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Visas · Cost of living · Study & work

Arrive prepared.
Settle sooner.

Sourced numbers on visas, rent, study and work in New Zealand, written so you can use them.

For example: half of Auckland rents are below NZ$650 a week, counting all home types. A room in a shared flat is a different figure, shown in the table below. Source: Tenancy Services bond data up to May 2026, checked 16 Aug 2026.

We don't advise. We show you the data, and where it came from.

Stage 1

Before you come

Stage 2

Landing

Stage 3

Year one

All guides, by stage →

Rent, transport and living costs come from named sources, with the source and the date we checked it beside each table. Where we could not find a source, the figure is labelled an estimate.

Sources we draw on. These agencies do not endorse or review Custailo

Immigration New ZealandStats NZMBIETenancy ServicesTahatū Career NavigatorEducation NZ

Cost of living

What a week actually costs

Five cities, side by side, sourced and dated below.

Full breakdown, by city and household →
Rent is the median of live Trade Me Flatmates listings per city (read 21 Aug 2026; a snapshot, not an official statistic, as no government source covers a room in a shared flat). Public transport is each operator's published weekly fare cap, or flat-fare arithmetic where there is no cap (checked 21 Aug 2026). Groceries, utilities and phone start from Education NZ's published national estimates (checked 23 Aug 2026), so they do not vary by city. Utilities is our arithmetic on those estimates: the whole bill on the one-bedroom settings, a three-person share when flatting. Full sources and working on the cost of living page.

Working in New Zealand? See an example of pay after tax, ACC and KiwiSaver (the retirement savings scheme) →

Visas, explained

The paths most people actually take

Information, not advice. Each step explains what the visa is for and links to Immigration NZ for the current rules. For a decision about your case, talk to a licensed immigration adviser or a New Zealand lawyer.

Student

Study full-time at an approved provider. Part-time work rights while studying, with limits.

Then usually → Post-study work

Post-study work

Open work rights after finishing an eligible qualification. Length depends on what you studied.

Then usually → Accredited Employer Work Visa or residence

Accredited Employer Work

The holder has a job offer from an accredited employer that meets Immigration New Zealand's wage and skill rules.

Then usually → Residence paths

Residence

Skilled Migrant points, Green List roles, partner and family routes. Each has its own bar.

The goal for most → Years 2–5

Compare all the paths side by side →

Why Custailo exists

Nobody should lose two years finding out what a website could have told them.

Custailo puts the information in one place, cites where it came from, and says clearly what it can't tell you, so you know when it's time to talk to a licensed immigration adviser or a lawyer.

Before you pay anyone for immigration help, read the four signs to check. A licensed immigration adviser can give you their licence number, and you can check it yourself on the Immigration Advisers Authority's public register. Some people, such as New Zealand lawyers, are exempt from licensing and will not be on it.

What we are, and what we're not →

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This is general information, not advice for your situation. Custailo is not licensed to give immigration, legal, financial or tax advice. Always check anything important against the official source before you rely on it. Read the full disclaimer.