New Zealand, Christchurch

Country Full Name: New Zealand.

Location: New Zealand is in Oceania, and comprises islands in the South Pacific Ocean, southeast of Australia.

Country Climate: Temperate with sharp regional contrasts.

Country Terrain: Predominately mountainous with some large coastal plains.

Major Languages: English, Maori.

Major Religions: Christianity.

Population: 0.381 Mil (2012 est.).

Country Economy: The Economy of New Zealand is a market economy which is greatly dependent on international trade, mainly with Australia, the European Union, the United States, China and Japan. It has only small manufacturing and high-tech sectors, being strongly focused on tourism and primary industries like agriculture (though both sectors are highly profitable).

Currency: New Zealand Dollar (NZD). Make an international currency transfer to New Zealand.

Inflation: 4.6% (2011 est.).

Christchurch is the largest city in the South Island and the country's second-largest urban area after Auckland.

Christchurch's economy is historically dominated by the agricultural industry and agribusinesses in Christchurch such as malting, seed development and dressing, wool and meat processing, and small biotechnology operations using by-products from meat works. In more recent times technology-based industries have become prominent. Tourism is also a significant factor of the local economy.

The cost of living in Christchurch in New Zealand is very high compared to other places. The overall cost of living is determined using the prices for defined quantities of the same goods and services across 13 Basket Groups. Christchurch in New Zealand is currently ranked 66 overall out of 780 places (rank 1 is most expensive: rank 780 is least expensive). The cost of living rank for each of the 13 Basket Groups is as follows:

Alcohol & Tobacco costs are very high compared to other places for items such as alcohol at a bar, beer, locally produced spirit, whiskey, wine (where alcohol is legally sold) and tobacco related products. There are 106 places that are more expensive, and 673 places that are less expensive for alcohol and or tobacco.

Clothing costs are low compared to other places for items such as business suits, casual clothing, children's clothing, coats, evening wear, footwear, hats, shoe repairs and underwear. There are 565 places that are more expensive, and 214 places that are less expensive for clothing.

Communication costs are average compared to other places for various communication costs such as call charges, home telephone rental, internet connection, mobile data costs, mobile phone contract and service provider fees. There are 342 places that are more expensive, and 437 places that are less expensive for communication.

Education costs are very high compared to other places for items such as creche / pre-school fees, primary school fees, high school fees and tertiary study fees. There are 30 places that are more expensive, and 749 places that are less expensive for education.

Furniture & Appliance costs are high compared to other places for items such as DVD player, fridge freezer, furniture, household equipment, iron, kettle, light bulbs, microwave, television, toaster, vacuum cleaner and washing machine. There are 310 places that are more expensive, and 469 places that are less expensive for furniture and appliances.

Grocery costs are high compared to other places for items such as baby consumables, baked goods, baking, canned foods, cheese, cleaning materials, cleaning products, dairy, fresh fruits, fresh vegetables, fruit juices, meat, oil & vinegars, pet food, pre-prepared meals, sauces, seafood, snacks, soft drinks, spices & herbs. There are 179 places that are more expensive, and 600 places that are less expensive for groceries.

Healthcare costs are very high compared to other places for general healthcare, general practitioner consultation rates, healthcare/medical insurance, hospital private ward daily rate and non-prescription medicine. There are 64 places that are more expensive, and 715 places that are less expensive for healthcare.

Household Accommodation costs are very high compared to other places for items such as accommodation, apartment, flat, house, villa, rent, electricity, household fuels, household gas, water, and local property rates / residential taxes / levies. There are 56 places that are more expensive, and 723 places that are less expensive for household accommodation.

Miscellaneous costs are low compared to other places for items such as dry cleaning, general goods, general services, linen, magazines, maid, newspapers, office supplies, postage stamps and stationery. There are 568 places that are more expensive, and 211 places that are less expensive for miscellaneous items.

Personal Care costs are very high compared to other places for items such as cosmetics, hair care, moisturizer, nappies, pain relief tablets, shampoo, soap, sun block, toilet paper and toothpaste. There are 44 places that are more expensive, and 735 places that are less expensive for personal care.

Recreation and Culture costs are high compared to other places for items such as books, camera, cinema tickets, fitness/health club membership, sports goods and theatre tickets. There are 155 places that are more expensive, and 624 places that are less expensive for recreation and culture.

Restaurants, Meals Out and Hotel costs are very high compared to other places for items such as a business dinner, dinner at a family restaurant (non fast food), 4 star and 5 star hotel rates and take away meal (fast food). There are 108 places that are more expensive, and 671 places that are less expensive for restaurants, meals out and hotels.

Transport costs are very high compared to other places for items such as car hire purchase, car insurance, car lease, car maintenance, car rental, car service, diesel, petrol, tyres and public transport. There are 115 places that are more expensive, and 664 places that are less expensive for transport.

Personalized cost of living indexes for Christchurch in New Zealand are based on the basket groups and comparison location(s) selected in the Calculators.

In terms of the hardship people are likely to experience, assessed in global terms, Christchurch in New Zealand is ranked as minimal hardship with a hardship index of 10%.

Personalized hardship index premiums for Christchurch in New Zealand are based on the comparison location(s) selected in the Calculators.

Note: Xpatulator.com data is updated quarterly. The latest update is as at 1 April 2012. Create a personalized cost of living comparison report using the calculators:
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