New Zealand has one of the highest populations of immigrants, for good reason; it bursts with surreal natural beauty and high quality of life.
While also being one of the safest countries in the world; it’s filled with endless adventure opportunities, indigenous Maori culture, a world-champion rugby team, and epic natural phenomena.
Moving abroad is a big deal. While New Zealand is a truly wonderful place to live the ex-pat life, it’s still a massive transition and should not be taken lightly.
New Zealand has one of the highest populations of immigrants, for good reason; it bursts with surreal natural beauty and high quality of life.
Table of Contents
Benefit While Living In New Zealand
- Low Cost of Living
- Vast, Untouched Wilderness Areas
- Lots of Rights for Expats
- High-quality Healthcare
- Top-notch Education
- Great Food
- Friendly People
- Far From Everything.
Living In New Zealand Pros and Cons
In this post, the Living In New Zealand Pros and Cons will be portrayed here in this article for better information and knowledge.
Check out all the Living In New Zealand Pros and Cons, as they will be highlighted here in this article; hence, if you wish to work in employment in New Zealand, read further.
Pros of Living in New Zealand
Below are the following essential pros of living in New Zealand as a foreigner, international student, and any individual planning to come to the country.
1. Good economy and great job market
Possibly one of the biggest attractions to this island nation is the stable job market and the NZ job market promises steady growth over the next few years.
According to the Ministry of Business, Innovation, and Employment (MBIE), there is a predicted growth in the economy over the 2024 to 2028 period of 2.5%.
The government, in particular, has been trying to lure foreign skilled labor to migrate to New Zealand as there are a number of shortages in key industry sectors.
This is primarily due to the fact that the country has an ageing population and there will be a substantial number of job openings in the future.
Some of the industries that are currently most in demand for skilled labour include:
- Business
- Construction
- Retail
- Food, culinary, and hospitality
- Accommodation.
2. A great place to raise a family
New Zealand is one of the safer countries in the world and in fact, the country ranks 77 out of 137 countries rated from most dangerous to least dangerous.
While there is a crime in the country, it is nowhere near as dangerous as in countries like South Africa, Brazil, and Venezuela and this puts New Zealand at the top of the list of safe countries to raise children in.
The country has a strong economy, a great education system, a relatively low cost of living, great healthcare, low crime rates, and beautiful scenery, including national parks and hiking trails.
3. The climate
If you have ever travelled to South Africa, you will have an idea of what a perfect climate is; warm summers, cool autumns, and springs, and not too-chilly winters.
The climate in New Zealand is very similar to the South African climate, which is why so many South Africans and Brits opt to make the move to the island nation.
The far north experiences a sub-tropical climate during the summer, while the inland may experience winters as cold as -10°C (14°F).
January and February are considered to be the warmest months in New Zealand, and July is the coldest month in this country.
If you plan on travelling to the country, you may want to consider doing that during the summer months in December, January, and February.
4. There’s free healthcare
One of the main reasons to move to New Zealand over other popular destinations is the policies in place that make well-being a priority.
Unlike many other countries around the world, permanent residents receive the same rights as citizens, including the right to vote, to travel freely, to public education, and most importantly, to free healthcare.
Government-subsidized healthcare means no out-of-pocket expenses for doctor’s visits, drastically improving the quality of life for New Zealand residents.
Surprisingly, the quality of care is also extremely high, which can be difficult to find in other countries with free healthcare systems.
5. English is the official language
One of the biggest challenges facing ex-pats in foreign countries is mastering at least one of the official languages.
Apart from the language, the culture is very similar to Western culture, which makes adapting quite easy with little to no culture shock when first moving to New Zealand.
In fact, the country is most similar to the UK and Ireland in terms of having plenty of rain and lush greenery.
The cultural influences in New Zealand are predominately European and Māori, which makes adaptation for Europeans much easier.
But, more importantly, the culture in New Zealand is very warm and welcoming to immigrants and foreigners.
Furthermore, the country boasts a very open-minded culture that values freedom of religion as it is very tolerant of all religions.
6. It’s incredibly safe
Unlike many other popular ex-pat countries, one of the benefits of living in New Zealand is that it’s one of the safest countries in the world.
