Queenstown is one of New Zealand’s most exciting places to live, but the small south-island town comes with a hefty price tag. Queenstown is an expensive place to live, and house prices are regularly in the millions.
Queenstown is a popular tourist destination due to the mountains, many tourist activities and beautiful scenery. It’s a popular destination for travellers looking to complete a ski season at one of the many local ski peaks.
Queenstown’s population has more than doubled in just 25 years. In 2023, the resident population of this once small town was 39,000.
In Queenstown, the average income in 2023 was $60,198, per annum, slightly below the average salary of $69.585 for all New Zealand.
Queenstown is located on the shore of Lake Wakatipu and is framed by the Southern Alps. It’s known as the Adventure Capital of New Zealand due to adrenaline-fuelled activities like bungee jumping and jet boating that originated here. Many people also move to Queenstown to enjoy the ski season. There are three major ski areas: The Remarkables, Treble Cone and Coronet Peak to enjoy.
While Queenstown is expensive, many people live further away in towns such as Frankton, Arrowtown and Lake Hayes as the houses in these areas are slightly cheaper, and the sections are a little bigger.
Queenstown is a top-rated tourist destination, and finding work in the town isn’t always easy. It’s a good idea to secure a job before moving. In some jobs, such as retail, workers are paid much higher than the minimum wage to keep up with the high cost of living. Working in Queenstown for a summer or winter can be a good way to earn and save money if you can find cheap accommodation.
Queenstown has always suffered from a shortage of accommodation due to the transient nature of many industries, like tourism. It’s not unusual for people to share a flat or rental with five or six others. It is a good idea to look for housing before moving to Queenstown.
There are 24 suburbs and towns to rent houses in the Queenstown-Lakes area, some further away like Glenorchy, Arrowtown, Kingston and Gibbston.
According to Tenancy Services Market Rent calculator, Queenstown had a median weekly rent of $720 per week, $508 per week on the lower end, and $885 on the higher end.
One-bedroom houses rent for around $510 a week, while 3-4 bedroom homes rent for an average of $743-850 a week.
Rent is significantly cheaper in further away suburbs, like Frankton. Popular suburbs for renting in Queenstown-Lakes District include:
Buying a house in Queenstown is very competitive. The area has been experiencing a construction boom; however, the price of housing is still relatively high compared with the rest of the country. In November 2023, data showed that asking prices in the Queenstown-Lakes area had risen by 4% to an average of $1.69million.
This is well above the national average of $908,853. In fact, Queenstown was the only area to buck the trend of decreasing house prices in 2023.
The price increases are mainly due to a lack of new supply and very few titled sections that allow new houses to be built.
Queenstown is a small town, so in some respects, where you choose to stay doesn’t matter too much — you’ll never be more than half an hour’s drive from most places.
Fernhill is located on the slopes of Ben Lomond, in the west of Queenstown. Close to several walking tracks and within walking distance of the centre of town, Fernhill is a great place to stay for people who like to keep active. Two hiking trails, the Fernhill Loop Track in the Ben Lomond Reserve and the Arawata Terrace Track, are close by. This area has a lot of hotels in it and is a popular place for tourists to stay outside of the very centre of Queenstown.
There are large houses and smaller homes available for rent in this area. A 4 bedroom home rents around $885 per week, while a one-bedroom costs $450 per week.
Shotover Country is a relatively new suburb that was first established in 2012. The area was rezoned from rural to residential to form a new suburb between the Shotover and Kawarau Rivers.
Although Shotover Country is a suburb of Queenstown, it is a little further away than some inner suburbs, and it could pay to have access to a car here. Even so, the location is excellent. Shotover Country is close to Frankton and Queenstown airport and has well-established schools, parks and amenities that mean you won’t have to go into central Queenstown to shop.
The average price for a 3-bedroom rental in Shotover Country is $800 per week. The average price of a one-bedroom home is $470 per week.
Queenstown Hill is a very central suburb of Queenstown. It has a lot of hotels and access to the Queenstown Hill Walking Track, a three-hour loop track that can be accessed via Belfast Terrace. This suburb is only a twenty-minute walk from the town centre, although the terrain is quite hilly.
