Hi autumn,
Sorry for the late reply, I've been busyYou unfortunately haven't really narrowed it down much
Could you please define lower cost of living? Christchurch and Wellington's four cities all have cheap housing areas and expensive housing areas. Shops sell goods and services for around the same price in both areas (although central Wellington tends to have higher prices for most goods than other areas). Both cities have good job opportunities, as I mentioned earlier. Both cities have plenty of parks, multiple beaches etc. Wellington definitely has more of a "city" feel if you live near or work in Wellington CBD. Both cities have a friendly environment I believe, but like anywhere, there will be less desirable areas and people, just like you would find in any city worldwide.
Both the Google Maps website (https://www.google.co.nz/maps/place/...00ef63a213b470 for Wellington or https://www.google.co.nz/maps/place/...00ef8684799945 for Christchurch) or the Google Earth application (https://www.google.com/earth/) are excellent for browsing the cities yourself - allowing you to see where places are yourself and what's available etc. I have already linked you to three job search websites (TradeMe is excellent for many other things too) to allow you to browse what jobs are available.
I think both Wellington and Christchurch are among the best cities in New Zealand to live overall, weighing in all of the factors. If you need specific information about shops/suburbs/physical features like beaches etc./housing/infrastructure etc. please feel free to ask.
Thanks,
Ansistent