Contents Insurance Calculator
How do you work out how much contents insurance you need?
To work out how much contents insurance you need, add up the replacement value of your belongings across key categories like electronics, furniture, and clothing. Quashed’s calculator does this for you, giving you an estimated Total Sum Insured in minutes.
The calculator itself is simple: you enter the value of your items in each category and it adds them up to give your total. Once you have that figure, you can use the Quashed Market Scan to compare cover from different insurers.
Our latest Q1 2026 data shows Kiwis who compared their contents insurance with the Quashed Market Scan found average savings of $275 a year, and a cheaper policy 76% of the time. Contents premiums have also eased recently, dropping 3% over the past year, but they still sit around 17% higher than three years ago, so it pays to compare.
1.
What affects the cost of contents insurance in NZ?
The cost of contents insurance in NZ is shaped by five main factors: who you are, what you own, where you live, whether you rent or own, and how you structure your cover. Insurers use these to predict the likelihood of a claim, and the higher they judge the risk, the higher your premium.
1. The Owner: Who You Are
Age and Experience: Just like car insurance, age plays a role. Younger people flatting are statistically more likely to move house often or live in shared environments, which can influence risk.
Claims History: If you have lost items, had thefts, or made claims in the past 3 to 5 years, you will need to disclose them. A history of frequent claims will likely increase your premium.
2. The Belongings: What You Own
Total Sum Insured: This is the combined value of all your belongings. Our calculator helps you reach this number by adding up each category. Naturally, covering more gear typically costs more.
High-Risk Items: High-value portable items like jewellery, cameras, and laptops attract higher premiums because they are easy to steal or lose.
Specified Items: Most policies have a limit per item (for example, $2,000). If you own a $10,000 engagement ring, you must specify it on the policy. This ensures full cover but will increase the cost.
3. The Location: Where You Live
Region and Risk: An address in Wellington will almost always attract a higher premium than one in Auckland or Hamilton due to seismic risk. Since the EQC (now the Natural Hazards Commission) stopped covering contents in 2019, private insurers now carry 100% of the earthquake risk for your belongings.
Neighbourhood Data: Insurers look at burglary rates and flood mapping for your specific street. A ground-floor CBD apartment may cost more to insure than a house in a quiet rural cul-de-sac.
4. The Living Situation: Renting versus Owning
Renters and Flatters: You only need to cover your own goods, not the building or the landlord’s chattels such as carpets and curtains. This is often called a renters or contents-only policy.
Homeowners: Many homeowners hold their contents cover with the same insurer as their house policy. It still pays to review the contents portion on its own each year, because staying put out of habit can quietly cost you more, sometimes called a loyalty tax.
5. The Policy Choices: How You Structure Your Cover
Level of Cover: Most modern policies offer New for Old replacement, meaning if your 5-year-old TV is stolen, you receive a brand new equivalent. Older Indemnity policies, which pay what the used item is worth, are cheaper but offer far less protection.
The Excess: This is the amount you agree to pay out of pocket when you make a claim. Opting for a higher excess (for example, $1,000 instead of $250) will immediately lower your premium.
To learn more about contents insurance in NZ, check out our comprehensive Guide to Contents Insurance.
2.
How do you compare contents insurance in NZ?
To compare contents insurance in NZ, look beyond the premium and weigh up the benefits each policy offers, because the cheapest cover is not always the best fit for your belongings. The table below shows how cover varies across some of New Zealand’s leading insurers.
