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Living in Christchurch

In Christchurch, the median rent tenants pay is €1,206 a month (2026) and unemployment is 4.1% (2023).

The city covers 294.4 km², with a population density of 1,299 people per km² in March 2023. Christchurch had a population of 380,079 in March 2023.

Last checked 2026-10-0425 sources

Population380,079people7 Mar 2023Official source · Stats NZ Urban Rural 2023 place summaries — Census population
Median gross salary (region)3,421EUR/month31 Dec 2024Official source · Linked Employer-Employee Dataset: LEED measures by industry (based on ANZSIC06) and region, December 2024 quarter
Median rent1,206EUR/month31 Jul 2026Official source · Rental bond data, February 1993 to July 2026 — by territorial authority
Unemployment rate4.1%country median 3.3% — 24% aboveOfficial source · Stats NZ
PM2.5, annual mean10.1µg/m³country median 9.3 — 9% aboveOfficial source · cdn.who.int

Higher unemployment than 67% of New Zealand cities that publish it and dirtier air than 67% of New Zealand cities that publish it.

Which New Zealand-wide rules apply when you move to Christchurch?

National rules stay on the country page instead of being relabelled as city data.

Visa and entry rulesPassport-specific entry and national residence context.BenefitsCountry-wide eligibility and official application routes.Taxes in New ZealandNational rates and thresholds that apply in Christchurch.Healthcare eligibilityCountry-wide insurance and residence conditions.

Housing and cost

What recurs every month5 published recurring costs, € per month
Christchurch recurring monthly costs, € per month

€ / month

Private kindergarten€629
Utilities, 85 m² flat€145
Internet, 60 Mbps€44
Fitness club€25
Mobile plan, 10 GB€22

Supplemental estimate lane; these items are not official statistics.

MetricValuePeriodSource
Fitness club membership, monthly25.26 EUR/month3 Aug 2026Numbeo25Supplemental estimate · Supplemental context
Grocery basket, monthly84.38 EUR/month3 Aug 2026Numbeo25Supplemental estimate · Supplemental context
Internet, 60 Mbps unlimited43.52 EUR/month3 Aug 2026Numbeo25Supplemental estimate · Supplemental context
Private kindergarten, monthly629.3 EUR/month3 Aug 2026Numbeo25Supplemental estimate · Supplemental context
Meal at an inexpensive restaurant12.73 eur3 Aug 2026Numbeo25Supplemental estimate · Supplemental context
Mobile plan, 10 GB21.52 EUR/month3 Aug 2026Numbeo25Supplemental estimate · Supplemental context
Basic utilities, 85 m² home145.1 EUR/month3 Aug 2026Numbeo25Supplemental estimate · Supplemental context
Median monthly rent1,206 EUR/month31 Jul 2026Rental bond data, February 1993 to July 2026 — by territorial authority10Official

Is Christchurch a good place to live?

There is no universal answer. The profile scores below show who the available published evidence may suit; they are a decision aid, not a personal recommendation.

Try your profile
Remote worker43%strong on work, weak on safety · range 34–52%
Skilled employee70%strong on work, weak on safety · range 62–78%
Student50%strong on education, weak on safety · range 42–58%
Family64%strong on family, weak on safety · range 55–73%
Retirement28%strong on cost, weak on admin · range 18–38%

Work and income

What is the unemployment rate in Christchurch?

The unemployment rate is 4.1 % (2023). Source: Stats NZ12

Unemployment across cities in New ZealandUnemployment in Christchurch is 4.1%. Of 91 cities with data, 42 have unemployment of 2 to under 4%.

Unemployment rate (%)

MetricValuePeriodSource
Public employment offices7 count15 Sept 2026Work and Income — Christchurch service centres15Official
Median gross salary (regional)3,421 EUR/month31 Dec 2024Linked Employer-Employee Dataset: LEED measures by industry (based on ANZSIC06) and region, December 2024 quarter5Official · regional context
Unemployment rate4.1 %country median 3.3%31 Dec 2023Stats NZ12Official

What does a salary buy in Christchurch?

