Costs for activities
Outside of the university campus, New Zealand has a lot to offer in terms of recreational activities. Therefore, students should plan part of their budget for activities. Whether it’s a beer with fellow students, a rugby match or a meal in one of the numerous restaurants, New Zealanders are sociable people.
There are a few bars and clubs in the larger cities and metropolitan areas, especially in the student cities of Auckland and Christchurch. In New Zealand, however, people spend most of their time outdoors in wind and weather. Therefore, outdoor fans can expect a wide range of activities. Universities are an important point of contact for many inexpensive offers. They often offer hiking tours, surfing courses or cultural events. According to our experience reports, students in New Zealand should have a few groschen ready to travel in order to get to know the unique nature of this country.
A selection of activities and their average costs can be found here:
| Company | Cost in NZ $ |
| Cinema ticket | 16.00 |
| Eat in a cheap restaurant | 18.00 |
| Rugby match ticket | 60.00 |
| Day ticket for the Hobbiton Movie Set Tour | 79.00 |
| Rafting | 100 |
| New Zealand beer in the restaurant (500 ml) | 8.00 |
Tips in New Zealand
In cheap and mid-range restaurants, tipping is very unusual and is a recognition of particularly outstanding service. In upscale restaurants, tips of around ten percent of the bill are appropriate. The guest also rounds up the fare for taxi rides.
Transportation costs
For the daily trips to the university or to the supermarket, transport costs are incurred during a stay abroad in New Zealand. In the larger cities, the obvious options are local public transport and cycling. In some cases, monthly tickets are available at discounted prices from the universities.
However, the main mode of transport in New Zealand is by car. Therefore, many students rent or buy a car. This allows you to discover the country on your own after the lectures and to reach the scenic highlights more flexibly. In addition to the purchase or rental costs, there are also gasoline and any parking fees or repairs. A liter of gasoline currently costs around NZ $ 2.11. According to computerdo, students should also note that New Zealand is driving on the left.
Despite the sparse population, New Zealand is very well developed in terms of transport. Even without a car, travelers can reach large parts of the country. In addition to long-distance buses, domestic flights are particularly cheap travel options. New Zealand has the largest number of airports per capita. The ferry connects the north and south islands and enables a direct transfer to the train at the ferry terminal. For economic reasons, rail traffic has been restricted more and more over the past 20 years. Therefore, there are only a few long-distance passenger traffic connections, mainly for tourist traffic. Even the only remaining tram in Christchurch is now just a tourist attraction.
Communication costs
Communication costs are another part of the cost of living. In order to be reachable inexpensively at the new study location, students need a cell phone with New Zealand internet access. Otherwise there are high roaming charges. A prepaid SIM card is the cheapest solution for temporary stays. Prices and services vary depending on the mobile phone provider, so students should view the offers individually. A prepaid SIM card usually costs a few New Zealand dollars and the top-up is determined individually.
Telecom New Zealand is the market leader in New Zealand. There are also Vodafone and 2 Degrees as well as several small providers who use the network of large companies.
A contract is only worthwhile if you are staying for a longer period of time, for example for an entire degree program, as the contracts usually have a term of at least one year.
Numerous internet cafés or restaurants and libraries give their customers access to public WIFI. Voice over IP telephony, such as Skype and WhatsApp or Facetime, is an alternative to traditional phone calls.
Health care costs
The health system in New Zealand is set up similarly to the British system. In addition to the state-subsidized offers, which are available to all New Zealanders, there is also private health insurance. International students must for the visa a private health insurance for New Zealand to complete or intend to conclude them because they can not benefit from the public system. The Code of Practice for the Pastoral Care of International Students regulates this requirement for all New Zealand educational institutions.
The universities help find a suitable insurer. Most of the time, the universities offer an insurance partner on their websites where the amounts of coverage and conditions comply with the Code of Practice. Insurance costs are currently around NZ $ 589.00 for 2 semesters. International students should also contact their health insurance company to find out about appropriate protection.
There are medical practices available at New Zealand universities that international students can visit at any time. If necessary, they refer their patients to specialists. There are usually no additional costs for prescribing treatments, medication or referrals with follow-up treatments. Co-financing of certain treatments or medications by patients cannot cost more than NZ $ 30.