Full Contents Insurance Comparison
Feature | Trade Me | AMP | Tower | Initio | AA Insurance |
Financial Strength | A- | AA- | A- | AA | AA- |
Theft, Fire & Natural Disaster | Yes | Yes | Yes | Yes | Yes |
Covered anywhere in NZ | Yes | Yes | Yes | Yes | Yes |
Accidental Damage | No | Yes | Yes | Yes | Yes |
Liability Cover | $20 million | $2 million | $20 million | $1 million | $2 million |
Carpet Cover | Yes (if not glued) | Up to $5k | Yes (if not glued) | Yes (if not glued) | Rugs only |
Keys & Locks | $1,000 (excess-free) | $1,000 (excess-free) | $2,000 (excess-free) | $1,000 | No |
Computers | Yes | Yes | Yes | Yes | Yes |
Mobile Phones | $1,000 limit | Covered | Covered | Covered | Covered |
Jewellery (Total Limit) | $15,000 | $10,000 | $30,000 | $15,000 | $5,000 |
Jewellery (Per Item) | $2,500 | $2,500 | $10,000 | $3,000 | $5,000 |
Precious Metals/Gemstones | $500 | $700 | $1,000 | $1,000 | $1,000 |
Camera Cover | $5,000 | Covered | $10,000 | $3,000 | $5,000 |
Cash Cover | $500 | $400 | $1,000 | $1,000 | $500 |
Drones | No | $3,000 | No | $3,000 | $5,000 |
Artwork | $5,000/item | $20k/item ($80k total) | $10,000 | Yes | $10,000 |
Watercraft | <$1,500 value | $1,000 | <$2,000 value | $2,500 | Exclusions apply |
Bicycles | $5,000/item | Excludes racing | $10,000/item | $2,000 | $5,000 |
Child's Off-road Vehicle | $5,000/item | $1,000 | $10,000 | Limited | $5,000 |
Home Office / Business | $5,000 | $15,000 | $10,000 | $10,000 | $3,000 |
Spoiled Frozen Food | $1,000 (excess-free) | $1,000 (excess-free) | Covered (excess-free) | Reasonable costs | $1,000 (excess-free) |
Gradual Damage | $2,000 | $5,000 | $3,000 | $2,000 | $2,000 |
Contents in Storage | $20k (6 months) | Approved commercial | $20k (12 months) | Commercial/Approved | Commercial only |
Temp Accommodation | $25,000 | 10% of Sum Insured | $30,000 | $20,000 | $20,000 |
Storage Costs (Post-Claim) | $5,000 | 10% of Sum Insured | $5,000 | Yes | No |
Illegal Card Usage | $1,000 (excess-free) | $2,500 (excess-free) | $1,500 (excess-free) | $500 | No |
Pet Vet Fees | No | No | $500 (accident) | No | No |
Excess-free Eyewear | No | No | No | No | No |
Excess-free Hearing Aid | No | No | No | No | Option <$6/mo |
Student Away from Home | $5,000 | No | $5,000 | $5,000 | Yes (Edu only) |
Elder Relative in Rest Home | No | No | No | No | $10,000 |
Moving House Cover | 14 days | 14 days | 14 days | No | 21 days |
Unoccupied Home Penalty | >90 days | >60 days | >90 days | >60 days | >60 days |
New for Old | Yes | Yes | Yes | Yes (specified) | Yes |
Feature | Trade Me | AMP | Tower | Initio | AA Insurance |
Financial Strength | A- | AA- | A- | AA | AA- |
Theft, Fire & Natural Disaster | Yes | Yes | Yes | Yes | Yes |
Covered anywhere in NZ | Yes | Yes | Yes | Yes | Yes |
Accidental Damage | No | Yes | Yes | Yes | Yes |
Liability Cover | $20 million | $2 million | $20 million | $1 million | $2 million |
Carpet Cover | Yes (if not glued) | Up to $5k | Yes (if not glued) | Yes (if not glued) | Rugs only |
Keys & Locks | $1,000 (excess-free) | $1,000 (excess-free) | $2,000 (excess-free) | $1,000 | No |
Computers | Yes | Yes | Yes | Yes | Yes |
Mobile Phones | $1,000 limit | Covered | Covered | Covered | Covered |
Jewellery (Total Limit) | $15,000 | $10,000 | $30,000 | $15,000 | $5,000 |
Jewellery (Per Item) | $2,500 | $2,500 | $10,000 | $3,000 | $5,000 |
Precious Metals/Gemstones | $500 | $700 | $1,000 | $1,000 | $1,000 |
Camera Cover | $5,000 | Covered | $10,000 | $3,000 | $5,000 |
Cash Cover | $500 | $400 | $1,000 | $1,000 | $500 |
Drones | No | $3,000 | No | $3,000 | $5,000 |
Artwork | $5,000/item | $20k/item ($80k total) | $10,000 | Yes | $10,000 |
Watercraft | <$1,500 value | $1,000 | <$2,000 value | $2,500 | Exclusions apply |
Bicycles | $5,000/item | Excludes racing | $10,000/item | $2,000 | $5,000 |
Child's Off-road Vehicle | $5,000/item | $1,000 | $10,000 | Limited | $5,000 |
Home Office / Business | $5,000 | $15,000 | $10,000 | $10,000 | $3,000 |
Spoiled Frozen Food | $1,000 (excess-free) | $1,000 (excess-free) | Covered (excess-free) | Reasonable costs | $1,000 (excess-free) |
