Temperature
January has the warmest monthly average (17.5°C); July is coolest (5.9°C). These averages include nights, so daytime highs can be considerably warmer.
New Zealand · Visit or make it home
Christchurch, New Zealand
Christchurch is a city in New Zealand. Compare its dated local facts and monthly climate before choosing a time to visit or planning a move. Housing references and national earnings describe different populations; verify the costs of your own home and job before deciding.
Get to know Christchurch
A sense of the place
Christchurch is the largest city in the South Island and the second-largest city by urban area population in New Zealand. Christchurch has an urban population of 407,800, and a metropolitan population of 556,500. It is located in the Canterbury Region, near the centre of the east coast of the South Island, east of the Canterbury Plains. It is located near the southern end of Pegasus Bay, and is bounded to the east by the Pacific Ocean and to the south by the ancient volcanic complex of the Banks Peninsula. The Avon River / Ōtākaro winds through the centre of the city, with a large urban park along its banks. With the exception of the Port Hills, it is a relatively flat city, on an average about 20 m above sea level. Christchurch has a reputation for being an English city, with its architectural identity and nickname the 'Garden City' due to similarities with garden cities in England, but also has a historic Māori heritage. Christchurch has a temperate oceanic climate with moderate rainfall.
Weather through the year
When to visit Christchurch
Rain and outdoor plans
June averages about 80 mm of rain, compared with 57 mm in September. Rainfall alone does not identify a single best month; compare temperatures with the activities you plan.
Planning time outdoors
January, February, March, November, December combine monthly mean temperatures of 12–22°C with less than 100 mm of precipitation. These are useful dates to compare for a walking-focused visit; check daylight, opening times and the forecast for your actual trip.
| Month | Jan | Feb | Mar | Apr | May | Jun | Jul | Aug | Sep | Oct | Nov | Dec |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Average °C | 17.5 | 17.1 | 15.1 | 11.9 | 9.2 | 6.6 | 5.9 | 7.1 | 8.9 | 10.8 | 13.3 | 15.8 |
| Rain, mm | 67 | 58 | 61 | 77 | 79 | 80 | 73 | 70 | 57 | 78 | 68 | 77 |
Source: NASA POWER climatology · Reference period: 2001-2020. Long-term averages for the surrounding grid area. Conditions vary within a city; monthly averages are neither a forecast nor a guarantee of dry days.
Places around Christchurch
Build your shortlist for a day out. Distances are straight-line from the city centre; check routes and opening times before setting off.
Beach
New Brighton Beach
8.4 km from the city centre
Compare with another cityBotanical garden
Christchurch Botanic Gardens
1 km from the city centre
Compare with another cityForest
Riccarton Bush
3 km from the city centre
Compare with another cityMuseum
The Physics Room
Less than 1 km from the city centre
Compare with another cityPark
Friendship Corner
Less than 1 km from the city centre
Compare with another cityAverage rent in Christchurch
What is the average rent in Christchurch?
NZD 550 per week is the recorded median for new private tenancies across Christchurch City, dated 2026-07. A median is not an average, and this provisional rental-bond reference includes all home sizes. Use it as market context, then compare actual listings, home size, utilities and travel costs for your stay.
Source: The Ministry of Business, Innovation and Employment · Reference date: 2026-07-01 · License
Average salary in Christchurch
What is the average salary in Christchurch?
3,797.9 USD/month is the gross employee-pay reference dated 2022. It describes New Zealand, not average salary in Christchurch. Gross pay is before deductions; household earnings depend on the household model. Use a current offer and your own tax circumstances for take-home budgeting.
Source: ILO — Average gross monthly earnings of employees · Reference date: 2022 · CC BY 4.0 (ILO datasets published from 3 May 2023)
How should I compare Christchurch with another city?
Compare the same dated measures for both cities, keeping local observations separate from national context. Start with rent, your expected income and the journeys you will make regularly. Then adjust the comparison weights to your priorities. Missing measurements do not prove an advantage; verify decisive costs and services with current local sources.
- Choose a comparison below and read its sources and dates.
- Set priorities for housing, work, transport and climate.
- Check current listings and your own income before making a decision.
Data sources, licences & reuse terms
Plan your stay
Budget and everyday decisions
A holiday budget
Compare accommodation for your actual dates in Christchurch, then add the journey here, airport transfers, meals and the activities you want. A cheap room outside the centre can cost more overall if it adds daily transport.
Compare holiday preferences →A relocation budget
Use the planner below to compare housing, daily spending and the cost of your move.
Include the deposit, utilities, internet and commuting. Compare those costs with your own expected take-home income.
Compare with another city →Average gross monthly earnings — country reference
3,797.9 USD/month
Average employee pay before tax and deductions, in US dollars. This country reference is not a city-specific salary or personal take-home pay.
