Townleap

Cost of Living: Brighton vs Dunedin (2026)

United Kingdom vs New Zealand — relocation comparison

Your passport:
Brighton
Dunedin
$1,894/mo
Rent

1BR centre

$991/mo
5 yr
PR path
—
4-year FIG regime (Foreign Income and Gains)
Tax breaks

Open incentive regimes for newcomers

—
Freelance setup
Sole Trader
  • VAT-free under €105k
  • 9% social
  • €600/yr accountant
WiseStripe
—

Sourced from Numbeo · Updated May 2026

TL;DRDunedin is 48% cheaper on rent ($991/mo vs $1,894/mo). Dunedin scores 9.6 vs 8.5 on democracy. Both countries will let you complain about the government in public — and mean it.
Dunedin edges ahead 72 to 65. Brighton isn't far behind — it depends what matters to you.
How the livability score breaks down
Brighton
Dunedin
10.6/25
💰 Affordability
19.3/25
13.9/15
🔒 Violent Crime
13.5/15
6.1/10
🛡️ Perceived Safety
7.2/10
5.3/15
⚡ Internet
5.3/15
12.8/15
🗳️ Democracy
14.4/15
10/10
🗣️ English
10/10
7.4/10
☀️ Climate
6.5/10
6.7/10
📊 Stability
7.1/10
4.3/10
🚗 Road Safety
4.3/10
7.5/10
🕊️ Geopolitical Safety
5.9/10
Household
Brighton
Metric
Dunedin
$859/mo
🛒
Living costs (no rent)
lower is better
$568/mo✓
81 / 100
🛡️
Settler safety
higher is better
88 / 100✓
✓1.1 / 100k
🔒
Homicides
lower is better
1.5 / 100k
61 / 100
🚨
Safety Index
higher is better
72 / 100✓
68°F
☀️
Summer high
personal taste
64°F
39°F
❄️
Winter low
personal taste
39°F
8.5 / 10
🗳️
Democracy
higher is better
9.6 / 10✓
6.6 / 9
🤝
Migrant acceptance
higher is better
8.3 / 9✓
52 / 100
🏳️‍🌈
Rainbow Index
higher is better
81 / 100✓
100/100
🗣️
Street English
higher is better
100/100
✓$62k
💼
GDP per capita (PPP)
higher is better
$56k
3.3% · Boringly steady
📈
Inflation
lower is better
2.9% · Boringly steady✓
92/100
🗽
Freedom House
higher is better
99/100✓
See exactly what you keep after taxes in each city

Sources: Numbeo · UNODC · Ookla · WHO · EIU · Gallup · World Bank · Freedom House · Updated May 2026

💰
Cost of Living
Dunedin
$903/mo cheaper on rent alone
🔒
Safety
Brighton
1.1 homicides per 100k
🗳️
Democracy
Dunedin
9.6/10 EIU index

Sun

How much sky you actually get

36% clear
Win
Spr
Sum
Fall
Sky clear
avg daytime
34% clear
Win
Spr
Sum
Fall
8.0h
Shortest day
Dec
15.7h
16.4h
Longest day
Jun
8.7h

Sun clocks out early in Brighton's winter. Plan accordingly.

Source: WeatherSpark (clear-sky share of daytime hours)

Settler Essentials

Democracy trend
Moderate
🇺🇸 Your visa
—
Moderate
EU visa
—
Complex
RU visa
—
Moderate
UA visa
—
Recognized (2+ yr)
unmarried partner / civil partnership
Partner pathway
—

Visa stamps:Easy <90 daysModerate 3–6 moComplex 6+ mo

Sources: EIU · Freedom House · Startup Genome · official immigration portals

Reproductive Rights

Because your body shouldn't need a visa too

Broad social grounds
Abortion access
On request
24 wk
Gestational limit
20 wk

Requires two doctors' approval under Abortion Act 1967, but broadly available up to 24 weeks.

On request up to 20 weeks since the Abortion Legislation Act 2020. After 20 weeks, permitted if a qualified health practitioner considers it clinically appropriate.

Source: Center for Reproductive Rights

LGBTQ+ Rights

Can you hold hands without doing a risk assessment first

Legal
Marriage
Legal
Joint adoption
Adoption
Joint adoption
Yes
Job protection
Yes
Yes
Hate crime law
Yes

Brighton vs Dunedin — Common Questions

Is Brighton cheaper than Dunedin?▾

Dunedin is cheaper. A 1-bedroom apartment in city centre costs around $991/month there vs $1894/month in the other city (Numbeo data).

Which is safer, Brighton or Dunedin?▾

Brighton is statistically safer based on UNODC homicide data. Brighton has a rate of 1.12 per 100,000 and Dunedin has 1.46 per 100,000.

Should I move to Brighton or Dunedin?▾

Dunedin edges ahead 72 to 65. Brighton isn't far behind — it depends what matters to you. See the full comparison above for rent, safety, internet speed, climate, and democracy scores to decide which city fits your priorities.

What's the cost of rent in Brighton vs Dunedin?▾

A 1-bedroom in the centre: $991/month in Dunedin, $1894/month in Brighton (Numbeo). That's 48% cheaper rent in Dunedin.

Is Brighton or Dunedin better for democracy and rule of law?▾

Dunedin scores 9.6/10 on the EIU Democracy Index vs 8.5/10 for Brighton. That puts it in 'full democracy' territory — free press, independent courts, the works.

Plot twist: other matchups exist

Maybe the real city was the comparisons we made along the way.

Let the algorithm judge you

2 min quiz — surprisingly accurate

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