It is ranked second on the Global Peace Index, boasting low crime rates and high religious tolerance, and it’s tied with Denmark for first place on the list of least corrupt places worldwide.
The roads are clean and safe, there is a zero-tolerance policy for guns, and you won’t find the deadly wildlife that is common in neighbouring Australia.
7. Great quality of life
According to the Better Life Index, New Zealand fares rather well in all areas of life in relation to other countries.
The site goes on to explain that the people of New Zealand generally outperform other countries in areas such as:
- Health
- Education
- Jobs
- Income
- Social Connections
- Civic engagement
- Environmental Quality
- Life satisfaction.
Quality of life is directly related to things like the cost of living, availability of jobs, good education and healthcare, advanced infrastructure, and civic engagement.
It is well known across the globe that New Zealand residents live a high quality of life and it’s no secret that New Zealanders have a very strong work ethic.
Most cities and towns are strategically located close to either a beach, a national park, a hiking trail, or a biking trail and in addition, the residents of this country strongly believe in a good work-life balance.
Cons of Living in New Zealand
These are the followings:
1. Isolated from the world
While there are many wonderful things to love about New Zealand, one of the major downsides is that it does feel somewhat isolated from the rest of the world.
If you are an ex-pat that has moved here, you will truly understand, ex-pats rarely move with their extended family when they migrate.
This means that your family is more than likely still in your birth country, if you are planning a trip home, plan to spend hours in airports and days on the plane.
And, if you like to travel internationally on vacation, you may find that living in New Zealand can be a drag, for the same reason.
Not only will you have to spend additional hours flying and travelling to get to your destination, but you will also need to spend more money on the cost of travelling.
2. Dental care is expensive.
While New Zealand offers government-subsidized healthcare, dental care is not included. In fact, dental costs are extremely expensive for adults.
Even the cost of an appointment alone is expensive, let alone the actual treatments; this means most of the population never goes to the dentist, especially those with lower and middle-class incomes.
3. There are limited career options.
One of the biggest reasons Kiwis leave New Zealand is because of the limited job opportunities in their home country. Big dreamers often need to leave to pursue a career or studies elsewhere.
This drawback heavily depends on your line of work. Entrepreneurs may actually have more opportunities because of less competition and innovation in the work field, but other lines of work may not be available at all while living in New Zealand.
4. Skin cancer
Sadly, there is a thinning of the ozone layer over the south pole which directly affects New Zealanders.
You would often see television advertisements featuring a talking bird imploring New Zealanders to wear a t-shirt, put on sunscreen, and wear a sun hat as protection against damaging UV rays during the 80s and 90s for exactly this reason.
The hole is not increasing and there seems to be evidence to support this, but it does pose a very real threat of skin cancer which affects all New Zealanders.
5. A bit too quiet
As of 2020, the population of New Zealand was 5.084 million people; the population is seeing a slowdown in growth.
The slowest growth rate over the past few years has been in the year 2021 and can largely be attributed to the Covid-19 pandemic.
The cities are not as populated or busy as other metropolitan cities across the globe, such as London, New York, and Beijing.
This means that New Zealand may not be as appealing to younger generations who may prefer the business of more populated cities.
6. Housing prices
While New Zealand does present a high standard of living, housing prices in some of the more well-known cities are pretty steep in relation to the international housing market.
Auckland is one of the biggest cities in New Zealand and home to many immigrants, as many of the higher-paying jobs are in Auckland.
This has led to a housing crisis and the prices of properties for both buying and renting are going up substantially.
Many immigrants have pointed out that nearly half of their salaries go towards rent in this city.
FAQ
These are the following frequently asked questions below:
Is living in New Zealand worth it?
Yes!!!. it offers unparalleled facilities and a comfortable, multicultural environment.
What salary do you need to live comfortably in NZ?
To live alone in Auckland, New Zealand, you need to earn at least NZ$4,379 per month.
What is it like living in New Zealand?
The people are friendly, the living costs are affordable, there are no snakes, and you get to see waterfalls almost everywhere and plus it’s so fun!
Conclusion
You can see the above available Living In New Zealand Pros and Cons post, with the additional benefits or experience of your skill acquisition.
While deciding on your Living In New Zealand Pros and Cons, you as a foreigner must carefully consider how much the chosen profession is in demand and whether it is profitable.
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