The price of an apartment in Auckland can get you so much more around the country
Sunday, 12 July 2026
In the Christchurch neighbourhood Corey Scofield has moved to there are other transplants from the north.
He and his partner Alex Hoang have moved from Auckland to Christchurch a few months ago - looking for the backyard lifestyle of their childhoods. They aren’t the only ones who have shifted.
“Here we have one from Napier and there is another coming from Auckland,” he said.
The move was fuelled by the desire for a more laid back lifestyle and what could be bought in Christchurch for Auckland money.
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“Auckland was getting very busy, now it's all units, busy and congested. I enjoyed a more laid back lifestyle.”
He said he had always liked Christchurch which was a bit slower than Auckland so after some research and a recommendation from a friend they found they could build a home there for better than they could get in Auckland.
“We wanted somewhere we could grow our own vegetables.”
Now they are building their first home on new land and anticipating being able to move in.
He’s not the only one. Loan Market’s Vijay Gounder said he had plenty of clients considering moving to maximise what they can get for the amount of money they would have to spend in Auckland.
The average house price in the supercity sits about $1.01m and Gounder says that’s more likely to get you an apartment than a home with a backyard. You would also be lucky to have parking onsite for that.
“There are definitely those making the move to places like Hamilton and Christchurch.”
He said the same price for a unit in Auckland can get you a three bedroom home in Hamilton or a mansion in New Plymouth.
Gounder said he also had clients looking to move to cheaper parts of Auckland too.
He said part of the attraction was lifestyle choices - not wanting to sit in traffic and the desire for somewhere with a bit more land. What makes us happy is quiet and peace - a survey by LJ Hooker asked what was most important to buyers and 43% of us wanted that before access to good schools or public transport.
And imagine a commute of a few minutes. You gain an entire 'second day' after 5pm. It means having the time and energy to be out on a surfboard, walking a bush track, mountain biking, or sitting on the deck with a local wine while the sun is still high.
So what can you get around the country with big city money?
We took the average house prices from Auckland ($1m), Wellington ($910,000) and Christchurch ($808,000) and worked out what the average cost over all three cities would be - $906,000.
That likely gets you another bedroom, perhaps a garage so you don’t have to park on the street or the possibility of a house that needs work but you have money left over to do it.
Nelson/Tasman
In Nelson/Tasman this 330m2 Saint Arnaud former chalet holiday home has six bedrooms and three bathrooms for enquiries over $550,000.
West Coast
On the West Coast, $399,000 will net you a cute little home, with three bedrooms and oodles of land close enough to see the ocean.
Southland
In Invercargill $599,000 gets a very tidy two bedroom standalone home with garden, conservatory and double car garaging, while in Opunake for $580,000 there’s a seven bedroom, three bathroom former care home - complete with disabled access, lawn and conservatory.
East Coast
The Gisborne region meanwhile has some price blinders - like this one bedroom bach in Tolaga Bay for enquiries over $250,000 with a nice patch of land.
Northland
There is so much option in Northland that it’s hard to pick one - but what about this three bedroom with over 1200sq of property in Dargaville going to enquiries over $399,000.
Hawke’s Bay
Perhaps it's not a modern home but a character one you are looking for - in Central Hawke’s Bay there’s a three bedroom that needs a bit of an update but with original features still intact for $249,000.
Manawatu
In Manawatu - in fact Eketahuna - you can get a whole hall if a conversion is something you have dreamed about. This one, formerly home to the Freemasons, is described as a one bedroom two bathroom.
Whanganui
And in Gonville in Whanganui there’s a four bedroom home with original wood features going for enquiries over $195,000 while in the Waikato, a perfect-as-a-first-home two bedroom unit in Taupo, going for $465,000, comes with a carport, fenced deck and patio.