Quality of life in Christchurch
Christchurch, New Zealand, is among the top cities with a free business environment. According to our city rankings, this is a good place to live with high ratings in housing, safety and healthcare.
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Life quality score
City ranking
Housing
7
122/265Details
| Large apartment | $1400.00 |
|---|---|
| Medium apartment | $1100.00 |
| Rent index [score] | 0.72 |
| Small apartment | $870.00 |
Cost of Living
5
176/248Details
| 5km taxi ride | $12.00 |
|---|---|
| A Cappuccino | $3.50 |
| A beer | $2.70 |
| A kilogram of Apples | $2.70 |
| Bread | $0.53 |
| Inflation [score] | 0.51 |
| Lunch | $12.00 |
| Monthly fitness club membership | $42.00 |
| Monthly public transport | $81.00 |
| Movie ticket | $11.00 |
| Price of a meal at a restaurant | $73.03 |
Startups
2
253/264Details
| Average monthly increase in number of startups [score] | 0.10 |
|---|---|
| Coworking spaces [score] | 0.10 |
| Coworking spaces on WorkFrom.co | 12 |
| Meetups [score] | 0.24 |
| Meetups groups | 56 |
| Meetups members | 10372 |
| Number of investors | 1 |
| Number of startup events in the last 12 months | 375 |
| Number of upcoming meetup events | 22 |
| Startup climate scene [score] | 0.15 |
| Startup events | 327 |
| Startup events [score] | 0.85 |
| Startups [score] | 0.21 |
| Total number of startups | 29 |
Venture Capital
N/A
Details
Travel Connectivity
1
259/266Details
| Airport hub | 20 |
|---|---|
| Airport hub [score] | 0.17 |
Commute
6
79/255Details
| Traffic handling [score] | 0.90 |
|---|
Business Freedom
10
1/264Details
| Business freedom | 91.40 |
|---|---|
| Business freedom [score] | 1.00 |
| Freedom from corruption | 91.00 |
| Freedom from corruption [score] | 1.00 |
| Lack of labor restrictions | 85.90 |
| Lack of labor restrictions [score] | 0.90 |
| Time to open a business | 0.50 |
| Time to open a business [score] | 1.00 |
Safety
8
108/266Details
| Crime rate [score] | 0.64 |
|---|---|
| Gun-related deaths per 100,000 residents per year | 1 |
| Guns per 100 residents | 23 |
| Lack of gun related deaths [score] | 0.97 |
| Lack of guns [score] | 0.88 |
| Lack of guns and gun-related deaths [score] | 0.93 |
Healthcare
9
99/265Details
| Healthcare expenditure [score] | 0.86 |
|---|---|
| Healthcare quality [score] | 0.82 |
| Life expectancy (years) | 81.64 |
| Life expectancy [score] | 0.90 |
Education
5
97/240Details
| Best university in ranking | University of Canterbury |
|---|---|
| Best university ranking | 375 |
| Country mean scores in PISA math test | 498.76 |
| Country mean scores in PISA reading test | 512.19 |
| Country mean scores in PISA science test | 515.64 |
| PISA math ranking (high school) | 18 |
| PISA ranking | 12 |
| PISA ranking (high school) [score] | 0.85 |
| PISA reading (high school) | 9 |
| PISA science (high school) | 11 |
| Percent of happy students | 0.78 |
| Percent of low performers in PISA math test | 0.23 |
| Percent of low performers in PISA reading test | 0.16 |
| Percent of low performers in PISA science test | 0.16 |
| Percent of top performers in PISA math test | 0.15 |
| Percent of top performers in PISA reading test | 0.14 |
| Percent of top performers in PISA science test | 0.13 |
| University quality [score] | 0.11 |
Environmental Quality
9
12/266Details
| Air quality [score] | 0.90 |
|---|---|
| Cleanliness [score] | 0.88 |
| Drinking water quality [score] | 1.00 |
| Urban greenery [score] | 0.92 |
Economy
6
115/263Details
| Currency exchange rate per US dollar for urban area | 1.36 |
|---|---|
| Currency for urban area | NZD |
| GDP growth rate | 0.03 |
| GDP growth rate [score] | 0.53 |
| GDP per capita | $35151.75 |
| GDP per capita [score] | 0.57 |
Taxation
6
80/266Details
| Effective company profit tax rate on payouts as dividends [score] | 0.72 |
|---|---|
| Income tax level [score] | 0.47 |
| Profit tax (% of profit) | 0.34 |
| Time overhead to file company taxes | 152 |
| VAT (Sales Tax) | 0.15 |
Internet Access
6
94/266Details
| Download speed (Mbps) | 53.99 |
|---|---|
| Internet access (download) [score] | 0.65 |
| Internet access (upload) [score] | 0.53 |
| Upload speed (Mbps) | 13.08 |
Leisure & Culture
3
234/264Details
| Art galleries | 41 |
|---|---|
| Art galleries [score] | 0.34 |
| Cinemas | 35 |
| Cinemas [score] | 0.31 |
| Comedy clubs | 5 |
| Comedy clubs [score] | 0.38 |
| Concert venues | 29 |
| Concerts [score] | 0.26 |
| Historical sites | 16 |
| Historical sites [score] | 0.28 |
| Museums | 11 |
| Museums [score] | 0.37 |
| Performing art venues | 44 |
| Performing arts [score] | 0.32 |
| Sport venues | 14 |
| Sports [score] | 0.32 |
| Zoos | 2 |
| Zoos [score] | 0.61 |
Tolerance
8
48/266Details
| LGBT Equality Index | 93.65 |
|---|---|
| LGBT Equality Index [score] | 0.96 |
| LGBT adoption rights | ✔ Legal |
| LGBT age of consent | ✔ Equal |
| LGBT blood donation regulations | ✖ Banned (1-year deferral) |
| LGBT conversion therapy regulations | ✖ Not banned |
| LGBT discrimination legality | ✔ Illegal |
| LGBT employment discrimination legality | ✔ Sexual orientation and gender identity |
| LGBT gender changing rights | ✔ Legal, but requires surgery |
| LGBT homosexuality rights | ✔ Legal |
| LGBT housing discrimination legality | ✔ Sexual orientation and gender identity |
| LGBT marriage rights | ✔ Legal |
| Tolerance towards minorities [score] | 0.72 |
Outdoors
6
27/266Details
| Elevation (hills or mountains) [score] | 0.31 |
|---|---|
| Median peak in meters | 863.00 |
| Presence of hills in city | 1.00 |
| Presence of mountains in city | 1.00 |
| Seaside access | 1.00 |
| Urban area elevation (meters) | 12.00 |
| Water access [score] | 0.94 |
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Cost of living
Costs of living in Christchurch are in the 176th place of all 248 Teleport cities. Sign up for free to get access to our cost of living index and use our international cost of living calculator to do cost comparison by city.
