Rural NZ households are spending up to 25% of their budgets on fuel, highlighting growing cost pressures and transport inequality.

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At Dot Loves Data, we've used ANZ spend data to highlight a growing cost-of-living divide between rural and urban New Zealand, with some rural households now spending up to five times more of their discretionary budget on fuel than city dwellers.

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In districts like Hurunui, Mackenzie, Rangitikei, and rural Waikato, fuel accounts for more than 20% of total household discretionary spending.

By comparison, Wellington households spend just 5% of their discretionary spend on fuel.For many rural families, fuel isn’t optional - it’s the cost of getting to work, school, healthcare, and groceries.Rural communities are more exposed to global fuel shocks due to longer travel distances and heavy dependence on private vehicles.

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Our Dot Loves Data director Justin Lester said the findings showed fuel inflation was becoming "an increasingly unavoidable financial burden" for rural New Zealanders.

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"Fuel isn't discretionary spending in rural New Zealand. For many families, it's the cost of getting to work, school, healthcare, and even the supermarket. Rural families are more exposed to the global fuel shock due to longer travel distances and heavy dependence on private vehicles."

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📍 Highest fuel spend as % of discretionary spending:

• Hurunui – 24%

• Mackenzie District – 23%

• Rangitikei – 23%

• Waikato – 23%

• Selwyn – 22%

• Southland – 21%

• Ōpōtiki – 21.5%

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📍 Lowest fuel spend as % of discretionary spending:

• Wellington – 5%

• Nelson – 8%

• Dunedin – 9%

• Queenstown – 9%

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