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When Phoebe Merrick first arrived at Waiheke Island in New Zealand, he thought he would solely be there for 2 months.
It was June 2023, simply earlier than the final yr of College of Merrick, and the native of Virginia deliberate to work a summer time internship in a cellar on the island. “I assumed, ‘This can’t be actual,” says Merrick, that CNBC does it as a view whereas transmitting from Auckland. “I simply thought it was so lovely.”
Two years later, Merrick continues to be in Waiheke and is making ready to maneuver to a brand new home along with her boyfriend, Reuben Sandoy, who grew up within the space. The 2 met throughout Merrick’s summer time program and, for autumn, Sandoy had traveled to satisfy his household in america and the 2 determined that they’d reside collectively overseas.
Reuben Sandoy grew up round Waiheke and met Phoebe Merrick whereas finishing an internship in a neighborhood vineyard in 2023.
Merrick, 22, works remotely as an unbiased advertising and social networks administrator, whereas Sandoy, 29, directs his personal main enterprise on the island. Collectively, the 2 earn roughly $ 132,000 US dollars per yr.
That is how they reside and spend their cash in Waiheke.
Life on the island
Waiheke Island is the second largest island within the Gulf Hauraki in New Zealand and is on a ferry journey of roughly 40 minutes from Auckland. The world is understood for its wineries and seashores.
Roughly 9,000 folks reside on the island in the course of the winter, and the inhabitants will increase to greater than 45,000 each summer time. Greater than 900,000 folks go to the favored vacationer vacation spot yearly, and typically it is named the “Hamptons of New Zealand”, the place the wealthy and well-known trip.
Phoebe Merrick and Reuben Sandoy discovered themselves via a mutual good friend; In a number of months, he visited his household in america, and the 2 determined to reside collectively overseas at New Zealand.
However in the end, what attracted Merrick to Waiheke is the explanation why Sandoy has lived there most of his life: the gorgeous panorama and the gradual rhythm of life.
As a neighborhood, Sandoy appreciates that all the pieces is shut and there may be little site visitors. It additionally has little competitors as a plumber to win enterprise on the island.
Adjusting to life away from residence took Merrick for a while. There have been variations within the routine, resembling resulting in the opposite facet of the street and dwelling with out the facilities of Amazon’s supply.
He additionally got here with a degree of cultural shock round cash and the worth of dwelling removed from a giant metropolis.
Reuben Sandoy helped Phoebe Merrick adapt to a number of cultural clashes about dwelling in New Zealand, resembling studying to result in the opposite facet of the street.
“I felt as a millionaire after I first arrived,” says Merrick, and mentioned that paying with the sturdy US greenback versus the New Zealand greenback made his financial savings additional. As of Could, $ 1 USD is value roughly $ 1.70 NZD.
His income are usually not to date within the native forex, however “it’s well worth the life-style for me. I really like dwelling on an island,” says Merrick.
How they spend their cash
That is how Merrick and Sandoy spent their cash in April 2025.
- Financial savings: $ four,689
- Meals: $ 854 for groceries and meals
- Transport: $ 504 for gasoline, ridicule, ferry tickets and bus charge
- Discretionary: $ 297 for purchases, pharmacy wants and tickets for sporting occasions
- Well being Insurance coverage: $ 59 for personal protection
- Telephone: $ 26
Dwelling on an island like Waiheke is pricey.
The couple has been dwelling in Sandoy’s mom’s home with out hire for a number of years. What they saved on the hire have channeled for an preliminary cost, mortgage funds and future renewal prices for a brand new home.
After their financial savings, the second highest expense class of the couple was for the meals. Meals prices are excessive as a result of many issues should be imported; Going out to eat can be a cousin when many eating places fulfill richer tastes and larger budgets.
“You’ll go to eating places, and it’ll not be like an off-the-cuff pizza or hamburger, it is going to be a truffle ravioli or caviar in river crabs and all that,” says Merrick.
Every part, from meals to important gases, is costlier in Waiheke as a result of they should be transported by the Nice New Zealand.