Take-home pay after tax, minus rent and the everyday bills this city publishes. Each line names its source.

regional median gross pay: €3,421 (Linked Employer-Employee Dataset: LEED measures by industry (based on ANZSIC06) and region, December 2024 quarter, 2024-12-31).
Left over each month€1,305of €2,721 take-home
  • Rent
  • Utilities
  • Internet
  • Mobile
  • Left over
Line-by-line breakdown and sources
Each month€
Take-home payOECD Taxing Wages 2025, single, no children. Includes central and local income tax and employee social contributions; euro amounts at the ECB average for 2026-08.€2,721
Rentmedian rent of a whole dwelling · official · Rental bond data, February 1993 to July 2026 · 2026-07-31− €1,206
Public transport passnot published for this city—
Utilities, 85 m²€145 · market price · Numbeo · 2026-08-03− €145
Internet€44 · market price · Numbeo · 2026-08-03− €44
Mobile plan€22 · market price · Numbeo · 2026-08-03− €22
Left overbefore the bill this city does not publish€1,305
Take-home pay for other salaries and households Compare with another city Check a job offer in Christchurch Salary needed to live in Christchurch

Public employment offices in Christchurch

Work and Income lists 7 public employment offices in Christchurch (checked 2026-09-16). Use the official office finder for addresses and appointments; registration and job search are also available online through the national service below.

Office count verified

Work and Income employment service — Public employment service

Ministry of Social Development, New Zealand

Job Search
Open official service
Open the New Zealand service overview

The office count comes from the service's own directory. Individual addresses and opening hours are not listed here yet. Sources checked through 16 Sept 2026.

Family and education

MetricValuePeriodSource
Public language course providers9 count31 Jul 2025Pre-purchased English Language Tuition 2025 - Directory of Providers (TEC, published July 2025)9Official

Healthcare

MetricValuePeriodSource
GP practices74 count16 Sept 2026Healthpoint General Practice (GP) directory4Official
Hospital beds per 100,000 residents136.6 beds per 100,00016 Sept 2026Certified Public hospital providers CSV2Official
Hospitals3 count16 Sept 2026Certified Public hospital providers CSV2Official

Yes — migrants can receive medical care in Christchurch when the national insurance or residence conditions are met.

Healthcare access follows the country-wide insurance rules; local capacity facts remain city data and are not used as proof of eligibility.

Open the official coverage guide
Hospital beds per 100,000 residents136.6 beds per 100,000Verified 2026-09-16
Country rule verified 2026-08-03.

Mobility and administration

MetricValuePeriodSource
Destinations from nearest airport20 count3 Aug 2026OpenFlights7Official
Nearest airportCHC3 Aug 2026OurAirports8Official
Distance to nearest airport10 km3 Aug 2026OurAirports8Official
Public transport monthly pass91.67 EUR/month3 Aug 2026Numbeo25Supplemental estimate · Supplemental context

Language courses and integration in Christchurch

6 exact course-location records are linked to this city. Check the linked source for dates, availability and enrolment.

Verified locally
6verified local records
9publicly funded course providers

Te Pūkenga – Ara Institute of Canterbury

City campus, 130 Madras Street, Christchurch

View official record
Check courses in ChristchurchHow the country programme works
Exact city-linked records checked 2026-08-10. Showing 3 representative locations from 6 verified records. Provider-supplied records are supplemental and are not presented as official accreditation.

Find courses near Christchurch

Climate and air quality

Is the air quality good in Christchurch?

The annual PM2.5 mean is 10.1 µg/m³ (2012) — above the WHO 2021 guideline of 5 µg/m³ but within the EU limit of 25 µg/m³. Source: cdn.who.int1

Annual mean at the measuring site(s) serving the city; current-day readings differ.

Temperature through the yearAverage daytime high and night-time low, °C
Rainfall through the yearAverage monthly precipitation, mm
Sunshine through the yearAverage monthly sunshine, hours
Air quality vs health guidelinesAnnual means against WHO 2021 guidelines and EU legal limits

City values from the published air-quality observations. WHO 2021 guidelines and EU limit values are published constants.

PM2.5 across cities in New ZealandAnnual PM2.5 in Christchurch is 10.1 µg/m³. Of 15 cities with data, 3 have annual PM2.5 of 8 to under 9 µg/m³.

