Climate
Christchurch logs 1 outdoor-dinner months a year to New Plymouth's 3 — New Plymouth wins by 2. New Plymouth also leads on sunny days by 15.
Christchurch
Feels-like °C
Dinner outside
New Plymouth
Feels-like °C
Dinner outside
Cost of Living
New Plymouth is $270/mo cheaperChristchurch runs about $2,398/mo for a balanced lifestyle against New Plymouth's $2,128/mo — New Plymouth comes in $270 cheaper each month, roughly 13% less.
Christchurch
$2,398monthly · balanced
New Plymouth
$2,128monthly · balanced
Mobility
On mobility, Christchurch scores 2.6 vs New Plymouth's 1.2 (0–5 scale), with the biggest gap on airport accessibility.
Culture
Christchurch's culture score of 3.1 sits well above New Plymouth's 0.6, with the biggest gap on theatre & performing arts.
Nature & Outdoors
New Plymouth's nature & outdoors score of 5.0 sits well above Christchurch's 4.7, with the biggest gap on mountain access. Christchurch still holds an edge on forest access.
Safety
Christchurch and New Plymouth score neck-and-neck on safety (4.3 vs 4.3, 0–5 scale).
Career
Christchurch's career score of 2.9 sits well above New Plymouth's 2.0, with the biggest gap on career opportunities.
Social & Community
Christchurch and New Plymouth score neck-and-neck on social & community (3.1 vs 3.0, 0–5 scale).
Food & Dining
On food & dining, Christchurch scores 2.4 vs New Plymouth's 1.8 (0–5 scale), with the biggest gap on restaurant variety.
Family
On family, Christchurch scores 2.7 vs New Plymouth's 2.4 (0–5 scale), with the biggest gap on universities. New Plymouth still holds an edge on yoga studios.
Healthcare
On healthcare, Christchurch scores 3.4 vs New Plymouth's 2.7 (0–5 scale), with the biggest gap on public healthcare quality.
Air Quality
Christchurch averages 7.1 µg/m³ (good) PM2.5 annually versus New Plymouth's 6.0 µg/m³ (good) — New Plymouth breathes ~16% cleaner air (1.1 µg/m³ lower).
Christchurch
New Plymouth
PM2.5 annual average
WHO classification
City Scale
Both maps at the same real-world scale — 1 cm on either map is the same distance.
Christchurch (278K) and New Plymouth (87K) are 3.2x in population — Christchurch is the larger metro, New Plymouth the smaller.
Christchurch is roughly 3.2x the scale of New Plymouth
Based on population (area data unavailable for some cities)
ChristchurchNew PlymouthCity Scale Rankings
Christchurch278K3.2xNew Plymouth87K1xWho Thrives Here
Christchurch favours the cosmopolitan, while New Plymouth suits the sunshine lover. Both cities work well for the english speaker.
Also compared
Frequently asked about Christchurch vs New Plymouth
▶Which is cheaper, Christchurch or New Plymouth?
▶How does the climate compare between Christchurch and New Plymouth?
▶Is Christchurch or New Plymouth safer?
▶Should I move to Christchurch or New Plymouth?
The best city depends on what matters to you
This comparison shows how Christchurch and New Plymouth stack up on the data. But your climate preferences, budget, career needs, and lifestyle priorities can shift the picture entirely. A personalized diagnostic finds what fits your life.
Take the free diagnostic10 minutes, no account needed