Cost of Living Comparison Between Christchurch and Invercargill Cost of Living Comparison Between Christchurch and Invercargill

😐 Solo nomad: Christchurch is 24.1% more expensive than Invercargill without rent, and 43.2% more expensive with rent.
😐 Family of 3: Christchurch is 0.2% more expensive than Invercargill without rent, and 17.6% more expensive with rent.
Currency
🍽 Eating Out
Christchurch
Invercargill
Difference
Meal at Budget Restaurant
$17.08 NZ$29.20
$11.93 NZ$20.40
43.17%
Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range
$73.4 NZ$125
$73.3 NZ$125
0.14%
Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)
$9.88 NZ$16.90
$8.52 NZ$14.56
15.96%
Cappuccino
$3.49 NZ$5.96
$3.34 NZ$5.71
4.49%
Coke/Pepsi/Fanta/Sprite (0.33 liter bottle)
$2.31 NZ$3.94
$1.69 NZ$2.89
36.69%
Water (0.33 liter bottle)
$1.96 NZ$3.35
$1.41 NZ$2.41
39.01%
Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)
$7.38 NZ$12.62
$5.94 NZ$10.15
24.24%
Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)
$7.43 NZ$12.71
$4.71 NZ$8.06
57.75%
🛒 Groceries & Markets
Christchurch
Invercargill
Difference
Milk (1 liter)
$1.84 NZ$3.14
$1.51 NZ$2.59
21.85%
White Bread (500g)
$1.99 NZ$3.40
$1.82 NZ$3.11
9.34%
Rice (white) (1kg)
$1.69 NZ$2.89
$1.78 NZ$3.04
-5.06%
Eggs
$6.51 NZ$11.13
$5.73 NZ$9.79
13.61%
Local Cheese (1kg)
$8.03 NZ$13.74
$8.44 NZ$14.43
-4.86%
Chicken Fillets (1kg)
$9.65 NZ$16.50
$9.55 NZ$16.33
1.05%
Beef Round Steak (1kg)
$13.11 NZ$22.42
$13.56 NZ$23.19
-3.32%
Apples (1kg)
$3.05 NZ$5.21
$2.87 NZ$4.90
6.27%
Banana (1kg)
$2.59 NZ$4.43
$2.24 NZ$3.84
15.62%
Oranges (1kg)
$2.98 NZ$5.09
$2.54 NZ$4.34
17.32%
Tomato (1kg)
$5.66 NZ$9.67
$3.63 NZ$6.21
55.92%
Potato (1kg)
$2.13 NZ$3.65
$1.92 NZ$3.29
10.94%
Onion (1kg)
$2.22 NZ$3.80
$1.83 NZ$3.13
21.31%
Lettuce (1 head)
$2.93 NZ$5.01
$2.57 NZ$4.39
14.01%
Water (1.5 liter bottle)
$1.43 NZ$2.44
$1.07 NZ$1.82
33.64%
Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)
$23.66 NZ$40.46
$22.14 NZ$37.87
6.87%
Wine (Bottle)
$9.09 NZ$15.54
$8.92 NZ$15.25
1.91%
Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)
$3.82 NZ$6.53
$4.15 NZ$7.10
-7.95%
Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)
$4.81 NZ$8.23
$3.66 NZ$6.25
31.42%
🚌 Getting Around
Christchurch
Invercargill
Difference
One-way Ticket (Public Transport)
$1.24 NZ$2.11
$1.59 NZ$2.71
-22.01%
Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)
$41.57 NZ$71.1
$63.5 NZ$109
-34.54%
Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)
$2.73 NZ$4.67
$2.35 NZ$4.01
16.17%
Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)
$1.65 NZ$2.82
$1.84 NZ$3.15
-10.33%
Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)
$30.27 NZ$51.8
$30.23 NZ$51.7
0.13%
Gasoline (1 liter)
$1.63 NZ$2.79
$1.66 NZ$2.84
-1.81%
Midsize Hatchback 1.4l (Volkswagen Golf, Toyota Prius, Honda Civic, etc)
$27.4K NZ$46.9K
$26.0K NZ$44.4K
5.69%
Compact Sedan 1.6l (Toyota Corolla, Mazda3, Kia K4, Hyundai Elantra, etc)
$19.6K NZ$33.5K
$19.9K NZ$34.1K
-1.67%
🧾 Monthly Utilities & Internet
Christchurch
Invercargill
Difference
Utilities for 2 People in 2-bedroom Apartment (Heating, Electricity, Gas, Water, Garbage) (85m2)
$115 NZ$197
$100 NZ$171
15.34%
SIM Card Monthly Plan (Calls and 10GB+ Data)
$31.15 NZ$53.3
$35.51 NZ$60.7
-12.28%
Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)
$54.0 NZ$92.4
$50.3 NZ$86.0
7.40%
🎉 Sport & Entertainment
Christchurch
Invercargill
Difference
Gym Membership (Monthly)
$35.49 NZ$60.7
$29.22 NZ$49.97
21.46%
Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)
$15.56 NZ$26.61
$12.26 NZ$20.97
26.92%
Cinema Ticket
$11.12 NZ$19.01
$9.55 NZ$16.32
16.44%
🧸 Childcare & Education
Christchurch
Invercargill
Difference
Preschool or Kindergarten, Full Day, Private, 1 Child (Monthly)
$641 NZ$1,095
$589 NZ$1,007
8.81%
International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)
$9,245 NZ$15.8K
$12.1K NZ$20.7K
-23.48%
👕👟 Clothing & Footwear
Christchurch
Invercargill
Difference
Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)
$62.4 NZ$107
$66.0 NZ$113
-5.43%
Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)
$43.14 NZ$73.8
$35.66 NZ$61.0
20.98%
Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)
$92.6 NZ$158
$81.2 NZ$139
14.00%
Men's Leather Business Shoes
$150 NZ$256
$85.7 NZ$147
74.59%
🏠 Accommodation & Living
Christchurch
Invercargill
Difference
1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)
$1,539 NZ$2,631
$651 NZ$1,113
136.46%
1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)
$1,167 NZ$1,995
$589 NZ$1,008
98.02%
3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)
$2,038 NZ$3,485
$873 NZ$1,492
133.50%
3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)
$1,441 NZ$2,465
$1,081 NZ$1,849
33.31%
Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)
$5,018 NZ$8,580
$5,903 NZ$10.1K
-15.00%
Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)
$2,772 NZ$4,740
$3,621 NZ$6,193
-23.46%
💵 Salaries & Financials
Christchurch
Invercargill
Difference
Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)
$2,691 NZ$4,601
$3,194 NZ$5,462
-15.75%
20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)
6.74
6.87
-1.89%

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

Last update for Christchurch: March 2, 2026

Last update for Invercargill: March 1, 2026

City Median Internet Speeds Comparison (Updated December 2025)

The chart highlights the Precision Threshold for mobile and fixed broadband internet speeds, updated quarterly.
Digital Nomad Cost of Living Index

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