Annual PM2.5 (µg/m³)

MetricValuePeriodSource
PM2.5 — annual mean10.1 µg/m³country median 9.331 Dec 2012cdn.who.int1Official
Average daytime high by monthJan 22.5 · Feb 22.2 · Mar 20.3 · Apr 17.2 · May 14.7 · Jun 11.7 · Jul 11.2 · Aug 12.5 · Sep 14.8 · Oct 16.9 · Nov 18.8 · Dec 21.1 °C31 Dec 1991World Meteorological Organization / NOAA NCEI16Official
Average night-time low by monthJan 11.8 · Feb 11.5 · Mar 9.5 · Apr 6.6 · May 3.9 · Jun 1.2 · Jul 0.7 · Aug 2 · Sep 3.9 · Oct 5.8 · Nov 7.6 · Dec 10.4 °C31 Dec 1991World Meteorological Organization / NOAA NCEI17Official
Average temperature by monthJan 17.1 · Feb 16.9 · Mar 14.9 · Apr 11.9 · May 9.3 · Jun 6.4 · Jul 6 · Aug 7.3 · Sep 9.3 · Oct 11.3 · Nov 13.2 · Dec 15.7 °C31 Dec 1991World Meteorological Organization / NOAA NCEI18Official
Average precipitation by monthJan 42.4 · Feb 39.8 · Mar 45.1 · Apr 57.5 · May 58.1 · Jun 68.3 · Jul 64.2 · Aug 58.1 · Sep 42.2 · Oct 49.1 · Nov 45.1 · Dec 47.8 mm31 Dec 1991World Meteorological Organization / NOAA NCEI19Official
Average sunshine by monthJan 227.5 · Feb 195.2 · Mar 190.6 · Apr 158.1 · May 141.2 · Jun 115.3 · Jul 127.8 · Aug 156.5 · Sep 169.1 · Oct 205.4 · Nov 226.7 · Dec 215 hours31 Dec 1991World Meteorological Organization / NOAA NCEI20Official

Similar climate. In New Zealand: Lower Hutt ±2.8 °C. Elsewhere: Ventura (United States) ±6.0 °C, Cork (Ireland) ±6.8 °C, Saanich (Canada) ±7.5 °C, Downey (United States) ±8.0 °C, Reims (France) ±8.4 °C. Twenty closest, compared month by month

Monthly highs and lows against the 1991–2020 station normals of the nearest station; ± is the average monthly difference.

Population and city profile

How many people live in Christchurch?

The published population was 380,079 people in March 2023. Source: Stats NZ Urban Rural 2023 place summaries — Census population14

Who lives hereResidents by nationality, % of population

Calculated from the population and foreign-resident facts on this page.

MetricValuePeriodSource
City area294.4 km²1 Jan 2023Official Stats NZ Urban-rural 2023 area for the exact UR2023 urban-area code. AREA_SQ_KM is the clipped official geography used here; no territorial-authority or SA observation is substituted.6Official
Foreign-resident share27.8 %31 Dec 2023Stats NZ12Official
Foreign residents108,645 people31 Dec 2023Stats NZ12Official
Population density1,299 people/km²7 Mar 2023Reproducible exact-UR2023 density using the existing official Stats NZ population denominator and the exact official UR2023 area. No observation geography is promoted.11Official
Population380,079 people7 Mar 2023Stats NZ Urban Rural 2023 place summaries — Census population14Official

International community in Christchurch

Named groups from exact city-grain official distributions. Citizenship, birthplace, language and ancestry answer different questions and stay separate.

Country of birth

Census usually resident population count for the 2023 Census place-summary geography · 2023 Census

Published groupPeopleShare
Asia49,37413.1%
United Kingdom and Ireland21,2165.6%
Middle East and Africa7,6682.0%
Europe (excl United Kingdom and Ireland)7,1221.9%
Pacific Islands6,9871.8%
Australia6,9061.8%
North America3,8791.0%
Other2,7030.7%

Largest published groups; zero-count groups are omitted. Dimensions are source-native and are never merged. Official source13

Ancestry or ethnicity

Census usually resident population count for the 2023 Census place-summary geography · 2023 Census

Published groupPeopleShare
European286,49475.4%
Asian66,67217.5%
Māori42,88811.3%
Pacific Peoples16,5574.4%
Middle Eastern/Latin American/African7,3261.9%
Other Ethnicity4,2421.1%

Largest published groups; zero-count groups are omitted. Dimensions are source-native and are never merged. Official source13

Ancestry or ethnicity

Census usually resident population count for the 2023 Census place-summary geography · 2023 Census

