Moving to New Zealand from Washington
What to Expect
Considering a move from Washington to New Zealand? Here's how the two compare on cost, climate, safety, and more.
If you moved from Washington to New Zealand, you would find that New Zealand is 29.9% cheaper than Washington. A $75,000 salary in Washington would need to be roughly NZ$93,600 in New Zealand to maintain the same lifestyle. You’ll also switch from driving on the right to the left.
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A breakdown of how everyday costs differ between Washington and New Zealand.
What does your salary buy?
$75,000 → NZ$93,600
To maintain the same standard of living in New Zealand
Calculate with your salary →How key spending categories compare
Restaurants
pay 32.2% less
Groceries
pay 24.4% less
Transportation
pay 1.9% more
Housing
pay 44.8% less
Childcare
pay 52.4% less
Entertainment and Sports
pay 21.2% 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 29% less than cities in Washington.
Compare cities head-to-head
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Who Else Is Making This Move?
What the data shows about people moving from Washington to New Zealand.
people moved from United States 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
- · · ·
-
9.35,989
United States
Key Indicator Comparison
The numbers behind daily life in New Zealand compared to Washington.
How's the healthcare?
share of adults with obesity
Washington performs better than New Zealand across all health & wellbeing metrics.
Will I have good infrastructure?
share of households with internet
New Zealand performs significantly better than Washington across all infrastructure metrics.
What are the job prospects?
percentage of the labour force without work
a broad measure of economic output per person
Washington generally does better on employment & economy, though New Zealand leads in unemployment rate.
Is it good for families?
average years of life at birth
New Zealand performs significantly better than Washington across all family life metrics.
Sources: World Bank (2024–2025), Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (PLACES) (2022), World Health Organization (2024), US Census Bureau (American Community Survey) (2023), Bureau of Labor Statistics (2025), Bureau of Economic Analysis (2024), OECD Regional Demography (2020). How we calculate this
What's the Climate Like?
Monthly averages — select a city to compare.
Avg. annual high / low
Avg. annual high / low
| Months | Olympia | Wellington |
|---|---|---|
| Jan–Mar | 50°/34°F (10°/1°C) | 69°/58°F (21°/14°C) |
| Apr–Jun | 65°/43°F (18°/6°C) | 59°/49°F (15°/10°C) |
| Jul–Sep | 76°/49°F (24°/10°C) | 56°/46°F (13°/8°C) |
| Oct–Dec | 51°/36°F (11°/2°C) | 64°/53°F (18°/12°C) |
View all months
| Month | Olympia | Wellington |
|---|---|---|
| Jan | 46°/34°F (7.7°/0.9°C) | 70°/58°F (21.2°/14.7°C) |
| Feb | 49°/33°F (9.6°/0.4°C) | 70°/59°F (21.3°/14.8°C) |
| Mar | 54°/35°F (12.2°/1.7°C) | 68°/56°F (19.8°/13.5°C) |
| Apr | 59°/38°F (14.9°/3.2°C) | 63°/53°F (17.4°/11.5°C) |
| May | 65°/43°F (18.5°/6.2°C) | 59°/49°F (15.2°/9.7°C) |
| Jun | 71°/48°F (21.4°/8.7°C) | 56°/46°F (13.1°/7.9°C) |
| Jul | 77°/51°F (24.9°/10.4°C) | 54°/44°F (12.3°/6.9°C) |
| Aug | 78°/51°F (25.4°/10.3°C) | 55°/45°F (12.9°/7.4°C) |
| Sep | 72°/46°F (22.1°/7.8°C) | 58°/48°F (14.5°/8.8°C) |
| Oct | 60°/40°F (15.7°/4.7°C) | 60°/50°F (15.8°/10.0°C) |
| Nov | 50°/36°F (10.1°/2.4°C) | 64°/53°F (17.5°/11.4°C) |
| Dec | 44°/33°F (6.8°/0.3°C) | 67°/56°F (19.6°/13.5°C) |
Data:
National Weather Service,
New Zealand National Meteorological Service
Visitor Visa Requirements
Short-stay tourist visa rules between United States 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.
United States passport holder visiting New Zealand
Electronic Travel Authorisation
New Zealand passport holder visiting United States
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 New Zealand than Washington?
On average New Zealand is about 30% less expensive than Washington, with major cities narrowing the gap.
How much money do I need to move to New Zealand?
Budget about NZ$23,400 for 3 months in New Zealand (based on a $75,000 comparable annual salary), then add the one-off costs: flights, shipping, a rental deposit, and visa fees.
Can I work remotely from New Zealand?
From major New Zealand cities the network usually holds up. Visa rules, your employer's stance on overseas employees, and tax residency in Washington and New Zealand are what actually decide it long-term.
How is healthcare in New Zealand compared to Washington?
Washington performs better than New Zealand across all health & wellbeing metrics.
What's the weather like in New Zealand compared to Washington?
The average high temperature in Wellington is 62°F, compared to 60°F in Olympia. Wellington receives around 37.7 in of rainfall per year, while Olympia gets 50.0 in.
What language do they speak in New Zealand?
The official languages in New Zealand are English, Māori and New Zealand Sign Language. In Washington, the official language is English.
