Moving to Massachusetts from New Zealand
What to Expect
Considering a move from New Zealand to Massachusetts? Here's how the two compare on cost, climate, safety, and more.
If you moved from New Zealand to Massachusetts, you would find that Massachusetts is 49.0% more expensive than New Zealand overall. A NZ$130,152 salary in New Zealand would need to be roughly $100,120 in Massachusetts to maintain the same lifestyle. You’ll also switch from driving on the left to the right.
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A breakdown of how everyday costs differ between New Zealand and Massachusetts.
What does your salary buy?
NZ$130,152 → $100,120
To maintain the same standard of living in Massachusetts
Calculate with your salary →How key spending categories compare
Restaurants
pay 27.4% more
Groceries
pay 44.5% more
Transportation
pay 6.2% less
Housing
pay 91.4% more
Childcare
pay 2.7 times more
Entertainment and Sports
pay 25.4% 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 Massachusetts cost about 74% 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 Massachusetts.
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 Massachusetts compared to New Zealand.
How's the healthcare?
share of adults with obesity
Massachusetts performs significantly better than New Zealand across all health & wellbeing metrics.
Will I have good infrastructure?
share of households with internet
New Zealand performs better than Massachusetts 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 Massachusetts leads in gdp per capita.
Is it good for families?
average years of life at birth
New Zealand performs better than Massachusetts 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 | Boston |
|---|---|---|
| Jan–Mar | 69°/58°F (21°/14°C) | 40°/26°F (4°/-3°C) |
| Apr–Jun | 59°/49°F (15°/10°C) | 66°/50°F (19°/10°C) |
| Jul–Sep | 56°/46°F (13°/8°C) | 78°/62°F (25°/17°C) |
| Oct–Dec | 64°/53°F (18°/12°C) | 51°/38°F (11°/3°C) |
View all months
| Month | Wellington | Boston |
|---|---|---|
| Jan | 70°/58°F (21.2°/14.7°C) | 36°/22°F (2.1°/-5.4°C) |
| Feb | 70°/59°F (21.3°/14.8°C) | 39°/25°F (3.7°/-4.1°C) |
| Mar | 68°/56°F (19.8°/13.5°C) | 45°/31°F (7.4°/-0.5°C) |
| Apr | 63°/53°F (17.4°/11.5°C) | 56°/41°F (13.1°/4.8°C) |
| May | 59°/49°F (15.2°/9.7°C) | 66°/50°F (18.9°/9.9°C) |
| Jun | 56°/46°F (13.1°/7.9°C) | 76°/60°F (24.4°/15.3°C) |
| Jul | 54°/44°F (12.3°/6.9°C) | 81°/65°F (27.4°/18.6°C) |
| Aug | 55°/45°F (12.9°/7.4°C) | 80°/65°F (26.4°/18.1°C) |
| Sep | 58°/48°F (14.5°/8.8°C) | 72°/57°F (22.4°/14.1°C) |
| Oct | 60°/50°F (15.8°/10.0°C) | 61°/47°F (16.3°/8.1°C) |
| Nov | 64°/53°F (17.5°/11.4°C) | 51°/38°F (10.8°/3.3°C) |
| Dec | 67°/56°F (19.6°/13.5°C) | 41°/28°F (5.1°/-2.1°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 Massachusetts than New Zealand?
On average Massachusetts is around 33% pricier than New Zealand, with notable variation by city.
How much money do I need to move to Massachusetts?
Budget about $25,030 for 3 months in Massachusetts (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 Massachusetts?
From major Massachusetts cities the network usually holds up. Visa rules, your employer's stance on overseas employees, and tax residency in New Zealand and Massachusetts are what actually decide it long-term.
How is healthcare in Massachusetts compared to New Zealand?
Massachusetts performs significantly better than New Zealand across all health & wellbeing metrics.
What's the weather like in Massachusetts compared to New Zealand?
The average high temperature in Boston is 59°F, compared to 62°F in Wellington. Boston receives around 43.8 in of rainfall per year, while Wellington gets 37.7 in.
What language do they speak in Massachusetts?
The official language in Massachusetts is English. In New Zealand, the official languages are English, Māori and New Zealand Sign Language.
