hello@yurtinthedirt.com.au
+61 489 269 088 
If you want more floor space for the money and don't mind a deck-based build, a yurt is worth a look next to a tiny home. Our ORON yurt kits in NZ start at $17,890 NZD ex GST and give you 20 to 80 sqm of open, round floor. A tiny home on wheels is easier to tow but usually narrower inside.
What's the main difference between a yurt and a tiny home?
Shape and footprint. A tiny home is a narrow, fully built little house, often on a trailer. A yurt is a round, open room on a fixed deck.
That one difference drives most of the others. The tiny home arrives finished, or close to it. The yurt arrives as a kit, and you, a builder or a few helpers put it up on a deck you've already built.
How do they compare side by side?
| Yurt (our kits) | Tiny home | |
|---|---|---|
| Floor area | 20 to 80 sqm, 100 sqm at 12m (ORON) | Usually limited by trailer width and length |
| Layout | One round, open room with a central skylight | Long, narrow rooms, often a sleeping loft |
| Arrives as | A kit shipped to Auckland, Wellington or Christchurch | A built unit, delivered or towed |
| Base | Deck the same diameter as the yurt | Trailer or piles |
| Moving it | Take down and rebuild | Tow it, if it's on wheels |
| Main upkeep | Cover lasts about 7 years, replaceable | Like a small house: cladding, roof, joinery |
| Kit or unit price | $17,890 to $39,890 NZD ex GST (ORON) | Get quotes from builders |
We don't sell tiny homes, so we've left their prices out rather than guess. Ask builders for a finished price and compare it with your full yurt budget.
Is a yurt cheaper than a tiny home?
The kit usually costs less, but the honest comparison is finished cost against finished cost.
With a yurt you pay for the kit, then the deck, flooring, kitchen and bathroom fit-out, and power and water. Our NZ yurt price guide lists every kit price and what sits on top. A tiny home price normally includes more of the fit-out. Put both on one sheet, line by line.
Which feels bigger to live in?
A yurt, for most people. There are no internal walls and the roof rises to the centre.
Our 8m ORON has a 3.9m centre height over 50 sqm of floor. That's room for a kitchen, a lounge and a bed without a ladder to a loft. The trade-off is privacy: if you want separate rooms, you'll need screens or a second structure.
Which is easier to move?
A tiny home on wheels. A yurt moves, but it's a pack-down and rebuild, not a tow.
If you're likely to shift every year or two, wheels win. If you'll stay put for a few years and might move once, a yurt can come with you. You'd build a new deck at the other end.
How do they handle NZ weather?
Both can be comfortable year round if they're insulated and heated properly. With a yurt, the site and the anchoring matter most.
Our ORON yurts have a 900 GSM matte cover over insulation. ORON adds 10mm wool felt as standard, with a second layer or reflective Air-Cell as options. For winter planning, see our guide to heating and insulating a yurt for NZ winters.
What about consents?
Neither one gets a free pass. Whether you need a consent depends on your council, site and use.
Talk to your local council early, before you buy. Our NZ consents guide lists what to ask.
What does living in a yurt actually look like?
Zoe and James have lived in their 8m yurt for over two years. They talk about it here.
More real builds to watch
More client builds to watch:
- 8m yurt in Taumarunui NZ
- 5.2m off-grid yurt in the heart of Tassie
- The Munoz family's 8m ORON build
- The Glover family's 7m ORON in Tamworth
- Our full client build playlist on YouTube
Want the detail before you decide? Our free buyer's guide covers sizes, decking and the build, step by step. Get the buyer's guide
Frequently asked questions
Is a yurt cheaper than a tiny home in NZ?
The kit often is: our ORON kits start at $17,890 NZD ex GST. But a yurt still needs a deck, fit-out and services, so compare the finished cost of both, not the kit against a finished tiny home.
Which has more space, a yurt or a tiny home?
For the same budget a yurt usually gives more floor. Our 8m kits have 50 sqm of open floor with no internal walls.
Can you move a yurt like a tiny home?
Not on wheels. A yurt can be taken down, packed up and rebuilt on a new deck, which takes days rather than hours.
Do you need a consent for a yurt or a tiny home?
It depends on your council, your site and how you'll use it. Talk to your local council early, before you buy either.
5-star Google reviews and 150+ client builds across Australia and New Zealand.
Prices are NZD excluding GST, as shown on our NZ product pages at 26 October 2026, and include shipping to the port in Auckland, Wellington or Christchurch.
