Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Christchurch and Yarmouth

For one person, living is cheaper in Christchurch: $2,040 a month against $2,171 in Yarmouth, rent and utilities included – about $1,600 less a year. Rent and utilities account for most of the difference.

99

Cost of Living Index in Christchurch
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Christchurch Living Index
105

Cost of Living Index in Yarmouth
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Yarmouth Living Index

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Christchurch

🇳🇿 New Zealand

$2,040

/mo nomad

Yarmouth

🇨🇦 Canada

$2,171

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

How much you'll spend in Christchurch and in Yarmouth

Real prices from locals and on-the-ground checks – rent, groceries, transit and the daily extras. Here's what a month in Christchurch and in Yarmouth actually costs, broken down by who's living it.

A single person spends $2,040 per month in Christchurch vs $2,171 in Yarmouth, rent included.

Christchurch $2,040
Yarmouth $2,171

A couple spends around $2,951 per month in Christchurch vs $2,914 in Yarmouth, rent included.

Christchurch $2,951
Yarmouth $2,914

A family of three spends $3,862 per month in Christchurch vs $3,658 in Yarmouth, rent included.

Christchurch $3,862
Yarmouth $3,658

Christchurch is about 6% cheaper than Yarmouth, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in transport.

Both Christchurch and Yarmouth sit above the global median – Christchurch by 51%, Yarmouth by 61%.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$14.12 NZ$24.98

$17.24 CA$24.38

-18.10%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$66.3 NZ$117

$64.2 CA$90.7

3.29%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$9.02 NZ$15.95

$10.49 CA$14.82

-14.01%

Cappuccino

$3.18 NZ$5.63

$4.08 CA$5.77

-22.06%

Coke/Pepsi/Fanta/Sprite (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.25 NZ$3.98

$2.20 CA$3.11

2.27%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.76 NZ$3.11

$1.72 CA$2.43

2.33%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$6.79 NZ$12.01

$5.59 CA$7.90

21.47%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$6.54 NZ$11.56

$5.62 CA$7.94

16.37%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.73 NZ$3.06

$1.80 CA$2.55

-3.89%

White Bread (500g)

$1.87 NZ$3.32

$2.43 CA$3.43

-23.05%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.45 NZ$2.56

$3.47 CA$4.90

-58.21%

Eggs

$5.72 NZ$10.12

$3.47 CA$4.91

64.84%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$7.23 NZ$12.79

$8.84 CA$12.49

-18.21%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$9.21 NZ$16.30

$11.16 CA$15.78

-17.47%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$13.46 NZ$23.80

$7.32 CA$10.34

83.88%

Apples (1kg)

$2.47 NZ$4.37

$3.15 CA$4.45

-21.59%

Banana (1kg)

$2.30 NZ$4.07

$1.70 CA$2.40

35.29%

Oranges (1kg)

$2.61 NZ$4.62

$3.48 CA$4.92

-25.00%

Tomato (1kg)

$3.93 NZ$6.94

$2.65 CA$3.74

48.30%

Potato (1kg)

$1.49 NZ$2.63

$2.33 CA$3.30

-36.05%

Onion (1kg)

$1.45 NZ$2.56

$1.73 CA$2.45

-16.18%

Lettuce (1 head)

$2.24 NZ$3.95

$2.55 CA$3.61

-12.16%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$1.34 NZ$2.37

$1.66 CA$2.35

-19.28%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$23.49 NZ$41.54

$15.14 CA$21.40

55.15%

Wine (Bottle)

$8.60 NZ$15.21

$16.32 CA$23.07

-47.30%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$3.40 NZ$6.01

$3.46 CA$4.90

-1.73%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$4.27 NZ$7.55

$3.37 CA$4.76

26.71%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$1.65 NZ$2.92

$1.56 CA$2.21

5.77%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$99.7 NZ$176

$46.58 CA$65.9

114.00%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$2.45 NZ$4.34

$3.22 CA$4.56

-23.91%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.72 NZ$3.04

$1.22 CA$1.72

40.98%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$27.46 NZ$48.57

$14.82 CA$20.95

85.29%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.86 NZ$3.28

$1.22 CA$1.72

52.46%

Midsize Hatchback 1.4l (Volkswagen Golf, Toyota Prius, Honda Civic, etc)

$25.3K NZ$44.8K

$25.0K CA$35.3K

1.51%

Compact Sedan 1.6l (Toyota Corolla, Mazda3, Kia K4, Hyundai Elantra, etc)

$24.5K NZ$43.3K

$21.4K CA$30.3K

14.38%

Utilities for 2 People in 2-bedroom Apartment (Heating, Electricity, Gas, Water, Garbage) (85m2)

$156 NZ$275

$144 CA$203

8.40%

SIM Card Monthly Plan (Calls and 10GB+ Data)

$22.14 NZ$39.16

$42.00 CA$59.4

-47.29%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$45.68 NZ$80.8

$66.8 CA$94.4

-31.61%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$23.49 NZ$41.54

$56.8 CA$80.4

-58.67%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$9.03 NZ$15.97

$14.53 CA$20.53

-37.85%

Cinema Ticket

$11.28 NZ$19.96

$9.84 CA$13.91

14.63%

Preschool or Kindergarten, Full Day, Private, 1 Child (Monthly)

