Episode 7: Where is it More Expensive?
It’s been awhile since I’ve compiled a list of five things and compared the costs between Austin and Auckland. (Check out the previous episodes here.) It’s always an interesting exercise to drill down and see where there are cost savings in each country, how big the delta is, and contemplate how that affects how we live. There is a general trend: goods are expensive in New Zealand while services are not. It jives with each country’s outlook on life, I think. In the US, there is a much bigger consumer culture than there is in New Zealand, but in New Zealand, there are times when I think people undervalue themselves. So enjoy this most recent cost comparison, and please let me know if there are specific items/services/experiences you’d like to learn more about.
Dr. Martens - I did not think after the winter clothes shopping bonanza that was our US trip that I would already be contemplating what items I need to add to my closet. Didn’t I plan carefully and stock up when I was in Texas in January? Apparently not. I’m kind of in love that the chunky shoe trend is coming back, and I’m excited to get a new pair of Docs, specifically the Jadon style. There is a Dr. Martens store in the Westfield Newmarket mall, where I can try on a pair (or three…)
NZ store cost - NZ$369 or US$240
Revolve - NZ$320.26 (includes GST and free shipping) or about US$218
Amazon order - US$185.95 + $15.00 shipping + $30.14 GST = US$231.09
US store - US $180 + tax, or US$194.85
Advantage: US .
Ink Cartridges - With all of the homeschooling as of late, I’ve been burning through ink cartridges, which for us means Epson 273s in magenta, cyan, yellow, photo black, and black.
The Warehouse - XL cartridges are NZ$41.99 (US$27.29) This is really convenient as I can walk in and pick them up in about 10 minutes.
Brand Post - I can get XL cartridges for NZ$39.95 (US$25.96) with free delivery if I am willing to wait a few days for them to arrive.
Amazon - US$18.97 + tax + shipping = US$34.34 plus the hastle of waiting a few weeks.
Printzone - The best value I’ve found is to get a bundle from Printzone where - for NZ$198.26 - I can get a bundle of 2x black and one of all of the other cartridges. They also offer free shipping!
Advantage: US
Kid’s Doctor’s Visit - As the season’s change, my kids have gotten the inevitable illness that necessitated a visit to our GP. At our most recent visit, my son got the usual check up, a strep test, and the nearly-obligatory-if-you’ve-so-much-as-sneezed-once covid test. (Our test results came back the next day, and he was negative for everything. This was just another round of kid crud that seems to happen every few months.)
New Zealand - $0 (kids under 13 are free as are their prescriptions)
US - This varies wildly based on your insurance plan. When we left the US, we were paying $110 per visit until we hit our copay or $90 cash if we didn’t want to go through insurance.
Advantage: New Zealand
Babysitters - Finding a good babysitter is the holy grail of parenting. When you find a good one, you never let them go!
US - We paid US$20 per hour for two kids, which was a standard rate in Austin from what I could tell from other parents. Our most frequent sitter was a wonderful person with an early childhood education degree. Shout out to Sarah, who taught me a whole lot about parenting!
New Zealand - We currently pay NZ$20 (or US$14) per hour for two kids, and a frequent sitter is one of the teachers from the kids’ old preschool. She definitely knows how to handle the kids and keep things in line.
Advantage: New Zealand
Pokemon Cards - My kids’ newest obsession is Pokemon, and even though they have no clue how to play the card game, they are really into looking at the cards, making deals to trade cards, and generally ogling over cards they have no idea what to do with.
US - Single card packs appear to go for about $3.50, including tax on Amazon.
NZ - Typically, a single pack costs NZ$7, or about US$4.50. If you can stock up when they’re on sale, you can get them for about 15% less.
The biggest difference with the Pokemon stuff is the difference in availability. There is a huge variety of cards, accessories, books, boxes, and extra things available in the US that simply aren’t available here. At the big toy store in the mall, there are maybe 10 different Pokemon items available, including card packs, toys, single card packs, and any other extras. In order to get a more “girly” pink Evee Pokemon binder for my daughter, I had to order it from Amazon because there was nothing even remotely similar here in New Zealand… and don’t get me started on the covid-world shipping charges.
Advantage: US.