Published groupPeopleShare
New Zealand European266,01070.0%
Māori42,88811.3%
Other European25,0416.6%
Chinese20,9405.5%
Southeast Asian17,4364.6%
Indian16,1194.2%
Other Asian11,6793.1%
Samoan9,6422.5%
Other Ethnicity4,2421.1%
Latin American3,1890.8%
Show 11 more groups
Published groupPeopleShare
Tongan2,6460.7%
Cook Islands Maori2,4900.7%
African2,1300.6%
Middle Eastern2,0310.5%
Fijian1,4160.4%
European nfd1,3830.4%
Asian nfd1,1940.3%
Niuean7740.2%
Other Pacific Peoples6720.2%
Tokelauan1830.0%
Pacific Peoples nfd900.0%

Largest published groups; zero-count groups are omitted. Dimensions are source-native and are never merged. Official source13

Alternatives for people set on Christchurch

Three places for the three reasons people leave a city on the shortlist: stay in the region, stay in the country, or keep the budget and change the country. A percentage appears only where both cities publish that metric from the same source, period and grain. Distances are straight lines — travel times are not collected yet.

Wellington as a Christchurch alternative in the same country

Better on 4 of 5 metrics measured the same way, worse on 0.

  • Hospital beds, per 100k: 245.2 Wellington vs 136.6 Christchurch+80%
  • Nearest airport: 5.0 km Wellington vs 10.0 km Christchurch−50%
  • Median gross pay, region: €3,848 Wellington vs €3,421 Christchurch+12%
  • Foreign residents: 34.4% Wellington vs 27.8% Christchurch+24%
  • Transport pass: €92 Wellington vs €92 Christchurchsame level
Full comparisonMore about Wellington

Brno as a Christchurch alternative in another country

A move, not a commute, at 18078 km, better on 2 of 3 metrics measured the same way, worse on 1. Median gross pay, region and foreign residents cannot be compared like for like.

  • Basic utilities, 85 m²: €266 Brno vs €145 Christchurch+83%
  • Transport pass: €23 Brno vs €92 Christchurch−75%
  • Median gross pay, region: €1,658 Brno vs €3,421 Christchurchno percentage
  • A meal out: €8 Brno vs €13 Christchurch−35%
  • Foreign residents: 8.6% (2021) Brno vs 27.8% (2023) Christchurchno percentage
Full comparisonMore about Brno

Cities near Christchurch

Published cities within 25 km, nearest first. Distances are straight-line.

Alternative cities in New Zealand

Other cities in New Zealand to compare with Christchurch, nearest in population first.

All New Zealand cities
Wellington202,689 residentsHamilton174,741 residentsTauranga161,000 residentsDunedin132,800 residentsLower Hutt114,200 residentsNew Plymouth90,100 residents

How does Christchurch compare?

Pick a city. The answer appears here and the address bar keeps it, so the comparison can be shared; the page stays Christchurch's.

Open the full comparison

Christchurch in rankings

#2 of 29 in Largest cities in New Zealand #4 of 23 in Most international cities in New Zealand #8 of 22 in Cheapest cities to rent in New Zealand #10 of 12 in Cities with cleanest air in New Zealand #16 of 27 in Cities with lowest unemployment in New Zealand

Common questions

Answered from the published values on this page, each with its source and date.

How many people live in Christchurch?

The published population was 380,079 people in March 2023. Source: Stats NZ Urban Rural 2023 place summaries — Census population.

Is the air quality good in Christchurch?

The annual PM2.5 mean is 10.1 µg/m³ (2012) — above the WHO 2021 guideline of 5 µg/m³ but within the EU limit of 25 µg/m³. Source: cdn.who.int.

What is the unemployment rate in Christchurch?

The unemployment rate is 4.1 % (2023). Source: Stats NZ.

What is the typical salary around Christchurch?

The median gross salary is 3,421 EUR/month. Source: Linked Employer-Employee Dataset: LEED measures by industry (based on ANZSIC06) and region, December 2024 quarter.

How many foreign residents live in Christchurch?

108,645 residents hold a foreign nationality. Source: Stats NZ.

Is Christchurch a good place to live?

Christchurch may suit different people for different reasons. The page's profile scores compare published cost, work, housing, safety, healthcare and other available factors; they are a decision aid, not a universal recommendation.

Which cities are near Christchurch?

Spreydon, Wigram, Halswell, Prebbleton, New Brighton are near Christchurch. Typed relationship labels are shown where published; other rows use straight-line distance from admitted coordinates.

How many people born in Asia live in Christchurch?

The official country of birth distribution records 49,374 people (13.1%) in the source-defined population for 2023 Census. This is a country of birth measure, not a general estimate of ethnicity or migration status.

Cite this page

Open a format to select or copy this ImmigrationDB compilation citation. The native disclosure and text fallback work without JavaScript.

