Cost of Living Comparison Between Auckland and Quebec City Cost of Living Comparison Between Auckland and Quebec City

Monthly Cost of Living

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $2,481 in Auckland versus $1,886 in Quebec City.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $3,466 in Auckland versus $2,916 in Quebec City.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $4,452 in Auckland versus $3,947 in Quebec City.

Living in Auckland is roughly 32% more expensive than in Quebec City, driven mainly by Getting Around.

Both cities are pricier than the global median: Auckland 81% above, Quebec City 38% above.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$14.43 NZ$25.22

$20.07 CA$28.08

-28.10%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$68.3 NZ$119

$67.0 CA$93.7

1.93%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$9.81 NZ$17.16

$11.45 CA$16.02

-14.32%

Cappuccino

$3.51 NZ$6.14

$3.80 CA$5.32

-7.63%

Coke/Pepsi/Fanta/Sprite (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.09 NZ$3.66

$2.17 CA$3.04

-3.69%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.82 NZ$3.19

$1.50 CA$2.10

21.33%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$7.25 NZ$12.68

$5.85 CA$8.18

23.93%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$6.87 NZ$12.00

$5.79 CA$8.10

18.65%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.92 NZ$3.36

$2.17 CA$3.04

-11.52%

White Bread (500g)

$2.27 NZ$3.97

$2.88 CA$4.03

-21.18%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.95 NZ$3.41

$4.11 CA$5.75

-52.55%

Eggs

$6.48 NZ$11.34

$3.18 CA$4.45

103.77%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$9.03 NZ$15.79

$9.15 CA$12.80

-1.31%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$10.13 NZ$17.71

$10.88 CA$15.22

-6.89%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$17.55 NZ$30.69

$10.48 CA$14.66

67.46%

Apples (1kg)

$3.02 NZ$5.29

$4.35 CA$6.08

-30.57%

Banana (1kg)

$2.17 NZ$3.80

$1.54 CA$2.15

40.91%

Oranges (1kg)

$2.94 NZ$5.15

$3.77 CA$5.27

-22.02%

Tomato (1kg)

$5.38 NZ$9.40

$4.06 CA$5.68

32.51%

Potato (1kg)

$2.18 NZ$3.80

$2.99 CA$4.19

-27.09%

Onion (1kg)

$1.68 NZ$2.93

$2.92 CA$4.08

-42.47%

Lettuce (1 head)

$2.03 NZ$3.54

$2.84 CA$3.97

-28.52%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$1.09 NZ$1.91

$1.46 CA$2.05

-25.34%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$28.88 NZ$50.5

$15.16 CA$21.21

90.50%

Wine (Bottle)

$10.33 NZ$18.06

$11.73 CA$16.41

-11.94%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$2.92 NZ$5.10

$3.17 CA$4.43

-7.89%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.49 NZ$6.10

$3.49 CA$4.88

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$2.56 NZ$4.47

$2.94 CA$4.11

-12.93%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$124 NZ$216

$72.3 CA$101

71.13%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$2.37 NZ$4.15

$2.92 CA$4.09

-18.84%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.97 NZ$3.45

$1.45 CA$2.03

35.86%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$32.89 NZ$57.5

$35.17 CA$49.19

-6.48%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.84 NZ$3.21

$1.30 CA$1.82

41.54%

Midsize Hatchback 1.4l (Volkswagen Golf, Toyota Prius, Honda Civic, etc)

$26.1K NZ$45.6K

$28.9K CA$40.4K

-9.66%

Compact Sedan 1.6l (Toyota Corolla, Mazda3, Kia K4, Hyundai Elantra, etc)

$22.5K NZ$39.3K

$21.7K CA$30.4K

3.54%

Utilities for 2 People in 2-bedroom Apartment (Heating, Electricity, Gas, Water, Garbage) (85m2)

$186 NZ$325

$102 CA$142

82.90%

SIM Card Monthly Plan (Calls and 10GB+ Data)

$27.70 NZ$48.43

$32.20 CA$45.05

-13.98%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$51.8 NZ$90.5

$45.88 CA$64.2

12.82%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$43.04 NZ$75.2

$36.94 CA$51.7

16.51%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$18.37 NZ$32.11

$15.28 CA$21.38

20.22%

Cinema Ticket

$13.18 NZ$23.04

$11.10 CA$15.53

18.74%

Preschool or Kindergarten, Full Day, Private, 1 Child (Monthly)

$1,149 NZ$2,009

$707 CA$990

62.44%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$19.7K NZ$34.5K

$9,276 CA$13.0K

112.65%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$79.8 NZ$140

$61.2 CA$85.6

30.46%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$41.92 NZ$73.3

$52.5 CA$73.4

-20.15%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$89.4 NZ$156

$91.7 CA$128

-2.54%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$112 NZ$196

$110 CA$154

1.96%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,310 NZ$2,290

$1,030 CA$1,440

27.21%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,230 NZ$2,150

$773 CA$1,081

59.10%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$2,242 NZ$3,919

$1,591 CA$2,226

40.89%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,804 NZ$3,155

$1,287 CA$1,800

40.25%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$7,436 NZ$13.0K

$5,225 CA$7,309

42.32%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$5,601 NZ$9,792

$2,758 CA$3,859

103.06%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$3,040 NZ$5,314

$3,054 CA$4,272

-0.47%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

5.4

4.45

21.35%

CityCost data is based on AI and user input – minor inaccuracies may occur.

Last update for Auckland: September 15, 2026

Last update for Quebec City: September 13, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $1,310 in Auckland and $1,030 in Quebec City. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Quebec City pays 0% more on average while also being the cheaper of the two. The combined effect is a noticeably stronger local purchasing power.

Dining out: $68.0 in Auckland vs $67.0 in Quebec City. Groceries flip the comparison at $346 vs $349, with Auckland cheaper for home cooking.

City Median Internet Speeds Comparison (Updated April 2026)

The chart highlights the Precision Threshold for mobile and fixed broadband internet speeds, updated quarterly.

Digital Nomad Cost of Living Index

Auckland vs Quebec City: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Quebec City wins on cost – living expenses run 32% lower than in Auckland. Housing and daily spending are where you'll feel the difference most, making Quebec City the obvious pick if budget is a priority.

On paper, salaries run 0% lower in Quebec City. That's worth factoring in alongside costs, though remote workers earning in a stronger currency may not notice the difference at all.

Rent for a central apartment: $1,310 in Auckland versus $1,030 in Quebec City. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Childcare runs $1,149 in Auckland versus $707 in Quebec City. Over years of preschool, even a modest monthly gap compounds into a major financial factor for families.

Shoppers in Auckland pay roughly 1% less for everyday groceries. It's an unusual reversal that partly offsets higher costs elsewhere.

At $1,886 in Quebec City versus $2,481 in Auckland, a $2,000 budget is realistic in Quebec City but tight or insufficient in Auckland. The gap between the two cities makes Quebec City the clear choice for anyone on this budget.

Both work as nomad bases, but Quebec City delivers better value – similar infrastructure at $1,886 monthly. If stretching your runway or maximizing savings is the goal, the price difference makes Quebec City hard to pass up.

Safety-wise, Auckland and Quebec City are on par. Petty crime is typical for cities this size, and most residents feel comfortable going about their daily routines in either place.

Expats usually find Quebec City gentler on the wallet – expenses run 32% less than in Auckland. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.