Cost of Living Comparison Between Aberdeen and Wellington Cost of Living Comparison Between Aberdeen and Wellington

Monthly Cost of Living

A single person spends $2,289 per month in Aberdeen vs $2,277 in Wellington, rent included.

A couple spends around $3,511 per month in Aberdeen vs $3,544 in Wellington, rent included.

A family of three spends $4,732 per month in Aberdeen vs $4,812 in Wellington, rent included.

Aberdeen costs about 1% more than Wellington, driven mainly by Eating Out.

Both Aberdeen and Wellington sit above the global median – Aberdeen by 71%, Wellington by 70%.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$21.33 £15.86

$17.28 NZ$29.56

23.44%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$80.8 £60.0

$85.1 NZ$146

-5.10%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$10.18 £7.57

$9.91 NZ$16.95

2.72%

Cappuccino

$4.54 £3.37

$3.75 NZ$6.42

21.07%

Coke/Pepsi/Fanta/Sprite (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.03 £1.51

$2.61 NZ$4.46

-22.22%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.58 £1.17

$2.18 NZ$3.74

-27.52%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$5.99 £4.45

$7.17 NZ$12.27

-16.46%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$6.90 £5.13

$7.37 NZ$12.61

-6.38%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.72 £1.28

$1.80 NZ$3.09

-4.44%

White Bread (500g)

$1.66 £1.23

$2.02 NZ$3.46

-17.82%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.87 £1.39

$1.91 NZ$3.27

-2.09%

Eggs

$4.16 £3.09

$6.98 NZ$11.95

-40.40%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$8.96 £6.66

$7.95 NZ$13.60

12.70%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$11.79 £8.76

$11.26 NZ$19.27

4.71%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$14.00 £10.41

$12.87 NZ$22.02

8.78%

Apples (1kg)

$3.16 £2.35

$3.05 NZ$5.21

3.61%

Banana (1kg)

$1.66 £1.23

$2.36 NZ$4.03

-29.66%

Oranges (1kg)

$2.77 £2.06

$3.10 NZ$5.31

-10.65%

Tomato (1kg)

$4.20 £3.12

$4.81 NZ$8.23

-12.68%

Potato (1kg)

$1.16 £0.86

$2.06 NZ$3.53

-43.69%

Onion (1kg)

$1.34 £1.00

$1.57 NZ$2.68

-14.65%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.16 £0.86

$2.25 NZ$3.85

-48.44%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$1.36 £1.01

$1.31 NZ$2.23

3.82%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$18.84 £14.00

$26.06 NZ$44.59

-27.71%

Wine (Bottle)

$11.19 £8.32

$10.75 NZ$18.38

4.09%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$2.23 £1.66

$3.65 NZ$6.25

-38.90%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.28 £1.70

$3.28 NZ$5.62

-30.49%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$5.53 £4.11

$2.69 NZ$4.61

105.58%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$110 £81.6

$106 NZ$181

3.73%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$4.63 £3.44

$2.76 NZ$4.72

67.75%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.74 £1.29

$1.84 NZ$3.15

-5.43%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$34.95 £25.98

$60.8 NZ$104

-42.52%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.88 £1.40

$1.65 NZ$2.82

13.94%

Midsize Hatchback 1.4l (Volkswagen Golf, Toyota Prius, Honda Civic, etc)

$38.1K £28.3K

$33.3K NZ$57.0K

14.35%

Compact Sedan 1.6l (Toyota Corolla, Mazda3, Kia K4, Hyundai Elantra, etc)

$41.6K £31.0K

$25.5K NZ$43.7K

63.08%

Utilities for 2 People in 2-bedroom Apartment (Heating, Electricity, Gas, Water, Garbage) (85m2)

$411 £305

$160 NZ$274

156.88%

SIM Card Monthly Plan (Calls and 10GB+ Data)

$24.05 £17.88

$33.45 NZ$57.2

-28.10%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$46.24 £34.38

$51.5 NZ$88.1

-10.20%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$62.8 £46.69

$35.81 NZ$61.3

75.40%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$10.43 £7.75

$20.66 NZ$35.35

-49.52%

Cinema Ticket

$8.81 £6.55

$11.85 NZ$20.27

-25.65%

Preschool or Kindergarten, Full Day, Private, 1 Child (Monthly)

$1,841 £1,369

$792 NZ$1,356

132.39%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$15.6K £11.6K

$13.0K NZ$22.2K

20.37%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$84.6 £62.9

$73.0 NZ$125

15.97%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$40.96 £30.45

$53.8 NZ$92.0

-23.80%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$94.1 £70.0

$119 NZ$203

-20.70%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$118 £87.9

$142 NZ$243

-16.82%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$859 £638

$1,303 NZ$2,229

-34.07%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$781 £581

$1,094 NZ$1,872

-28.63%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,614 £1,199

$2,101 NZ$3,594

-23.19%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,611 £1,197

$1,902 NZ$3,255

-15.34%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$2,263 £1,683

$6,864 NZ$11.7K

-67.03%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$3,509 £2,609

$3,720 NZ$6,364

-5.67%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$3,518 £2,615

$2,800 NZ$4,790

25.65%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

6.2

6.94

-10.66%

CityCost data is based on AI and user input – minor inaccuracies may occur.

Last update for Aberdeen: July 12, 2026

Last update for Wellington: July 13, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A central one-bedroom costs $859 in Aberdeen versus $1,303 in Wellington. Rent is usually the largest line item in a monthly budget, so the gap here sets the tone for the overall comparison.

Salaries run about 26% higher in Aberdeen, which partly offsets the higher cost of living there. Purchasing power depends on which expenses matter most to you.

A mid-range dinner for two costs $81.0 in Aberdeen versus $85.0 in Wellington. Monthly groceries follow the same trend: $309 vs $339 – making Aberdeen the more affordable choice for daily food spending.

City Median Internet Speeds Comparison (Updated April 2026)

The chart highlights the Precision Threshold for mobile and fixed broadband internet speeds, updated quarterly.

Digital Nomad Cost of Living Index

Aberdeen vs Wellington: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Aberdeen costs about 1% more than Wellington, with the gap driven mainly by Eating Out. That's enough to noticeably affect everyday spending and lifestyle for anyone choosing between the two.

For a comfortable life, plan on about $3,433 per month in Aberdeen and $3,416 in Wellington. That covers rent, food, utilities, transport, and enough left over to feel settled – not just surviving.

Rent is clearly cheaper in Wellington, especially for central apartments. Housing is actually the single biggest factor behind the overall cost gap between these two cities.

Monthly expenses with rent come to $2,289 in Aberdeen and $2,277 in Wellington. The difference isn't just one category – it shows up across housing, food, transport, and services.

Public transport costs about 4% less in Wellington. For daily commuters, that gap adds up to noticeable savings over a year.

A $2,500 monthly budget goes further in Wellington, where all-in costs run around $2,277, than in Aberdeen at $2,289. In Wellington it covers expenses comfortably, while in Aberdeen it requires careful planning or may not stretch far enough.

For digital nomads, it depends on budget. Wellington costs $2,277 versus $2,289 in Aberdeen. Both have workable remote work infrastructure, but the cost gap matters when income varies month to month.

Both have safer and rougher neighborhoods, but overall safety is comparable to other large cities. Neighborhood choice matters more than the city-level comparison – central, well-trafficked areas feel secure in both.

If budget matters most, go with Wellington. If higher salaries, better infrastructure, or specific career opportunities are the priority, Aberdeen makes more sense. Both are solid long-term options with distinct trade-offs.