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

Monthly Cost of Living

A single person spends $2,178 per month in Courtenay vs $1,559 in Invercargill, rent included.

A couple spends around $3,016 per month in Courtenay vs $2,422 in Invercargill, rent included.

A family of three spends $3,853 per month in Courtenay vs $3,284 in Invercargill, rent included.

Courtenay costs about 40% more than Invercargill, driven mainly by Eating Out.

Both Courtenay and Invercargill sit above the global median – Courtenay by 63%, Invercargill by 17%.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$12.99 CA$18.28

$12.10 NZ$20.66

7.36%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$58.8 CA$82.8

$72.4 NZ$124

-18.79%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$9.70 CA$13.65

$8.69 NZ$14.84

11.62%

Cappuccino

$4.12 CA$5.80

$3.49 NZ$5.96

18.05%

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

$1.98 CA$2.79

$1.72 NZ$2.94

15.12%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.35 CA$1.90

$1.47 NZ$2.51

-8.16%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$5.98 CA$8.42

$5.94 NZ$10.15

0.67%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$8.65 CA$12.17

$4.76 NZ$8.12

81.72%

Milk (1 liter)

$2.11 CA$2.97

$1.44 NZ$2.46

46.53%

White Bread (500g)

$2.29 CA$3.23

$1.82 NZ$3.12

25.82%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$2.23 CA$3.14

$1.70 NZ$2.91

31.18%

Eggs

$3.21 CA$4.52

$5.68 NZ$9.71

-43.49%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$9.57 CA$13.47

$8.22 NZ$14.04

16.42%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$9.63 CA$13.56

$9.59 NZ$16.39

0.42%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$9.95 CA$14.00

$13.63 NZ$23.28

-27.00%

Apples (1kg)

$3.06 CA$4.31

$2.73 NZ$4.67

12.09%

Banana (1kg)

$1.38 CA$1.94

$2.24 NZ$3.83

-38.39%

Oranges (1kg)

$2.38 CA$3.35

$2.56 NZ$4.38

-7.03%

Tomato (1kg)

$3.31 CA$4.65

$3.73 NZ$6.37

-11.26%

Potato (1kg)

$2.53 CA$3.56

$1.90 NZ$3.25

33.16%

Onion (1kg)

$2.24 CA$3.15

$1.74 NZ$2.98

28.74%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.88 CA$2.65

$2.47 NZ$4.23

-23.89%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$1.18 CA$1.65

$1.07 NZ$1.83

10.28%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$14.82 CA$20.85

$22.60 NZ$38.61

-34.42%

Wine (Bottle)

$10.74 CA$15.11

$8.69 NZ$14.84

23.59%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$3.20 CA$4.51

$4.24 NZ$7.24

-24.53%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.26 CA$3.18

$3.71 NZ$6.33

-39.08%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$1.43 CA$2.02

$1.59 NZ$2.71

-10.06%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$44.93 CA$63.2

$63.9 NZ$109

-29.72%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$3.27 CA$4.60

$2.47 NZ$4.22

32.39%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.38 CA$1.94

$1.92 NZ$3.28

-28.13%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$18.77 CA$26.41

$29.81 NZ$50.9

-37.03%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.27 CA$1.79

$1.65 NZ$2.82

-23.03%

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

$13.4K CA$18.9K

$25.9K NZ$44.2K

-48.19%

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

$18.9K CA$26.6K

$19.6K NZ$33.5K

-3.56%

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

$110 CA$155

$103 NZ$176

6.64%

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

$44.06 CA$62.0

$35.33 NZ$60.4

24.71%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$46.35 CA$65.2

$50.4 NZ$86.1

-8.04%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$44.37 CA$62.4

$30.09 NZ$51.4

47.46%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$41.21 CA$58.0

$12.20 NZ$20.85

237.79%

Cinema Ticket

$11.13 CA$15.66

$9.89 NZ$16.90

12.54%

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

$956 CA$1,345

$581 NZ$992

64.56%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$13.4K CA$18.9K

$12.1K NZ$20.6K

11.21%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$48.84 CA$68.7

$65.4 NZ$112

-25.32%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$33.35 CA$46.92

$35.50 NZ$60.7

-6.06%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$80.2 CA$113

$83.9 NZ$143

-4.36%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$62.8 CA$88.4

$84.8 NZ$145

-25.93%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,378 CA$1,939

$635 NZ$1,084

117.17%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,151 CA$1,619

$584 NZ$998

96.98%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$2,231 CA$3,139

$879 NZ$1,502

153.65%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,720 CA$2,420

$1,077 NZ$1,839

59.73%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$5,300 CA$7,457

$5,802 NZ$9,913

-8.66%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$5,099 NZ$8,711

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$3,248 CA$4,570

$2,978 NZ$5,087

9.07%

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: July 12, 2026

Last update for Invercargill: July 13, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A central one-bedroom costs $1,378 in Courtenay versus $635 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 9% 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 $59.0 in Courtenay versus $72.0 in Invercargill. Monthly groceries follow the same trend: $298 vs $310 – 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 40%, 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 $3,267 per month in Courtenay and $2,339 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 4% 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 $59.0 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 $1,559, than in Courtenay at $2,178. 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.