Moving to Florida from New Zealand
What to Expect
Considering a move from New Zealand to Florida? Here's how the two compare on cost, climate, safety, and more.
If you moved from New Zealand to Florida, you would find that Florida is 23.7% more expensive than New Zealand overall. A NZ$130,152 salary in New Zealand would need to be roughly $89,402 in Florida to maintain the same lifestyle. You’ll also switch from driving on the left to the right. Expect a noticeable climate shift — Tallahassee averages 80°F vs 62°F in Wellington, making it significantly warmer.
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A breakdown of how everyday costs differ between New Zealand and Florida.
What does your salary buy?
NZ$130,152 → $89,402
To maintain the same standard of living in Florida
Calculate with your salary →How key spending categories compare
Restaurants
pay 24.2% more
Groceries
pay 39.0% more
Transportation
pay 11.8% less
Housing
pay 72.5% more
Childcare
pay 45.6% more
Entertainment and Sports
pay 3.9% 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 Florida cost about 45% more than cities in New Zealand.
Compare cities head-to-head
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Who Else Is Making This Move?
What the data shows about people moving from New Zealand to Florida.
people moved from New Zealand to United States · OECD (latest data available)
Who's moving to United States?
Top countries of origin for United States's foreign-born residents.
- 10,853,105
- 2,723,764
- 2,184,110
- 2,061,178
- 1,829,251
- 1,410,659
- · · ·
-
93.49,640
New Zealand
Key Indicator Comparison
The numbers behind daily life in Florida compared to New Zealand.
How's the healthcare?
share of adults with obesity
New Zealand performs better than Florida across all health & wellbeing metrics.
Will I have good infrastructure?
share of households with internet
New Zealand performs better than Florida across all infrastructure metrics.
What are the job prospects?
percentage of the labour force without work
a broad measure of economic output per person
New Zealand generally does better on employment & economy, though Florida leads in gdp per capita.
Is it good for families?
average years of life at birth
New Zealand performs better than Florida across all family life metrics.
Data: The World Factbook
What's the Climate Like?
Monthly averages — select a city to compare.
Avg. annual high / low
Avg. annual high / low
| Months | Wellington | Tallahassee |
|---|---|---|
| Jan–Mar | 69°/58°F (21°/14°C) | 68°/43°F (20°/6°C) |
| Apr–Jun | 59°/49°F (15°/10°C) | 86°/61°F (30°/16°C) |
| Jul–Sep | 56°/46°F (13°/8°C) | 91°/71°F (33°/22°C) |
| Oct–Dec | 64°/53°F (18°/12°C) | 73°/48°F (23°/9°C) |
View all months
| Month | Wellington | Tallahassee |
|---|---|---|
| Jan | 70°/58°F (21.2°/14.7°C) | 64°/39°F (17.5°/3.9°C) |
| Feb | 70°/59°F (21.3°/14.8°C) | 67°/42°F (19.7°/5.5°C) |
| Mar | 68°/56°F (19.8°/13.5°C) | 74°/47°F (23.2°/8.4°C) |
| Apr | 63°/53°F (17.4°/11.5°C) | 80°/52°F (26.6°/11.3°C) |
| May | 59°/49°F (15.2°/9.7°C) | 87°/62°F (30.6°/16.4°C) |
| Jun | 56°/46°F (13.1°/7.9°C) | 91°/69°F (32.8°/20.8°C) |
| Jul | 54°/44°F (12.3°/6.9°C) | 92°/72°F (33.4°/22.2°C) |
| Aug | 55°/45°F (12.9°/7.4°C) | 92°/72°F (33.1°/22.3°C) |
| Sep | 58°/48°F (14.5°/8.8°C) | 88°/68°F (31.3°/20.1°C) |
| Oct | 60°/50°F (15.8°/10.0°C) | 81°/57°F (27.4°/14.1°C) |
| Nov | 64°/53°F (17.5°/11.4°C) | 73°/47°F (22.8°/8.6°C) |
| Dec | 67°/56°F (19.6°/13.5°C) | 65°/41°F (18.5°/5.1°C) |
Data:
New Zealand National Meteorological Service,
National Weather Service
Visitor Visa Requirements
Short-stay tourist visa rules between New Zealand and United States. To live, work, or study long-term in United States, you'll need a separate residence or work visa — check United States's immigration authority.
New Zealand passport holder visiting United States
Electronic Travel Authorisation
United States passport holder visiting New Zealand
Electronic Travel AuthorisationData: Henley Passport Index. Check with the destination country's embassy for the most current requirements.
Frequently Asked Questions
Is it cheaper to live in Florida than New Zealand?
On average Florida is around 19% pricier than New Zealand, with notable variation by city.
How much money do I need to move to Florida?
Budget about $22,350 for 3 months in Florida (based on a NZ$130,152 comparable annual salary), then add the one-off costs: flights, shipping, a rental deposit, and visa fees.
Can I work remotely from Florida?
From major Florida cities the network usually holds up. Visa rules, your employer's stance on overseas employees, and tax residency in New Zealand and Florida are what actually decide it long-term.
How is healthcare in Florida compared to New Zealand?
New Zealand performs better than Florida across all health & wellbeing metrics.
What's the weather like in Florida compared to New Zealand?
The average high temperature in Tallahassee is 80°F, compared to 62°F in Wellington. Tallahassee receives around 59.2 in of rainfall per year, while Wellington gets 37.7 in.
What language do they speak in Florida?
The official language in Florida is English. In New Zealand, the official languages are English, Māori and New Zealand Sign Language.
