Best places to retire in New Zealand
For retirees, Dunedin ranks highest in New Zealand (retire score 56/100), balancing affordability, a mild climate and safety. The most affordable option is Queenstown. Our retire score = 40% cost + 30% climate + 30% safety.
Top retirement cities in New Zealand
- Dunedin — retire score 56/100 (cost 8, climate 99, safety 76)
- Queenstown — retire score 56/100 (cost 18, climate 87, safety 77)
- Hamilton — retire score 55/100 (cost 6, climate 100, safety 74)
- North Shore — retire score 55/100 (cost 5, climate 100, safety 76)
- Lower Hutt — retire score 55/100 (cost 8, climate 100, safety 72)
- Tauranga — retire score 54/100 (cost 7, climate 100, safety 72)
- Manukau City — retire score 54/100 (cost 4, climate 100, safety 76)
- Wellington — retire score 54/100 (cost 3, climate 100, safety 75)
- Auckland — retire score 52/100 (cost 0, climate 100, safety 75)
- Christchurch — retire score 52/100 (cost 3, climate 100, safety 71)
Retire score weights affordability, climate comfort and disaster+crime safety. It does not include healthcare quality or retirement-visa rules — verify those separately.
FAQ
Where is the best place to retire in New Zealand?
Dunedin ranks highest in our retirement score (56/100), balancing affordability, mild climate and safety.
Is New Zealand a good place to retire?
New Zealand's best retirement city scores 56/100; the most affordable is Queenstown (cost 18/100). We weigh cost, climate and natural-disaster + crime safety — not healthcare or visas, which you should check separately.
What's the cheapest place to retire in New Zealand?
Queenstown has the lowest cost of living in New Zealand in our data.
All cities in New Zealand → Best places to retire worldwide →