Move to Ōtepoti-Dunedin
Dunedin is a city full of character and charm with a welcoming local community that are quick to embrace new residents and show them the ropes. You’ll soon settle in and realise just how good life can be when you have time and space to enjoy it.
Where to Live
Dunedin is a large city by geographic area and offers a compelling selection of residential locations from the inner-city urban precincts and hillside suburbs, through to semi-rural lifestyle settlements and satellite townships along the coast and within the hinterland.
The average commute to the central city is 15 minutes, which leaves plenty of time for other pursuits at the beginning or end of a working day.
Each suburb has its own unique character and as a beachside city, many neighbourhoods enjoy views of the harbour or Pacific Ocean.
To get an idea of the average cost of living in Dunedin, try the cost of living calculator
Housing – Buy or Rent
Dunedin has an eclectic array of housing styles from sprawling wooden villas to brick bungalows and modern architecturally designed homes to central city apartments.
Housing stock trends towards older character properties, however a number of new developments and rezoning initiatives are increasing the supply of new build homes recently.
The buoyant Dunedin housing market is still affordable by national standards with latest QV average house sales price sitting at $646,668 (QV.co.nz April 2024). See the QV website for the latest information.
Find some resources here:
Schools and Education
Dunedin is known for the excellent calibre of its schools and higher education institutions, including the University of Otago and the Otago Polytechnic. There are over 70 public, private and denominational primary and secondary schools, some of which also offer boarding facilities for students.
Many public schools are zoned, which means students ordinarily have to live within a defined geographic area to enrol, however there are some exceptions so it’s best to check directly with the school.
The Study Dunedin pages have a wealth of information about the education experience in the city for international students but is also a useful resource in general if you are considering moving to Dunedin with your family.
To do your own research on Dunedin’s education offering, check out the links below:
New to Dunedin
Dunedin has a diverse ethnic community and a wide range of community and recreational groups which are a great way to meet new people.
The Dunedin City Council has a guide for new arrivals to the city, which includes helpful information on services and groups that might be of interest.
If you've just moved, or are thinking of moving to Dunedin, you’ll find practical information about living here on the Dunedin City Council website.
Making an international move?
If you are planning on moving to Dunedin from another part of the world, the New Zealand Government has excellent tools and resources that will assist in this process, see Living in New Zealand and NZ Ready Immigration for further details.