There is an option for every budget!
This is the last step in my Study in New Zealand blog series. As you would have seen in the previous post, proof of funds to support yourself through your study in New Zealand is a mandatory requirement for visa application. This money must also be readily available to you. It makes sense since you will incur expenses, like meeting your basic needs of food and shelter, during your study. Don’t forget you’ll make new friends, attend events, join clubs etc. so, you will socialize. We humans are social species after all. All these cost something and in modern day, that something is money.
How much money will you need? The pic below shows the minimum amount to be shown as proof of funds.
You’d already know as it is common knowledge that living cost will vary based on your lifestyle and what part of the country you live in. Same principle applies in New Zealand. For instance, Auckland is a more expensive city than say, Dunedin as such the cost of living will vary…..greatly. Moreover, how it compares depends on where you are coming from. You may find that cost of living is more, or less than you expected (#fxexchange).
Because I love a good bargain but don’t like to compromise quality, I’ve put up a list of things to consider and price range for very common living essentials. I call it the A-Z of living cost in New Zealand. Your cost of living is made up of your basic needs (the essentials) and other cost (the extras). The essentials can be divided into the following six categories. If you have a basic need of interest, click on it to jump straight the discussion otherwise keep scrolling to learn about all of them.
How much it cost me from Application to Landing – step by step | Full Disclosure
Entertainment
Beautiful all year green scenery, rich cultural architecture, stunning beaches, snow-capped mountains, bubbly volcanoes, mostly free!! So yes, you will explore New Zealand. I’m telling you this. There are lots to explore and diverse ways for entertainment here in New Zealand. Maybe free, maybe not. Example of some activities are indoor/outdoor movies, galleries, garden festivals, art classes, adrenaline activities, meetup, concerts etc. Look out for discounted rates for students and other great deals.
My favs are adrenaline activities and art classes. So far, I’ve done sky-diving, the big five at rainbow’s end, rafting, jetski and counting.
Food
Various cuisines are available due to the multinational nature of the country. The more culturally diverse the area, the more diverse the food. Common cuisines are Asian (commonly south and south-east), north American, Fusion and so on. African cuisines are not commercially available on same scale as the others mentioned that’s mainly cos ingredients are not readily available (this is where I come in *ching*)
Power
Option of gas or electricity or both depending on where you live. Choose from a list of energy retailers. You can easily switch from one provider to the other too (T&C’ apply).
If you’re flatting, you may not have to worry about choosing providers. However, you may have to share the power bill. Some flats include the power bills in their rent, others don’t. The choice is yours.
Transport
Buses are the most common transportation in New Zealand cities and towns. Other options include trains and taxis. Some areas offer student concession (cheaper transport fares to students). I’ll have to say the buses are generally not reliable especially in peak periods, but they work. I don’t think NZ (Auckland to be specific) envisioned being the hub that it is because oh my world!! The trains are SSSSLLOOOOOWWWW. People joke that you can arrive at your destination before the train by walking. I said people, not me. Good thing the country is bicycle friendly with dedicated lanes in some cities.
If you have a full driver licence from your country, you can drive in NZ for 12 or 24 months depending on when you last entered. A translation is needed for the non-English licences. My advice: convert your valid overseas driver licence to NZ’s driver licence if you’ll be in New Zealand for over a year. Another good reason to convert is that it serves as an alternative form of identification. Saves you from carrying your passport everywhere and risk it getting ruined by whatever or lost in worst-case. Driver’s license expired? Not to worry, you can convert you expired oversea driver’s license within the 12 months from date of expiry.
Accommodation
This is an important decision that has great potential to impact your first few experiences in NZ. So, finding the right accommodation that suits most of your needs is crucial. The decision will commonly be between university accommodation, homestay or flats although there are different types of housing in New Zealand.
Homestays means you’ll be staying in the residence of a local family (also called host family). This option is mostly used by young students (under 18’s) who might be travelling on their one for the first time and students with limited English. Staying with a host family can help combat feelings of home sickness they may experience. You could choose to live independently by renting apartments or an entire house or a room in any housing. The latter is called flatting; it is a common and sometimes cheaper option for accommodation. A search using keywords “flatmates wanted” will give you options for flatting.
A New Zealand Government code of practice requires all educational institutions to make sure international students are well informed, safe and properly cared for through out their studies. Check NZQA website.
Accommodation costs varies widely throughout the country with higher prices in the main centres. Rents are charged as a weekly price rather than monthly. The median weekly rent for a small house (1 – 2 bedrooms) was $460 a week as at March 2021 according to Trademe 1. Weekly rent for a room in a flat varies from as low as $100 to as high as $400 (excl. bills). Some rentals include the bills (internet, power and water – Auckland only) in the weekly rent. This is a norm for halls of residence and homestays, and common when flatting. Find accommodation on trademe.co.nz, realestate.com, facebook marketplace or groups. READ the ad CAREFULLY and don’t be hasty with your decision.
How to Find Accommodation for Students in New Zealand
After you find an accommodation, you will sign a tenancy agreement (fixed-term or periodic), pay deposit and first week’s rent. A tenancy agreement is a legal requirement; it can be fixed-term or periodic. Deposit is a sum of two or four weeks’ rent. My advice is to neither sign any agreement nor pay any deposit until you can view the property, unless Uni accommodation. In that case, you can arrange to view the property virtually. Ensure to record all damages and variations you notice in the agreement documents before you sign and return it. That way, you’re not held liable for any damage or missing item(s) you know nothing about. Houses here are known to be cold in the inside even when it’s 40°C outside. Very useful in summer, horrible in winter hence heating and insulation…very essential. Houses here are very very old. Uni accommodation are often hassle free but generally pricey. Bedroom sizes are similar to UK but coming from Nigeria, I find them to be too small. I’ve listed things to look out for below however it all boils down to preference.
- Healthy home standards (Does the house meet the new health home standards for insulation, ventilation etc?)
- furnishing (Is it furnished or unfurnished? How much furnishing is provided);
- contract (open or fixed? If fixed, how long and what are the terms?
- Friends & Guests (can I have visitors over?)
- space (very important for me :D)
- noise (how close to the road is it)
- location (noisy or quiet, proximity to uni, expensive or affordable area etc)
Not to scare you, there are some horrible Landlords and there are also some difficult ones. I’ve been lucky to not have terrible landlords (difficult but not terrible) however, I’ve experienced terrible accommodation and very comfy ones. Some flats do not allow visitors to stay over so you may not have your friends over for a night (AT ALL!!). That’s why I place emphasis on reading the fine prints and asking tons of questions (try not to be annoying while at it). Lastly, there is the hostels/backpackers option. I’m not much of a fan but, it could be a cheaper option depending on where you’re arriving from. My advice: use only as temporary accommodation while searching for long term stays.
Full details on how to rent a house in New Zealand
I know I’ve written a lot on accommodation that’s ‘cos it’s a key factor to a great mental health. I’ll prolly need a separate post specially for accommodation :D. It gets really lonely pretty fast here especially, if you arrive alone. There are also chances of losing focus due to distractions (eg. parte after parte, wrong friends), and probably homesickness.
Other cost includes cost for textbooks, medical and dental appointment, vacation trips, insurance, clothing. You can take some financial burden off by working. Most student visas permit work up to 20 hours per week, or full-time (that is up to 40 hours per week) during holidays. PhD students can work full-time all year round. One tool I found very useful is the NZ Ready tool developed by Immigration New Zealand. It lists some task to complete based on your response. You can also save your progress for later. On that note, start planning with the NZ ready tool.
Sources: My experiences✌, Think New, UoA website
