Moving to India from New Zealand
What to Expect
A comprehensive look at what changes when you move from New Zealand to India — from daily expenses to quality of life.
If you moved from New Zealand to India, you would find that India is 79.2% cheaper than New Zealand overall. A NZ$130,000 salary in New Zealand would need to be roughly ₹1,450,000 in India to maintain the same lifestyle. Expect a noticeable climate shift — Delhi averages 88°F vs 66°F in Auckland, making it significantly warmer.
Planning this move? Get up to 5 free, no-obligation quotes from vetted international movers. Get free quotes ↓Is India cheaper than New Zealand?
The biggest cost differences at a glance
Restaurants
pay 78.8% less
Groceries
pay 71.8% less
Transportation
pay 66.5% less
Housing
pay 87.1% less
Childcare
pay 91.8% less
Entertainment and Sports
pay 66.9% 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.
What salary do you need in India?
What does your salary buy?
NZ$130,000 → ₹1,450,000
To maintain the same standard of living in India
Calculate with your salary →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 India cost about 63% less than cities in New Zealand.
Compare cities head-to-head
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Key Indicator Comparison
How New Zealand and India 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 better than India 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
New Zealand generally does better on health & wellbeing, though India 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 generally does better on environment, though India leads in co₂ emissions per capita.
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 better than India 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 India leads in unemployment 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 performs better than India across all family life metrics.
Sources: World Bank (2020–2025), United Nations SDG Indicators (2019–2021), World Health Organization (2024), New Zealand Inland Revenue Department (2016), Ministry of Finance, Government of India (2016). How we calculate this
Weather in India vs New Zealand
Monthly averages — select a city to compare.
Avg. annual high / low
Avg. annual high / low
| Months | Auckland | Delhi |
|---|---|---|
| Jan–Mar | 74°/61°F (23°/16°C) | 76°/52°F (25°/11°C) |
| Apr–Jun | 63°/51°F (18°/11°C) | 101°/78°F (38°/25°C) |
| Jul–Sep | 60°/47°F (15°/8°C) | 93°/79°F (34°/26°C) |
| Oct–Dec | 67°/55°F (20°/13°C) | 82°/56°F (28°/14°C) |
View all months
| Month | Auckland | Delhi |
|---|---|---|
| Jan | 74°/61°F (23.6°/16.0°C) | 69°/46°F (20.8°/7.8°C) |
| Feb | 75°/62°F (24.1°/16.5°C) | 75°/51°F (23.7°/10.3°C) |
| Mar | 73°/59°F (22.6°/14.9°C) | 85°/60°F (29.6°/15.4°C) |
| Apr | 68°/55°F (20.0°/12.7°C) | 97°/71°F (36.0°/21.5°C) |
| May | 63°/51°F (17.4°/10.6°C) | 104°/79°F (39.8°/26.2°C) |
| Jun | 59°/47°F (15.2°/8.4°C) | 103°/83°F (39.4°/28.3°C) |
| Jul | 58°/46°F (14.3°/7.5°C) | 95°/81°F (35.2°/27.0°C) |
| Aug | 59°/47°F (14.9°/8.2°C) | 92°/79°F (33.6°/26.2°C) |
| Sep | 62°/49°F (16.4°/9.7°C) | 93°/76°F (34.0°/24.7°C) |
| Oct | 64°/52°F (17.7°/11.2°C) | 91°/67°F (32.9°/19.4°C) |
| Nov | 67°/55°F (19.5°/12.8°C) | 82°/55°F (28.0°/12.8°C) |
| Dec | 71°/59°F (21.8°/14.9°C) | 73°/47°F (22.7°/8.4°C) |
Data:
New Zealand National Meteorological Service,
India Meteorological Department
Can you move from New Zealand to India?
Short-stay tourist visa rules between New Zealand and India. To live, work, or study long-term in India, you'll need a separate residence or work visa — check India's immigration authority.
New Zealand passport holder visiting India
Visa Online (e-Visa)
India passport holder visiting New Zealand
Visa RequiredData: Henley Passport Index. Check with the destination country's embassy for the most current requirements.
Frequently Asked Questions
Is it cheaper to live in India than New Zealand?
Generally yes: India runs about 79% cheaper than New Zealand on average, though it depends heavily on the city.
How much money do I need to move to India?
A safe rule of thumb is 3 months of local expenses plus relocation costs. On a NZ$130,000 comparable salary, that's around ₹362,500 in India for everyday spending, before flights, shipping, a rental deposit, and visa fees.
Can I work remotely from India?
With 3.1 fixed broadband subscriptions per 100 people, India can support video calls in major cities. The hard part is paperwork — visa category, employer policy on overseas staff, and tax residency in New Zealand and India.
Is India safe for expats?
New Zealand performs better than India across all safety metrics. The homicide rate in India is 2.8 per 100,000 people, compared to 1.5 in New Zealand.
How is healthcare in India compared to New Zealand?
New Zealand generally does better on health & wellbeing, though India leads in healthcare spending per person. There are 7.2 doctors per 10,000 people in India, compared to 36.1 in New Zealand. India scores 63 on the WHO universal health coverage index (New Zealand: 85).
What's the weather like in India compared to New Zealand?
The average high temperature in Delhi is 88°F, compared to 66°F in Auckland. Delhi receives around 28.2 in of rainfall per year, while Auckland gets 43.3 in.
What language do they speak in India?
The official languages in India are English, Hindi and Tamil. In New Zealand, the official languages are English, Māori and New Zealand Sign Language.
