/38°F (12.1°/3.4°C) | 68°/56°F (19.8°/13.5°C) |
| Apr | 54°/40°F (12.1°/4.6°C) | 63°/53°F (17.4°/11.5°C) |
| May | 59°/44°F (14.8°/6.9°C) | 59°/49°F (15.2°/9.7°C) |
| Jun | 64°/49°F (17.6°/9.6°C) | 56°/46°F (13.1°/7.9°C) |
| Jul | 67°/53°F (19.5°/11.7°C) | 54°/44°F (12.3°/6.9°C) |
| Aug | 67°/53°F (19.2°/11.5°C) | 55°/45°F (12.9°/7.4°C) |
| Sep | 63°/50°F (17.0°/9.8°C) | 58°/48°F (14.5°/8.8°C) |
| Oct | 56°/45°F (13.6°/7.3°C) | 60°/50°F (15.8°/10.0°C) |
| Nov | 51°/40°F (10.3°/4.5°C) | 64°/53°F (17.5°/11.4°C) |
| Dec | 47°/37°F (8.3°/2.8°C) | 67°/56°F (19.6°/13.5°C) |
Data:
Met Éireann, The Irish Meteorological Service,
New Zealand National Meteorological Service
Visitor Visa Requirements
Short-stay tourist visa rules between Ireland 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.
Ireland passport holder visiting New Zealand
Electronic Travel Authorisation
New Zealand passport holder visiting Ireland
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 Ireland?
On average New Zealand is about 25% less expensive than Ireland, with major cities narrowing the gap.
How much money do I need to move to New Zealand?
Budget about NZ$24,128 for 3 months in New Zealand (based on a €65,577 comparable annual salary), then add the one-off costs: flights, shipping, a rental deposit, and visa fees.
Can I work remotely from New Zealand?
Connectivity is usually fine (New Zealand: 35.9 fixed broadband per 100). What actually decides it is legal: does New Zealand offer a digital nomad visa, will your employer permit overseas work, and where are you tax-resident?
Is New Zealand safe for expats?
Ireland performs better than New Zealand across all safety metrics. The homicide rate in New Zealand is 1.1 per 100,000 people, compared to 0.9 in Ireland.
How is healthcare in New Zealand compared to Ireland?
Ireland generally does better on health & wellbeing, though New Zealand leads in healthcare spending per person. There are 35.7 doctors per 10,000 people in New Zealand, compared to 40.6 in Ireland. New Zealand scores 85 on the WHO universal health coverage index (Ireland: 83).
What's the weather like in New Zealand compared to Ireland?
The average high temperature in Wellington is 62°F, compared to 56°F in Dublin. Wellington receives around 37.7 in of rainfall per year, while Dublin gets 29.8 in.
What language do they speak in New Zealand?
The official languages in New Zealand are English, Māori and New Zealand Sign Language. In Ireland, the official languages are English and Irish.
