Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Hobart and Wellington

For one person, living is cheaper in Wellington: $2,376 a month against $2,733 in Hobart, rent and utilities included – about $4,300 less a year. Rent and utilities account for most of the difference.

132

Cost of Living Index in Hobart
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Hobart Living Index
115

Cost of Living Index in Wellington
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Wellington Living Index

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Hobart

🇦🇺 Australia

$2,733

/mo nomad

Wellington

🇳🇿 New Zealand

$2,376

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

How much you'll spend in Hobart 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 Hobart and in Wellington actually costs, broken down by who's living it.

A single person spends $2,733 per month in Hobart vs $2,376 in Wellington, rent included.

Hobart $2,733
Wellington $2,376

A couple spends around $3,695 per month in Hobart vs $3,407 in Wellington, rent included.

Hobart $3,695
Wellington $3,407

A family of three spends $4,657 per month in Hobart vs $4,439 in Wellington, rent included.

Hobart $4,657
Wellington $4,439

Hobart costs about 15% more than Wellington, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in eating out.

Both Hobart and Wellington sit above the global median – Hobart by 102%, Wellington by 75%.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$18.35 A$26.41

$14.01 NZ$24.78

30.98%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$92.5 A$133

$65.8 NZ$116

40.58%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$10.44 A$15.02

$9.37 NZ$16.56

11.42%

Cappuccino

$3.94 A$5.67

$3.40 NZ$6.02

15.88%

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

$3.42 A$4.92

$2.46 NZ$4.35

39.02%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.17 A$3.12

$1.75 NZ$3.09

24.00%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$8.18 A$11.77

$7.27 NZ$12.85

12.52%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$9.29 A$13.37

$6.71 NZ$11.87

38.45%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.79 A$2.57

$1.94 NZ$3.43

-7.73%

White Bread (500g)

$2.43 A$3.50

$2.15 NZ$3.81

13.02%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.88 A$2.71

$1.83 NZ$3.25

2.73%

Eggs

$5.39 A$7.75

$6.88 NZ$12.16

-21.66%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$9.53 A$13.71

$9.19 NZ$16.26

3.70%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$8.84 A$12.71

$9.99 NZ$17.67

-11.51%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$17.77 A$25.57

$14.97 NZ$26.48

18.70%

Apples (1kg)

$3.18 A$4.58

$3.03 NZ$5.36

4.95%

Banana (1kg)

$3.34 A$4.80

$2.24 NZ$3.96

49.11%

Oranges (1kg)

$2.96 A$4.26

$3.09 NZ$5.47

-4.21%

Tomato (1kg)

$4.66 A$6.71

$6.55 NZ$11.59

-28.85%

Potato (1kg)

$2.59 A$3.73

$2.16 NZ$3.83

19.91%

Onion (1kg)

$2.14 A$3.08

$1.28 NZ$2.27

67.19%

Lettuce (1 head)

$2.65 A$3.82

$2.10 NZ$3.71

26.19%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$1.69 A$2.44

$1.20 NZ$2.12

40.83%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$36.85 A$53.0

$25.79 NZ$45.60

42.88%

Wine (Bottle)

