Student Life in New Zealand

Quality of Life

In many ways it’s not what NZ have that’s important to quality of life – it’s what they don’t have! NZ doesn’t have high crime rates, police don’t carry guns and instances of corruption are virtually unheard of. They don’t have abject poverty or hunger and don’t have the pollution, congestion, health issues and cramped city living that we see elsewhere.


One of the things you will find in NZ, that it’s something we take very seriously, is our acceptance of different views and ideas. They are a modern, secular, democratic society with no ingrained class system. Freedom of speech, expression and religious belief is guaranteed in law.

Housing

Compared with what you probably paid for your current home, you’ll find your currency converted to New Zealand dollars will go a very long way in our real estate market. Owning our own home is something that two-thirds of us have chosen to do and is still affordable for most. While suburban houses still account for 85 percent of house sales, inner-city and semi-rural living are becoming increasingly popular options.

The following is a look at some of our more common housing styles and the price range they generally fall into. The prices mentioned are indicative and vary by region.

Education

NZ government-funded schooling system provides a comprehensive curriculum of academic, sporting and skills-based learning options, in a positive environment. Most schools, even those in inner city areas, have their own playing fields, gymnasiums and swimming pools.

Cost of Living

New migrants generally find that New Zealand offers a better balance between cost of living and lifestyle than they had before.

Housing in New Zealand is often found to be more reasonable than in many parts of Asia, Europe and North America. New Zealand produces a wide range of competitively priced consumer goods of a similar style and quality to those found overseas. The items we do need to import such as motor vehicles, electrical and computer equipment and petroleum products are priced similarly to or, in many cases, are cheaper than in other comparable countries. While bargains can be found during frequent retail sales, overall the cost of individual items doesn’t vary markedly between regions.

New Zealand also has a goods and services tax (GST) of 12.5 percent. In most instances this is included in the price of goods and services and is not charged separately at the cash register.