Queenstown Hill has many beautiful lookout spots that give you a great view over Lake Wakatipu. This is an expensive suburb to rent in, although many houses have great views of the lakes and mountains to the south.
The average price of a 3-bedroom home in Queenstown Hill is $970 per week.
The suburb of Kelvin Heights is located to the south of Queenstown and is known for being one of the most exclusive and expensive neighbourhoods in the area. Kelvin Heights is separated from Queenstown by the suburb of Frankton, and it is necessary to have a car to get to and from this suburb. There is a ferry that goes from Kelvin Heights to the town centre of Queenstown in just 15 minutes.
Kelvin Heights is part of the Queenstown Trail, one of the best cycling trails in the area. The Kelvin Peninsula is more well known for having luxury rental accommodations. The average price of a 3-bedroom, 2-bathroom apartment is $1,050 per week.
Located north of Queenstown, this suburb is separated from Queenstown by a drive-up Gorge Road on the Shotover River. Arthurs Point is a popular spot for adrenaline activities. The Shotover Jet, Queenstown’s iconic bridge, and the Onsen Hot Pools are all close-by tourist attractions. Arthur’s Point is close to Morning Star Reserve, the Moonlight Track Trailhead, and the Historic Tunnel Walk.
There are two-bedroom and three-bedroom homes for rent between $695 and $770 per week.
Once considered a separate town from Queenstown, Frankton is now a centrally-located suburb in the Queenstown area. It’s now a busy shopping centre for Queenstown residents, and within this suburb, you’ll also find Queenstown airport, the historic Kawarau Falls Bridge, and Queenstown Events Centre. In summer, the Remarkables Market attracts many locals from all over the town.
Frankton has quite a few options when it comes to rentals. You’ll find one-bedroom apartments and three-bedroom houses not far from one another.
A one-bedroom apartment starts at $400 per week, while a two-bedroom home costs around $610 per week.
There are plenty of things to do in Queenstown to keep you busy.
Queenstown is known as a haven for adrenaline junkies. Check out some of these favourite activities to get your blood pumping.
Queenstown might be the adrenaline capital of New Zealand, but that doesn’t mean you can’t take it easy while you are there.
Set on the Gibbston winery, the Gibbston Valley Summer concert has an atmosphere like no other. Tickets cost around $159.00.
The NZ Golf Open is known as an iconic sporting event. Spectator entry to the New Zealand Open at Millbrook Resort is free. In 2024, the event tees off on February 29.
Just a twenty-minute car ride from Queenstown sits Arrowtown. Celebrate the beautiful autumn colours, try local foods, and watch the parade over this four-day festival.
The LUMA Southern Light Project is held over a long weekend and brings together light sculpture, performance art and illuminated arts in the Queenstown Gardens. Tickets start from $10.
Mark the beginning of the Maori New Year with a celebration of lights from Kā-Muriwai Arrowotown.
The southern hemisphere's biggest snow and sports event is back at Coronet Peak, The Remarkables, and Cardrona Alpine Resort. Watch high-octane ski racing, snowboarding and freeskiing through August and September.
When figuring out the cost of living in Queenstown, don’t forget to factor in eating out.
According to the comparison website Glimp, a single household shop per week in Queenstown comes out to $115.
Queenstown has a wide range of eateries that cater to many budgets. Here’s what you can expect to pay per person for a meal and drinks at some of the most popular restaurants.
Queenstown has a vibrant bar and brewery scene. Here’s what you can expect to pay per person for a drink at some of the most popular bars in town.
Queenstown can be a walkable place to live, but you might want to invest in transport since there are many things to do outside the confines of the town. Queenstown has five bus routes:
Fares to get anywhere on the Orbus Queenstown network are $4 or $2 with a Bee card.
Queenstown can be a busy little town, and finding a place to park in the peak seasons can be challenging. Parking is available in town at the Boundary or Church Street carparks. Main Street and Ballarat St also have parking options. For a full rundown on places to park and their prices, visit the Experience Queenstown parking site.
The cost of living in Queenstown is just one factor you should consider before moving to this picturesque town.
Now that you know more about the cost of living in Queenstown, you can start planning your Move. At Wise Move, we can help you search for reputable moving companies in Queenstown and all over NZ. Wise Move has an extensive network of moving companies that can get you from your current home to Queenstown in no time.
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