Moving to New Zealand from Kuwait
What to Expect
A comprehensive look at what changes when you move from Kuwait to New Zealand — from daily expenses to quality of life.
If you moved from Kuwait to New Zealand, you would find that New Zealand is 2.1 times more expensive than Kuwait overall. A KWD23,224 salary in Kuwait would need to be roughly NZ$167,122 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 94°F in Kuwait City, making it significantly cooler.
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How your spending power changes when you relocate from Kuwait to New Zealand.
What does your salary buy?
KWD23,224 → NZ$167,122
To maintain the same standard of living in New Zealand
Calculate with your salary →The biggest cost differences at a glance
Restaurants
pay 3.2 times more
Groceries
pay 90.2% more
Transportation
pay 2.1 times more
Housing
pay 58.3% more
Childcare
pay 2.4 times more
Entertainment and Sports
pay 2.4 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.
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Who Else Is Making This Move?
Real numbers on people moving from Kuwait to New Zealand, and how the trend has changed.
people moved from Kuwait 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
Key Indicator Comparison
How Kuwait 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
Kuwait generally does better on safety, though New Zealand leads in road traffic deaths.
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
New Zealand generally does better on health & wellbeing, though Kuwait 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
New Zealand performs significantly better than Kuwait across all environment metrics.
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
Kuwait generally does better on infrastructure, though New Zealand leads in broadband per 100 people.
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
Kuwait performs better than New Zealand across all employment & economy metrics.
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 Kuwait leads in education spending.
Data: Ministry of Finance, Kuwait, 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 | Kuwait City | Wellington |
|---|---|---|
| Jan–Mar | 73°/51°F (23°/11°C) | 69°/58°F (21°/14°C) |
| Apr–Jun | 104°/76°F (40°/25°C) | 59°/49°F (15°/10°C) |
| Jul–Sep | 114°/84°F (46°/29°C) | 56°/46°F (13°/8°C) |
| Oct–Dec | 84°/60°F (29°/15°C) | 64°/53°F (18°/12°C) |
View all months
| Month | Kuwait City | Wellington |
|---|---|---|
| Jan | 67°/47°F (19.5°/8.5°C) | 70°/58°F (21.2°/14.7°C) |
| Feb | 71°/50°F (21.8°/10.0°C) | 70°/59°F (21.3°/14.8°C) |
| Mar | 80°/57°F (26.9°/14.0°C) | 68°/56°F (19.8°/13.5°C) |
| Apr | 93°/67°F (33.9°/19.5°C) | 63°/53°F (17.4°/11.5°C) |
| May | 106°/78°F (40.9°/25.4°C) | 59°/49°F (15.2°/9.7°C) |
| Jun | 114°/84°F (45.5°/28.9°C) | 56°/46°F (13.1°/7.9°C) |
| Jul | 116°/87°F (46.7°/30.7°C) | 54°/44°F (12.3°/6.9°C) |
| Aug | 116°/85°F (46.9°/29.5°C) | 55°/45°F (12.9°/7.4°C) |
| Sep | 111°/79°F (43.7°/26.2°C) | 58°/48°F (14.5°/8.8°C) |
| Oct | 98°/71°F (36.6°/21.5°C) | 60°/50°F (15.8°/10.0°C) |
| Nov | 82°/58°F (27.8°/14.5°C) | 64°/53°F (17.5°/11.4°C) |
| Dec | 71°/50°F (21.9°/9.9°C) | 67°/56°F (19.6°/13.5°C) |
Data:
Meteorological Department,
New Zealand National Meteorological Service
Visitor Visa Requirements
Short-stay tourist visa rules between Kuwait 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.
Kuwait passport holder visiting New Zealand
Electronic Travel Authorisation
New Zealand passport holder visiting Kuwait
Visa on ArrivalData: 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 Kuwait?
Day-to-day costs in New Zealand run about 28% higher than Kuwait 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 KWD23,224 comparable salary, that's around NZ$41,780 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 Kuwait and New Zealand.
Is New Zealand safe for expats?
Kuwait generally does better on safety, though New Zealand leads in road traffic deaths. The homicide rate in New Zealand is 1.1 per 100,000 people, compared to 0.2 in Kuwait.
How is healthcare in New Zealand compared to Kuwait?
New Zealand generally does better on health & wellbeing, though Kuwait leads in healthcare spending per person. There are 35.7 doctors per 10,000 people in New Zealand, compared to 22.9 in Kuwait. New Zealand scores 85 on the WHO universal health coverage index (Kuwait: 78).
What's the weather like in New Zealand compared to Kuwait?
The average high temperature in Wellington is 62°F, compared to 94°F in Kuwait City. Wellington receives around 37.7 in of rainfall per year, while Kuwait City gets 4.6 in.
What language do they speak in New Zealand?
The official languages in New Zealand are English, Māori and New Zealand Sign Language. In Kuwait, the official language is Arabic.
