Sydney vs Christchurch Cost of Living
Sydney (Australia) · Overall index 73.6 — Christchurch (New Zealand) · Overall index 53.3
Summary
- Overall, Christchurch is 28% cheaper than Sydney.
- Rent in Christchurch is 49% cheaper than in Sydney.
- Transport in Christchurch is 28% cheaper than in Sydney.
| Item | Sydney | Christchurch | Diff |
|---|---|---|---|
| Rent | -49% | ||
| 1-bedroom apartment, city centre (monthly) | $2,565 | $1,425 | -44% |
| 1-bedroom apartment, outside centre (monthly) | $1,647 | $864 | -48% |
| 3-bedroom apartment, city centre (monthly) | $5,117 | $2,563 | -50% |
| 3-bedroom apartment, outside centre (monthly) | $3,039 | $1,443 | -53% |
| Groceries | -21% | ||
| Milk (1L) | $1.21 | $0.98 | -19% |
| White bread (500g) | $3.39 | $2.69 | -21% |
| Rice (1kg) | $3.94 | $3.56 | -10% |
| Eggs (12) | $4.39 | $3.05 | -31% |
| Local cheese (1kg) | $11.4 | $9.32 | -18% |
| Chicken fillets (1kg) | $12.4 | $9.22 | -26% |
| Beef round (1kg) | $17.4 | $14.8 | -15% |
| Apples (1kg) | $5.02 | $4.21 | -16% |
| Bananas (1kg) | $1.93 | $1.55 | -20% |
| Oranges (1kg) | $4.29 | $3.25 | -24% |
| Tomatoes (1kg) | $5.4 | $3.83 | -29% |
| Potatoes (1kg) | $2.41 | $1.87 | -22% |
| Onions (1kg) | $2.68 | $2.06 | -23% |
| Lettuce (1 head) | $2.13 | $1.78 | -16% |
| Water (1.5L bottle) | $2.34 | $1.62 | -31% |
| Bottle of wine (mid-range) | $12.2 | $10.7 | -12% |
| Transport | -28% | ||
| Public transport, one-way ticket | $2.2 | $1.64 | -25% |
| Public transport, monthly pass | $108 | $74.4 | -31% |
| Taxi, base fare | $3.3 | $2.23 | -32% |
| Taxi, per km | $1.42 | $1.22 | -14% |
| Gasoline (1L) | $0.85 | $0.56 | -34% |
| New compact car (e.g., VW Golf) | $21,959 | $16,194 | -26% |
| Dining out | -23% | ||
| Meal, inexpensive restaurant | $20.9 | $15.8 | -24% |
| Meal for 2, mid-range restaurant (3 courses) | $92.8 | $74.1 | -20% |
| Fast food combo meal | $9.43 | $7.26 | -23% |
| Cappuccino | $4.57 | $3.3 | -28% |
| Coke/Pepsi (0.33L, restaurant) | $2.1 | $1.81 | -14% |
| Domestic beer (0.5L, restaurant) | $5.5 | $4.53 | -18% |
| Imported beer (0.33L, restaurant) | $7.76 | $5.3 | -32% |
| Water (0.33L, restaurant) | $1.81 | $1.46 | -19% |
| Telecom | -8% | ||
| Mobile plan, calls + 10GB+ data (monthly) | $49.8 | $49.9 | 0% |
| Broadband internet 60Mbps+ (monthly) | $52.8 | $54.5 | +3% |
| Prepaid mobile tariff (1 min) | $0.31 | $0.27 | -13% |
| Video streaming subscription (monthly) | $14.2 | $11.3 | -20% |
| Utilities & household | -22% | ||
| Basic utilities, 85m² apartment (monthly) | $149 | $113 | -24% |
| Electricity (1 kWh) | $0.21 | $0.14 | -33% |
| Tap water (1m³) | $3.73 | $3.65 | -2% |
| Natural gas (1m³) | $1.38 | $0.9 | -35% |
| Waste collection (monthly) | $18.6 | $14.9 | -20% |
| Fitness club (monthly) | $66.5 | $54.8 | -18% |
| Cinema ticket (1 seat) | $12.6 | $9.83 | -22% |
| Men's haircut | $29.2 | $24.6 | -16% |
| Domestic cleaning (1 hour) | $20.8 | $18.3 | -12% |
| Private kindergarten (monthly) | $1,990 | $1,290 | -35% |
3,682 total data points · Price data as of 2026-07-01 · Exchange rates as of 2026-07-15
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Estimates for reference only — not official statistics.
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