According to Stats NZ, a record 72,700 people left the country in the 12 months to September 2025, with many choosing to reside in Australia for better pay and job opportunities. Christel started to notice how comparable their Gold Coast life was to Auckland’s. Since the start of the Covid pandemic, she says the cost of living on the Gold Coast has risen “dramatically”. “Rents and property prices [in the Gold Coast] surged and have not come back down,” she says. They say while Australia presents better job opportunities and salaries, it’s “misleading”, as the reality of day-to-day stresses is not often spoken about.

Source: New Zealand Herald April 11, 2026 19:02 UTC