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 $2,215 in Canada, rent included.

A couple spends around $2,855 per month in New Zealand vs $3,237 in Canada, rent included.

A family of three spends $3,823 per month in New Zealand vs $4,258 in Canada, rent included.

The cost of living in New Zealand is roughly 15% lower than in 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 38%, Canada by 62%.

The regional cost range is wider in Canada ($906–$3,718) than in New Zealand ($867–$2,535), so city choice matters more there.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$14.26 NZ$24.93

$17.71 CA$24.77

-19.48%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$69.3 NZ$121

$71.1 CA$99.4

-2.53%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$9.45 NZ$16.53

$10.90 CA$15.25

-13.30%

Cappuccino

$3.37 NZ$5.88

$3.82 CA$5.34

-11.78%

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

$2.12 NZ$3.70

$2.12 CA$2.97

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.04 NZ$3.56

$1.75 CA$2.45

16.57%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$6.86 NZ$12.00

$5.77 CA$8.07

18.89%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$6.76 NZ$11.81

$5.72 CA$8.00

18.18%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.88 NZ$3.29

$2.27 CA$3.18

-17.18%

White Bread (500g)

$1.83 NZ$3.20

$2.60 CA$3.63

-29.62%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.78 NZ$3.12

$3.57 CA$4.99

-50.14%

Eggs

$6.19 NZ$10.82

$3.64 CA$5.09

70.05%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$8.63 NZ$15.08

$11.03 CA$15.43

-21.76%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$9.37 NZ$16.39

$12.02 CA$16.82

-22.05%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$14.35 NZ$25.09

$15.70 CA$21.97

-8.60%

Apples (1kg)

$2.84 NZ$4.97

$4.18 CA$5.84

-32.06%

Banana (1kg)

$2.16 NZ$3.78

$1.40 CA$1.96

54.29%

Oranges (1kg)

$3.02 NZ$5.28

$3.80 CA$5.31

-20.53%

Tomato (1kg)

$5.07 NZ$8.86

$3.98 CA$5.57

27.39%

Potato (1kg)

$1.98 NZ$3.47

$2.65 CA$3.71

-25.28%

Onion (1kg)

$1.55 NZ$2.70

$2.54 CA$3.55

-38.98%

Lettuce (1 head)

$2.13 NZ$3.72

$2.64 CA$3.70

-19.32%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$1.11 NZ$1.94

$1.79 CA$2.50

-37.99%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$24.12 NZ$42.18

$14.23 CA$19.91

69.50%

Wine (Bottle)

$9.15 NZ$15.99

$13.22 CA$18.49

-30.79%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$3.23 NZ$5.64

$2.98 CA$4.17

8.39%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.39 NZ$5.92

$3.20 CA$4.48

5.94%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$1.94 NZ$3.39

$2.47 CA$3.45

-21.46%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$109 NZ$190

$73.5 CA$103

47.98%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$2.34 NZ$4.10

$3.26 CA$4.56

-28.22%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$2.04 NZ$3.57

$1.54 CA$2.15

32.47%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$32.29 NZ$56.5

$27.66 CA$38.69

16.74%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.69 NZ$2.96

$1.20 CA$1.67

40.83%

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

$25.5K NZ$44.7K

$28.0K CA$39.1K

-8.67%

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

$23.8K NZ$41.6K

$19.4K CA$27.1K

22.86%

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

$157 NZ$275

$151 CA$212

3.84%

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

$32.35 NZ$56.6

$43.37 CA$60.7

-25.41%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$49.20 NZ$86.0

$59.8 CA$83.6

-17.70%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$35.90 NZ$62.8

$40.88 CA$57.2

-12.18%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$14.88 NZ$26.01

$19.81 CA$27.71

-24.89%

Cinema Ticket

$11.75 NZ$20.54

$11.39 CA$15.93

3.16%

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

$901 NZ$1,575

$783 CA$1,095

15.11%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$16.7K NZ$29.2K

$14.6K CA$20.5K

14.08%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$69.7 NZ$122

$55.1 CA$77.1

26.39%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$36.94 NZ$64.6

$39.66 CA$55.5

-6.86%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$94.1 NZ$165

$89.3 CA$125

5.40%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$119 NZ$208

$103 CA$145

14.85%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,117 NZ$1,952

$1,299 CA$1,817

-14.01%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$969 NZ$1,694

$1,157 CA$1,618

-16.21%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,725 NZ$3,016

$2,025 CA$2,833

-14.81%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,517 NZ$2,651

$1,779 CA$2,489

-14.74%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$5,730 NZ$10.0K

$4,679 CA$6,545

22.46%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$3,731 NZ$6,522

$3,883 CA$5,432

-3.92%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$2,846 NZ$4,975

$3,043 CA$4,257

-6.47%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

6.29

4.86

29.42%

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

Last update for New Zealand: September 12, 2026

Last update for Canada: September 14, 2026

Cost Breakdown

Average rent: $931 in New Zealand vs $1,221 in Canada. For reference, capital cities sit at $1,235 in Wellington and $1,493 in Ottawa.

Average salary: $2,981 in New Zealand vs $2,963 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.

Public transport is 22% more expensive 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 36% 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 36% 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.