Dunedin logs 0 outdoor-dinner months a year to Nelson's 5 — Nelson wins by 5. Nelson also leads on sunny days by 47.

Dunedin runs about $2,135/mo for a balanced lifestyle against Nelson's $2,187/mo — Dunedin comes in $52 cheaper each month, roughly 2% less.

On mobility, Nelson scores 1.8 vs Dunedin's 1.4 (0–5 scale), with the biggest gap on walkability.

Dunedin and Nelson score neck-and-neck on culture (2.0 vs 2.0, 0–5 scale).

Nelson's nature & outdoors score of 4.8 sits well above Dunedin's 4.0, with the biggest gap on sea access. Dunedin still holds an edge on surfing & watersports.

Nelson's safety score of 5.0 sits well above Dunedin's 4.4, with the biggest gap on property crime safety. Dunedin still holds an edge on wildfire safety.

Dunedin's career score of 2.0 sits well above Nelson's 1.6, with the biggest gap on career opportunities.

Nelson's social & community score of 3.3 sits well above Dunedin's 2.8, with the biggest gap on street atmosphere.

On food & dining, Dunedin scores 1.6 vs Nelson's 1.4 (0–5 scale), with the biggest gap on food delivery.

On family, Nelson scores 2.1 vs Dunedin's 1.9 (0–5 scale), with the biggest gap on wellness/spa. Dunedin still holds an edge on universities.

Dunedin and Nelson score neck-and-neck on healthcare (2.7 vs 2.7, 0–5 scale).

Dunedin averages 5.7 µg/m³ (good) PM2.5 annually versus Nelson's 6.3 µg/m³ (good) — Dunedin breathes ~9% cleaner air (0.6 µg/m³ lower).

Who Thrives Here