Cost of Living Comparison Between Oamaru and Christchurch Cost of Living Comparison Between Oamaru and Christchurch

🙂 Solo nomad: Oamaru is 3.8% cheaper than Christchurch without rent, and 20.9% cheaper with rent.
😐 Family of 3: Oamaru is 2.4% more expensive than Christchurch without rent, and 7.1% cheaper with rent.
Currency
🍽 Eating Out
Oamaru
Christchurch
Difference
Meal at Budget Restaurant
$17.15 NZ$29.16
$17.08 NZ$29.03
0.41%
Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range
$73.4 NZ$125
$73.4 NZ$125
0.04%
Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)
$9.76 NZ$16.59
$9.88 NZ$16.80
-1.21%
Cappuccino
$3.33 NZ$5.66
$3.49 NZ$5.93
-4.58%
Coke/Pepsi/Fanta/Sprite (0.33 liter bottle)
$2.39 NZ$4.06
$2.31 NZ$3.92
3.46%
Water (0.33 liter bottle)
$2.05 NZ$3.49
$1.96 NZ$3.33
4.59%
Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)
$7.42 NZ$12.62
$7.38 NZ$12.55
0.54%
Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)
$7.36 NZ$12.52
$7.43 NZ$12.64
-0.94%
🛒 Groceries & Markets
Oamaru
Christchurch
Difference
Milk (1 liter)
$1.82 NZ$3.09
$1.84 NZ$3.12
-1.09%
White Bread (500g)
$1.16 NZ$1.97
$1.99 NZ$3.38
-41.71%
Rice (white) (1kg)
$1.24 NZ$2.11
$1.69 NZ$2.87
-26.63%
Eggs
$3.91 NZ$6.65
$6.51 NZ$11.06
-39.94%
Local Cheese (1kg)
$8.07 NZ$13.73
$8.03 NZ$13.66
0.50%
Chicken Fillets (1kg)
$9.52 NZ$16.19
$9.65 NZ$16.41
-1.35%
Beef Round Steak (1kg)
$12.74 NZ$21.66
$13.11 NZ$22.28
-2.82%
Apples (1kg)
$2.40 NZ$4.07
$3.05 NZ$5.18
-21.31%
Banana (1kg)
$1.80 NZ$3.05
$2.59 NZ$4.40
-30.50%
Oranges (1kg)
$3.03 NZ$5.15
$2.98 NZ$5.06
1.68%
Tomato (1kg)
$5.84 NZ$9.93
$5.66 NZ$9.62
3.18%
Potato (1kg)
$1.48 NZ$2.51
$2.13 NZ$3.63
-30.52%
Onion (1kg)
$1.18 NZ$2.00
$2.22 NZ$3.78
-46.85%
Lettuce (1 head)
$1.80 NZ$3.05
$2.93 NZ$4.98
-38.57%
Water (1.5 liter bottle)
$1.48 NZ$2.51
$1.43 NZ$2.43
3.50%
Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)
$24.24 NZ$41.21
$23.66 NZ$40.23
2.45%
Wine (Bottle)
$6.06 NZ$10.30
$9.09 NZ$15.45
-33.33%
Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)
$3.76 NZ$6.39
$3.82 NZ$6.49
-1.57%
Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)
$4.81 NZ$8.17
$4.81 NZ$8.18
-
🚌 Getting Around
Oamaru
Christchurch
Difference
One-way Ticket (Public Transport)
$2.09 NZ$3.55
$1.24 NZ$2.10
68.55%
Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)
$64.8 NZ$110
$41.57 NZ$70.7
55.93%
Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)
$2.64 NZ$4.49
$2.73 NZ$4.64
-3.30%
Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)
$1.66 NZ$2.82
$1.65 NZ$2.81
0.61%
Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)
$30.64 NZ$52.1
$30.27 NZ$51.5
1.22%
Gasoline (1 liter)
$1.71 NZ$2.91
$1.63 NZ$2.77
4.91%
Midsize Hatchback 1.4l (Volkswagen Golf, Toyota Prius, Honda Civic, etc)
$27.6K NZ$46.9K
$27.4K NZ$46.6K
0.51%
Compact Sedan 1.6l (Toyota Corolla, Mazda3, Kia K4, Hyundai Elantra, etc)
$20.0K NZ$34.1K
$19.6K NZ$33.3K
2.21%
🧾 Monthly Utilities & Internet
Oamaru
Christchurch
Difference
Utilities for 2 People in 2-bedroom Apartment (Heating, Electricity, Gas, Water, Garbage) (85m2)
$118 NZ$201
$115 NZ$196
2.56%
SIM Card Monthly Plan (Calls and 10GB+ Data)
$17.93 NZ$30.48
$31.15 NZ$53.0
-42.44%
Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)
$48.29 NZ$82.1
$54.0 NZ$91.8
-10.59%
🎉 Sport & Entertainment
Oamaru
Christchurch
Difference
Gym Membership (Monthly)
$36.74 NZ$62.5
$35.49 NZ$60.3
3.52%
Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)
$12.26 NZ$20.84
$15.56 NZ$26.45
-21.21%
Cinema Ticket
$10.71 NZ$18.20
$11.12 NZ$18.90
-3.69%
🧸 Childcare & Education
Oamaru
Christchurch
Difference
Preschool or Kindergarten, Full Day, Private, 1 Child (Monthly)
$646 NZ$1,098
$641 NZ$1,089
0.78%
International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)
$9,420 NZ$16.0K
$9,245 NZ$15.7K
1.89%
👕👟 Clothing & Footwear
Oamaru
Christchurch
Difference
Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)
$59.7 NZ$101
$62.4 NZ$106
-4.28%
Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)
$18.10 NZ$30.78
$43.14 NZ$73.3
-58.04%
Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)
$48.21 NZ$82.0
$92.6 NZ$157
-47.93%
Men's Leather Business Shoes
$53.6 NZ$91.1
$150 NZ$254
-64.20%
🏠 Accommodation & Living
Oamaru
Christchurch
Difference
1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)
$965 NZ$1,640
$1,539 NZ$2,616
-37.32%
1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)
$789 NZ$1,341
$1,167 NZ$1,984
-32.42%
3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)
$1,565 NZ$2,661
$2,038 NZ$3,464
-23.19%
3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)
$1,442 NZ$2,452
$1,441 NZ$2,450
0.08%
Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)
$5,074 NZ$8,626
$5,018 NZ$8,530
1.12%
Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)
$3,293 NZ$5,598
$2,772 NZ$4,712
18.81%
💵 Salaries & Financials
Oamaru
Christchurch
Difference
Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)
$2,107 NZ$3,582
$2,691 NZ$4,574
-21.70%
20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)
6
6.74
-10.98%

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

Last update for Oamaru: March 3, 2026

Last update for Christchurch: March 2, 2026

City Median Internet Speeds Comparison (Updated December 2025)

The chart highlights the Precision Threshold for mobile and fixed broadband internet speeds, updated quarterly.
Digital Nomad Cost of Living Index

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