Auckland the second most expensive city to relocate to

Auckland is the second most expensive city in the world to relocate to, according to a global study.

The study, conducted by Nestpick, looked into the initial costs involved with relocating to 80 of the most in-demand cities around the globe.

Costs weighed up included Visa fees, rent, internet, phone, food and transport for the first month of relocation.

The data found that a move to Auckland would cost $5,713.68 for the first month, second only to Dubai ($6,068.64).

Ömer Kücükdere, Managing Director of Nestpick, said cost of living is a huge factor for those choosing to relocate.

"The cost of living is often a huge factor for those looking to move, with the initial month almost always incurring extra costs due to potential visa applications," Kücükdere said.

"We hope that this index serves as a good indicator of how affordable or expensive many of the most popular remote working destinations are around the world, and will help those seeking opportunities abroad to make a smart decision."

Auckland had the 23rd most expensive monthly rent prices ($1,317.49), while San Francisco ranked first at a whopping $3,386.76.

New York ($2,853.15), Hong Kong ($2,354.55), London ($2,272.84) and Sydney ($2,142.32) rounded out the top five of most expensive cities to rent in over a one-month period.

Median monthly food and drink costs in Auckland came to $989.26, 17th most expensive. Zurich had the most expensive prices at $1,698.91, while Bangalore was the cheapest city to eat and drink ($364.23).

Auckland was also third most expensive for internet costs ($$79.62), 14th for mobile phone costs ($90.76) and 10th for transport costs ($149.11).

"The world has never been more accessible than it is right now to those seeking out employment opportunities, cultural exchanges or remote working hubs," Kücükdere said.

"In the last few years especially, we've seen trends that more people than ever are relocating to far-flung destinations which have rapidly digitalised. It's now equally as possible to find 4G on a beach as it is in a built-up city."

Auckland's cost of relocating was largely pushed up by New Zealand's Visa fees, which at $3,076.58 were the most expensive out of the 80 cities included in the list. In comparison, Hong Kong had the cheapest fees at $34.44.

New Zealand also had the longest Visa processing time (381 days).