Cost of Living Comparison Between Christchurch and Thames Cost of Living Comparison Between Christchurch and Thames

😐 Solo nomad: Christchurch is 0.4% more expensive than Thames without rent, and 20.1% more expensive with rent.
🙂 Family of 3: Christchurch is 2.8% cheaper than Thames without rent, and 0.5% more expensive with rent.
Currency
🍽 Eating Out
Christchurch
Thames
Difference
Meal at Budget Restaurant
$17.08 NZ$29.20
$14.78 NZ$25.28
15.56%
Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range
$73.4 NZ$125
$79.0 NZ$135
-7.15%
Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)
$9.88 NZ$16.90
$9.46 NZ$16.18
4.44%
Cappuccino
$3.49 NZ$5.96
$3.53 NZ$6.03
-1.13%
Coke/Pepsi/Fanta/Sprite (0.33 liter bottle)
$2.31 NZ$3.94
$2.28 NZ$3.89
1.32%
Water (0.33 liter bottle)
$1.96 NZ$3.35
$2.22 NZ$3.79
-11.71%
Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)
$7.38 NZ$12.62
$7.11 NZ$12.16
3.80%
Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)
$7.43 NZ$12.71
$7.29 NZ$12.46
1.92%
🛒 Groceries & Markets
Christchurch
Thames
Difference
Milk (1 liter)
$1.84 NZ$3.14
$1.81 NZ$3.09
1.66%
White Bread (500g)
$1.99 NZ$3.40
$2.10 NZ$3.59
-5.24%
Rice (white) (1kg)
$1.69 NZ$2.89
$1.94 NZ$3.32
-12.89%
Eggs
$6.51 NZ$11.13
$6.87 NZ$11.75
-5.24%
Local Cheese (1kg)
$8.03 NZ$13.74
$8.55 NZ$14.62
-6.08%
Chicken Fillets (1kg)
$9.65 NZ$16.50
$9.56 NZ$16.34
0.94%
Beef Round Steak (1kg)
$13.11 NZ$22.42
$13.18 NZ$22.53
-0.53%
Apples (1kg)
$3.05 NZ$5.21
$2.81 NZ$4.81
8.54%
Banana (1kg)
$2.59 NZ$4.43
$2.30 NZ$3.94
12.61%
Oranges (1kg)
$2.98 NZ$5.09
$3.20 NZ$5.48
-6.88%
Tomato (1kg)
$5.66 NZ$9.67
$4.15 NZ$7.10
36.39%
Potato (1kg)
$2.13 NZ$3.65
$2.08 NZ$3.55
2.40%
Onion (1kg)
$2.22 NZ$3.80
$1.64 NZ$2.80
35.37%
Lettuce (1 head)
$2.93 NZ$5.01
$1.91 NZ$3.27
53.40%
Water (1.5 liter bottle)
$1.43 NZ$2.44
$1.25 NZ$2.13
14.40%
Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)
$23.66 NZ$40.46
$25.76 NZ$44.06
-8.15%
Wine (Bottle)
$9.09 NZ$15.54
$10.72 NZ$18.34
-15.21%
Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)
$3.82 NZ$6.53
$2.91 NZ$4.98
31.27%
Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)
$4.81 NZ$8.23
$3.83 NZ$6.55
25.59%
🚌 Getting Around
Christchurch
Thames
Difference
One-way Ticket (Public Transport)
$1.24 NZ$2.11
$2.05 NZ$3.51
-39.51%
Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)
$41.57 NZ$71.1
$63.9 NZ$109
-34.90%
Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)
$2.73 NZ$4.67
$2.07 NZ$3.54
31.88%
Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)
$1.65 NZ$2.82
$1.95 NZ$3.33
-15.38%
Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)
$30.27 NZ$51.8
$35.57 NZ$60.8
-14.90%
Gasoline (1 liter)
$1.63 NZ$2.79
$1.65 NZ$2.82
-1.21%
Midsize Hatchback 1.4l (Volkswagen Golf, Toyota Prius, Honda Civic, etc)
$27.4K NZ$46.9K
$28.2K NZ$48.2K
-2.60%
Compact Sedan 1.6l (Toyota Corolla, Mazda3, Kia K4, Hyundai Elantra, etc)
$19.6K NZ$33.5K
$22.1K NZ$37.8K
-11.32%
🧾 Monthly Utilities & Internet
Christchurch
Thames
Difference
Utilities for 2 People in 2-bedroom Apartment (Heating, Electricity, Gas, Water, Garbage) (85m2)
$115 NZ$197
$145 NZ$248
-20.41%
SIM Card Monthly Plan (Calls and 10GB+ Data)
$31.15 NZ$53.3
$30.72 NZ$52.5
1.40%
Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)
$54.0 NZ$92.4
$48.06 NZ$82.2
12.38%
🎉 Sport & Entertainment
Christchurch
Thames
Difference
Gym Membership (Monthly)
$35.49 NZ$60.7
$36.62 NZ$62.6
-3.09%
Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)
$15.56 NZ$26.61
$12.03 NZ$20.58
29.34%
Cinema Ticket
$11.12 NZ$19.01
$15.19 NZ$25.97
-26.79%
🧸 Childcare & Education
Christchurch
Thames
Difference
Preschool or Kindergarten, Full Day, Private, 1 Child (Monthly)
$641 NZ$1,095
$892 NZ$1,525
-28.19%
International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)
$9,245 NZ$15.8K
$13.7K NZ$23.4K
-32.52%
👕👟 Clothing & Footwear
Christchurch
Thames
Difference
Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)
$62.4 NZ$107
$69.7 NZ$119
-10.47%
Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)
$43.14 NZ$73.8
$50.4 NZ$86.2
-14.37%
Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)
$92.6 NZ$158
$97.1 NZ$166
-4.69%
Men's Leather Business Shoes
$150 NZ$256
$126 NZ$215
18.79%
🏠 Accommodation & Living
Christchurch
Thames
Difference
1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)
$1,539 NZ$2,631
$970 NZ$1,659
58.58%
1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)
$1,167 NZ$1,995
$786 NZ$1,345
48.37%
3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)
$2,038 NZ$3,485
$1,549 NZ$2,649
31.53%
3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)
$1,441 NZ$2,465
$1,434 NZ$2,452
0.50%
Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)
$5,018 NZ$8,580
$4,747 NZ$8,117
5.71%
Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)
$2,772 NZ$4,740
$3,656 NZ$6,251
-24.18%
💵 Salaries & Financials
Christchurch
Thames
Difference
Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)
$2,691 NZ$4,601
-
-
20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)
6.74
6.37
5.81%

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

Last update for Christchurch: March 2, 2026

Last update for Thames: 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

Similar cities