Cost of Living Comparison Between Canada and New Zealand Cost of Living Comparison Between Canada and New Zealand

Name: New Zealand
Address: NZ

Monthly Cost of Living

A single person spends $2,320 per month in Canada vs $1,881 in New Zealand, rent included.

A couple spends around $3,377 per month in Canada vs $2,901 in New Zealand, rent included.

A family of three spends $4,433 per month in Canada vs $3,920 in New Zealand, rent included.

Canada costs about 23% more than New Zealand on average – the gap runs across housing, groceries, transport, and services.

Both Canada and New Zealand are pricier than the global median – Canada by 73%, New Zealand by 40%.

Both countries show comparable internal variation: Canada spans $1,320–$3,077, New Zealand spans $1,437–$2,800. City choice affects budget similarly in either country.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$18.77 CA$26.22

$14.82 NZ$25.31

26.65%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$74.2 CA$104

$77.4 NZ$132

-4.21%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$11.25 CA$15.71

$9.78 NZ$16.70

15.03%

Cappuccino

$3.86 CA$5.39

$3.40 NZ$5.80

13.53%

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

$2.19 CA$3.06

$2.26 NZ$3.85

-3.10%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.69 CA$2.36

$2.17 NZ$3.70

-22.12%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$5.96 CA$8.32

$6.92 NZ$11.81

-13.87%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$5.91 CA$8.25

$6.44 NZ$11.00

-8.23%

Milk (1 liter)

$2.29 CA$3.19

$1.79 NZ$3.06

27.93%

White Bread (500g)

$2.76 CA$3.85

$1.89 NZ$3.23

46.03%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$3.60 CA$5.03

$1.86 NZ$3.18

93.55%

Eggs

$3.50 CA$4.89

$6.53 NZ$11.15

-46.40%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$11.47 CA$16.01

$8.13 NZ$13.88

41.08%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$12.38 CA$17.30

$9.45 NZ$16.13

31.01%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$14.97 CA$20.90

$13.11 NZ$22.39

14.19%

Apples (1kg)

$4.22 CA$5.90

$2.87 NZ$4.91

47.04%

Banana (1kg)

$1.51 CA$2.10

$2.23 NZ$3.80

-32.29%

Oranges (1kg)

$3.90 CA$5.45

$3.08 NZ$5.26

26.62%

Tomato (1kg)

$4.11 CA$5.73

$4.77 NZ$8.15

-13.84%

Potato (1kg)

$2.79 CA$3.90

$2.05 NZ$3.49

36.10%

Onion (1kg)

$2.62 CA$3.66

$1.79 NZ$3.05

46.37%

Lettuce (1 head)

$2.66 CA$3.72

$2.39 NZ$4.08

11.30%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$1.82 CA$2.53

$1.20 NZ$2.04

51.67%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$14.71 CA$20.55

$24.45 NZ$41.75

-39.84%

Wine (Bottle)

$12.87 CA$17.98

$9.26 NZ$15.81

38.98%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$3.02 CA$4.21

$3.10 NZ$5.30

-2.58%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.39 CA$4.74

$3.64 NZ$6.21

-6.87%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$2.59 CA$3.62

$2.44 NZ$4.17

6.15%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$78.1 CA$109

$105 NZ$180

-25.92%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$3.56 CA$4.97

$2.36 NZ$4.03

50.85%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.47 CA$2.05

$1.93 NZ$3.30

-23.83%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$29.11 CA$40.65

$36.23 NZ$61.9

-19.65%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.17 CA$1.63

$1.73 NZ$2.95

-32.37%

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

$24.6K CA$34.4K

$28.1K NZ$47.9K

-12.29%

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

$20.5K CA$28.6K

$21.3K NZ$36.4K

-3.90%

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

$154 CA$215

$139 NZ$238

10.64%

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

$46.20 CA$64.5

$34.93 NZ$59.6

32.26%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$63.1 CA$88.1

$52.0 NZ$88.7

21.42%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$42.87 CA$59.9

$36.77 NZ$62.8

16.59%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$17.61 CA$24.60

$14.83 NZ$25.32

18.75%

Cinema Ticket

$11.46 CA$16.00

$11.87 NZ$20.26

-3.45%

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

$813 CA$1,136

$766 NZ$1,309

6.13%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$12.2K CA$17.1K

$12.0K NZ$20.5K

2.00%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$56.3 CA$78.6

$67.3 NZ$115

-16.39%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$41.36 CA$57.8

$42.58 NZ$72.7

-2.87%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$89.0 CA$124

$97.8 NZ$167

-8.97%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$106 CA$149

$121 NZ$206

-11.77%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,380 CA$1,927

$1,104 NZ$1,886

24.93%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,182 CA$1,651

$937 NZ$1,599

26.21%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$2,125 CA$2,968

$1,819 NZ$3,106

16.83%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,889 CA$2,638

$1,512 NZ$2,582

24.90%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$4,826 CA$6,740

$5,772 NZ$9,856

-16.38%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$3,896 CA$5,441

$3,681 NZ$6,286

5.84%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$2,947 CA$4,115

$2,950 NZ$5,037

-0.10%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

6.33

6.74

-6.08%

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

Last update for Canada: June 7, 2026

Last update for New Zealand: June 8, 2026

Cost Breakdown

Average rent: $1,279 in Canada vs $985 in New Zealand. For reference, capital cities sit at $1,500 in Ottawa and $1,307 in Wellington.

Average salary: $2,945 in Canada vs $3,090 in New Zealand. The income gap affects purchasing power and how far your budget stretches in each country.

Cost Highlights

Rent is 30% higher in Canada.

Dining out costs 10% more in New Zealand.

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 4% lower on average. The gap is consistent across housing, groceries, transport, and entertainment.

Housing costs more in Canada, and the gap is biggest in capital cities. Regional towns show less difference, but Canada consistently has higher rents.

Groceries, transport, and utilities all cost less in New Zealand, contributing to the overall 4% price gap. The savings show up everywhere – from supermarket receipts to monthly bills.

$2,000 buys a comfortable lifestyle in New Zealand, but in Canada it only works with careful planning outside the capital. Same money, very different lives.

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