American married to a Kiwi. I've got a Kiwi Terminology Quiz that I'm happy to send over, if you want. Budgie Smugglers, Jandals, Togs... and that's just the beach section.

Be prepared, Americans talk way too much for most Kiwis. The kiwi accent can be monotone/robotic, so you might be getting a compliment, but not realize it is one. Yeah naw and naw yeah don't always mean what you think. My family and Kiwi mates don't like how hyperbolic Americans are... if you say something is awesome, it better be literally awe inspiring. You'll learn not to exaggerate too much. Don't boast on your resumes, like we have to do in the States, or you could be looked over.

If you use the ratio of housing expenses to income, Nurses are not paid well in the big cities. My friend was making about that, as a nurse, and until she got married to my husband's best friend, who's a farmer; she was in her 30s and still living with parents.

If you use over the counter medications like melatonin, cough drops, vitamins, ibuprofen, bring it yourself. Healthcare might be inexpensive, but the cost of stuff you'd find on the shelves at a CVS are RIDICULOUSLY priced, compared to the USA. Do not bring any cough syrup. Pack ibuprofen... get costco sized ibuprofen to bring with you. Trust me. It's called Nurofen and it's so so freaking expensive.

Be prepared to have yourself and your stuff thoroughly searched, inspected, and sprayed. Your cat will be quarantined for a few weeks (on your dime) to make sure it's safe. NZ takes their environment and ecosystem VERY seriously and you WILL be fined if you don't declare every single food/seed/dirt/drink/fur/weapon you have. If you get an apple on the plane, dispose of it before you get to customs or you WILL be fined. If you're bringing any shoes, camping equipment, hiking gear, etc., make sure it's clean and free of dirt/mud. Your stuff will be secretly sprayed with an insecticide. It's normal, safe, and happens to everyone.

Be prepared to learn to garden in whatever space you have. Stacking pots that can be indoors or out on a patio, are your friends. The costs of food and produce are an EXTREME culture shock to Americans. A basket full of food at Aldi might reach $150. That same basket in NZ is gonna be about $500. Learn to take kitchen scraps and grow food from it. You can't have seeds from other countries imported, so you get creative.

It's a beautiful place, the people are kind, and the weather is pretty mild. It's home, but the financial aspects are still jarring. Be prepared... the minimum wage is higher, but so is the cost of almost everything else.

Edit: only small farming communities will be upset by LGBTQ people. There's so many queer people here, and it's a very accepting country... the first to give women the right to vote.

Please do not rule out Christchurch. Dispite the name and a bad rep from back in the 80s-90s with skin heads, we are a reasonably liberal place. Benefits of Chch. Housing, is much cheaper. The main hospital is right in the middle of town, next to a beautiful large park. The town centre is basically brand new (due to earthquakes from a while ago). If you live in the town centre, everything you need is within walking distance.

I am LGBTQ, so it seems like Auckland or Wellington will be my best bet.

Yes, good call. You'll be welcomed, but just remember everywhere has bigots.

If I’m in a big city, I would prefer not to have a car.

I know many people in Wellington (where I live) who have no car. Public transport is pretty good, and for day to day life you don't need a car so long as you're somewhere serviced by public transport (preferably with a direct route between you and where you work). As I understand it, Auckland public transport has taken great strides in the last decade or two and so should be similarly easy to get around - but the city is spread over a huge area so consider where you are working and make sure there's a transport route that doesn't take two hours and three bus changes to get there! If you have work lined up then when looking for housing just throw it into Google Maps and see what the available routes look like.

I’m a nurse, and it looks like salaries are good but not great (between 70-90k/year is what I seem to be finding).

I believe there's a lot of available movement from that - for example, as a Nurse Practitioner with a lot of experience you may be able to double that range. That range might be appropriate for you now, but the top range for experienced nurses will certainly be a lot more than that, it's not that nurse salaries cap out at $90k.

Is NZ easy to settle into?

