DingdongClunk You've had some fairly negative responses here, many focussing on financial and career issues in NZ.
However, from your brief note, it appears you may be more interested in lifestyle than $$ and job prospects? I can't directly compare NZ against the US but in terms of life and philosophy I suspect the natives of any country can find fault with it (I sure can - don't get me started on the profligate and totalitarian regime we currently have!), so I'd tend to take some of the comments you've had as the sort of thing you could get anywhere, not just NZ.
However what I can offer is something I was sent recently. This is from a youngish aviation couple who recently immigrated to NZ from Australia (this year), and who bought a couple of hundred acres in the country (identifying names removed). You could get something like their property for less than USD $500k:
We still look out the door feeling pretty lucky we are living the dream of many
people in this world who do not have the means nor time to do what we are doing. Some do have
the means and the time but lack the gigantic pair of nuts required to make the leap. Every now and
again x and I are reminded that WE are the ones people are reading and talking about just like we
used to read about others heading off to nowhere in particular and simply enjoying the journey. All
in all we think it is still pretty cool here and are taking the time to do things our way, on our time,
with our budget. Some days are fruitful and some are not. Does it matter? No.
Take of that what you will, if nothing else it might suggest it's not all bad here...
FP.