Housing costs (USD)
$1400
Median rent for
apartments in city center
apartments in city center
Daily living costs (USD)
 Monthly fitness club membership | $42 |
|---|---|
 Movie ticket | $11 |
 Broadband internet connection | $53 |
 Monthly public transport | $81 |
 Lunch | $12 |
-25%
compared to
San Francisco
San Francisco
Job salary calculator
Software Engineer salaries in Christchurch are above average. For this job type, Christchurch ranks 95th for salaries among 265 cities. Get access to our salary comparison calculator by signing up. Compare salaries city by city with our free salary wizard and convert your own salary to a local salary in Christchurch.
Estimated annual salary (in USD)
$52,058
Median salary
Locals review Christchurch
Do locals recommend living in Christchurch?
What could Christchurch do better?#improveChristchurch
How could Christchurch improve to make it a more liveable city? We will make sure that the local government will know about the suggestions that reach enough votes*.
*Suggestions will be delivered to: Mayor of Christchurch - Lianne Dalziel
What makes Christchurch a special place?#praiseChristchurch
Is Christchurch a great place to live? What makes it special for you? What makes it liveable? What should others know about? Why should they move here? Why do you love it?
Taxation
Personal taxation
Effective income tax rate
18%
For annual salary of $40000
25%
For annual salary of $80000
Value added tax (VAT)
15%
Standard tax rate. Different rates might apply for certain product categories.
Compared to other cities
73/266
Corporate taxation
Compared to other cities
65/263
Local Currency
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Safety
Gun crimes & Ownership
22.60
Guns per 100 people
1.07
Gun deaths per 100k people / year
North America
Europe
Asia
South America
Africa
Oceania
Overall crime rate city ranking
The overall crime rate puts Christchurch in position 111 of 266 Teleport Cities in a ranking for the safest cities.
Education
Visa
For visits up to 90 days
Required with citizenship of
Startup Visa
Investment required | Funding provided | Duration |
|---|---|---|
| Yes | No | 3 years |
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Explore the streets of Christchurch
People in Christchurch
Friends living in Christchurch
Find on FacebookFind out which of your friends are living in Christchurch. Nothing is better than knowing a local 😉
Teleport Users X Christchurch
Teleport users who are Christchurch
Work in:
6.98%
6.98%
4.65%
4.65%
4.65%
4.65%
4.65%
62.79%
Come from:
LGBT rights in Christchurch
Homosexuality
Legal
Changing gender
Legal
But Requires Surgery
Discrimination
Illegal
Marriage
Legal
Adoption
Legal
Climate
Average number of days per year without rain
238.3Climate type
Marine West Coast
Average daily maximum temperature
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On living in Christchurch
Christchurch (Māori: Ōtautahi) is the largest city in the South Island of New Zealand, and the third most-populous urban area in the country. As well as having the most attractions of any place in the South Island, it's the major international entry point for visiting the rest of the island. It is on the east coast of the South Island, and is the centre of the Canterbury region.
Christchurch is recovering and rebuilding after an earthquake in February 2011 that severely damaged the city. Bits of the city may be off limits due to reconstruction work, but most of the city and region are open for business and the city remains the main gateway to the South Island.
Christchurch has a rich English heritage. This especially show shows in the older buildings, especially in the cultural precinct along Worcester Boulevard (which is open from the Avon River towards the west), where most heritage buildings remain. The Avon River flows through the central city and disrupts the regular rectangular layout of the city streets.
Read moreGood Country Index
Every city comes with a country. How is this one doing in terms of giving back to the global community? Our friends at The Good Country Index measure what each country on earth contributes to the common good of humanity, and what it takes away, relative to its size.
Overall ranking
14th from a total of 163 countries
World Order
19thRefugees hosted
Refugees generated
Charity giving
Birth rate
UN Treaties signed
International Peace & Security
31stDues in arrears to UN peace keeping budgets
International violent conflict
Peacekeeping troops
Arms exports
Internet security (2014)
Planet & Climate
31stEcological footprint
Reforestation since 1992
Hazardous pesticides exports
CO2 emissions
Ozone
Prosperity & Equality
26thDevelopment assistance
FDI outflows
Fairtrade market size
UN volunteers abroad
Open trading
Culture
28thFreedom of movement
Press freedom
Creative services exports
UNESCO dues in arrears as % of contribution
Creative goods exports
Science & Technology
6thNobel prizes
Patents
Journal exports
International publications
International Students
Health & Wellbeing
14thPharmaceutical exports
Voluntary excess donations to the WHO
Food aid
Humanitarian aid donations
International Health Regulations Compliance
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