Cost of Living Comparison Between New Zealand and Canada Cost of Living Comparison Between New Zealand and Canada

Name: Canada
Address: CA

Monthly Cost of Living

A single person spends $1,886 per month in New Zealand vs $2,323 in Canada, rent included.

A couple spends around $2,900 per month in New Zealand vs $3,377 in Canada, rent included.

A family of three spends $3,914 per month in New Zealand vs $4,431 in Canada, rent included.

New Zealand is roughly 19% cheaper than Canada on average – the gap runs across housing, groceries, transport, and services.

Both New Zealand and Canada are pricier than the global median – New Zealand by 41%, Canada by 73%.

Both countries show comparable internal variation: New Zealand spans $1,421–$2,771, Canada spans $1,344–$3,069. City choice affects budget similarly in either country.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$14.82 NZ$25.34

$18.33 CA$25.11

-19.15%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$78.7 NZ$135

$72.4 CA$99.2

8.80%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$9.56 NZ$16.35

$10.87 CA$14.89

-12.05%

Cappuccino

$3.48 NZ$5.95

$3.72 CA$5.10

-6.45%

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

$2.28 NZ$3.90

$2.10 CA$2.87

8.57%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.12 NZ$3.62

$1.68 CA$2.31

26.19%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$6.98 NZ$11.94

$5.99 CA$8.20

16.53%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$6.69 NZ$11.44

$5.73 CA$7.85

16.75%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.79 NZ$3.06

$2.22 CA$3.04

-19.37%

White Bread (500g)

$1.92 NZ$3.29

$2.80 CA$3.83

-31.43%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.87 NZ$3.20

$3.66 CA$5.02

-48.91%

Eggs

$6.56 NZ$11.22

$3.52 CA$4.82

86.36%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$8.28 NZ$14.16

$11.33 CA$15.53

-26.92%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$9.39 NZ$16.05

$12.52 CA$17.16

-25.00%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$13.29 NZ$22.73

$15.15 CA$20.75

-12.28%

Apples (1kg)

$2.79 NZ$4.77

$4.25 CA$5.83

-34.35%

Banana (1kg)

$2.25 NZ$3.84

$1.51 CA$2.07

49.01%

Oranges (1kg)

$3.08 NZ$5.27

$3.96 CA$5.42

-22.22%

Tomato (1kg)

$4.82 NZ$8.24

$4.19 CA$5.75

15.04%

Potato (1kg)

$2.09 NZ$3.58

$2.75 CA$3.77

-24.00%

Onion (1kg)

$1.80 NZ$3.08

$2.73 CA$3.74

-34.07%

Lettuce (1 head)

$2.29 NZ$3.91

$2.57 CA$3.52

-10.89%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$1.14 NZ$1.95

$1.87 CA$2.56

-39.04%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$24.04 NZ$41.11

$14.67 CA$20.10

63.87%

Wine (Bottle)

$9.37 NZ$16.03

$13.25 CA$18.15

-29.28%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$3.10 NZ$5.30

$2.91 CA$3.99

6.53%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.67 NZ$6.27

$3.33 CA$4.56

10.21%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$2.39 NZ$4.08

$2.64 CA$3.61

-9.47%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$106 NZ$182

$77.7 CA$106

36.94%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$2.40 NZ$4.10

$3.37 CA$4.61

-28.78%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.93 NZ$3.30

$1.47 CA$2.02

31.29%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$35.57 NZ$60.8

$28.78 CA$39.43

23.59%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.71 NZ$2.92

$1.15 CA$1.57

48.70%

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

$27.5K NZ$47.0K

$24.9K CA$34.1K

10.25%

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

$21.6K NZ$36.9K

$20.3K CA$27.8K

6.22%

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

$139 NZ$238

$156 CA$214

-10.85%

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

$35.74 NZ$61.1

$46.08 CA$63.1

-22.44%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$51.8 NZ$88.6

$62.4 CA$85.4

-16.92%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$36.66 NZ$62.7

$43.98 CA$60.3

-16.64%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$15.08 NZ$25.78

$17.92 CA$24.56

-15.85%

Cinema Ticket

$11.93 NZ$20.40

$11.43 CA$15.66

4.37%

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

$762 NZ$1,303

$815 CA$1,117

-6.50%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$11.6K NZ$19.9K

$12.3K CA$16.8K

-4.98%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$66.8 NZ$114

$55.9 CA$76.6

19.43%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$42.07 NZ$72.0

$41.52 CA$56.9

1.32%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$96.3 NZ$165

$88.7 CA$122

8.58%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$122 NZ$209

$109 CA$150

11.90%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,095 NZ$1,872

$1,379 CA$1,890

-20.64%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$937 NZ$1,602

$1,212 CA$1,661

-22.71%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,816 NZ$3,105

$2,160 CA$2,960

-15.96%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,529 NZ$2,614

$1,866 CA$2,556

-18.06%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$5,777 NZ$9,878

$4,998 CA$6,847

15.58%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$3,747 NZ$6,407

$4,001 CA$5,481

-6.34%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$2,993 NZ$5,118

$3,031 CA$4,153

-1.27%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

6.74

6.33

6.48%

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

Last update for New Zealand: April 26, 2026

Last update for Canada: April 27, 2026

Cost Breakdown

Average rent: $981 in New Zealand vs $1,283 in Canada. For reference, capital cities sit at $1,327 in Wellington and $1,475 in Ottawa.

Average salary: $3,086 in New Zealand vs $3,008 in Canada. The income gap affects purchasing power and how far your budget stretches in each country.

Cost Highlights

Rent is 31% higher in Canada.

Dining out costs 12% more in New Zealand.

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

New Zealand vs Canada: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

New Zealand is the cheaper option – living costs run roughly 5% lower on average. The gap is consistent across housing, groceries, transport, and entertainment.

Housing costs more in Canada, and the gap is biggest in capital cities. Regional towns show less difference, but Canada consistently has higher rents.

Groceries, transport, and utilities all cost less in New Zealand, contributing to the overall 5% price gap. The savings show up everywhere – from supermarket receipts to monthly bills.

$2,000 buys a comfortable lifestyle in New Zealand, but in Canada it only works with careful planning outside the capital. Same money, very different lives.

New Zealand is the budget-friendly choice for expats – lower housing and daily costs. But cost isn't everything: visa policies, language, healthcare quality, and job markets all weigh in too.