Rents dropped just slightly for a quarter last year - but many cities are still costly to live in

Massey University research shows a 3.52 percent improvement in affordability for the three months from June 2021.

But over the year to September 2021, rents rose 5.6 percent.

Bay of Plenty, Hawke's Bay, Tasman, Marlborough, Northland, Gisborne and Auckland are less affordable than the national average.

Renting is still dearest in Auckland and Wellington, respectively at an average 592 and 532 dollars a week.

Southland and the West Coast are the most affordable regions.