22+ Pros And Cons Of Living In New Zealand (Explained)

The primary European explorer to visit New Zealand was Abel Tasman in December 1642. The Dutch were the first non-Polynesians to explore the shoreline of the isolated land, and then Captain James Cook would become the foremost to circumnavigate and map the area in 1769.

New Zealand would become an autonomous nation in the British Empire in 1907, If you are thinking about staying or working in New Zealand, then here are some pros and cons about being a Kiwi to contemplate.

BENEFITS of Living in New Zealand	DRAWBACKS of Living in New Zealand
The cost of living is relatively low in New Zealand.	It is a fairly isolated country.
One can lead a very peaceful life in the country.	Imported goods are expensive.
The wilderness is very vast and untouched.	Poor public transportation
There is no such difference between permanent residents.	Housing is not of so good quality.
Universal healthcare.	People in New Zealand are hard to socialize with.
Plenty of opportunities for entrepreneurs.
Food is great in the country.
High-quality education.
Low crime level.
The weather is amazing.

Table of Contents

Advantages of Living in New Zealand:

Cost of Living is relatively low in the country.

Because New Zealand is stuck in the middle of the Oceania region, the closest neighbors tend to be Australia and Southeast Asia. That means some fewer people wish to live or move there, reducing the cost of living for most Kiwis.

One can lead a very peaceful life in the country.

There is less pressure in New Zealand to be the best, or the richest, or the most significant person in your industry. People here encourage a healthy work-life balance. People here inspire a healthy work-life balance.

There is no such difference between permanent residents.

When you are a permanent resident in New Zealand, then you have the right to vote in the country’s elections. Your family receives the same access to all of the government subsidies that are in place as if you were a full citizen.

The fact remains that New Zealand has only hosted people for about 800 years. You will find a melting pot of variety living here, ranging from the Maori to the Pacific Islands to those of European descent. There are fewer issues with cultural differences found here than you will experience in other countries.

Living in New Zealand means access to universal healthcare.

Everyone in New Zealand receives healthcare services irrespective of their residency status. If you are a citizen or a permanent inhabitant, then there are no out-of-pocket expenditures to worry about when you need to visit the doctor outside of what you pay in taxes.

Plenty of opportunities for entrepreneurs.

If you are an entrepreneur with a specific skill, then moving to New Zealand could put you in the driver’s seat to new chances. There is plenty of space for new businesses, while there are scarcities of specifically accomplished workers that can make it very easy to find a job and become an everlasting resident.

Food is great in the country.

Because the number of sheep in New Zealand outnumber the human population, one might think that the entire culinary experience involves lamb and mutton. The country is more famous for the honey and coffee it produces.

High-quality education.

If you don’t have enduring residency status, then the government will charge your family a fee to have your kids attend the local public school. If you attain this status or become a resident, then you can access the educational system for free.

Low crime level in the country.

Despite the attacks on a Christchurch mosque that claimed dozens of lives in 2019, the number of murders in the country averages about 50 per year. Most of the country’s inhabitants live in Wellington, Auckland, or Christchurch, so that is where most of the arrests and criminal activities occur.

The weather in New Zealand is fantastic.

The temperate climate in New Zealand is a very alluring one. It rarely gets too hot, and the cold tends to stay away as well. There are some grey days out there, but the ones filled with sunshine tend to outstrip them.

Disadvantages of Living in New Zealand:

It is a fairly isolated country.

The world might be a small place, but New Zealand is still on the fringe of what makes people comfortable. It is a rather small island nation with a little more than 4 million people living there overall.

Imported goods are expensive in the country.

The limited size and infrastructure of New Zealand mean that you cannot avoid the cost of imported goods or services all of the time. You are going to pay more for electronics, clothing, and some food items.

Poor availability of public transport.

The country does not have a well-known rail system for passenger transportation. There are a handful of trains that do work across the islands, but they tend to operate slowly, run rarely, and their cost borders on the preposterous. Your best choice is to use the bus systems that are in some of the cities, but even those are not completely reliable.

Housing standards are not high in New Zealand.

New Zealand has a status for lax housing standards related to the rest of the developed world. The climate here is rather temperate throughout the year, but it is helpful to have a place where you can be warm and dry.

People in New Zealand are hard to socialize with.

The population here is very down-to-earth. There is a general despite for pretense. This leads to a proverb that says that the tallest poppies are the first ones to be cut down.

Conclusion:

The pros and cons of living in New Zealand are indispensable to consider if you are thinking about a prolonged visit or immigrating there forever.

Most people relish the laid-back attitude and quiet viewpoint, but it can be costly if you struggle to change away from imported items.