Manage your budget, think ahead, know where to get cash, understand the currency exchange in New Zealand!
The currency in New Zealand is the New Zealand Dollar (NZD). It is easily exchangeable with all other major currencies and it is accepted throughout the country.
100 cents = 1 Dollar
coins: 10 cents, 20 cents, 50 cents, 1 dollar, 2 dollars
notes: 5 dollars, 10 dollars, 20 dollars, 50 dollars, 100 dollars
ATMs are widely available in cities and larger towns. Credit cards accepted in most hotels and restaurants.
EXCHANGE RATES!
1 USD
1.47 NZDCURRENCY EXCHANGE
By way of information, you certainly have an opportunity to save yourself money on currency exchanges using the many available ATM machines. Most currency exchanges give fairly unfavorable rates and then add a fee or commission to the transaction (you will usually see them “buying” currency for 3-6% less than it is worth and “selling” you NZ Dollars for 3-6% more than they are worth, then adding a fee of $2-10). For those who use, say Bank of America, you can use WestPac Bank ATMs with no ATM fees or charges and a fair exchange rate (with no fees or commissions). There are also a fair amount of Citi ATMs there and in Australia. Two other benefits: you will be traveling with less cash and you can take out only the amount of money you actually need – preventing you from being stuck holding a bunch of NZ Dollars or getting a poor exchange back at the end of your trip.
Cost of Living
One independent international survey ranked Wellington 83rd in the world in terms of its cost of living, far better than other major cities.
More expensive cities included Hong Kong (2), Singapore (4), Shanghai (6), London (12), New York (16), Guangzhou (15), Sydney (31) and Melbourne (47) – showing that comparatively, New Zealand’s major metropolitan areas are more affordable than those in other countries.
Read more about Cost of Living...
Tipping
Tipping is completely optional in NZ – the total at the bottom of a restaurant bill is all you need to pay (note that sometimes there’s an additional service charge). That said, it’s totally acceptable to reward good service – between 5% and 10% of the bill is fine.