Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Canada and New Zealand

Name: New Zealand
Address: NZ

For one person, living is cheaper in New Zealand: $2,096 a month against $2,310 in Canada, rent and utilities included – about $2,600 less a year. Rent and utilities account for most of the difference.

111

Cost of Living Index in Canada
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Canada Living Index
101

Cost of Living Index in New Zealand
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New Zealand Living Index

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🇨🇦 Canada

$2,310

/mo nomad

🇳🇿 New Zealand

$2,096

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

How much you'll spend in Canada and in New Zealand

Real prices from locals and on-the-ground checks – rent, groceries, transit and the daily extras. Here's what a month in Canada and in New Zealand actually costs, broken down by who's living it.

A single person spends $2,310 per month in Canada vs $2,096 in New Zealand, rent included.

Canada $2,310
New Zealand $2,096

A couple spends around $3,356 per month in Canada vs $3,101 in New Zealand, rent included.

Canada $3,356
New Zealand $3,101

A family of three spends $4,403 per month in Canada vs $4,106 in New Zealand, rent included.

Canada $4,403
New Zealand $4,106

The regional cost range is wider in Canada ($889–$3,737) than in New Zealand ($841–$2,421), so city choice matters more there.

The cost of living in Canada is about 10% higher than in New Zealand on average.

Both Canada and New Zealand are pricier than the global median – Canada by 70%, New Zealand by 54%.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$18.16 CA$25.38

$14.33 NZ$25.43

26.73%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$71.2 CA$99.5

$68.4 NZ$121

4.15%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$10.81 CA$15.11

$9.17 NZ$16.28

17.88%

Cappuccino

$3.78 CA$5.28

$3.32 NZ$5.89

13.86%

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

$2.11 CA$2.96

$2.21 NZ$3.93

-4.52%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.66 CA$2.32

$1.97 NZ$3.50

-15.74%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$5.62 CA$7.85

$6.68 NZ$11.85

-15.87%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$5.72 CA$7.99

$6.67 NZ$11.84

-14.24%

Milk (1 liter)

$2.17 CA$3.04

$1.78 NZ$3.15

21.91%

White Bread (500g)

$2.60 CA$3.64

$1.88 NZ$3.34

38.30%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$3.65 CA$5.11

$1.74 NZ$3.09

109.77%

Eggs

$3.63 CA$5.07

$6.03 NZ$10.71

-39.80%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$10.76 CA$15.04

$8.01 NZ$14.22

34.33%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$11.90 CA$16.62

$9.55 NZ$16.96

24.61%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$15.42 CA$21.55

$14.49 NZ$25.72

6.42%

Apples (1kg)

$4.03 CA$5.63

$2.73 NZ$4.85

47.62%

Banana (1kg)

$1.38 CA$1.94

$2.12 NZ$3.76

-34.91%

Oranges (1kg)

$3.88 CA$5.41

$2.96 NZ$5.26

31.08%

Tomato (1kg)

$4.08 CA$5.70

$5.02 NZ$8.91

-18.73%

Potato (1kg)

$2.57 CA$3.59

$1.98 NZ$3.52

29.80%

Onion (1kg)

$2.48 CA$3.46

$1.52 NZ$2.70

63.16%

Lettuce (1 head)

$2.65 CA$3.70

$2.06 NZ$3.65

28.64%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$1.71 CA$2.40

$1.11 NZ$1.96

54.05%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$14.32 CA$20.01

$24.38 NZ$43.28

-41.26%

Wine (Bottle)