As NZ born I can't answer that, but know that over 25% of NZ's population was not born here. You'll be surrounded by other immigrants, which is especially true in larger cities.

I have a nurse cousin who said the US doctors struggle with the autonomy of NZ nurses. Apparently in the US if the doctor prescribes a patient some paracetamol (you might also have to learn new names for the same drugs), then the nurses will make sure they give it to them. In NZ, the nurse might ask the patient how they are doing, and give them all, some, or none of the paracetamol (or whichever drug) based on how well their pain is being managed. It's apparently quite a change for US doctors to understand that in NZ nurses can use their own judgement.

In terms of settling in, I have heard it can also be hard to form new social circles. Other parts of Lemmy have posts on this from time to time, I think the general consensus is to join clubs to meet people with common interests. Often immigrants will form social circles with other immigrants due to the shared experience.

Am I going to be broke all the time (I also have a cat I am bringing unless I am physically unable to)?

Realistically that salary should be enough, even for Auckland/Wellington, but the biggest single expense is likely to be housing and how much you spend there is likely to determine the outcome to this question. Also be aware that housing can be cold and damp in NZ, so it might be worth feeling poor to have a warmer house. I would expect that in Auckland or Wellington, $70k-$90k is not going to make you feel rich but should be enough to live comfortably if you have no debt.

I'd also suggest buying electronics or other big purchases before you come (or at least researching what they cost to buy locally). Imported goods can be quite expensive here.

I did some research prior to applying, but I find more and more opposing views on where the country is headed. I guess I am just looking for some folks that had a similar situation to see how it worked out for them.

NZ is not immune to the same things that are affecting other developed countries. However, I think we are a long way from the government kidnapping people off the street and sending them to prisons in El Salvador without trial, so I think you'll find it a nice place to live if you can build up your social circle. You can also stick it out to get citizenship then jump to Australia if you find the salaries not enticing enough in NZ.

Just as a final comment, I'd make sure you actually have a job lined up if at all possible. I have read recently that the NZ heath department used to hire 90% or more of all new grad nurses in NZ, and that has dropped in the past couple of years to more like 50%. To me that sounds like it's getting hard to find a nursing job, though you might not struggle if you have enough experience. Best to actually line something up though if you can.

but I find more and more opposing views on where the country is headed

We happen to have a conservative government right now. This means that stuff you read online will have a recency bias to criticism of them. Our "right" is still well-left of the US "left" though. They're still dicks though.

Am I going to be broke all the time?

It's expensive here. Especially housing. You'll probably need to find a flat. That's probably just easier when moving country anyway.

I am LGBTQ, so it seems like Auckland or Wellington will be my best bet. If I’m in a big city, I would prefer not to have a car

Good choices, either will be good. Wellington is a little more liberal than Auckland, Auckland is considerably bigger in every way.

Public transport is just good enough that you can just survive without a car. It'll restrict where you can live and work though to areas that are well served by PT.

You'll be welcome here!

I'm a nurse

You'll be wanting to move again or instead to Australia as soon as you can 😅

If I'm in a big city, I would prefer not to have a car.

Definitely doable in Auckland/Wellington, as long as you can get a place near your work or near public transport that doesn't require changing busses/trains(you'll often miss the transfer due to the first bus/train being a bit late or second bus being a bit early). Public transport isn't great like most of Europe, but not as bad as most of the USA judging by watching not just bikes on YouTube. Can also get groceries delivered but it's a bit more expensive and don't trust them with fresh produce. Cycling can be a good option if there's a separated path to where you want to go , otherwise the psychopathic drivers will literally try to kill you at times...

Is NZ easy to settle into?

Oh another thing that ive seen trip up Americans is that socially we're quite reserved, which can come off as rude to some. Once you're part of the group, reservation goes out the window though.

For example, no one makes a sound, at all, in a movie theater. Yelling "you go girl!" at the screen is a faux pas. Doing so while watching TV with mates? Louder is better.