Cost of Living Comparison Between Courtenay and Invercargill Cost of Living Comparison Between Courtenay and Invercargill

Monthly Cost of Living

A single person spends $2,149 per month in Courtenay vs $1,547 in Invercargill, rent included.

A couple spends around $3,072 per month in Courtenay vs $2,408 in Invercargill, rent included.

A family of three spends $3,995 per month in Courtenay vs $3,270 in Invercargill, rent included.

Courtenay costs about 39% more than Invercargill, driven mainly by Eating Out.

Both Courtenay and Invercargill sit above the global median – Courtenay by 60%, Invercargill by 15%.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$12.65 CA$17.57

$11.96 NZ$20.37

5.77%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$58.0 CA$80.6

$72.3 NZ$123

-19.75%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$9.52 CA$13.23

$8.41 NZ$14.33

13.20%

Cappuccino

$4.10 CA$5.70

$3.51 NZ$5.98

16.81%

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

$2.07 CA$2.88

$1.69 NZ$2.88

22.49%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.29 CA$1.80

$1.46 NZ$2.49

-11.64%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$5.94 CA$8.25

$6.15 NZ$10.47

-3.41%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$8.66 CA$12.03

$4.88 NZ$8.30

77.46%

Milk (1 liter)

$2.10 CA$2.91

$1.52 NZ$2.59

38.16%

White Bread (500g)

$2.28 CA$3.17

$1.76 NZ$3.00

29.55%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$2.26 CA$3.15

$1.77 NZ$3.01

27.68%

Eggs

$3.27 CA$4.54

$5.54 NZ$9.44

-40.97%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$9.19 CA$12.77

$8.38 NZ$14.27

9.67%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$10.05 CA$13.96

$9.33 NZ$15.89

7.72%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$10.08 CA$14.01

$13.53 NZ$23.05

-25.50%

Apples (1kg)

$3.17 CA$4.41

$2.71 NZ$4.61

16.97%

Banana (1kg)

$1.37 CA$1.91

$2.24 NZ$3.81

-38.84%

Oranges (1kg)

$2.49 CA$3.46

$2.68 NZ$4.57

-7.09%

Tomato (1kg)

$3.14 CA$4.37

$3.75 NZ$6.39

-16.27%

Potato (1kg)

$2.45 CA$3.41

$1.97 NZ$3.36

24.37%

Onion (1kg)

$2.13 CA$2.96

$1.78 NZ$3.03

19.66%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.91 CA$2.65

$2.46 NZ$4.18

-22.36%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$1.21 CA$1.68

$1.08 NZ$1.84

12.04%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$14.79 CA$20.55

$21.97 NZ$37.42

-32.68%

Wine (Bottle)

$10.91 CA$15.16

$8.70 NZ$14.82

25.40%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$3.22 CA$4.48

$4.19 NZ$7.13

-23.15%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.26 CA$3.14

$3.58 NZ$6.10

-36.87%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$1.46 CA$2.03

$1.61 NZ$2.74

-9.32%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$43.85 CA$60.9

$64.8 NZ$110

-32.34%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$3.23 CA$4.49

$2.45 NZ$4.17

31.84%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.40 CA$1.94

$1.86 NZ$3.16

-24.73%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$18.10 CA$25.15

$30.29 NZ$51.6

-40.24%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.32 CA$1.83

$1.73 NZ$2.95

-23.70%

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

$13.2K CA$18.4K

$25.1K NZ$42.8K

-47.29%

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

$19.0K CA$26.3K

$19.7K NZ$33.5K

-3.58%

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

$111 CA$154

$104 NZ$176

7.09%

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

$45.30 CA$62.9

$36.14 NZ$61.6

25.35%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$45.18 CA$62.8

$50.1 NZ$85.2

-9.75%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$43.58 CA$60.6

$29.72 NZ$50.6

46.64%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$41.04 CA$57.0

$12.18 NZ$20.75

236.95%

Cinema Ticket

$11.26 CA$15.64

$9.91 NZ$16.88

13.62%

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

$930 CA$1,291

$584 NZ$995

59.04%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$13.3K CA$18.4K

$12.3K NZ$20.9K

8.14%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$48.62 CA$67.6

$65.3 NZ$111

-25.58%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$33.65 CA$46.76

$34.65 NZ$59.0

-2.89%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$82.0 CA$114

$82.4 NZ$140

-0.50%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$63.2 CA$87.9

$82.8 NZ$141

-23.60%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,354 CA$1,881

$656 NZ$1,117

106.49%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,166 CA$1,620

$579 NZ$985

101.44%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$2,187 CA$3,038

$889 NZ$1,513

146.07%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,665 CA$2,313

$1,071 NZ$1,824

55.43%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$4,507 CA$6,262

$4,609 NZ$7,849

-2.21%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$4,096 CA$5,691

$3,549 NZ$6,044

15.42%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$3,325 CA$4,619

$3,167 NZ$5,394

4.97%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

6.08

6.87

-11.50%

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

Last update for Courtenay: June 1, 2026

Last update for Invercargill: June 1, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A central one-bedroom costs $1,354 in Courtenay versus $656 in Invercargill. 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 5% higher in Courtenay, 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 $58.0 in Courtenay versus $72.0 in Invercargill. Monthly groceries follow the same trend: $300 vs $309 – making Courtenay the more affordable choice for daily food spending.

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

Courtenay vs Invercargill: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Yes – Courtenay is pricier by about 39%, and the gap shows up most in Eating Out. It's not just housing either; the difference applies across most spending categories.

For a comfortable life, plan on about $3,224 per month in Courtenay and $2,321 in Invercargill. That covers rent, food, utilities, transport, and enough left over to feel settled – not just surviving.

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

Interestingly, groceries are about 3% cheaper in Courtenay – one category where the pricier city actually offers better value, probably thanks to stronger retail competition or local farming.

A mid-range dinner for two costs $58.0 in Courtenay and $72.0 in Invercargill. That's a good indicator of the overall restaurant and café pricing gap between the two cities.

A $1,000 monthly budget goes further in Invercargill, where all-in costs run around $1,547, than in Courtenay at $2,149. In Invercargill it covers expenses comfortably, while in Courtenay it requires careful planning or may not stretch far enough.

Families tend to lean toward Invercargill – 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 Invercargill. If higher salaries, better infrastructure, or specific career opportunities are the priority, Courtenay makes more sense. Both are solid long-term options with distinct trade-offs.