$14.72 A$21.19

$11.27 NZ$19.94

30.61%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$4.98 A$7.16

$3.12 NZ$5.51

59.62%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$5.36 A$7.72

$2.82 NZ$4.98

90.07%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$3.05 A$4.39

$2.76 NZ$4.89

10.51%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$97.9 A$141

$104 NZ$184

-6.01%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$4.64 A$6.67

$1.88 NZ$3.33

146.81%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$2.08 A$2.99

$1.78 NZ$3.14

16.85%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$41.36 A$59.5

$33.72 NZ$59.6

22.66%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.36 A$1.95

$1.85 NZ$3.27

-26.49%

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

$28.4K A$40.8K

$28.7K NZ$50.8K

-1.23%

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

$33.8K A$48.6K

$23.8K NZ$42.1K

42.02%

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

$223 A$321

$194 NZ$344

14.73%

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

$28.52 A$41.04

$33.42 NZ$59.1

-14.66%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$59.8 A$86.1

$53.5 NZ$94.7

11.77%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$36.82 A$53.0

$38.12 NZ$67.4

-3.41%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$13.00 A$18.70

$16.15 NZ$28.56

-19.50%

Cinema Ticket

$16.63 A$23.93

$11.97 NZ$21.17

38.93%

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

$1,976 A$2,843

$1,056 NZ$1,868

87.09%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$20.6K A$29.6K

$12.9K NZ$22.9K

59.39%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$76.1 A$110

$79.2 NZ$140

-3.86%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$54.3 A$78.1

$28.87 NZ$51.1

87.91%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$104 A$149

$103 NZ$182

0.94%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$126 A$181

$156 NZ$275

-19.19%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,836 A$2,642

$1,217 NZ$2,152

50.89%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,382 A$1,988

$1,147 NZ$2,028

20.46%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$2,156 A$3,103

$2,154 NZ$3,809

0.11%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,617 A$2,326

$1,731 NZ$3,061

-6.61%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$9,379 A$13.5K

$6,780 NZ$12.0K

38.35%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$6,772 A$9,744

$3,655 NZ$6,464

85.27%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$4,024 A$5,790

$2,812 NZ$4,972

43.11%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

6.2

5.39

15.03%

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

Last update for Hobart: October 19, 2026

Last update for Wellington: October 18, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Accommodation & Living

Hobart

$1.4K 50.5%

Wellington

$1.1K 48.3% 17% $235

Groceries & Markets

Hobart

$376 13.8%

Wellington

$348 14.6% 7.7% $29

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Hobart

$311 11.4%

Wellington

$281 11.8% 9.6% $30

Eating Out

Hobart

$307 11.2%

Wellington

$248 10.4% 19.4% $60

Clothing & Footwear

Hobart

$162 5.9%

Wellington

$165 6.9% 1.8% $3

Getting Around

Hobart

$125 4.6%

Wellington

$126 5.3% 0.7% $0.8

Sport & Entertainment

Hobart

$70 2.6%

Wellington

$62 2.6% 11.4% $8

Cost Breakdown

A central one-bedroom costs $1,836 in Hobart versus $1,217 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 43% higher in Hobart, 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 $92.0 in Hobart versus $66.0 in Wellington. Monthly groceries follow the same trend: $376 vs $348 – making Wellington the more affordable choice for daily food spending.

Good to know

🇦🇺 Hobart

🇳🇿 Wellington

🕒 Local time

10:25 10:25 AM

12:25 12:25 PM

2 h ahead of Hobart

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

197,451

215,900 Capital

💱 Currency

Australian Dollar AUD $

New Zealand Dollar NZD $

📈 Exchange rate

1 AUD = 0.695 USD

1 AUD = 0.618 EUR

1 NZD = 0.565 USD

1 NZD = 0.503 EUR

Exchange rates and currency converter

NZD, USD, EUR to AUD – Australian Dollar Converter

🇺🇸 United States Dollar ($)

🇦🇺 Australian Dollar ($)

Australian Dollar exchange rates as of October 21, 2026: 1 USD = 1.44 AUD (1 AUD = 0.695 USD). 1 EUR = 1.62 AUD (1 AUD = 0.618 EUR).

New Zealand Dollar exchange rates as of October 21, 2026: 1 USD = 1.77 NZD (1 NZD = 0.565 USD). 1 EUR = 1.99 NZD (1 NZD = 0.503 EUR).

USD to AUD in detail →

On the map

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Between locations

Hobart Wellington 2,260 km ≈ 3 h 15 min nonstop flight

From you

Hobart
Wellington

Distances are measured in a straight line. Your location is detected approximately.

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

Hobart vs Wellington: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Hobart costs about 15% more than Wellington, and outside of rent the gap comes mainly from 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 $4,100 per month in Hobart and $3,564 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.

Groceries cost about 8% more in Hobart, though it depends on what you buy. Local produce may be comparable; imported and premium items show the biggest price gap.

A mid-range dinner for two costs $92.0 in Hobart and $66.0 in Wellington. That's a good indicator of the overall restaurant and café pricing gap between the two cities.

A $2,500 monthly budget goes further in Wellington, where all-in costs run around $2,376, than in Hobart at $2,733. In Wellington it covers expenses comfortably, while in Hobart it requires careful planning or may not stretch far enough.

For digital nomads, it depends on budget. Wellington costs $2,376 versus $2,733 in Hobart. 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, Hobart makes more sense. Both are solid long-term options with distinct trade-offs.