Cost of Living Comparison Between Christchurch and Hamilton Cost of Living Comparison Between Christchurch and Hamilton

๐Ÿ˜ Solo nomad: Christchurch is 8.9% more expensive than Hamilton without rent, and 19.7% more expensive with rent.
๐Ÿ˜ Family of 3: Christchurch is 3.9% more expensive than Hamilton without rent, and 1% cheaper with rent.
Currency
๐Ÿฝ Eating Out
Christchurch
Hamilton
Difference
Meal at Budget Restaurant
$16.56 NZ$27.32
$13.79 NZ$22.75
20.09%
Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range
$71.4 NZ$118
$85.1 NZ$140
-16.08%
Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)
$9.41 NZ$15.53
$8.71 NZ$14.36
8.04%
Cappuccino
$3.34 NZ$5.52
$3.53 NZ$5.82
-5.38%
Coke/Pepsi/Fanta/Sprite (0.33 liter bottle)
$2.3 NZ$3.8
$2.41 NZ$3.97
-4.56%
Water (0.33 liter bottle)
$2.03 NZ$3.34
$2.92 NZ$4.81
-30.48%
Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)
$7.31 NZ$12.06
$6.89 NZ$11.37
6.10%
Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)
$7.2 NZ$11.87
$6.09 NZ$10.04
18.23%
๐Ÿ›’ Groceries & Markets
Christchurch
Hamilton
Difference
Milk (1 liter)
$1.91 NZ$3.16
$1.59 NZ$2.63
20.13%
White Bread (500g)
$1.94 NZ$3.2
$1.28 NZ$2.1
51.56%
Rice (white) (1kg)
$1.73 NZ$2.85
$1.98 NZ$3.27
-12.63%
Eggs
$6.26 NZ$10.33
$5.8 NZ$9.57
7.93%
Local Cheese (1kg)
$8.18 NZ$13.48
$5.82 NZ$9.6
40.55%
Chicken Fillets (1kg)
$9.65 NZ$15.91
$8.08 NZ$13.32
19.43%
Beef Round Steak (1kg)
$12.83 NZ$21.17
$11.05 NZ$18.23
16.11%
Apples (1kg)
$3.06 NZ$5.04
$2.77 NZ$4.56
10.47%
Banana (1kg)
$2.71 NZ$4.46
$2.88 NZ$4.75
-5.90%
Oranges (1kg)
$2.95 NZ$4.87
$2.94 NZ$4.85
0.34%
Tomato (1kg)
$5.52 NZ$9.11
$6.81 NZ$11.24
-18.94%
Potato (1kg)
$2.15 NZ$3.54
$2.2 NZ$3.62
-2.27%
Onion (1kg)
$2.21 NZ$3.64
$1.97 NZ$3.25
12.18%
Lettuce (1 head)
$2.98 NZ$4.91
$2.59 NZ$4.28
15.06%
Water (1.5 liter bottle)
$1.45 NZ$2.4
$1.02 NZ$1.68
42.16%
Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)
$23.66 NZ$39.02
$25.81 NZ$42.56
-8.33%
Wine (Bottle)
$8.93 NZ$14.72
$11.43 NZ$18.85
-21.87%
Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)
$3.82 NZ$6.29
$3.57 NZ$5.89
7.00%
Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)
$4.85 NZ$8
$4.5 NZ$7.42
7.78%
๐ŸšŒ Getting Around
Christchurch
Hamilton
Difference
One-way Ticket (Public Transport)
$1.24 NZ$2.05
$1.67 NZ$2.76
-25.75%
Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)
$41.94 NZ$69.2
$47.97 NZ$79.1
-12.57%
Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)
$2.63 NZ$4.34
$4.24 NZ$7
-37.97%
Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)
$1.64 NZ$2.7
$1.94 NZ$3.2
-15.46%
Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)
$30.26 NZ$49.91
$42.77 NZ$70.5
-29.25%
Gasoline (1 liter)
$1.71 NZ$2.81
$1.69 NZ$2.79
1.18%
Midsize Hatchback 1.4l (Volkswagen Golf, Toyota Prius, Honda Civic, etc)
$27K NZ$44.5K
$23.4K NZ$38.7K
15.02%
Compact Sedan 1.6l (Toyota Corolla, Mazda3, Kia K4, Hyundai Elantra, etc)
$20K NZ$33K
$23.2K NZ$38.3K
-13.79%
๐Ÿงพ Monthly Utilities & Internet
Christchurch
Hamilton
Difference
Utilities for 2 People in 2-bedroom Apartment (Heating, Electricity, Gas, Water, Garbage) (85m2)
$116 NZ$191
$91 NZ$150
26.97%
SIM Card Monthly Plan (Calls and 10GB+ Data)
$32.15 NZ$53
$39.28 NZ$64.8
-18.15%
Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)
$52.6 NZ$86.8
$53 NZ$87.5
-0.75%
๐ŸŽ‰ Sport & Entertainment
Christchurch
Hamilton
Difference
Gym Membership (Monthly)
$34.61 NZ$57.1
$32.17 NZ$53.1
7.58%
Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)
$15.47 NZ$25.51
$16.44 NZ$27.11
-5.90%
Cinema Ticket
$10.81 NZ$17.83
$13.63 NZ$22.47
-20.69%
๐Ÿงธ Childcare & Education
Christchurch
Hamilton
Difference
Preschool or Kindergarten, Full Day, Private, 1 Child (Monthly)
$653 NZ$1,077
$830 NZ$1,369
-21.36%
International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)
$9,249 NZ$15.3K
$18K NZ$29.7K
-48.60%
๐Ÿ‘•๐Ÿ‘Ÿ Clothing & Footwear
Christchurch
Hamilton
Difference
Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)
$64 NZ$105
$61.3 NZ$101
4.32%
Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)
$43.12 NZ$71.1
$40.61 NZ$67
6.18%
Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)
$90.8 NZ$150
$90.1 NZ$149
0.73%
Men's Leather Business Shoes
$150 NZ$247
$119 NZ$196
26.21%
๐Ÿ  Accommodation & Living
Christchurch
Hamilton
Difference
1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)
$1,536 NZ$2,534
$982 NZ$1,620
56.40%
1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)
$1,158 NZ$1,911
$877 NZ$1,447
32.05%
3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)
$2,059 NZ$3,395
$1,225 NZ$2,021
68.03%
3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)
$1,488 NZ$2,453
$1,576 NZ$2,599
-5.60%
Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)
$4,194 NZ$6,918
$5,447 NZ$8,984
-23.00%
Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)
$3,361 NZ$5,543
$4,724 NZ$7,791
-28.85%
๐Ÿ’ต Salaries & Financials
Christchurch
Hamilton
Difference
Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)
$2,736 NZ$4,512
$2,676 NZ$4,413
2.25%
20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)
6.74
6.83
-1.32%

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

Last update for Christchurch: October 27, 2025

Last update for Hamilton: October 29, 2025

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