Cost of Living Comparison Between Canterbury and Colmar Cost of Living Comparison Between Canterbury and Colmar

Monthly Cost of Living

A single person spends $1,738 per month in Canterbury vs $1,672 in Colmar, rent included.

A couple spends around $2,703 per month in Canterbury vs $2,768 in Colmar, rent included.

A family of three spends $3,669 per month in Canterbury vs $3,865 in Colmar, rent included.

Canterbury costs about 4% more than Colmar, driven mainly by Eating Out.

Both Canterbury and Colmar sit above the global median – Canterbury by 30%, Colmar by 25%.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$12.30 NZ$20.76

$17.29 €14.88

-28.86%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$67.0 NZ$113

$72.7 €62.6

-7.81%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$8.78 NZ$14.82

$11.39 €9.80

-22.91%

Cappuccino

$3.27 NZ$5.52

$2.88 €2.48

13.54%

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

$2.26 NZ$3.81

$2.58 €2.22

-12.40%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.01 NZ$3.39

$1.86 €1.60

8.06%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$4.15 NZ$7.01

$5.82 €5.00

-28.69%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$6.00 NZ$10.14

$5.25 €4.51

14.29%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.25 NZ$2.10

$1.32 €1.14

-5.30%

White Bread (500g)

$1.89 NZ$3.19

$1.73 €1.49

9.25%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.81 NZ$3.06

$1.13 €0.97

60.18%

Eggs

$5.77 NZ$9.75

$2.47 €2.12

133.60%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$6.64 NZ$11.21

$22.13 €19.04

-70.00%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$10.56 NZ$17.83

$7.35 €6.32

43.67%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$9.06 NZ$15.29

$11.54 €9.93

-21.49%

Apples (1kg)

$2.29 NZ$3.86

$1.66 €1.43

37.95%

Banana (1kg)

$2.36 NZ$3.98

$2.36 €2.03

Oranges (1kg)

$3.38 NZ$5.70

$1.75 €1.50

93.14%

Tomato (1kg)

$4.40 NZ$7.42

$2.28 €1.96

92.98%

Potato (1kg)

$1.18 NZ$1.99

$1.19 €1.02

-0.84%

Onion (1kg)

$1.97 NZ$3.33

$0.80 €0.69

146.25%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.77 NZ$3.00

$1.12 €0.96

58.04%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$1.06 NZ$1.79

$0.32 €0.28

231.25%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$23.74 NZ$40.08

$14.01 €12.05

69.45%

Wine (Bottle)

$9.31 NZ$15.72

$6.93 €5.96

34.34%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$2.56 NZ$4.32

$0.83 €0.72

208.43%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.55 NZ$6.00

$3.94 €3.39

-9.90%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.87 NZ$1.47

$1.70 €1.46

-48.82%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$64.3 NZ$108

$59.3 €51.0

8.27%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$2.75 NZ$4.65

$3.44 €2.96

-20.06%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.09 NZ$1.84

$1.02 €0.88

6.86%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$29.73 NZ$50.2

$38.09 €32.77

-21.95%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.70 NZ$2.88

$2.06 €1.77

-17.48%

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

$19.8K NZ$33.4K

$38.1K €32.8K

-48.06%

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

$25.2K NZ$42.6K

$37.3K €32.1K

-32.39%

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

$102 NZ$172

$206 €178

-50.63%

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

$36.14 NZ$61.0

$19.95 €17.16

81.15%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$55.2 NZ$93.1

$32.26 €27.75

71.02%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$36.87 NZ$62.3

$35.04 €30.14

5.22%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$12.13 NZ$20.47

$18.56 €15.96

-34.64%

Cinema Ticket

$9.47 NZ$15.99

$14.14 €12.16

-33.03%

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

$578 NZ$975

$1,387 €1,193

-58.36%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$12.0K NZ$20.2K

$7,121 €6,125

68.22%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$52.2 NZ$88.1

$58.8 €50.6

-11.23%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$30.00 NZ$50.7

$29.37 €25.27

2.15%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$96.8 NZ$163

$90.0 €77.4

7.50%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$123 NZ$209

$127 €109

-2.77%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$973 NZ$1,644

$747 €643

30.28%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$791 NZ$1,335

$613 €528

28.95%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,577 NZ$2,663

$1,894 €1,629

-16.72%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,446 NZ$2,442

$1,474 €1,268

-1.90%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$4,131 €3,553

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$3,157 €2,716

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$2,817 NZ$4,756

$2,077 €1,787

35.61%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

7.07

3.65

93.70%

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

Last update for Canterbury: June 2, 2026

Last update for Colmar: May 31, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A central one-bedroom costs $973 in Canterbury versus $747 in Colmar. Rent is usually the largest line item in a monthly budget, so the gap here sets the tone for the overall comparison.

Salaries run about 36% higher in Canterbury, which partly offsets the higher cost of living there. Purchasing power depends on which expenses matter most to you.

A mid-range dinner for two costs $67.0 in Canterbury versus $73.0 in Colmar. Groceries tell a different story – $289 in Canterbury vs $263 in Colmar – so Colmar wins on supermarket bills even if dining out costs more.

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

Canterbury vs Colmar: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Monthly costs with rent: $1,738 in Canterbury, $1,672 in Colmar – roughly 4% apart. Canterbury costs more across the board, with Eating Out showing the biggest gap.

For a comfortable life, plan on about $2,606 per month in Canterbury and $2,508 in Colmar. That covers rent, food, utilities, transport, and enough left over to feel settled – not just surviving.

Rent is clearly cheaper in Colmar, especially for central apartments. Housing is actually the single biggest factor behind the overall cost gap between these two cities.

Groceries cost about 10% more in Canterbury, though it depends on what you buy. Local produce may be comparable; imported and premium items show the biggest price gap.

A mid-range dinner for two costs $67.0 in Canterbury and $73.0 in Colmar. That's a good indicator of the overall restaurant and café pricing gap between the two cities.

A $3,000 monthly budget goes further in Colmar, where all-in costs run around $1,672, than in Canterbury at $1,738. In Colmar it covers expenses comfortably, while in Canterbury it requires careful planning or may not stretch far enough.

Families tend to lean toward Colmar – lower housing and cheaper childcare make a real difference, especially on a single income or when paying for private education.

Both have safer and rougher neighborhoods, but overall safety is comparable to other large cities. Neighborhood choice matters more than the city-level comparison – central, well-trafficked areas feel secure in both.

If budget matters most, go with Colmar. If higher salaries, better infrastructure, or specific career opportunities are the priority, Canterbury makes more sense. Both are solid long-term options with distinct trade-offs.