$13.49 CA$18.85

$8.82 NZ$15.66

52.95%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$2.84 CA$3.97

$3.17 NZ$5.64

-10.41%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.30 CA$4.62

$3.35 NZ$5.94

-1.49%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$2.55 CA$3.57

$2.02 NZ$3.60

26.24%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$71.9 CA$101

$114 NZ$202

-36.84%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$3.18 CA$4.44

$2.33 NZ$4.14

36.48%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.54 CA$2.15

$1.94 NZ$3.44

-20.62%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$26.69 CA$37.30

$32.85 NZ$58.3

-18.75%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.24 CA$1.74

$1.78 NZ$3.16

-30.34%

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

$27.9K CA$39.0K

$27.9K NZ$49.5K

-0.04%

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

$21.1K CA$29.4K

$23.3K NZ$41.4K

-9.56%

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

$147 CA$206

$154 NZ$274

-4.47%

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

$41.80 CA$58.4

$32.00 NZ$56.8

30.62%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$60.2 CA$84.1

$50.2 NZ$89.1

19.94%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$39.01 CA$54.5

$33.74 NZ$59.9

15.62%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$19.06 CA$26.64

$14.70 NZ$26.10

29.66%

Cinema Ticket

$11.21 CA$15.66

$11.18 NZ$19.86

0.27%

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

$721 CA$1,008

$870 NZ$1,544

-17.10%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$14.8K CA$20.7K

$16.4K NZ$29.1K

-9.29%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$55.3 CA$77.2

$68.9 NZ$122

-19.77%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$38.95 CA$54.4

$36.42 NZ$64.7

6.95%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$87.4 CA$122

$93.4 NZ$166

-6.38%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$101 CA$142

$117 NZ$207

-13.24%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,290 CA$1,803

$1,117 NZ$1,982

15.58%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,130 CA$1,579

$965 NZ$1,714

17.05%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$2,036 CA$2,845

$1,762 NZ$3,128

15.58%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,731 CA$2,418

$1,554 NZ$2,759

11.35%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$4,769 CA$6,664

$5,530 NZ$9,818

-13.76%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$3,730 CA$5,211

$3,778 NZ$6,708

-1.29%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$3,070 CA$4,289

$2,758 NZ$4,897

11.29%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

4.87

6.27

-22.33%

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

Last update for Canada: October 26, 2026

Last update for New Zealand: October 26, 2026

Monthly budget structure

Share of the monthly basket for one person, rent included.

Accommodation & Living

Canada

$1.1K 48.9%

New Zealand

$965 46.1% 14.6% $165

Groceries & Markets

Canada

$371 16.1%

New Zealand

$317 15.1% 14.6% $54

Eating Out

Canada

$278 12%

New Zealand

$245 11.7% 11.6% $32

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Canada

$249 10.8%

New Zealand

$236 11.3% 5.2% $13

Clothing & Footwear

Canada

$127 5.5%

New Zealand

$142 6.8% 11.5% $15

Getting Around

Canada

$93 4%

New Zealand

$134 6.4% 44.1% $41

Sport & Entertainment

Canada

$61 2.7%

New Zealand

$56 2.7% 8.7% $5.3

Cost Breakdown

Average rent: $1,250 in Canada vs $999 in New Zealand. For reference, capital cities sit at $1,434 in Ottawa and $1,143 in Wellington.

Average salary: $2,968 in Canada vs $2,922 in New Zealand. The income gap affects purchasing power and how far your budget stretches in each country.

Cost Highlights

Rent is 25% higher in Canada.

Public transport is 56% more expensive in New Zealand.

Good to know

🇨🇦 Canada

🇳🇿 New Zealand

🕒 Local time

14:51 2:51 PM

08:51 8:51 AM

18 h ahead of Canada

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

36,991,981

5,118,700

💱 Currency

Canadian Dollar CAD $

New Zealand Dollar NZD $

📈 Exchange rate

1 CAD = 0.716 USD

1 CAD = 0.641 EUR

1 NZD = 0.563 USD

1 NZD = 0.504 EUR

Exchange rates and currency converter

NZD, USD, EUR to CAD – Canadian Dollar Converter

🇺🇸 United States Dollar ($)

🇨🇦 Canadian Dollar ($)

Canadian Dollar exchange rates as of November 1, 2026: 1 USD = 1.4 CAD (1 CAD = 0.716 USD). 1 EUR = 1.56 CAD (1 CAD = 0.641 EUR).

New Zealand Dollar exchange rates as of November 1, 2026: 1 USD = 1.78 NZD (1 NZD = 0.563 USD). 1 EUR = 1.98 NZD (1 NZD = 0.504 EUR).

USD to CAD in detail →

On the map

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Between locations

Canada New Zealand 14,480 km ≈ 19 h nonstop flight

From you

Canada
New Zealand

Distances are measured in a straight line. Your location is detected approximately.

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

Canada vs New Zealand: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

New Zealand is the cheaper option – living costs run roughly 9% lower on average.

Housing costs more in Canada: a central one-bedroom averages $1,250 versus $999 in New Zealand.

New Zealand is the budget-friendly choice for expats. But cost isn’t everything: visa policies, language, healthcare quality, and job markets all weigh in too.