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

Name: China
Address: CN

Monthly Cost of Living

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $1,886 in New Zealand versus $711 in China.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $2,900 in New Zealand versus $1,131 in China.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $3,914 in New Zealand versus $1,550 in China.

Living in New Zealand is roughly 165% more expensive than China on average.

New Zealand (41% above) and China (47% below) straddle the global median.

Internal cost variation is higher in New Zealand: monthly costs span $1,421 to $2,771, compared to $525–$1,220 in China. City choice carries more weight in New Zealand.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$14.82 NZ$25.19

$2.75 ¥18.83

438.91%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$78.7 NZ$134

$24.03 ¥165

227.67%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$9.56 NZ$16.26

$4.96 ¥33.95

92.74%

Cappuccino

$3.48 NZ$5.91

$3.12 ¥21.37

11.54%

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

$2.28 NZ$3.88

$0.48 ¥3.26

375.00%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.12 NZ$3.60

$0.27 ¥1.84

685.19%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$6.98 NZ$11.87

$0.98 ¥6.73

612.24%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$6.69 NZ$11.37

$2.15 ¥14.69

211.16%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.79 NZ$3.05

$1.83 ¥12.53

-2.19%

White Bread (500g)

$1.92 NZ$3.27

$1.68 ¥11.54

14.29%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.87 NZ$3.18

$0.91 ¥6.21

105.49%

Eggs

$6.56 NZ$11.16

$1.56 ¥10.66

320.51%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$8.28 NZ$14.08

$12.97 ¥88.9

-36.16%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$9.39 NZ$15.95

$3.25 ¥22.23

188.92%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$13.29 NZ$22.59

$10.51 ¥72.0

26.45%

Apples (1kg)

$2.79 NZ$4.74

$1.81 ¥12.41

54.14%

Banana (1kg)

$2.25 NZ$3.82

$1.30 ¥8.90

73.08%

Oranges (1kg)

$3.08 NZ$5.24

$1.50 ¥10.26

105.33%

Tomato (1kg)

$4.82 NZ$8.19

$1.15 ¥7.87

319.13%

Potato (1kg)

$2.09 NZ$3.56

$0.76 ¥5.20

175.00%

Onion (1kg)

$1.80 NZ$3.07

$0.89 ¥6.07

102.25%

Lettuce (1 head)

$2.29 NZ$3.89

$0.58 ¥3.97

294.83%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$1.14 NZ$1.94

$0.58 ¥3.95

96.55%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$24.04 NZ$40.86

$3.50 ¥23.95

586.86%

Wine (Bottle)

$9.37 NZ$15.93

$11.55 ¥79.1

-18.87%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$3.10 NZ$5.27

$0.78 ¥5.31

297.44%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.67 NZ$6.23

$1.61 ¥11.03

127.95%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$2.39 NZ$4.06

$0.44 ¥3.01

443.18%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$106 NZ$181

$21.15 ¥145

402.84%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$2.40 NZ$4.08

$1.36 ¥9.35

76.47%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.93 NZ$3.28

$0.36 ¥2.44

436.11%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$35.57 NZ$60.5

$6.61 ¥45.28

438.12%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.71 NZ$2.91

$1.13 ¥7.74

51.33%

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

$27.5K NZ$46.7K

$19.7K ¥135.2K

39.16%

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

$21.6K NZ$36.7K

$17.1K ¥117.0K

26.32%

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

$139 NZ$237

$50.9 ¥349

173.46%

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

$35.74 NZ$60.8

$10.03 ¥68.7

256.33%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$51.8 NZ$88.1

$11.33 ¥77.6

357.19%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$36.66 NZ$62.3

$40.13 ¥275

-8.65%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$15.08 NZ$25.63

$14.97 ¥103

0.73%

Cinema Ticket

$11.93 NZ$20.28

$6.09 ¥41.74

95.89%

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

$762 NZ$1,295

$418 ¥2,860

82.49%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$11.6K NZ$19.8K

$17.3K ¥118.2K

-32.52%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$66.8 NZ$113

$46.40 ¥318

43.86%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$42.07 NZ$71.5

$32.92 ¥226

27.79%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$96.3 NZ$164

$71.1 ¥487

35.43%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$122 NZ$208

$72.9 ¥499

67.65%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,095 NZ$1,861

$438 ¥3,003

149.69%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$937 NZ$1,593

$259 ¥1,775

261.56%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,816 NZ$3,086

$926 ¥6,341

96.12%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,529 NZ$2,599

$548 ¥3,754

178.98%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$5,777 NZ$9,821

$5,047 ¥34.6K

14.47%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$3,747 NZ$6,370

$2,666 ¥18.3K

40.55%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$2,993 NZ$5,088

$1,074 ¥7,357

178.65%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

6.74

4.06

66.01%

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

Last update for New Zealand: April 26, 2026

Last update for China: April 26, 2026

Cost Breakdown

National rent averages: $981 in New Zealand, $286 in China. Capital cities: $1,327 in Wellington vs $886 in Beijing (Pekin).

National salary averages: $3,086 in New Zealand, $834 in China. Higher pay doesn't always mean more spending money – weigh income against local costs.

Cost Highlights

Rent is 243% higher in New Zealand.

Dining out costs 262% more in New Zealand.

Public transport is 278% more expensive in New Zealand.

Salaries are 270% higher in New Zealand, giving New Zealand stronger purchasing power.

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 China: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

At $873 per month in China and $2,096 in New Zealand, there's a 140% gap. Keep in mind it varies by city – the difference can be bigger or smaller depending on where you settle within each country.

China is simply cheaper day-to-day: lower food prices, cheaper commutes, smaller household bills. Over time, those daily savings make a real difference to your monthly budget and ability to put money away.

Rent in New Zealand beats China across the board, especially in major cities. Housing is usually the single biggest driver of the overall cost difference between the two countries.

In China, $2,000 covers most cities easily. In New Zealand, it works in regional areas but falls short in the capital – you'll need to make trade-offs on housing or lifestyle.

It depends on what you're after. China wins on affordability; New Zealand may offer higher salaries, better infrastructure, and different cultural perks. Both attract large expat communities for different reasons.