Food Cost Survey

Each year the Department of Human Nutrition calculates the weekly cost of purchasing a healthy diet for men, women, adolescents, and children.

Food cost data is collected by Student Dietitians in Auckland, Hamilton, Wellington, Christchurch, and Dunedin on the first Monday in March each year, and analysed in the Department of Human Nutrition. A standard protocol is followed. For about thirty years the University of Otago has collected data from supermarkets and specialty shops (green-grocers, butchers, dairies and fish shops). The costs presented have assumed that food would be bought from a combination of these sources, and be prepared at home.

Since 2003 we have calculated the costs from supermarkets only, from four supermarkets in each centre. Wherever possible, supermarkets have been selected on the basis of the greatest consumer throughput in each centre.

Weekly costs ($) of a balanced diet in 2009.

 

Centre		Diet type
Auckland	Basic	Moderate	Liberal
Man	61	79	95
Woman	58	75	90
Adolescent Boy	77	100	120
Adolescent Girl	64	83	100
10 yr old	50	65	78
5 yr old	34	44	52
4 yr old	32	41	49
1 yr old	27	35	42
Hamilton	Basic	Moderate	Liberal
Man	60	78	94
Woman	57	74	89
Adolescent Boy	76	99	119
Adolescent Girl	63	82	99
10 yr old	50	65	78
5 yr old	33	43	52
4 yr old	31	41	49
1 yr old	27	35	42
Wellington	Basic	Moderate	Liberal
Man	61	80	96
Woman	58	75	90
Adolescent Boy	77	101	121
Adolescent Girl	64	83	100
10 yr old	50	65	78
5 yr old	34	44	52
4 yr old	31	41	49
1 yr old	27	35	42
Christchurch	Basic	Moderate	Liberal
Man	61	79	95
Woman	57	75	90
Adolescent Boy	77	100	120
Adolescent Girl	64	84	101
10 yr old	51	67	80
5 yr old	34	44	53
4 yr old	32	41	50
1 yr old	28	36	44
Dunedin	Basic	Moderate	Liberal
Man	59	77	92
Woman	56	73	87
Adolescent Boy	75	97	117
Adolescent Girl	62	81	97
10 yr old	49	64	77
5 yr old	33	43	51
4 yr old	31	40	48
1 yr old	27	35	42

Download the 2009 Food Cost Survey Information Pack