Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Hastings, New Zealand and Wellington

For one person, living is cheaper in Hastings: $1,776 a month against $2,313 in Wellington, rent and utilities included – about $6,400 less a year. Rent and utilities account for most of the difference.

86

Cost of Living Index in Hastings
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Hastings Living Index
110

Cost of Living Index in Wellington
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Wellington Living Index

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Hastings

🇳🇿 New Zealand

$1,776

/mo nomad

Wellington

🇳🇿 New Zealand

$2,313

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

How much you'll spend in Hastings and in Wellington

Real prices from locals and on-the-ground checks – rent, groceries, transit and the daily extras. Here's what a month in Hastings and in Wellington actually costs, broken down by who's living it.

A single person spends $1,776 per month in Hastings vs $2,313 in Wellington, rent included.

Hastings $1,776
Wellington $2,313

A couple spends around $2,606 per month in Hastings vs $3,422 in Wellington, rent included.

Hastings $2,606
Wellington $3,422

A family of three spends $3,436 per month in Hastings vs $4,530 in Wellington, rent included.

Hastings $3,436
Wellington $4,530

Hastings is about 23% cheaper than Wellington, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in groceries.

Both Hastings and Wellington sit above the global median – Hastings by 31%, Wellington by 70%.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$11.55 NZ$20.25

$14.02 NZ$24.59

-17.62%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$56.3 NZ$98.7

$66.5 NZ$117

-15.35%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$9.33 NZ$16.36

$9.23 NZ$16.18

1.08%

Cappuccino

$3.29 NZ$5.76

$3.41 NZ$5.98

-3.52%

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

$1.82 NZ$3.19

$2.43 NZ$4.26

-25.10%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.40 NZ$2.45

$1.69 NZ$2.97

-17.16%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$4.43 NZ$7.76

$7.48 NZ$13.12

-40.78%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$5.64 NZ$9.90

$6.74 NZ$11.83

-16.32%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.48 NZ$2.60

$1.95 NZ$3.42

-24.10%

White Bread (500g)

$1.24 NZ$2.18

$2.25 NZ$3.95

-44.89%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.77 NZ$3.11

$1.85 NZ$3.25

-4.32%

Eggs

$5.38 NZ$9.43

$7.10 NZ$12.46

-24.23%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$5.72 NZ$10.04

$9.54 NZ$16.73

-40.04%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$7.48 NZ$13.12

$9.62 NZ$16.87

-22.25%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$11.72 NZ$20.56

$15.26 NZ$26.76

-23.20%

Apples (1kg)

$2.60 NZ$4.57

$3.09 NZ$5.43

-15.86%

Banana (1kg)

$2.01 NZ$3.53

$2.15 NZ$3.78

-6.51%

Oranges (1kg)

$3.11 NZ$5.46

$3.08 NZ$5.40

0.97%

Tomato (1kg)

$3.34 NZ$5.86

$6.42 NZ$11.26

-47.98%

Potato (1kg)

$1.79 NZ$3.14

$2.10 NZ$3.68

-14.76%

Onion (1kg)

$1.03 NZ$1.80

$1.23 NZ$2.16

-16.26%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.42 NZ$2.49

$2.01 NZ$3.53

-29.35%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.97 NZ$1.70

$1.16 NZ$2.03

-16.38%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$17.86 NZ$31.32

$25.37 NZ$44.49

-29.60%

Wine (Bottle)

