Costs for Work and Travel in New Zealand: Do you have enough money?

Overview

• Intro
• Step 1 - Costs in Germany
• Step 2 - Costs in New Zealand
• Step 3 - Adding Costs
• Step 4 - Earning Money
• Other - Saving & Traveling Without Money
• Other - I Need Help
• Other - Currency Exchange Considerations
• Frequently Asked Questions

Nils (Team KiwiQuest)

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Work and Travel Starter Kit

Okay, wonderful people. We need to talk about money. First things first: You’re not alone in this. Money is one of those classic backpacker problems.

The first big question: How much money do I really need for my work and travel trip to New Zealand? The answer greatly depends on how you envision your trip.

With this list of our costs for work and travel in New Zealand, we want to give you an initial idea of what you should expect.

Here we go!!

Intro

Remember...

For us, the subject of money was totally unclear back then. It constantly felt like we needed more and more, as no one could really say what costs to expect for work and travel in New Zealand.

Here, we pass on our actual expenses and hope that it helps you plan your trip.

As additional support, below you’ll find a few alternatives to classic “getting a job” for earning the money for your trip. But many of these paths require some courage. And we’re here to give you that, too.

Not included:
Nils’ unreasonably high food expenses.

Have fun!

- Team KiwiQuest

Step 1 - Costs in Germany

First, here's the list of expenses incurred before your arrival in New Zealand. We've left out extremely personal expenses (for example, a new backpack).

1. Passport 75 €

   Without a valid passport, you won’t get very far. Important: Your passport must be valid for three months after your return journey. You can find more info in our passport article.

2. Visa 435 €

   Your Working Holiday Visa allows you to stay in New Zealand for 12 months and also serves as your work permit. More info is available in our Visa Tutorial.

3. Flight 1300 €

   Of the costs for work and travel, flight tickets are often the biggest item. Usually, “Open Return Tickets” are most worthwhile. More info can be found in our flight article.

4. Insurance 350 €

   We paid the overseas health insurance for 12 months in advance. At that time, we had to search and compare offers ourselves. More info in our insurance article.

5. International Driver's License 15 €

   To drive in New Zealand, you need an international driver’s license. We went with a photo, driver’s license, and ID card to our driving authority and got it right away.

   Important:
   Your international driver’s license is only valid in conjunction with your German driver’s license , so always take both with you!

Step 2 - Costs in New Zealand

Secondly, here's the list of expenses upon your arrival in New Zealand. We have also left out extremely personal expenses (such as for trips or events).

1. First Week: Accommodation 200 €

   Don’t rush things, but first settle down calmly. We budgeted for food and hostel accommodations. Alternatives to hostels can be found in our Accommodation Article.

2. First Week: Food 200 €

   Plan enough money for food. We budgeted 200 euros (about 30 € / day) for the first week at the time. While you can manage with significantly less, a bit more at the start can’t hurt. Also, keep in mind that groceries in New Zealand are generally much more expensive than in Germany. A little tip: Supermarkets like “Pak’nSave” are kind of like Aldi or Netto in New Zealand: a bit cheaper!

3. Car 2500 €

   Free accommodation, sleeping, and mobility in one? Owning a car greatly reduces the costs of work and travel. In our opinion, a good investment. More info can be found in our Car Article.

4. Car Liability Insurance 200 €

   The New Zealand equivalent of the ADAC (called AA here) offers a so-called “third party insurance.” The costs can be a bit vague as they depend on the car and duration. Note: In New Zealand, there’s NO legal requirement to have insurance. We strongly advise you to at least buy liability insurance for your car, otherwise, you might find yourself in a bad situation in case of an accident.

Step 3 - Adding Costs

Okay, let’s add it all up. A few quick pokes on the calculator and here you go, your costs for work and travel in New Zealand amount to:

Result: 5385 Euros

Included:
– 2285 Euros for preparations in Germany
– 3100 Euros for the first steps in New Zealand

We recommend having around 5000 euros as starting capital for 12 months of Work and Travel in New Zealand. Of course, the costs depend somewhat on your individual travel plans, but as a first reference point, we can definitely recommend this sum.

Step 4 - Earning Money

Great, now you have an initial idea of the costs you will face for Work and Travel in New Zealand. But we want to go a step further and give you a few (partly unconventional) ideas on how you can now gather this money.

Let’s start with this:
Sure, dining at a restaurant or quickly buying breakfast from the bakery is tempting. Just think of the delicious chocolate croissants and freshly brewed coffee. Ah!

Sound familiar?
Then you’re in the right place.

Aside from working, there are plenty of other ways you can scrape together the money for your trip. Here are some ideas that we’ve used ourselves back then:

1. Your Food

Cook your own meals instead of ordering food.

