NZ flag
Auckland

New Zealand

vs
NZ flag
Palmerston North

New Zealand

Climate

Auckland logs 5 outdoor-dinner months a year to Palmerston North's 2 — Auckland wins by 3. Auckland also leads on sunny days by 44.

AucklandPalmerston North
Sunny days
222178
Hot days
00
Frost days
00
Rain days
150153
Outdoor dinner months
5/122/12
Avg wind
4.8 m/s3.9 m/s
Sunshine hours
2,4092,160
Darkest month sun
142 hrs/mo114 hrs/mo
UV peak month
9.88.3

Auckland

Feels-like °C

21
22
18
14
10
8
6
7
8
12
16
19

Dinner outside

J
F
M
A
M
J
J
A
S
O
N
D

Palmerston North

Feels-like °C

19
18
15
12
7
4
3
4
6
11
13
17

Dinner outside

J
F
M
A
M
J
J
A
S
O
N
D

Cost of Living

Palmerston North is $920/mo cheaper

Auckland runs about $2,985/mo for a balanced lifestyle against Palmerston North's $2,065/mo — Palmerston North comes in $920 cheaper each month, roughly 45% less.

Auckland

$2,985

monthly · balanced

Minimalist $2,324Comfort $4,358
Top 91%in Among 23 Oceania cities

Palmerston North

$2,065

monthly · balanced

Minimalist $1,583Comfort $3,091
Cheaper than 96%in Among 23 Oceania cities

Mobility

On mobility, Auckland scores 2.6 vs Palmerston North's 1.6 (0–5 scale), with the biggest gap on flight connectivity. Palmerston North still holds an edge on car efficiency.

2.6/5
vs
1.6/5
AucklandPalmerston North
FlightsAirport
Car Efficiency
Auckland leads

Culture

Auckland's culture score of 3.5 sits well above Palmerston North's 1.2, with the biggest gap on theatre & performing arts.

3.5/5
vs
1.2/5
AucklandPalmerston North
TheatreVenues
Auckland leads

Nature & Outdoors

Auckland's nature & outdoors score of 4.3 sits well above Palmerston North's 3.5, with the biggest gap on scuba & snorkeling. Palmerston North still holds an edge on skiing & snowboarding.

4.3/5
vs
3.5/5
AucklandPalmerston North
SeaMountainsForestGreen AreasLakesRunningHikingCampingBeachSurfingDivingClimbing
SeaGreen AreasLakesRunningHikingCampingSurfingSkiing
Auckland leads

Safety

Palmerston North's safety score is ~1.2× Auckland's — near the top of our scale, while Auckland lands in the upper band, with the biggest gap on walking safety.

4.0/5
vs
4.8/5
Palmerston North leads

Career

Auckland's career score of 3.6 sits well above Palmerston North's 2.1, with the biggest gap on career opportunities.

3.6/5
vs
2.1/5
AucklandPalmerston North
JobsEconomyStartupsCoworking
Auckland leads

Social & Community

Auckland's social & community score of 3.6 sits well above Palmerston North's 3.1, with the biggest gap on expat-first community. Palmerston North still holds an edge on expat integration experience.

3.6/5
vs
3.1/5
AucklandPalmerston North
Everyday EnglishExpat-First CommunityMulticultural MixExpat Integration ExperienceLocal-First CommunityGovernment Immigration FriendlinessAdmin English Support
Everyday EnglishMulticultural MixExpat Integration ExperienceLocal-First CommunityGovernment Immigration FriendlinessAdmin English Support
Auckland leads

Food & Dining

On food & dining, Auckland scores 3.6 vs Palmerston North's 1.8 (0–5 scale), with the biggest gap on brunch availability.

3.6/5
vs
1.8/5
AucklandPalmerston North
RestaurantsBrunchVeganDelivery
Auckland leads

Family

On family, Auckland scores 3.4 vs Palmerston North's 2.3 (0–5 scale), with the biggest gap on international schools.

3.4/5
vs
2.3/5
AucklandPalmerston North
Intl SchoolsUniversitiesAmenitiesSportPlaygroundsGroceriesGymYogaSpaTennis
UniversitiesAmenitiesPlaygroundsGroceriesTennis
Auckland leads

Healthcare

On healthcare, Auckland scores 3.0 vs Palmerston North's 2.7 (0–5 scale), with the biggest gap on private healthcare quality.

3.0/5
vs
2.7/5
AucklandPalmerston North
Public HealthcarePrivate Healthcare
Public Healthcare
Auckland leads

Air Quality

Auckland averages 5.9 µg/m³ (good) PM2.5 annually versus Palmerston North's 6.4 µg/m³ (good) — Auckland breathes ~8% cleaner air (0.5 µg/m³ lower).

Auckland

Palmerston North

5.9µg/m³
6.4µg/m³

PM2.5 annual average

Good
Good

WHO classification

City Scale

Both maps at the same real-world scale — 1 cm on either map is the same distance.

Auckland (1.6M) and Palmerston North (75K) are 22x in population — Auckland is the larger metro, Palmerston North the smaller; on land area Auckland spans roughly 17x more ground.

19x

Auckland is roughly 19x the scale of Palmerston North

Combined population & area comparison

NZ flagAuckland
19x
NZ flagPalmerston North
1x

City Scale Rankings

Population
1.NZ flagAuckland1.6M22x
2.NZ flagPalmerston North75K1x
Area
1.NZ flagAuckland638 km²17x
2.NZ flagPalmerston North37 km²1x
© Stadia Maps, © OpenMapTiles, © OpenStreetMap contributors
37 km44 km

NZ flagAuckland

© Stadia Maps, © OpenMapTiles, © OpenStreetMap contributors
9.5 km7.0 km

NZ flagPalmerston North

Who Thrives Here

Frequently asked about Auckland vs Palmerston North

Which is cheaper, Auckland or Palmerston North?
Palmerston North is approximately $920 per month cheaper. Auckland averages $2,985/mo while Palmerston North averages $2,065/mo.
How does the climate compare between Auckland and Palmerston North?
Sunny days: 222 vs 178 d — Auckland higher Annual sunshine: 2,409 vs 2,160 hrs — Auckland higher Winter sunshine: 142 vs 114 hrs/day — Auckland higher Hot days (>30°C): 0 vs 0 d — Similar Frost days: 0 vs 0 d — Similar Rainy days: 150 vs 153 d — Similar
Is Auckland or Palmerston North safer?
Palmerston North scores higher on safety. Auckland rates 4.0/5 while Palmerston North rates 4.8/5, based on street safety, property crime rates, and natural hazard exposure.
Should I move to Auckland or Palmerston North?
Auckland and Palmerston North are both popular relocation destinations with distinct characteristics. Palmerston North is generally more affordable, while Auckland may offer different lifestyle advantages. The best choice depends on your priorities — climate preferences, career opportunities, cost constraints, and lifestyle needs. Take the personalized quiz to find your ideal match, or explore the map to compare cities by region and lifestyle factors.

The best city depends on what matters to you

This comparison shows how Auckland and Palmerston North stack up on the data. But your climate preferences, budget, career needs, and lifestyle priorities can shift the picture entirely. A personalized diagnostic finds what fits your life.

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