$9.50 NZ$16.65

$11.48 NZ$20.14

-17.25%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$3.86 NZ$6.77

$3.12 NZ$5.47

23.72%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.02 NZ$5.29

$2.89 NZ$5.06

4.50%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$2.82 NZ$4.95

$2.86 NZ$5.02

-1.40%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$104 NZ$182

$105 NZ$184

-0.98%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$3.75 NZ$6.58

$1.88 NZ$3.30

99.47%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$2.81 NZ$4.93

$1.83 NZ$3.21

53.55%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$33.06 NZ$58.0

$34.31 NZ$60.2

-3.64%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.56 NZ$2.74

$1.84 NZ$3.23

-15.22%

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

$28.0K NZ$49.1K

$28.4K NZ$49.8K

-1.33%

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

$22.8K NZ$40.0K

$23.8K NZ$41.7K

-4.22%

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

$193 NZ$338

$201 NZ$352

-4.07%

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

$36.75 NZ$64.5

$33.35 NZ$58.5

10.19%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$58.5 NZ$103

$53.7 NZ$94.1

9.11%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$27.61 NZ$48.41

$35.87 NZ$62.9

-23.03%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$16.18 NZ$28.38

Cinema Ticket

$10.35 NZ$18.16

$11.78 NZ$20.66

-12.14%

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

$684 NZ$1,200

$1,065 NZ$1,867

-35.75%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$23.0K NZ$40.4K

$13.3K NZ$23.3K

73.24%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$47.65 NZ$83.6

$80.4 NZ$141

-40.75%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$37.98 NZ$66.6

$28.04 NZ$49.17

35.45%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$94.1 NZ$165

$102 NZ$178

-7.40%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$90.0 NZ$158

$154 NZ$270

-41.60%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$826 NZ$1,449

$1,143 NZ$2,004

-27.71%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$711 NZ$1,247

$1,078 NZ$1,891

-34.08%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,567 NZ$2,748

$2,057 NZ$3,607

-23.83%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,165 NZ$2,043

$1,814 NZ$3,181

-35.78%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$4,213 NZ$7,388

$6,594 NZ$11.6K

-36.12%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$3,293 NZ$5,776

$3,655 NZ$6,410

-9.89%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$1,586 NZ$2,781

$2,785 NZ$4,884

-43.05%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

6.83

5.39

26.72%

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

Last update for Hastings: October 24, 2026

Last update for Wellington: October 27, 2026

Monthly budget structure

Share of the monthly basket for one person, rent included.

Accommodation & Living

Hastings

$711 40%

Wellington

$1.1K 46.6% 51.7% $368

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Hastings

$288 16.2%

Wellington

$288 12.4% 0% $0.1

Groceries & Markets

Hastings

$269 15.1%

Wellington

$348 15.1% 29.5% $79

Eating Out

Hastings

$206 11.6%

Wellington

$248 10.7% 20.5% $42

Getting Around

Hastings

$133 7.5%

Wellington

$127 5.5% 4.2% $5.6

Clothing & Footwear

Hastings

$121 6.8%

Wellington

$164 7.1% 35% $43

Sport & Entertainment

Hastings

$48 2.7%

Wellington

$59 2.6% 23% $11

Cost Breakdown

A central one-bedroom costs $826 in Hastings versus $1,143 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 76% higher in Wellington. Purchasing power depends on which expenses matter most to you.

A mid-range dinner for two costs $56 in Hastings versus $66 in Wellington. Monthly groceries follow the same trend: $269 vs $348 – making Hastings the more affordable choice for daily food spending.

Good to know

🇳🇿 Hastings

🇳🇿 Wellington

🕒 Local time

20:04 8:04 PM

Same time as Hastings

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

50,100

215,900 Capital

💱 Currency

New Zealand Dollar NZD $

📈 Exchange rate

1 NZD = 0.57 USD

1 NZD = 0.512 EUR

1 NZD = 0.57 USD

1 NZD = 0.512 EUR

Exchange rates and currency converter

On the map

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Hastings Wellington 250 km

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Hastings
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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

Hastings vs Wellington: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Wellington costs about 30% more than Hastings, and outside of rent the gap comes mainly from groceries. That’s enough to noticeably affect everyday spending and lifestyle for anyone choosing between the two.

For a comfortable life, plan on about $2,664 per month in Hastings and $3,470 in Wellington. That covers rent, food, utilities, transport, and enough left over to feel settled – not just surviving.

Rent is clearly cheaper in Hastings, especially for central apartments: a one-bedroom in the center costs $826 there versus $1,143 in Wellington.

A mid-range dinner for two costs $56 in Hastings and $66 in Wellington. That’s a good indicator of the overall restaurant and café pricing gap between the two cities.

Groceries cost about 30% more in Wellington, though it depends on what you buy. Local produce may be comparable; imported and premium items show the biggest price gap.

A $2,000 monthly budget goes further in Hastings, where all-in costs run around $1,776, than in Wellington at $2,313. In Hastings it covers expenses comfortably, while in Wellington it requires careful planning or may not stretch far enough.

Families tend to lean toward Hastings – lower housing and cheaper childcare make a real difference, especially on a single income or when paying for private education.

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