Aravind Narayan Suresh's daughter was born in April last year. Photo: Supplied
For many new parents in New Zealand, the cost of baby products can be overwhelming.
From diapers and strollers to clothing, the expenses quickly add up, especially for recent migrants who are still finding their footing in a new country.
To ease the financial strain, many Indian parents have found an alternative: sourcing baby essentials from India.
"We only bought a few things from here, like a baby capsule and some winter clothes," said Archie Mohanlal, a quantity surveyor in Auckland.
Mohanlal moved to New Zealand in 2017 as a student.
The 31-year-old welcomed a baby with his wife in January.
"All baby products are pretty expensive here, so we brought clothes and essentials like a breast pump, baby bottles, swaddle clothes and pregnancy clothes for my partner [from India]," he said.
Price comparisons highlight the significant cost differences.
As of Thursday, the cheapest available electric double breast pump in New Zealand was priced at $382.49 from Baby Bunting, whereas the same model was available on Amazon India for 11,890 rupees (about $240).
Similarly, the cheapest twin-pack baby feeding bottle that sells in Chemist Warehouse was $36.99, while the same item from the same brand was selling for 995 rupees (about $20) in India.
According to Whānau Āwhina Plunket, the cost of raising a baby can reach up to $16,000 per year.
The organization estimates that parents would need approximately $304 per week, or $15,834 annually, for a medium-spend budget.
For a high-spend budget, the weekly cost would rise to $405.
Mohanlal said he purchased as much as he could from India because of the affordability.
His parents, who were visiting, brought the products over.
"My wife ordered most of the products from Amazon, and it was so much cheaper," he said. "It made us realize how expensive some products are here in Auckland."
Archie Mohanlal and his wife welcomed a baby in January. Photo: Supplied
Hamilton resident Aravind Narayan Suresh, 29, shared a similar experience.
Unlike Mohanlal, he opted to ship a package from India.
An IT analyst, Narayan Suresh moved to New Zealand in 2019 as an international student and became a father in April last year.
"It only cost me about $200 to send the package, but I saved more than $1000 in baby products," he said.
"Babies are expensive and [the package] was such a big relief for our family."
According to childcare comparison website Care For Kids, the average cost of childcare in New Zealand is $60.23 per child per day.
His shipment included a variety of baby clothes, particularly frocks and summer outfits.
"We feel like most of the dresses available for girls here are generic and not really vibrant," he said.
Other items in his package included bathing essentials, towels, blankets and toys.
Narayan Suresh also noted that the quality of products from India is often superior to what is available in New Zealand - and at a fraction of the price.
"It was a no-brainer," he said.
A package with baby products from India. Photo: RNZ / Blessen Tom
He said the lack of competition in New Zealand's baby product market, coupled with the absence of major online retailers such as Amazon, had driven up costs.
"And that's just the products, if you put other costs into the mix, then this makes much more sense," he said.
New Zealand has some of the highest costs for childcare in this part of the world. A 2021 UNICEF survey titled Where do rich countries stand on childcare? ranked New Zealand at 33 out of 44 in the report.
According to a 2023 childcare cost indicator from the Organisation for Economic Co-operation and Development, a typical couple, both earning the average wage and with two kids spends 41 percent of their income on childcare.
While Narayan Suresh purchased larger items such as strollers, car seats and some baby toiletries locally, he was considering bringing more from India in future.
He also turned to Chinese online retailer AliExpress for toys and was generally pleased with the quality.
He said that he was not worried about the safety of the products.
"You'd normally think Chinese and Indian products are cheaper because they're low quality, but I can confidently say that is a thing of the past," he said.
"These are big countries that have moved on from that stereotype," he said. "Now, it's a different story when it comes to quality."
