Christchurch is a bargain for student flatting experience compared to Northern cities

Cantabrian and UC student Edward Parkes. Image: Rosie Leishman. 

Home might be just around the corner, but many Ōtautahi Christchurch students at at UC still opt for the flatting experience. 

Edward Parkes (Ngāi Tahu) is a 20-year-old financial engineering student at UC. Although his family home is in Papanui, a mere 10-minute drive from the university, Parkes believes the student flatting lifestyle is worth the money. 

“It's the cliché, you only live once,” said Parkes. “It's all part of the experience.” 

This student experience is proving more achievable in Ōtautahi compared with other parts of the country.  

Parkes pays $155 a week for the smallest room in a six-person flat a 10-minute walk from the University, “which is a steal”. 

The two-storey house is in good condition with a large backyard and a gardener included in the rent. During the chilly Christchurch winters, it gets cold, “but we make it work,” said Parkes. 

“You Only Live Once… It's all part of the experience” - Edward Parkes, right, standing in front of his Ilam flat with flatmates Freddy Wright, Sophie Hartshaw, Melissa Dunn, Oscar Bloom, and Aiden Hackett. Source: Sophie Hartshaw. 

Compared to cities on the other side of the Cook Strait, Christchurch is more affordable, with some North Island students coughing up close to $240 for their flats. 

Auckland University media student Lucy Taylor, 20, pays an average of $241 for a three-bedroom place on Auckland’s North Shore. 

A 40-minute bus ride from campus means it’s not a student area, but Taylor described it as “pretty good.” 

Taylor uses her student loan to pay her rent but works two jobs to survive Tāmaki Makaurau Auckland's living costs. “It has been tough so far,” she said. “I’m not getting enough shifts a week to cover rent, food, and gas when Studylink doesn’t start until March.” 

Massey film student Sophia Jones, 20, considers $235 in rent “cheap” for her Kelburn flat in Pōneke Wellington. 

With a lounge and garden, she said, “our flat is one of a kind – most Wellington flats are terrible […] landlords are notoriously useless and overcharge.” 

Last year Jones was paying $250 a week for a cold, rat-infested home, further from university. This year, she said, “I’ve gotten lucky.” 

Sophia Jones considers $235 in rent “cheap” for her Kelburn flat in Wellington. Source: Sophia Jones / Google Maps. 

Jones can’t believe how cheap Christchurch is for the standard of living compared to the Wellington flats she is used to.  

With Christchurch being so much cheaper, it is understandable why Cantabrians are choosing the student lifestyle. However, it is now UC’s challenge to accommodate the overwhelming demand for flats from students flocking to the area.