$665 NZ$1,175

$860 CA$1,215

-22.67%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$21.3K NZ$37.7K

$15.0K CA$21.1K

42.48%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$59.6 NZ$105

$43.75 CA$61.9

36.25%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$39.28 NZ$69.5

$32.25 CA$45.59

21.80%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$97.4 NZ$172

$95.6 CA$135

1.96%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$121 NZ$215

$115 CA$162

5.83%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,202 NZ$2,127

$1,133 CA$1,602

6.13%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$965 NZ$1,706

$1,053 CA$1,488

-8.36%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,528 NZ$2,703

$1,917 CA$2,709

-20.26%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,444 NZ$2,554

$1,191 CA$1,684

21.26%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$5,009 NZ$8,858

$1,406 CA$1,988

256.25%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$2,755 NZ$4,873

$1,269 CA$1,794

117.17%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$2,639 NZ$4,667

$2,644 CA$3,738

-0.19%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

5.91

4.95

19.39%

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

Last update for Christchurch: October 11, 2026

Last update for Yarmouth: October 12, 2026

Monthly budget structure

Share of the monthly basket for one person, rent included.

Accommodation & Living

Christchurch

$965 47.3%

Yarmouth

$1.1K 48.5% 9.1% $88

Groceries & Markets

Christchurch

$304 14.9%

Yarmouth

$325 15% 6.7% $20

Eating Out

Christchurch

$241 11.8%

Yarmouth

$273 12.6% 13.2% $32

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Christchurch

$224 11%

Yarmouth

$252 11.6% 12.9% $29

Clothing & Footwear

Christchurch

$143 7%

Yarmouth

$129 5.9% 9.9% $14

Getting Around

Christchurch

$117 5.8%

Yarmouth

$62 2.9% 47% $55

Sport & Entertainment

Christchurch

$46 2.3%

Yarmouth

$77 3.5% 66.1% $30

Cost Breakdown

A central one-bedroom costs $1,202 in Christchurch versus $1,133 in Yarmouth. Rent is usually the largest line item in a monthly budget, so the gap here sets the tone for the overall comparison.

Salaries run about 0% higher in Yarmouth, which partly offsets the higher cost of living there. Purchasing power depends on which expenses matter most to you.

A mid-range dinner for two costs $66.0 in Christchurch versus $64.0 in Yarmouth. Groceries tell a different story – $304 in Christchurch vs $325 in Yarmouth – so Christchurch wins on supermarket bills even if dining out costs more.

Good to know

🇳🇿 Christchurch

🇨🇦 Yarmouth

🕒 Local time

07:54 7:54 AM

15:54 3:54 PM

16 h behind Christchurch

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

380,600

6,500

💱 Currency

New Zealand Dollar NZD $

Canadian Dollar CAD $

📈 Exchange rate

1 NZD = 0.565 USD

1 NZD = 0.503 EUR

1 CAD = 0.707 USD

1 CAD = 0.629 EUR

Exchange rates and currency converter

CAD, USD, EUR to NZD – New Zealand Dollar Converter

🇺🇸 United States Dollar ($)

🇳🇿 New Zealand Dollar ($)

New Zealand Dollar exchange rates as of October 19, 2026: 1 USD = 1.77 NZD (1 NZD = 0.565 USD). 1 EUR = 1.99 NZD (1 NZD = 0.503 EUR).

Canadian Dollar exchange rates as of October 19, 2026: 1 USD = 1.41 CAD (1 CAD = 0.707 USD). 1 EUR = 1.59 CAD (1 CAD = 0.629 EUR).

USD to NZD in detail →

On the map

Lowest

Highest

Between locations

Christchurch Yarmouth 15,390 km ≈ 20 h nonstop flight

From you

Christchurch
Yarmouth

Distances are measured in a straight line. Your location is detected approximately.

City Median Internet Speeds Comparison (Updated April 2026)

The chart highlights the Precision Threshold for mobile and fixed broadband internet speeds, updated quarterly.

Digital Nomad Cost of Living Index

Christchurch vs Yarmouth: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Yarmouth costs about 6% more than Christchurch, and outside of rent the gap comes mainly from transport. That's enough to noticeably affect everyday spending and lifestyle for anyone choosing between the two.

For a comfortable life, plan on about $3,060 per month in Christchurch and $3,256 in Yarmouth. That covers rent, food, utilities, transport, and enough left over to feel settled – not just surviving.

Rent is clearly cheaper in Christchurch, especially for central apartments. Housing is actually the single biggest factor behind the overall cost gap between these two cities.

Public transport costs about 114% less in Christchurch. For daily commuters, that gap adds up to noticeable savings over a year.

Kindergarten costs $665 per month in Christchurch and $860 in Yarmouth. For families with young kids, this one expense can tip the scales when choosing between the two cities.

A $2,000 monthly budget goes further in Christchurch, where all-in costs run around $2,040, than in Yarmouth at $2,171. In Christchurch it covers expenses comfortably, while in Yarmouth it requires careful planning or may not stretch far enough.

Families tend to lean toward Christchurch – lower housing and cheaper childcare make a real difference, especially on a single income or when paying for private education.

Both have safer and rougher neighborhoods, but overall safety is comparable to other large cities. Neighborhood choice matters more than the city-level comparison – central, well-trafficked areas feel secure in both.

If budget matters most, go with Christchurch. If higher salaries, better infrastructure, or specific career opportunities are the priority, Yarmouth makes more sense. Both are solid long-term options with distinct trade-offs.