Cost of Living Comparison Between Cambridge and Wellington Cost of Living Comparison Between Cambridge and Wellington

Monthly Cost of Living

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $2,082 in Cambridge versus $2,342 in Wellington.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $2,855 in Cambridge versus $3,316 in Wellington.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $3,627 in Cambridge versus $4,291 in Wellington.

Living in Cambridge costs roughly 11% less than in Wellington, driven mainly by Getting Around.

Both cities are pricier than the global median: Cambridge 55% above, Wellington 75% above.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$14.02 NZ$24.93

$13.89 NZ$24.69

0.94%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$66.4 NZ$118

$64.2 NZ$114

3.54%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$8.76 NZ$15.57

$8.95 NZ$15.92

-2.12%

Cappuccino

$3.40 NZ$6.05

$3.29 NZ$5.84

3.34%

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

$2.00 NZ$3.55

$2.35 NZ$4.18

-14.89%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.92 NZ$3.41

$1.67 NZ$2.97

14.97%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$6.01 NZ$10.68

$7.24 NZ$12.87

-16.99%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$6.68 NZ$11.87

$6.75 NZ$12.01

-1.04%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.58 NZ$2.80

$1.90 NZ$3.37

-16.84%

White Bread (500g)

$2.23 NZ$3.97

$2.15 NZ$3.82

3.72%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.81 NZ$3.22

$1.82 NZ$3.23

-0.55%

Eggs

$6.22 NZ$11.05

$6.73 NZ$11.97

-7.58%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$8.64 NZ$15.36

$9.05 NZ$16.09

-4.53%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$9.43 NZ$16.76

$9.54 NZ$16.97

-1.15%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$12.74 NZ$22.65

$15.30 NZ$27.21

-16.73%

Apples (1kg)

$2.55 NZ$4.53

$3.16 NZ$5.63

-19.30%

Banana (1kg)

$2.19 NZ$3.90

$2.23 NZ$3.97

-1.79%

Oranges (1kg)

$2.91 NZ$5.17

$2.97 NZ$5.27

-2.02%

Tomato (1kg)

$5.74 NZ$10.20

$6.33 NZ$11.25

-9.32%

Potato (1kg)

$2.15 NZ$3.83

$2.06 NZ$3.66

4.37%

Onion (1kg)

$1.51 NZ$2.69

$1.24 NZ$2.20

21.77%

Lettuce (1 head)

$2.28 NZ$4.05

$1.99 NZ$3.54

14.57%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$1.09 NZ$1.94

$1.19 NZ$2.12

-8.40%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$25.82 NZ$45.91

$25.37 NZ$45.10

1.77%

Wine (Bottle)

$10.13 NZ$18.02

$11.37 NZ$20.22

-10.91%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$3.40 NZ$6.04

$3.17 NZ$5.64

7.26%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.81 NZ$6.77

$2.76 NZ$4.91

38.04%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$2.72 NZ$4.83

$2.74 NZ$4.87

-0.73%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$102 NZ$181

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$2.21 NZ$3.93

$1.82 NZ$3.23

21.43%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$2.02 NZ$3.58

$1.77 NZ$3.15

14.12%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$32.15 NZ$57.2

$33.17 NZ$59.0

-3.08%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.67 NZ$2.97

$1.83 NZ$3.26

-8.74%

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

$25.2K NZ$44.8K

$25.6K NZ$45.6K

-1.72%

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

$22.2K NZ$39.5K

$25.4K NZ$45.2K

-12.61%

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

$100 NZ$178

$199 NZ$353

-49.60%

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

$26.80 NZ$47.65

$32.79 NZ$58.3

-18.27%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$50.0 NZ$89.0

$53.5 NZ$95.1

-6.42%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$38.58 NZ$68.6

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$16.40 NZ$29.15

Cinema Ticket

$14.00 NZ$24.88

$12.14 NZ$21.59

15.32%

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

$665 NZ$1,183

$1,036 NZ$1,843

-35.79%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$19.4K NZ$34.4K

$12.9K NZ$22.9K

50.65%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$62.6 NZ$111

$78.4 NZ$139

-20.15%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$37.22 NZ$66.2

$28.23 NZ$50.2

31.85%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$94.6 NZ$168

$103 NZ$183

-8.37%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$103 NZ$184

$155 NZ$275

-33.20%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$573 NZ$1,019

$1,228 NZ$2,183

-53.31%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,107 NZ$1,967

$1,139 NZ$2,026

-2.89%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,197 NZ$2,128

$2,171 NZ$3,861

-44.88%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,449 NZ$2,577

$1,670 NZ$2,969

-13.20%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$4,500 NZ$8,001

$6,719 NZ$11.9K

-33.02%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$3,934 NZ$6,995

$3,505 NZ$6,232

12.24%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$2,567 NZ$4,564

$2,818 NZ$5,011

-8.92%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

5.39

11.32%

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

Last update for Cambridge: October 5, 2026

Last update for Wellington: October 5, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $573 in Cambridge and $1,228 in Wellington. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Wellington pays 10% more on average. The extra income cushions the higher costs, though housing choices and lifestyle decide how much of the gap is truly closed.

Dining out: $66.0 in Cambridge vs $64.0 in Wellington. Groceries flip the comparison at $324 vs $343, with Cambridge cheaper for home cooking.

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

Cambridge vs Wellington: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Cambridge is cheaper overall, especially in Groceries & Markets, Eating Out, Clothing & Footwear, Monthly Utilities & Internet, Sport & Entertainment. The 12% gap adds up to real monthly savings that compound significantly over time.

On paper, salaries run 10% lower in Wellington. That's worth factoring in alongside costs, though remote workers earning in a stronger currency may not notice the difference at all.

Rent for a central apartment: $573 in Cambridge versus $1,228 in Wellington. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Childcare runs $665 in Cambridge versus $1,036 in Wellington. Over years of preschool, even a modest monthly gap compounds into a major financial factor for families.

Dining out is cheaper in Cambridge – a meal for two runs $66.0 versus $64.0 in Wellington. If you eat out regularly, this makes a real dent in your monthly spending.

At $2,082 in Cambridge versus $2,342 in Wellington, a $2,500 budget is realistic in Cambridge but tight or insufficient in Wellington. The gap between the two cities makes Cambridge the clear choice for anyone on this budget.

For families, Cambridge is more practical. Housing and childcare are both notably cheaper than in Wellington, and the savings on those two alone free up budget for education, activities, and family trips.

Safety-wise, Cambridge and Wellington are on par. Petty crime is typical for cities this size, and most residents feel comfortable going about their daily routines in either place.

Expats usually find Cambridge gentler on the wallet – expenses run 12% less than in Wellington. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.