Cost of Living Comparison Between Christchurch and Ashburton Cost of Living Comparison Between Christchurch and Ashburton

๐Ÿ™‚ Solo nomad: Christchurch is 3.2% cheaper than Ashburton without rent, and 19.8% more expensive with rent.
๐Ÿ™‚ Family of 3: Christchurch is 6.6% cheaper than Ashburton without rent, and 2.8% more expensive with rent.
Currency
๐Ÿฝ Eating Out
Christchurch
Ashburton
Difference
Meal at Budget Restaurant
$16.56 NZ$27.32
$17.11 NZ$28.23
-3.21%
Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range
$71.4 NZ$118
$71.8 NZ$118
-0.50%
Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)
$9.41 NZ$15.53
$9.67 NZ$15.96
-2.69%
Cappuccino
$3.34 NZ$5.52
$3.39 NZ$5.59
-1.47%
Coke/Pepsi/Fanta/Sprite (0.33 liter bottle)
$2.3 NZ$3.8
$2.36 NZ$3.88
-2.54%
Water (0.33 liter bottle)
$2.03 NZ$3.34
$2.05 NZ$3.38
-0.98%
Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)
$7.31 NZ$12.06
$7.31 NZ$12.06
-
Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)
$7.2 NZ$11.87
$7.34 NZ$12.1
-1.91%
๐Ÿ›’ Groceries & Markets
Christchurch
Ashburton
Difference
Milk (1 liter)
$1.91 NZ$3.16
$1.91 NZ$3.16
-
White Bread (500g)
$1.94 NZ$3.2
$2.02 NZ$3.33
-3.96%
Rice (white) (1kg)
$1.73 NZ$2.85
$1.68 NZ$2.77
2.98%
Eggs
$6.26 NZ$10.33
$6.49 NZ$10.71
-3.54%
Local Cheese (1kg)
$8.18 NZ$13.48
$8.13 NZ$13.41
0.62%
Chicken Fillets (1kg)
$9.65 NZ$15.91
$9.18 NZ$15.14
5.12%
Beef Round Steak (1kg)
$12.83 NZ$21.17
$12.98 NZ$21.4
-1.16%
Apples (1kg)
$3.06 NZ$5.04
$3.16 NZ$5.22
-3.16%
Banana (1kg)
$2.71 NZ$4.46
$2.12 NZ$3.5
27.83%
Oranges (1kg)
$2.95 NZ$4.87
$3.07 NZ$5.06
-3.91%
Tomato (1kg)
$5.52 NZ$9.11
$3.4 NZ$5.61
62.35%
Potato (1kg)
$2.15 NZ$3.54
$2.12 NZ$3.49
1.42%
Onion (1kg)
$2.21 NZ$3.64
$2.31 NZ$3.81
-4.33%
Lettuce (1 head)
$2.98 NZ$4.91
$2.93 NZ$4.83
1.71%
Water (1.5 liter bottle)
$1.45 NZ$2.4
$1.42 NZ$2.35
2.11%
Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)
$23.66 NZ$39.02
$24.33 NZ$40.12
-2.75%
Wine (Bottle)
$8.93 NZ$14.72
$8.94 NZ$14.74
-0.11%
Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)
$3.82 NZ$6.29
$3.62 NZ$5.97
5.52%
Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)
$4.85 NZ$8
$4.78 NZ$7.88
1.46%
๐ŸšŒ Getting Around
Christchurch
Ashburton
Difference
One-way Ticket (Public Transport)
$1.24 NZ$2.05
$2.13 NZ$3.52
-41.78%
Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)
$41.94 NZ$69.2
$63.1 NZ$104
-33.52%
Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)
$2.63 NZ$4.34
$2.64 NZ$4.35
-0.38%
Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)
$1.64 NZ$2.7
$1.65 NZ$2.72
-0.61%
Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)
$30.26 NZ$49.91
$30.17 NZ$49.75
0.30%
Gasoline (1 liter)
$1.71 NZ$2.81
$1.7 NZ$2.8
0.59%
Midsize Hatchback 1.4l (Volkswagen Golf, Toyota Prius, Honda Civic, etc)
$27K NZ$44.5K
$27.3K NZ$45.1K
-1.40%
Compact Sedan 1.6l (Toyota Corolla, Mazda3, Kia K4, Hyundai Elantra, etc)
$20K NZ$33K
$19.9K NZ$32.8K
0.48%
๐Ÿงพ Monthly Utilities & Internet
Christchurch
Ashburton
Difference
Utilities for 2 People in 2-bedroom Apartment (Heating, Electricity, Gas, Water, Garbage) (85m2)
$116 NZ$191
$115 NZ$190
0.30%
SIM Card Monthly Plan (Calls and 10GB+ Data)
$32.15 NZ$53
$31.58 NZ$52.1
1.80%
Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)
$52.6 NZ$86.8
$53.2 NZ$87.8
-1.07%
๐ŸŽ‰ Sport & Entertainment
Christchurch
Ashburton
Difference
Gym Membership (Monthly)
$34.61 NZ$57.1
$36.71 NZ$60.5
-5.72%
Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)
$15.47 NZ$25.51
$12.1 NZ$19.96
27.85%
Cinema Ticket
$10.81 NZ$17.83
$11.11 NZ$18.32
-2.70%
๐Ÿงธ Childcare & Education
Christchurch
Ashburton
Difference
Preschool or Kindergarten, Full Day, Private, 1 Child (Monthly)
$653 NZ$1,077
$651 NZ$1,073
0.30%
International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)
$9,249 NZ$15.3K
$9,441 NZ$15.6K
-2.03%
๐Ÿ‘•๐Ÿ‘Ÿ Clothing & Footwear
Christchurch
Ashburton
Difference
Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)
$64 NZ$105
$30.08 NZ$49.61
112.63%
Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)
$43.12 NZ$71.1
$42.81 NZ$70.6
0.72%
Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)
$90.8 NZ$150
$93.2 NZ$154
-2.60%
Men's Leather Business Shoes
$150 NZ$247
$150 NZ$248
-0.07%
๐Ÿ  Accommodation & Living
Christchurch
Ashburton
Difference
1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)
$1,536 NZ$2,534
$972 NZ$1,604
57.99%
1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)
$1,158 NZ$1,911
$775 NZ$1,279
49.39%
3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)
$2,059 NZ$3,395
$1,604 NZ$2,645
28.36%
3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)
$1,488 NZ$2,453
$1,421 NZ$2,344
4.66%
Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)
$4,194 NZ$6,918
$3,809 NZ$6,282
10.12%
Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)
$3,361 NZ$5,543
$3,320 NZ$5,475
1.25%
๐Ÿ’ต Salaries & Financials
Christchurch
Ashburton
Difference
Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)
$2,736 NZ$4,512
-
-
20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)
6.74
6.74
-

Citycost data is based on AI and user input โ€“ minor inaccuracies may occur.

Last update for Christchurch: October 27, 2025

Last update for Ashburton: October 28, 2025

Join the CityCost newsletter โ€“ low traffic, no spam, and easy to unsubscribe. Your email stays private.