Gradual Damage | $2,000 | $5,000 | $3,000 | $2,000 | $2,000 |
Contents in Storage | $20k (6 months) | Approved commercial | $20k (12 months) | Commercial/Approved | Commercial only |
Temp Accommodation | $25,000 | 10% of Sum Insured | $30,000 | $20,000 | $20,000 |
Storage Costs (Post-Claim) | $5,000 | 10% of Sum Insured | $5,000 | Yes | No |
Illegal Card Usage | $1,000 (excess-free) | $2,500 (excess-free) | $1,500 (excess-free) | $500 | No |
Pet Vet Fees | No | No | $500 (accident) | No | No |
Excess-free Eyewear | No | No | No | No | No |
Excess-free Hearing Aid | No | No | No | No | Option <$6/mo |
Student Away from Home | $5,000 | No | $5,000 | $5,000 | Yes (Edu only) |
Elder Relative in Rest Home | No | No | No | No | $10,000 |
Moving House Cover | 14 days | 14 days | 14 days | No | 21 days |
Unoccupied Home Penalty | >90 days | >60 days | >90 days | >60 days | >60 days |
New for Old | Yes | Yes | Yes | Yes (specified) | Yes |
To compare insurance providers based on your unique profile, use Market Scan for FREE.
Price comparison matters so we can find contents cover that fits our budget. It is just as important to know the differences in cover across providers. Comparing coverage and benefits helps you find the policy that offers the best protection at the price you are happy to pay. This is where Market Scan by Quashed comes in, a free and easy to use tool that more than 100,000 NZ consumers have signed up for.
3.
Is the Quashed Market Scan worth using?
Yes. Kiwis consistently describe it as quick and easy, with many reporting meaningful savings once they compare.
Isaac Owens: “easy to use, saved me about $700/year on my house insurance alone and with better cover/perks. Nice to see a spread of cost options.”
Chris Pilipczuk: “Quashed made it super easy to upload my current policy, and they did the rest, quickly displaying alternative options. I ended up saving nearly $1,300 on my annual car insurance!”
Zara Coghill: “I’ve just done a comparison for my car insurance. It was very simple and easy to use, especially if you have your current policy documents handy. Instead of needing to answer the same questions over and over for each company, you can answer them in one place and get a really good comparison report.”
4.
Where can you learn more about insurance in NZ?
Whether you are sorting your contents cover or reviewing all your policies, these Quashed guides and tools will help you compare smarter and save more.
Ultimate NZ Guide to Car Insurance (2026): Compare & Find the Best and Cheapest Cover: Compare comprehensive, third party fire and theft, and third party only cover, work out the level of insurance you actually need, and learn the proven ways to lower your premium without losing essential protection.
Ultimate NZ Guide to House Insurance (2026): Compare & Find the Best and Cheapest Cover: Set your sum insured correctly, decode the policy fine print, and see why Wellington homeowners are paying more than double the Auckland average for the same cover.
Ultimate NZ Guide to Contents Insurance (2026): Compare & Find the Best and Cheapest Cover: Calculate the value of your belongings, choose between replacement and indemnity value, and unlock savings without leaving high-value items underinsured.
Average Car, House, and Contents Insurance Cost NZ 2026: See the latest Q1 2026 Quashed Index data on what Kiwis are paying across all three policy types, with regional breakdowns for Auckland, Wellington, and Canterbury, plus where the biggest savings are sitting right now.
7 Best Free Budgeting Apps in NZ 2026: Including a Review of MyBudgetPal: Compare the top free budgeting apps used by Kiwis, including MyBudgetPal and PocketSmith, to take control of your spending and free up cash for the things that matter.
Storm Damage Insurance NZ 2026: What Car, House, and Contents Policies Cover & How to Claim: Find out exactly what your car, house, and contents policies cover when a storm hits, what is typically excluded, and the steps to take to claim quickly after wind, flooding, or fallen trees cause damage.