The 2 get pleasure from meals and are prepared to spend on it: Merrick likes to prepare dinners and prepare dinner most meals, particularly if he can recreate US recipes that he unusual, whereas Sandoy enjoys small luxuries as a meat dinner. “It’s most likely what we get pleasure from spending more cash as a substitute of occurring purchasing or going to the town,” says Merrick.
The third largest price range article of the couple for the month was in transport: Sandoy results in the island for work and spent about $ 800 NZD, or round $ 470 USD, in gasoline. Merrick prefers to take the bus on the island; The 2 may even go to Auckland via the ferry and use ridiculous to maneuver over the day.
New Zealand has a free medical insurance program, however Sandoy pays $ 100 NZD, or round $ 58 USD, per 30 days for premium protection. Merrick is within the medical insurance of his dad and mom and program the appointments of the docs for when he visits the house in Virginia.
Discover residence on the opposite facet of the world
Sandoy says he has been making ready to purchase his own residence with Merrick since they began courting, however the actual property market has been troublesome to navigate. Actual property costs jumped in 2021 and remained excessive in comparison with pre-pandemics traits.
On the finish of Could, Sandoy closed a home value $ 1,055 million NZD, or virtually $ 621,000 USD, delivering an preliminary cost of 10%. Whereas the worth is “fairly common,” says Sandoy, says he might pay it as a result of he’s a superior reparator that wants renovations. Sandoy and Merrick have been saving for future mortgage funds and renewal prices.
Reuben Sandoy has been saving for an preliminary cost of the home within the final two years and in Could closed in a higher a part of Waiheke.
They moved instantly and can reside there whereas renewing the home of three bedrooms and two loos in the course of the subsequent yr.
“We’re each very excited to resume collectively,” says Merrick. “It’s one thing that we each discover fairly enjoyable. It’s a nice monetary step to take as a pair, so it is going to be value it in the long term, even when it’s a bit scary at the moment.”
Phoebe Merrick and Reuben Sandoy will contribute to future mortgage prices and housing renewal; Sandoy plans to do many of the work in the course of the subsequent yr.
Stability between working and private life in New Zealand
Sandoy works as much as 50 hours per week doing repairs and housing initiatives for patrons on the island; He earns round $ 153,000 NZD, or roughly $ 91,000 USD per yr. It’s an intensive work in labor that includes “cracking beneath homes or exercising within the components.”
Sandoy says that his work could be demanding as a result of he works on his personal.
Reuben Sandoy directs her personal plumbing enterprise and makes residence repairs across the island.
Merrick works about 40 hours per week doing social networks and advertising for 4 native shoppers that he discovered via a Fb message board. She earns $ 70,000 NZD, or roughly $ 41,000 USD, per yr. As his personal boss, Merrick says he can do some greater than different entrance degree advertising roles often pay in New Zealand.
Merrick by no means had a full -time job in america, however says “shifting to New Zealand positively modified my perspective on the steadiness between work and life.” Employees typically have the suitable to 4 weeks of paid license yearly along with a dozen holidays.
Merrick says that lots of his college mates work for greater than 40 hours per week, and a few have solely three days of trip per yr. Merrick says that the works of his contract are versatile and that his supervisors worth the breaks.
Phoebe Merrick says that dwelling in New Zealand has given him a larger appreciation of the steadiness between work and life.
“All my bosses are very understanding and positively imagine in taking a free time too, [including] For psychological well being, “says Merrick.
“I positively really feel a lot happier simply because my life-style is totally different,” he provides. “In america, everybody was too busy to spend time between them [due to] work.”
In the meantime, in Waiheke, “folks have rather more free time, and we are able to all spend time collectively, they usually really feel rather more social,” says Merrick, whether or not he goes to the seaside or journey on the island and an amazing New Zealand collectively.
New Zealand dollars conversions to US dollars had been made utilizing the Oanda conversion charge from 1 NZD to zero.58 USD on Could 16, 2025. All portions are rounded to the closest greenback.
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