Takeaways like pizza, bakeries, and dining out are of course extremely convenient, but they also cost a significant amount of money. If you steer clear of these places and instead cook yourself, you can wonderfully save for your trip.

Instead of spending 30 euros eating out at a Greek restaurant, cook your own dinner. Instead of the daily sandwiches from the bakery, make your own bread in the morning. Not all of us are master chefs, but if you let sites like Chefkoch.de help you, the whole thing becomes a lot of fun. And you'll also learn to cook along the way, isn't that perfect?

2. Your Coffee

Cut out the latte from the cafe next door for a while.

Small expenses are the best way to unwittingly lose a lot of money. Most of us have no problem paying 2.50 euros for coffee. Or 3.50 euros for a pack of cookies. But if you do this regularly, a heck of a lot of money adds up.

If you buy that aforementioned coffee every day for a month, that's already 75 euros. With that, you could spend a few nights in a hostel in New Zealand. So we won't even start talking about the cookies here. If you're not sure where these small expenses are hiding in your daily life, just jot them down in a little book or a app for a week. It can be a real eye-opener.

3. Your Apartment

Rent out your apartment while you're in New Zealand.

You live in your own apartment and would like to continue living there after your trip? Then the idea of finding a subtenant for your time in New Zealand may have already crossed your mind. Good plan. The rent is paid and the apartment is still yours. In most cases, you just need to file an application with your landlord and will usually get permission. But why not put this plan into action six months earlier?

Ask your parents or friends if you can live with them for a while before your trip if you cover your food and utilities. Explain the situation and calculate for them how much you can save through this. If, for example, you've paid 300 euros a month in cold rent, you can save a total of 1800 euros in half a year. With that, you could easily pay for your full flight and live in New Zealand for a few more weeks.

4. Your Car

Sell or rent out your car in Germany.

A car is a real money-eating machine. A question everyone should seriously ask themselves: Do I really need my car?

The ADAC car cost calculator reveals: A car costs over 200 euros a month with insurance, repair costs, taxes, and so on. And the fuel costs are on top of that. If you can do without a car and instead use a bike or the bus, we definitely recommend it.

If you don't want to give up your car completely, take a closer look at drivy.de. Basically, you make your car available for rent. You set the price for it (per hour, day, or week) yourself. This way, your car eagerly helps you make money.

5. Clubs & Parties

Cut back on parties and alcohol for a while.

It's Saturday again, so off to the clubs! Only 5 euros entrance fee, so it's a cheap night, right? Sure, if you only pay the entrance fee. Not if you add the expenses for drinks and other extras. It's not everyone's thing, but if you can completely cut out the club & party scene for a while, your bank account will thank you soon.

6. Friends & Family

Ask friends, family, and acquaintances for support.

It doesn't hurt to involve relatives & acquaintances either. After all, your trip is an investment in your development. You might be surprised to find how many people are happy to support you when you tell them about your plans and dreams.

If you don’t want to save or rely on support from others, only one thing remains:
Go to work.

Wha… work??!! Oh God! Wait!
Don’t freak out!!

Yes, sure: “Going to work” is not usually associated with a lot of fun for many. But we’d like to share something special here: Try to find a way to get paid to play. With something you enjoy. Something you already do in your free time. Then work becomes a game.

And that’s the one golden rule in the world of work:

“Figure out a way to get paid for playing.” – Alan Watts

You’ll be surprised how much money you can earn by using your skills and talents. And how much fun that can be.

We do it just like that and we can say:
It works. And it’s worth it.

No idea?
Then do this:
Write us three things you enjoy doing in your free time in the comments. We’ll happily make suggestions and exchange ideas with you. We look forward to it!

Ready? Go!!!

Other - Saving & Traveling Without Money

Once you’ve arrived in New Zealand, it’s important to make your money last as long as possible. Working in New Zealand can be fun, but let’s be honest: Traveling is more relaxing.

Saving - Traveling Completely Without Money

The big dream: Traveling completely without money. We can reveal: It’s actually possible. Since the topic can’t be explained in a few sentences, we’ve written the article Traveling Without Money.

Saving - Avoiding Rip-Offs on International Transfers

The big banks (both in Germany and New Zealand) are notorious for squeezing out a little bit of your money, especially with international transfers. But if you haven’t heard of Transferwise yet, it’s partly on you too.

Other - I Need Help

Many things on this site aren't that simple. For example, applying for the tax number or the Working Holiday Visa. To give you a little support, we've created some handy downloads.

Other - Currency Exchange Considerations

The exchange rate between the Euro and New Zealand Dollar is unfortunately a bit tempremental. With large sums, this can make a real difference, so it’s worth checking the exact rate! You can do this with Wise, for example.

Frequently Asked Questions

What other KiwiQuesters wanted to know...