Dunedin logs 0 outdoor-dinner months a year to Tauranga's 5 — Tauranga wins by 5. Tauranga also leads on sunny days by 39.

Dunedin runs about $2,135/mo for a balanced lifestyle against Tauranga's $2,462/mo — Dunedin comes in $327 cheaper each month, roughly 15% less.

On mobility, Tauranga scores 1.6 vs Dunedin's 1.4 (0–5 scale), with the biggest gap on motorbike/scooter efficiency. Dunedin still holds an edge on car efficiency.

Dunedin's culture score of 2.0 sits well above Tauranga's 0.5, with the biggest gap on nightlife.

Dunedin and Tauranga score neck-and-neck on nature & outdoors (4.0 vs 4.2, 0–5 scale).

Dunedin and Tauranga score neck-and-neck on safety (4.4 vs 4.3, 0–5 scale).

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

Tauranga's social & community score of 3.2 sits well above Dunedin's 2.8, with the biggest gap on multicultural mix.

Dunedin and Tauranga score neck-and-neck on food & dining (1.6 vs 1.8, 0–5 scale).

On family, Tauranga 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 Tauranga 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 Tauranga's 6.8 µg/m³ (good) — Dunedin breathes ~17% cleaner air (1.1 µg/m³ lower).

Who Thrives Here