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

Name: New Zealand
Address: NZ

Monthly Cost of Living

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $712 in China versus $1,891 in New Zealand.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $1,133 in China versus $2,898 in New Zealand.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $1,553 in China versus $3,904 in New Zealand.

Living in China costs about 62% less than in New Zealand on average.

China (47% below) and New Zealand (42% above) straddle the global median.

Internal cost variation is higher in New Zealand: monthly costs span $1,437 to $2,726, compared to $521–$1,202 in China. City choice carries more weight in New Zealand.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$2.71 ¥18.35

$15.15 NZ$26.31

-82.11%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$23.22 ¥157

$77.5 NZ$135

-70.05%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$5.00 ¥33.84

$9.80 NZ$17.02

-48.98%

Cappuccino

$3.08 ¥20.88

$3.40 NZ$5.90

-9.41%

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

$0.48 ¥3.25

$2.36 NZ$4.10

-79.66%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.29 ¥1.97

$2.10 NZ$3.66

-86.19%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$1.00 ¥6.75

$6.63 NZ$11.51

-84.92%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.10 ¥14.24

$6.52 NZ$11.32

-67.79%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.75 ¥11.82

$1.77 NZ$3.07

-1.13%

White Bread (500g)

$1.67 ¥11.27

$1.90 NZ$3.30

-12.11%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$0.99 ¥6.68

$1.89 NZ$3.28

-47.62%

Eggs

$1.57 ¥10.62

$6.70 NZ$11.64

-76.57%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$13.06 ¥88.4

$8.23 NZ$14.30

58.69%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$3.31 ¥22.42

$9.64 NZ$16.74

-65.66%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$10.82 ¥73.2

$13.40 NZ$23.28

-19.25%

Apples (1kg)

$1.78 ¥12.03

$2.77 NZ$4.81

-35.74%

Banana (1kg)

$1.24 ¥8.40

$2.26 NZ$3.93

-45.13%

Oranges (1kg)

$1.50 ¥10.19

$3.05 NZ$5.30

-50.82%

Tomato (1kg)

$1.20 ¥8.13

$4.74 NZ$8.23

-74.68%

Potato (1kg)

$0.76 ¥5.17

$2.00 NZ$3.48

-62.00%

Onion (1kg)

$0.92 ¥6.21

$1.71 NZ$2.97

-46.20%

Lettuce (1 head)

$0.58 ¥3.90

$2.35 NZ$4.08

-75.32%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.53 ¥3.60

$1.19 NZ$2.07

-55.46%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$3.45 ¥23.32

$23.73 NZ$41.22

-85.46%

Wine (Bottle)

$11.95 ¥80.9

$9.20 NZ$15.98

29.89%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$0.82 ¥5.58

$3.11 NZ$5.40

-73.63%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.65 ¥11.17

$3.57 NZ$6.20

-53.78%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.43 ¥2.91

$2.39 NZ$4.16

-82.01%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$20.78 ¥141

$107 NZ$186

-80.62%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$1.38 ¥9.34

$2.44 NZ$4.25

-43.44%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$0.33 ¥2.22

$1.86 NZ$3.23

-82.26%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$6.74 ¥45.59

$35.76 NZ$62.1

-81.15%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.13 ¥7.66

$1.73 NZ$3.00

-34.68%

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

$19.6K ¥132.8K

$27.5K NZ$47.7K

-28.57%

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

$16.8K ¥113.7K

$21.8K NZ$37.8K

-22.90%

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

$50.7 ¥343

$136 NZ$235

-62.59%

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

$10.12 ¥68.5

$35.64 NZ$61.9

-71.60%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$11.42 ¥77.3

$52.1 NZ$90.5

-78.08%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$40.33 ¥273

$37.07 NZ$64.4

8.79%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$14.57 ¥98.6

$14.81 NZ$25.73

-1.62%

Cinema Ticket

$6.40 ¥43.34

$11.85 NZ$20.59

-45.99%

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

$417 ¥2,822

$781 NZ$1,357

-46.61%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$17.2K ¥116.7K

$11.7K NZ$20.2K

47.98%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$45.55 ¥308

$67.0 NZ$116

-32.03%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$32.26 ¥218

$43.16 NZ$75.0

-25.25%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$72.9 ¥494

$99.9 NZ$174

-27.00%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$73.6 ¥498

$118 NZ$205

-37.50%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$433 ¥2,931

$1,099 NZ$1,909

-60.59%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$261 ¥1,768

$925 NZ$1,607

-71.76%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$905 ¥6,126

$1,820 NZ$3,162

-50.28%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$533 ¥3,606

$1,547 NZ$2,686

-65.55%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$4,965 ¥33.6K

$5,575 NZ$9,685

-10.95%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$2,518 ¥17.0K

$3,670 NZ$6,376

-31.39%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$1,063 ¥7,194

$2,926 NZ$5,084

-63.68%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

4.06

6.74

-39.76%

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

Last update for China: June 15, 2026

Last update for New Zealand: June 16, 2026

Cost Breakdown

National rent averages: $287 in China, $983 in New Zealand. Capital cities: $886 in Beijing (Pekin) vs $1,297 in Wellington.

National salary averages: $862 in China, $3,088 in New Zealand. Higher pay doesn't always mean more spending money – weigh income against local costs.

Cost Highlights

Rent is 243% higher in New Zealand.

Dining out costs 262% more in New Zealand.

Public transport is 278% more expensive in New Zealand.

Salaries are 258% higher in New Zealand, and purchasing power comes out stronger 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

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

At $862 per month in China and $2,082 in New Zealand, there's a 142% gap. Keep in mind it varies by city – the difference can be bigger or smaller depending on where you settle within each country.

Day-to-day life is simply cheaper in China: lower food prices, cheaper commutes, smaller household bills. Over time, those daily savings make a real difference to your monthly budget and ability to put money away.

Rent in New Zealand is consistently higher than in China across the board, especially in major cities. Housing is usually the single biggest driver of the overall cost difference between the two countries.

In China, $2,000 covers most cities easily; in New Zealand it stretches only to regional areas and falls short in the capital – you'll need to make trade-offs on housing or lifestyle.

It depends on what you're after: China wins on affordability; New Zealand may offer higher salaries, better infrastructure, and different cultural perks. Both attract large expat communities for different reasons.