The city-by-city breakdown shows distinct patterns :
• Auckland shows the most extreme variations , containing some of the most affordable ( Karekare , Helensville ) and least affordable ( Westmere , Morningside ) suburbs for single renters .
• Wellington ' s most affordable suburbs ( Seaview , Mornington , Vogeltown ) maintain relatively reasonable rent-to-income ratios . At the same time , even its most expensive areas , including Oriental Bay ( 55.25 per cent ), are not as extreme as Auckland ' s worst .
• Christchurch shows more moderate variations , with Christchurch Central being relatively affordable ( 34.19 per cent ) compared to Northwood ( 53.94 per cent ).
• Hamilton and Tauranga present interesting contrasts - Hamilton has some affordable options , such as Melville ( 32.08 per cent ), while Tauranga consistently shows higher rent-to-income ratios , with even its most " affordable " suburbs requiring 50 per cent or more of the median income .
Unlike Carrie Bradshaw ' s New York lifestyle , New Zealand ' s major cities don ' t have the same density of apartment living options , and when they do exist in desirable areas , they command rents that far exceed what ' s affordable on a typical single income .
Our analysis suggests that to live an independent urban lifestyle akin to the study namesake , an individual must earn well above the median income of $ 1,186 per week - likely closer to $ 2,500- $ 3,000 weekly - to maintain the same relative lifestyle in our most desirable urban areas .
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