Tattoo prices in NZ: what studios actually charge
Updated 31 October 2026
How much does a tattoo cost in New Zealand?
Going by five NZ studios' own price pages in October 2026, the smallest tattoo costs $100 to $200, which is the studio minimum, and bigger work is charged at about $150 to $220 an hour. A palm-sized piece that takes three or four hours lands around $450 to $900, and a sleeve or back piece runs into the thousands over several sessions.
Tattoo prices from five NZ studios
These are the figures each studio publishes on its own website, read on 31 October 2026. Most studios only publish a minimum and a deposit and quote everything else, so a blank cell means the studio does not put that number online, not that it is free. Every studio sets the final price after seeing the design.
| Studio (location) | Minimum | Hourly rate | Deposit | Other published prices |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| The Wild Lotus (Palmerston North) | $100 | $150 | Not published | Worked examples, see below |
| Sunset Tattoo (Karangahape Road, Auckland) | $150 | Not published | $100 to $200 | Quoted per piece |
| Bohemian Tattoo Arts (Tauranga) | $150 | Set by each artist | $100 under half a day, $200 full day | Day rates available |
| Blank-Leaving (Auckland CBD) | From $150 | Not published | Not published | Small from $300, medium from $500, large quoted |
| Sacred Tattoo (Kingsland, Auckland) | $200 | $220 for ongoing work | $220 to half a day, $550 full day | One-session pieces quoted |
The spread is narrower than people expect. Minimums sit between $100 and $200 and the two published hourly rates are $150 and $220. Central Auckland studios sit at the top of that range. The artist matters more than the city, though: within one studio, a senior artist with a long waiting list can charge well above the house rate.
How much is a small tattoo in NZ?
A small, simple tattoo usually costs the studio minimum, which is $100 to $200 at the five studios above. Sunset Tattoo says its $150 minimum covers the sterile setup, supplies and the artist's wages, which is why a coin-sized tattoo costs the same as one a little bigger. Blank-Leaving lists its small tattoos from $300.
How big is a $500 tattoo?
About three hours of work at $150 an hour, or a little over two at $220. In The Wild Lotus's published examples, four-hour pieces such as a snake and dagger with peonies on the upper arm come to about $600. So $500 buys roughly a palm-sized piece with moderate detail, or something larger if it is simple line work.
Is $50 enough for a tattoo?
Not at a studio. The lowest minimum among the five studios we checked is $100, and the minimum exists because the single-use needles, ink, gloves and sterile setup cost money before any tattooing starts. A tattoo offered for $50 is usually coming from outside a licensed studio, where you cannot check hygiene, and fixing a bad one costs far more.
What does a $200 tattoo look like?
At NZ rates, $200 is roughly one hour to an hour and a half of tattooing, or the minimum charge at the dearer studios. That covers a word or short line of script, a small symbol, or a simple fine-line design a few centimetres across. Anything with shading, colour or fine detail will usually run past it.
Worked examples at a published hourly rate
The Wild Lotus in Palmerston North publishes the time and cost of six real pieces at its $150 an hour rate. The last column shows the same hours at Sacred Tattoo's $220 an hour, to show how much the rate alone moves the total.
| Piece (placement) | Time | At $150/hr | At $220/hr |
|---|---|---|---|
| Latin script (chest) | About 2 hours | About $300 | About $440 |
| Snake and dagger with peonies (upper arm) | About 4 hours | About $600 | About $880 |
| Rose, spider web and spider (underbust) | About 4 hours | About $600 | About $880 |
| Two koi fish in a circle (ribs) | About 4 hours | About $600 | About $880 |
| Pagoda, tiger and cherry blossom (back) | About 5 hours | About $750 | About $1,100 |
| Medusa with snakes and a skull (full back) | About 15 hours | About $2,250 | About $3,300 |
How much is a tattoo deposit in NZ?
Usually $100 to $220 for a session up to half a day, and $200 to $550 for a full day, going by the three studios that publish theirs. Bohemian Tattoo Arts and Sunset Tattoo take the deposit off the final price. Deposits are generally non-refundable if you cancel at short notice, though Sacred Tattoo says it can hold one over if you reschedule.
What moves the number
- The artist. Demand sets price more than anything else, and a sought-after artist charges what their waiting list supports.
- Hourly versus by-piece. Small work is often a flat price; large work is usually hourly, which means an accurate quote needs a session estimate.
- Style. Realism and heavy colour packing take longer per square centimetre than line work.
- Placement. Ribs, sternum, hands and feet take longer because they hurt more and skin behaves differently, so you take more breaks.
- Sessions. A sleeve is a project. The number that matters is the total across sessions, not the day rate.
- Minimum charge. Every studio above has one, so a very small tattoo often costs the same as a somewhat larger one.
How to get a real quote
Send the artist a reference image, the actual size in centimetres, and the exact placement. Those three things are what they need. Ask specifically whether the quote is a total or a per-session rate, and whether the design time is included — that distinction is where most misunderstandings about cost begin.
Before you pay a deposit: how to choose a tattoo artist
What a touch-up costs after the free window: tattoo touch-ups
Half and full sleeves, hours and worked totals: sleeve tattoo cost in NZ
Cheap is expensive
The genuine risk at the bottom of the market is not a bad price, it is a cover-up or laser removal later, either of which costs multiples of the original. Our tattoo removal cost guide shows the numbers: six to twelve sessions at $75 to $350 each. Saving on a tattoo is the one place where the downside is permanent and visible.
The numbers: tattoo removal cost in NZ
If you already have one you regret: tattoo cover-ups
Sources
- The Wild Lotus, how much does a tattoo cost in NZ, read 31 October 2026: thewildlotustattoo.co.nz/blog/how-much-does-a-tattoo-cost-nz
- Sunset Tattoo, FAQ, read 31 October 2026: sunsettattoo.co.nz/faq
- Bohemian Tattoo Arts, pricing and services, read 31 October 2026: bohemiantattooarts.com/pricing
- Blank-Leaving, tattoo pricing Auckland, read 31 October 2026: blankleavingstudio.co.nz/about/pricing
- Sacred Tattoo, FAQ, read 31 October 2026: sacredtattooshop.com/faq
More guides
- How much does a sleeve tattoo cost in NZ?
- Tattoo touch-ups: when to get one, whether it's free, and what it costs in NZ
- How long after a tattoo can you swim? Pools, the sea, lakes and hot pools
- Tattoo blowout: how to tell, whether it fades, and how to fix it
- How to choose a tattoo artist
- Tattoo removal cost in New Zealand
- Tattoo cover-ups: what can be covered, and what it takes
- Sunscreen on tattoos: when to start and what to use in NZ
- Tattoo aftercare, without the folklore
- Tattoo healing stages, week by week
- Getting your first tattoo
- Tattoo numbing cream in New Zealand
- Tattoo pain chart: where it hurts most, and why