Data period: 2022. Limited confidence. Source: ILO — Average gross monthly earnings of employees · CC BY 4.0 (ILO datasets published from 3 May 2023)Compare with another city →Rental market in Christchurch City
NZD 465–NZD 650 / week
The middle half of recorded new private tenancies falls in this range, with a median of NZD 550 per week. It covers all home sizes across Christchurch City, rather than a central one-bedroom apartment.
2026-07 · Provisional rental-bond data. Use this as a starting point for comparing homes.Compare with another cityYour relocation planning budget
Build a monthly budget for Christchurch in euros. Totals are calculated from the amounts below, not live quotes. Enter a housing amount for your chosen home.
Monthly total:
First month including move:
Compare with another city →Compare the details
Christchurch at a glance
Annual precipitation
845 mm/year
Annual precipitation gives a broad climate comparison. Its distribution through the year matters more for a short visit.
Source: NASA POWER — climatology (T2M temperature; PRECTOTCORR precipitation) · NASA scientific-data policy; source-specific notices applyCompare with another city →Average annual temperature
11.6 C
Long-term average including days and nights. Use the monthly breakdown to choose dates; this is not a weather forecast.
Source: NASA POWER — climatology (T2M temperature; PRECTOTCORR precipitation) · NASA scientific-data policy; source-specific notices applyCompare with another city →Nearest listed airport (straight-line distance)
9.5 km
Straight-line distance to a listed airport, not transfer time or confirmation of scheduled flights. Check the airport serving your actual route before booking.
Data period: 2026-08-30. Source: OurAirports — airport locations · Public domainCompare with another city →New Zealand: the wider context
These are country-level figures, not measurements of Christchurch. Use them to compare national conditions; neighbourhoods, salaries and individual services can differ substantially.
See 10 national indicators
Income level — GNI per capita, PPP (gross)
53,600 international dollars (PPP)
Purchasing-power-adjusted national income per person is not a salary or take-home pay.
Data period: 2025. Source: World Bank — GNI per capita, PPP (NY.GNP.PCAP.PP.CD) · CC BY 4.0 with World Bank additional termsCompare with another city →Fixed broadband / internet quality
93.5 percent
Data period: 2024. Source: World Bank / ITU — Individuals using the Internet, % (IT.NET.USER.ZS) · CC BY 4.0 with World Bank additional termsCompare with another city →English / language accessibility
100 ordinal_0_100
Data period: 2026-08-30. Source: Wikidata — coordinates, population, timezone, ISO codes, official languages · CC0 1.0Compare with another city →Healthcare / health outcome (life expectancy at birth)
82 years
Life expectancy describes population health outcomes; it does not measure the quality or availability of a particular hospital.
Data period: 2024. Source: World Bank — Life expectancy at birth (SP.DYN.LE00.IN) · CC BY 4.0 with World Bank additional termsCompare with another city →Average gross monthly earnings — country reference
3,797.9 USD/month
Average employee pay before tax and deductions, in US dollars. This country reference is not a city-specific salary or personal take-home pay.
Data period: 2022. Limited confidence. Source: ILO — Average gross monthly earnings of employees · CC BY 4.0 (ILO datasets published from 3 May 2023)Compare with another city →Overall tax burden (taxes + social contributions, % of GDP)
29.5 percent_gdp
Taxes and social contributions as a share of the economy, not your personal income-tax rate.
Data period: 2024. Source: World Bank — Tax revenue % of GDP (GC.TAX.TOTL.GD.ZS) · CC BY 4.0 with World Bank additional termsCompare with another city →Intentional homicide rate
1.5 per 100,000 people
Homicide rates are a narrow safety indicator. They do not describe petty crime or the safety of an individual neighbourhood.
Data period: 2022. Source: World Bank / UNODC — Intentional homicides per 100k (VC.IHR.PSRC.P5) · CC BY 4.0 with World Bank additional termsCompare with another city →Comparative price level (household consumption)
119.2 (EU average = 100)
Data period: 2025. Limited confidence. Source: World Bank — Price level index, household consumption (PA.NUS.PRVT.PLI) · CC BY 4.0 with World Bank additional termsCompare with another city →Air quality — annual mean PM2.5
6.9 µg/m³
Data period: 2023. Limited confidence. Source: World Bank — PM2.5 mean annual exposure (EN.ATM.PM25.MC.M3) · CC BY 4.0 with World Bank additional termsCompare with another city →Education system (national)
155 points (0–188)
Data period: 2025. Estimate. Source: World Bank HCI+ education pillar (2025) · CC BY 4.0 with World Bank additional termsCompare with another city →Other places to compare in New Zealand
What to check before deciding
Comparable figures are not available here for: Distance to nearest sea / coastline; Public-transport provision (ordinal proxy); Distance to nearest mountains (>1500 m); Annual sunshine hours; Monthly rent, 1-bedroom, city centre; Seismic hazard (ordinal 0 very-low to 4 high). Check the items that affect your plans with local providers. They are not treated as zero or as an advantage in recommendations.
Compare Christchurch with other cities
Read the source dates, choose your priorities and keep unavailable values separate from costs you know.
All maintained comparisons →