Cost of Living Comparison Between Christchurch and Oamaru Cost of Living Comparison Between Christchurch and Oamaru

😐 Solo nomad: Christchurch is 3.9% more expensive than Oamaru without rent, and 26.4% more expensive with rent.
🙂 Family of 3: Christchurch is 2.4% cheaper than Oamaru without rent, and 7.6% more expensive with rent.
Currency
🍽 Eating Out
Christchurch
Oamaru
Difference
Meal at Budget Restaurant
$17.08 NZ$29.20
$17.15 NZ$29.33
-0.41%
Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range
$73.4 NZ$125
$73.4 NZ$125
-0.04%
Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)
$9.88 NZ$16.90
$9.76 NZ$16.69
1.23%
Cappuccino
$3.49 NZ$5.96
$3.33 NZ$5.70
4.80%
Coke/Pepsi/Fanta/Sprite (0.33 liter bottle)
$2.31 NZ$3.94
$2.39 NZ$4.08
-3.35%
Water (0.33 liter bottle)
$1.96 NZ$3.35
$2.05 NZ$3.51
-4.39%
Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)
$7.38 NZ$12.62
$7.42 NZ$12.70
-0.54%
Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)
$7.43 NZ$12.71
$7.36 NZ$12.59
0.95%
🛒 Groceries & Markets
Christchurch
Oamaru
Difference
Milk (1 liter)
$1.84 NZ$3.14
$1.82 NZ$3.11
1.10%
White Bread (500g)
$1.99 NZ$3.40
$1.16 NZ$1.99
71.55%
Rice (white) (1kg)
$1.69 NZ$2.89
$1.24 NZ$2.12
36.29%
Eggs
$6.51 NZ$11.13
$3.91 NZ$6.69
66.50%
Local Cheese (1kg)
$8.03 NZ$13.74
$8.07 NZ$13.81
-0.50%
Chicken Fillets (1kg)
$9.65 NZ$16.50
$9.52 NZ$16.28
1.37%
Beef Round Steak (1kg)
$13.11 NZ$22.42
$12.74 NZ$21.79
2.90%
Apples (1kg)
$3.05 NZ$5.21
$2.40 NZ$4.10
27.08%
Banana (1kg)
$2.59 NZ$4.43
$1.80 NZ$3.07
43.89%
Oranges (1kg)
$2.98 NZ$5.09
$3.03 NZ$5.18
-1.65%
Tomato (1kg)
$5.66 NZ$9.67
$5.84 NZ$9.99
-3.08%
Potato (1kg)
$2.13 NZ$3.65
$1.48 NZ$2.52
43.92%
Onion (1kg)
$2.22 NZ$3.80
$1.18 NZ$2.01
88.14%
Lettuce (1 head)
$2.93 NZ$5.01
$1.80 NZ$3.07
62.78%
Water (1.5 liter bottle)
$1.43 NZ$2.44
$1.48 NZ$2.53
-3.38%
Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)
$23.66 NZ$40.46
$24.24 NZ$41.45
-2.39%
Wine (Bottle)
$9.09 NZ$15.54
$6.06 NZ$10.36
50.00%
Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)
$3.82 NZ$6.53
$3.76 NZ$6.43
1.60%
Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)
$4.81 NZ$8.23
$4.81 NZ$8.22
-
🚌 Getting Around
Christchurch
Oamaru
Difference
One-way Ticket (Public Transport)
$1.24 NZ$2.11
$2.09 NZ$3.57
-40.67%
Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)
$41.57 NZ$71.1
$64.8 NZ$111
-35.87%
Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)
$2.73 NZ$4.67
$2.64 NZ$4.52
3.41%
Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)
$1.65 NZ$2.82
$1.66 NZ$2.84
-0.60%
Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)
$30.27 NZ$51.8
$30.64 NZ$52.4
-1.21%
Gasoline (1 liter)
$1.63 NZ$2.79
$1.71 NZ$2.92
-4.68%
Midsize Hatchback 1.4l (Volkswagen Golf, Toyota Prius, Honda Civic, etc)
$27.4K NZ$46.9K
$27.6K NZ$47.1K
-0.51%
Compact Sedan 1.6l (Toyota Corolla, Mazda3, Kia K4, Hyundai Elantra, etc)
$19.6K NZ$33.5K
$20.0K NZ$34.3K
-2.16%
🧾 Monthly Utilities & Internet
Christchurch
Oamaru
Difference
Utilities for 2 People in 2-bedroom Apartment (Heating, Electricity, Gas, Water, Garbage) (85m2)
$115 NZ$197
$118 NZ$203
-2.50%
SIM Card Monthly Plan (Calls and 10GB+ Data)
$31.15 NZ$53.3
$17.93 NZ$30.66
73.73%
Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)
$54.0 NZ$92.4
$48.29 NZ$82.6
11.85%
🎉 Sport & Entertainment
Christchurch
Oamaru
Difference
Gym Membership (Monthly)
$35.49 NZ$60.7
$36.74 NZ$62.8
-3.40%
Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)
$15.56 NZ$26.61
$12.26 NZ$20.96
26.92%
Cinema Ticket
$11.12 NZ$19.01
$10.71 NZ$18.31
3.83%
🧸 Childcare & Education
Christchurch
Oamaru
Difference
Preschool or Kindergarten, Full Day, Private, 1 Child (Monthly)
$641 NZ$1,095
$646 NZ$1,104
-0.78%
International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)
$9,245 NZ$15.8K
$9,420 NZ$16.1K
-1.86%
👕👟 Clothing & Footwear
Christchurch
Oamaru
Difference
Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)
$62.4 NZ$107
$59.7 NZ$102
4.47%
Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)
$43.14 NZ$73.8
$18.10 NZ$30.96
138.34%
Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)
$92.6 NZ$158
$48.21 NZ$82.4
92.03%
Men's Leather Business Shoes
$150 NZ$256
$53.6 NZ$91.6
179.32%
🏠 Accommodation & Living
Christchurch
Oamaru
Difference
1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)
$1,539 NZ$2,631
$965 NZ$1,649
59.55%
1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)
$1,167 NZ$1,995
$789 NZ$1,348
47.97%
3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)
$2,038 NZ$3,485
$1,565 NZ$2,676
30.19%
3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)
$1,441 NZ$2,465
$1,442 NZ$2,467
-0.08%
Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)
$5,018 NZ$8,580
$5,074 NZ$8,677
-1.11%
Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)
$2,772 NZ$4,740
$3,293 NZ$5,631
-15.83%
💵 Salaries & Financials
Christchurch
Oamaru
Difference
Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)
$2,691 NZ$4,601
$2,107 NZ$3,603
27.71%
20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)
6.74
6
12.33%

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

Last update for Christchurch: March 2, 2026

Last update for Oamaru: March 3, 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

Similar cities