APA citation
ImmigrationDB. (2026, October 16). Christchurch, New Zealand: population, rent, salary, jobs [ImmigrationDB compilation; version 4f83fda829e7f399fa88247410d14466]. ImmigrationDB. https://immigrationdb.com/cities/nz/christchurch/ Retrieved 2026-10-16. Compilation license: CC BY 4.0, https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/4.0/
BibTeX citation
@misc{immigrationdb_immigrationdb_christchurch-new-zealand-population-rent-salary-jobs_15cba992ce76,
  author = {ImmigrationDB},
  title = {Christchurch, New Zealand: population, rent, salary, jobs},
  publisher = {ImmigrationDB},
  year = {2026},
  date = {2026-10-16},
  version = {4f83fda829e7f399fa88247410d14466},
  url = {https://immigrationdb.com/cities/nz/christchurch/},
  note = {Retrieved 2026-10-16. ImmigrationDB compilation. Compilation license: CC BY 4.0, https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/4.0/},
}
Markdown citation
[Christchurch, New Zealand: population, rent, salary, jobs](https://immigrationdb.com/cities/nz/christchurch/) — ImmigrationDB; ImmigrationDB; version 4f83fda829e7f399fa88247410d14466; retrieved 2026-10-16; built 2026-10-16.

This citation identifies the ImmigrationDB compilation/page. Underlying source publishers and datasets retain their own terms; inspect the Sources section and cite those records separately. View the underlying source records.

Sources

JSON Markdown
  1. cdn.who.int cdn.who.int · checked 2026-08-26
  2. Certified Public hospital providers CSV health.govt.nz · checked 2026-09-15
  3. Coordinate identity evidence services2.arcgis.com · checked 2026-09-06
  4. Healthpoint General Practice (GP) directory healthpoint.co.nz · checked 2026-09-15
  5. Linked Employer-Employee Dataset: LEED measures by industry (based on ANZSIC06) and region, December 2024 quarter figure.nz · checked 2026-09-28
  6. Official Stats NZ Urban-rural 2023 area for the exact UR2023 urban-area code. AREA_SQ_KM is the clipped official geography used here; no territorial-authority or SA observation is substituted. services2.arcgis.com · checked 2023-01-01
  7. OpenFlights raw.githubusercontent.com · checked 2026-08-03
  8. OurAirports davidmegginson.github.io · checked 2026-08-03
  9. Pre-purchased English Language Tuition 2025 - Directory of Providers (TEC, published July 2025) tec.govt.nz · checked 2026-09-19
  10. Rental bond data, February 1993 to July 2026 — by territorial authority Rental bond data, February 1993 to July 2026 · tenancy.govt.nz · checked 2026-10-04
Show 15 more sources
  1. Reproducible exact-UR2023 density using the existing official Stats NZ population denominator and the exact official UR2023 area. No observation geography is promoted. services2.arcgis.com · checked 2023-03-07
  2. Stats NZ tools.summaries.stats.govt.nz · checked 2026-08-03
  3. Stats NZ / Tatauranga Aotearoa tools.summaries.stats.govt.nz · checked 2026-08-30
  4. Stats NZ Urban Rural 2023 place summaries — Census population Stats NZ Urban Rural 2023 place summaries · tools.summaries.stats.govt.nz · checked 2026-08-13
  5. Work and Income — Christchurch service centres Work and Income · workandincome.govt.nz · checked 2026-09-15
  6. World Meteorological Organization / NOAA NCEI nodc.noaa.gov · checked 2026-08-03
  7. World Meteorological Organization / NOAA NCEI nodc.noaa.gov · checked 2026-08-03
  8. World Meteorological Organization / NOAA NCEI nodc.noaa.gov · checked 2026-08-03
  9. World Meteorological Organization / NOAA NCEI nodc.noaa.gov · checked 2026-08-03
  10. World Meteorological Organization / NOAA NCEI nodc.noaa.gov · checked 2026-08-03
  11. Coordinate identity evidence wikidata.org · checked 2026-09-06
  12. Coordinate identity evidence wikidata.org · checked 2026-09-06
  13. Coordinate identity evidence wikidata.org · checked 2026-09-06
  14. Coordinate identity evidence wikidata.org · checked 2026-09-06
  15. Numbeo numbeo.com · checked 2026-08-03

Spotted a number that looks wrong? Every value here carries its source and date — tell us what you found and we will re-check it against the source.