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 2013.

 
Centre   Diet type  

Auckland

Basic

Moderate

Liberal

Man 64 84
100
Woman 61
79
95
Adolescent Boy 82
107
128
Adolescent Girl 68
89
106
10 yr old 53
69
83
5 yr old 36 47
56
4 yr old 34
44
53
1 yr old 29 38 45

Hamilton

Basic

Moderate

Liberal

Man 71
92
111
Woman 68
88
106
Adolescent Boy 89
115
138
Adolescent Girl 74
97
116
10 yr old 57
74
89
5 yr old 40
52
62
4 yr old 37
48 57
1 yr old 29
38
46

Wellington

Basic

Moderate

Liberal

Man 70
91
109
Woman 66
86
103
Adolescent Boy 89
115
138
Adolescent Girl 74
96
115
10 yr old 58
75
90
5 yr old 39
50
60
4 yr old 36
47 57
1 yr old 31
41
49

Christchurch

Basic

Moderate

Liberal

Man 68
88
106
Woman 64
83
100
Adolescent Boy 86
112
135
Adolescent Girl 71
93
111
10 yr old 56
73
88
5 yr old 38 49
59
4 yr old 36
46
56
1 yr old 31 40
48

Dunedin

Basic

Moderate

Liberal

Man 68
89
106
Woman 64
84
100
Adolescent Boy 86
111
134
Adolescent Girl 71
93
111
10 yr old 56
73
88
5 yr old 37
48
58
4 yr old 35
46
55
1 yr old 30
39
46

Download the 2013 Food Cost Survey Information Pack