Moving to New Zealand from Canada
What to Expect
A comprehensive look at what changes when you move from Canada to New Zealand — from daily expenses to quality of life.
If you moved from Canada to New Zealand, you would find that New Zealand is 1.7% more expensive than Canada overall. A CA$106,294 salary in Canada would need to be roughly NZ$118,044 in New Zealand to maintain the same lifestyle. You’ll also switch from driving on the right to the left. Expect a noticeable climate shift — Wellington averages 62°F vs 52°F in Ottawa, making it significantly warmer.
Planning this move? Get up to 5 free, no-obligation quotes from vetted international movers. Get free quotes ↓How Far Will Your Money Go?
How your spending power changes when you relocate from Canada to New Zealand.
What does your salary buy?
CA$106,294 → NZ$118,044
To maintain the same standard of living in New Zealand
Calculate with your salary →The biggest cost differences at a glance
Restaurants
pay 0.5% more
Groceries
pay 7.1% less
Transportation
pay 16.6% more
Housing
pay 19.8% less
Childcare
pay 0.1% less
Entertainment and Sports
pay 12.7% more
Data: MyLifeElsewhere's crowdsourced cost of living database, with prices submitted and updated by users worldwide. Exchange rates are refreshed regularly from public sources.
Cost of living by city
Cost of living varies a lot by city. Each figure is a city's overall cost of living as a percentage of New York City (the priciest, = 100%).
On average, cities in New Zealand cost about 16% less than cities in Canada.
Compare cities head-to-head
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Who Else Is Making This Move?
Real numbers on people moving from Canada to New Zealand, and how the trend has changed.
people moved from Canada to New Zealand · OECD (latest data available)
Who's moving to New Zealand?
Top countries of origin for New Zealand's foreign-born residents.
- 286,746
- 144,207
- 122,506
- 85,289
- 73,846
- 70,412
- · · ·
-
16.14,974
Canada
Key Indicator Comparison
How Canada and New Zealand stack up on safety, healthcare, jobs, and infrastructure.
Is it safe?
per 100,000 people per year
per 100,000 people per year
Canada generally does better on safety, though New Zealand leads in homicide rate.
How's the healthcare?
annual government + private spending per person
affects wait times and access to care
WHO index from 0–100 measuring essential service access
share of adults with obesity
per 100,000 people — a proxy for mental health support
New Zealand generally does better on health & wellbeing, though Canada leads in health coverage index.
What about the environment?
deaths attributable to air pollution per 100k people
tonnes of CO₂ emitted per person per year
Canada generally does better on environment, though New Zealand leads in co₂ emissions per capita.
Will I have good infrastructure?
fixed broadband subscriptions — key for remote work
higher means greater strain on freshwater supply
annual consumption — reflects grid capacity
share of households with internet
Canada generally does better on infrastructure, though New Zealand leads in internet access.
What are the job prospects?
percentage of the labour force without work
a broad measure of economic output per person
the highest marginal rate on personal income
Canada generally does better on employment & economy, though New Zealand leads in unemployment rate.
Is it good for families?
average years of life at birth
deaths per 1,000 live births — lower is better
government spending on education as % of GDP
New Zealand generally does better on family life, though Canada leads in life expectancy.
Data: Canada Revenue Agency, The World Factbook, United Nations SDG Indicators, World Bank
What's the Climate Like?
Monthly averages — select a city to compare.
Avg. annual high / low
Avg. annual high / low
| Months | Ottawa | Wellington |
|---|---|---|
| Jan–Mar | 27°/10°F (-3°/-12°C) | 69°/58°F (21°/14°C) |
| Apr–Jun | 64°/45°F (18°/7°C) | 59°/49°F (15°/10°C) |
| Jul–Sep | 75°/55°F (24°/13°C) | 56°/46°F (13°/8°C) |
| Oct–Dec | 41°/25°F (5°/-4°C) | 64°/53°F (18°/12°C) |
View all months
| Month | Ottawa | Wellington |
|---|---|---|
| Jan | 21°/4°F (-6.1°/-15.3°C) | 70°/58°F (21.2°/14.7°C) |
| Feb | 25°/8°F (-4.1°/-13.3°C) | 70°/59°F (21.3°/14.8°C) |
| Mar | 36°/19°F (2.2°/-7.1°C) | 68°/56°F (19.8°/13.5°C) |
| Apr | 51°/33°F (10.8°/0.6°C) | 63°/53°F (17.4°/11.5°C) |
| May | 66°/46°F (19.1°/7.7°C) | 59°/49°F (15.2°/9.7°C) |
| Jun | 75°/55°F (23.8°/12.7°C) | 56°/46°F (13.1°/7.9°C) |
| Jul | 80°/60°F (26.5°/15.4°C) | 54°/44°F (12.3°/6.9°C) |
| Aug | 77°/57°F (24.9°/14.1°C) | 55°/45°F (12.9°/7.4°C) |
| Sep | 67°/48°F (19.5°/9.1°C) | 58°/48°F (14.5°/8.8°C) |
| Oct | 54°/37°F (12.5°/3.0°C) | 60°/50°F (15.8°/10.0°C) |
| Nov | 41°/27°F (4.8°/-2.8°C) | 64°/53°F (17.5°/11.4°C) |
| Dec | 27°/12°F (-3.0°/-11.1°C) | 67°/56°F (19.6°/13.5°C) |
Data:
Meteorological Service of Canada,
New Zealand National Meteorological Service
Visitor Visa Requirements
Short-stay tourist visa rules between Canada and New Zealand. To live, work, or study long-term in New Zealand, you'll need a separate residence or work visa — check New Zealand's immigration authority.
Canada passport holder visiting New Zealand
Electronic Travel Authorisation
New Zealand passport holder visiting Canada
Electronic Travel AuthorisationData: Henley Passport Index. Check with the destination country's embassy for the most current requirements.
Frequently Asked Questions
Is it cheaper to live in New Zealand than Canada?
Generally yes: New Zealand runs about 9% cheaper than Canada on average, though it depends heavily on the city.
How much money do I need to move to New Zealand?
A safe rule of thumb is 3 months of local expenses plus relocation costs. On a CA$106,294 comparable salary, that's around NZ$29,511 in New Zealand for everyday spending, before flights, shipping, a rental deposit, and visa fees.
Can I work remotely from New Zealand?
With 35.9 fixed broadband subscriptions per 100 people, New Zealand can support video calls in major cities. The hard part is paperwork — visa category, employer policy on overseas staff, and tax residency in Canada and New Zealand.
Is New Zealand safe for expats?
Canada generally does better on safety, though New Zealand leads in homicide rate. The homicide rate in New Zealand is 1.1 per 100,000 people, compared to 2.3 in Canada.
How is healthcare in New Zealand compared to Canada?
New Zealand generally does better on health & wellbeing, though Canada leads in health coverage index. There are 35.7 doctors per 10,000 people in New Zealand, compared to 25.0 in Canada. New Zealand scores 85 on the WHO universal health coverage index (Canada: 91).
What's the weather like in New Zealand compared to Canada?
The average high temperature in Wellington is 62°F, compared to 52°F in Ottawa. Wellington receives around 37.7 in of rainfall per year, while Ottawa gets 37.1 in.
What language do they speak in New Zealand?
The official languages in New Zealand are English, Māori and New Zealand Sign Language. In Canada, the official languages are English and French.
