Auckland City: A Guide to Cheap Long-Term Accommodation [2024]

© Haka Lodge

Hostels in Auckland City

Hostels are a good place to start when looking for cheap long-term accommodation in Auckland. Not only do they provide an affordable base for rental-hunting but many offer their own weekly rates.

There are 20+ hostels dotted around Auckland Central, from your convenient hostels in the CBD, to your more spacious accommodation in the city suburbs. Expect tower-block style hostels in the CBD, turning to more varied building styles as you head into the suburbs.

Hostel prices in Auckland usually start from NZ$17-$53 per bed per night. However, prices can surge during times of big events. We always recommend booking your bed a couple of weeks in advance in Auckland, especially in summer and especially for our recommended hostels in Auckland. You can always keep the cost of living down along with an extended stay by working for accommodation in an Auckland hostel. For tips, have a look at How to Find Work for Accommodation in New Zealand.

For a complete list of hostels in Auckland Central, check out Auckland Central – Guide for Backpackers, and for Auckland Suburbs, check out Auckland Suburbs – Guide for Backpackers.

© pexels

Renting a Room in Auckland City

Renting a room is common practice in Auckland to keep the price to a minimum when staying in for the long term, usually done if you have landed a job in Auckland as part of a working holiday or studying in Auckland. Saying that, it is no secret that Auckland has some of the highest rent prices in the country and is the most competitive. Expect a room to rent in Auckland Central and the inner suburbs to be around NZ$190-$280 per week. That’s a room to yourself in a flatshare or houseshare. You may find cheaper, around the NZ$150 per week mark, for a shared room. Note that prices are approximate and are subject to change.

For advice on how to find a room to rent in Auckland, have a look at our 6 Resources to Find a Room to Rent in New Zealand. Renting a room involves a more complicated process than staying in short-term accommodation, so get clued up by reading The Paperwork Process of Renting or Flatting in New Zealand.

© Pixabay

Airbnb in Auckland City

Stay with an Aucklander (or JAFA, as they are known) in Auckland’s city centre and inner suburbs. Airbnb, the online network of people’s “spare rooms” available for accommodation, is huge in Auckland.

Like hostels, Airbnb stays can provide a cheap room while finding something long term. Alternatively, some Airbnb hosts offer weekly rates for cheap long-term accommodation in Auckland.

Although the average price for a room in Auckland Central is NZ$240 per night, you can find an array of NZ$35-$130 rooms in the inner city suburbs. Note that prices are approximate and are subject to change. 

Consider an Airbnb room for more convenient inner suburb locations and something different from the hostel experience.

For more information on Airbnb, check out Everything You Need to Know About Airbnb in New Zealand and 10 Tips to Make the Most of Airbnb in New Zealand.

© pxhere

Campgrounds and Holiday Parks in Auckland City

Love the great outdoors or just can’t leave your campervan? Well, Auckland Central is going to be a tough one for you. Having a self-contained vehicle widens your options to four or five inner suburb campgrounds and holiday parks. Freedom camping is not allowed anywhere in Auckland Central.

For a full list of where you can camp in Auckland Central, including campsites and holiday parks, check out Where to Camp in Auckland and 5 Free Camping Spots in Auckland.

The Auckland region itself is home to tens of campgrounds and holiday parks, which means that if you are determined to stay in your campervan, car or tent overnight, then you better be prepared to travel into the CBD.

For information about camping, check out our guide to Camping in New Zealand.