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 $2,323 per month in Canada vs $1,886 in New Zealand, rent included.

A couple spends around $3,377 per month in Canada vs $2,900 in New Zealand, rent included.

A family of three spends $4,431 per month in Canada vs $3,914 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 41%.

Both countries show comparable internal variation: Canada spans $1,344–$3,069, New Zealand spans $1,421–$2,771. City choice affects budget similarly in either country.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$18.33 CA$25.11

$14.82 NZ$25.34

23.68%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$72.4 CA$99.2

$78.7 NZ$135

-8.09%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$10.87 CA$14.89

$9.56 NZ$16.35

13.70%

Cappuccino

$3.72 CA$5.10

$3.48 NZ$5.95

6.90%

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

$2.10 CA$2.87

$2.28 NZ$3.90

-7.89%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.68 CA$2.31

$2.12 NZ$3.62

-20.75%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$5.99 CA$8.20

$6.98 NZ$11.94

-14.18%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$5.73 CA$7.85

$6.69 NZ$11.44

-14.35%

Milk (1 liter)

$2.22 CA$3.04

$1.79 NZ$3.06

24.02%

White Bread (500g)

$2.80 CA$3.83

$1.92 NZ$3.29

45.83%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$3.66 CA$5.02

$1.87 NZ$3.20

95.72%

Eggs

$3.52 CA$4.82

$6.56 NZ$11.22

-46.34%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$11.33 CA$15.53

$8.28 NZ$14.16

36.84%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$12.52 CA$17.16

$9.39 NZ$16.05

33.33%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$15.15 CA$20.75

$13.29 NZ$22.73

14.00%

Apples (1kg)

$4.25 CA$5.83

$2.79 NZ$4.77

52.33%

Banana (1kg)

$1.51 CA$2.07

$2.25 NZ$3.84

-32.89%

Oranges (1kg)

$3.96 CA$5.42

$3.08 NZ$5.27

28.57%

Tomato (1kg)

$4.19 CA$5.75

$4.82 NZ$8.24

-13.07%

Potato (1kg)

$2.75 CA$3.77

$2.09 NZ$3.58

31.58%

Onion (1kg)

$2.73 CA$3.74

$1.80 NZ$3.08

51.67%

Lettuce (1 head)

$2.57 CA$3.52

$2.29 NZ$3.91

12.23%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$1.87 CA$2.56

$1.14 NZ$1.95

64.04%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$14.67 CA$20.10

$24.04 NZ$41.11

-38.98%

Wine (Bottle)

$13.25 CA$18.15

$9.37 NZ$16.03

41.41%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$2.91 CA$3.99

$3.10 NZ$5.30

-6.13%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.33 CA$4.56

$3.67 NZ$6.27

-9.26%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$2.64 CA$3.61

$2.39 NZ$4.08

10.46%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$77.7 CA$106

$106 NZ$182

-26.98%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$3.37 CA$4.61

$2.40 NZ$4.10

40.42%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.47 CA$2.02

$1.93 NZ$3.30

-23.83%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$28.78 CA$39.43

$35.57 NZ$60.8

-19.09%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.15 CA$1.57

$1.71 NZ$2.92

-32.75%

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

$24.9K CA$34.1K

$27.5K NZ$47.0K

-9.30%

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

$20.3K CA$27.8K

$21.6K NZ$36.9K

-5.86%

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

$156 CA$214

$139 NZ$238

12.17%

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

$46.08 CA$63.1

$35.74 NZ$61.1

28.93%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$62.4 CA$85.4

$51.8 NZ$88.6

20.37%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$43.98 CA$60.3

$36.66 NZ$62.7

19.97%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$17.92 CA$24.56

$15.08 NZ$25.78

18.83%

Cinema Ticket

$11.43 CA$15.66

$11.93 NZ$20.40

-4.19%

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

$815 CA$1,117

$762 NZ$1,303

6.95%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$12.3K CA$16.8K

$11.6K NZ$19.9K

5.24%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$55.9 CA$76.6

$66.8 NZ$114

-16.27%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$41.52 CA$56.9

$42.07 NZ$72.0

-1.31%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$88.7 CA$122

$96.3 NZ$165

-7.90%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$109 CA$150

$122 NZ$209

-10.63%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,379 CA$1,890

$1,095 NZ$1,872

26.01%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,212 CA$1,661

$937 NZ$1,602

29.38%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$2,160 CA$2,960

$1,816 NZ$3,105

18.99%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,866 CA$2,556

$1,529 NZ$2,614

22.03%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$4,998 CA$6,847

$5,777 NZ$9,878

-13.48%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$4,001 CA$5,481

$3,747 NZ$6,407

6.77%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$3,031 CA$4,153

$2,993 NZ$5,118

1.28%

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: April 27, 2026

Last update for New Zealand: April 26, 2026

Cost Breakdown

Average rent: $1,283 in Canada vs $981 in New Zealand. For reference, capital cities sit at $1,475 in Ottawa and $1,327 in Wellington.

Average salary: $3,008 in Canada vs $3,086 in New Zealand. The income gap affects purchasing power and how far your budget stretches in each country.

Cost Highlights

Rent is 31% higher in Canada.

Dining out costs 12% 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 5% 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 5% 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.