Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Manukau and Wellington

For one person, living is cheaper in Manukau: $1,914 a month against $2,313 in Wellington, rent and utilities included – about $4,800 less a year. Rent and utilities account for most of the difference.

91

Cost of Living Index in Manukau
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Manukau Living Index
110

Cost of Living Index in Wellington
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Wellington Living Index

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Manukau

🇳🇿 New Zealand

$1,914

/mo nomad

Wellington

🇳🇿 New Zealand

$2,313

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

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

A single person spends $1,914 per month in Manukau vs $2,313 in Wellington, rent included.

Manukau $1,914
Wellington $2,313

A couple spends around $2,853 per month in Manukau vs $3,422 in Wellington, rent included.

Manukau $2,853
Wellington $3,422

A family of three spends $3,792 per month in Manukau vs $4,530 in Wellington, rent included.

Manukau $3,792
Wellington $4,530

Manukau is about 17% cheaper than Wellington, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in groceries.

Both Manukau and Wellington sit above the global median – Manukau by 41%, Wellington by 70%.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$12.06 NZ$21.42

$14.02 NZ$24.90

-13.98%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$68.0 NZ$121

$66.5 NZ$118

2.35%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$8.28 NZ$14.71

$9.23 NZ$16.38

-10.29%

Cappuccino

$3.48 NZ$6.19

$3.41 NZ$6.06

2.05%

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

$2.04 NZ$3.63

$2.43 NZ$4.32

-16.05%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.74 NZ$3.08

$1.69 NZ$3.00

2.96%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$6.22 NZ$11.05

$7.48 NZ$13.29

-16.84%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$5.62 NZ$9.98

$6.74 NZ$11.97

-16.62%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.44 NZ$2.56

$1.95 NZ$3.47

-26.15%

White Bread (500g)

$1.30 NZ$2.31

$2.25 NZ$4.00

-42.22%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.90 NZ$3.37

$1.85 NZ$3.29

2.70%

Eggs

$5.26 NZ$9.34

$7.10 NZ$12.61

-25.92%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$5.52 NZ$9.80

$9.54 NZ$16.94

-42.14%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$7.46 NZ$13.24

$9.62 NZ$17.08

-22.45%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$11.96 NZ$21.23

$15.26 NZ$27.09

-21.63%

Apples (1kg)

$2.57 NZ$4.55

$3.09 NZ$5.49

-16.83%

Banana (1kg)

$2.16 NZ$3.84

$2.15 NZ$3.83

0.47%

Oranges (1kg)

$2.97 NZ$5.27

$3.08 NZ$5.47

-3.57%

Tomato (1kg)

$5.72 NZ$10.16

$6.42 NZ$11.40

-10.90%

Potato (1kg)

$2.09 NZ$3.70

$2.10 NZ$3.72

-0.48%

Onion (1kg)

$1.43 NZ$2.55

$1.23 NZ$2.19

16.26%

Lettuce (1 head)

$2.01 NZ$3.57

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.91 NZ$1.62

$1.16 NZ$2.06

-21.55%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$25.51 NZ$45.30

$25.37 NZ$45.04

0.55%

Wine (Bottle)

$10.51 NZ$18.65

$11.48 NZ$20.39

-8.45%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$2.84 NZ$5.04

$3.12 NZ$5.53

-8.97%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.32 NZ$5.90

$2.89 NZ$5.12

14.88%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$1.85 NZ$3.29

$2.86 NZ$5.08

-35.31%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$111 NZ$197

$105 NZ$186

6.01%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$2.28 NZ$4.05

$1.88 NZ$3.34

21.28%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.94 NZ$3.45

$1.83 NZ$3.25

6.01%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$32.50 NZ$57.7

$34.31 NZ$60.9

-5.28%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.72 NZ$3.06

$1.84 NZ$3.27

-6.52%

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

$27.3K NZ$48.4K

$28.4K NZ$50.4K

-3.94%

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

$21.8K NZ$38.8K

$23.8K NZ$42.3K

-8.23%

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

$58.0 NZ$103

$201 NZ$357

-71.12%

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

$26.67 NZ$47.35

$33.35 NZ$59.2

-20.03%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$50.8 NZ$90.3

$53.7 NZ$95.3

-5.24%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$43.35 NZ$77.0

$35.87 NZ$63.7

20.85%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$16.18 NZ$28.73

Cinema Ticket

$12.35 NZ$21.92

$11.78 NZ$20.92

4.84%

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

$687 NZ$1,220

$1,065 NZ$1,890

-35.46%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$19.5K NZ$34.5K

$13.3K NZ$23.6K

46.48%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$62.3 NZ$111

$80.4 NZ$143

-22.58%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$38.79 NZ$68.9

$28.04 NZ$49.78

38.34%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$92.4 NZ$164

$102 NZ$180

-9.05%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$112 NZ$198

$154 NZ$274

-27.53%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,036 NZ$1,840

$1,143 NZ$2,029

-9.31%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$940 NZ$1,669

$1,078 NZ$1,914

-12.82%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,640 NZ$2,912

$2,057 NZ$3,651

-20.24%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,494 NZ$2,653

$1,814 NZ$3,220

-17.61%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$4,976 NZ$8,834

$6,594 NZ$11.7K

-24.54%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$3,073 NZ$5,457

$3,655 NZ$6,489

-15.91%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$1,825 NZ$3,239

$2,785 NZ$4,945

-34.49%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

5.9

5.39

9.46%

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

Last update for Manukau: October 26, 2026

Last update for Wellington: October 27, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Accommodation & Living

Manukau

$940 49.1%

Wellington

$1.1K 46.6% 14.7% $138

Groceries & Markets

Manukau

$282 14.7%

Wellington

$348 15.1% 23.5% $66

Eating Out

Manukau

$221 11.5%

Wellington

$248 10.7% 12.5% $28

Clothing & Footwear

Manukau

$137 7.2%

Wellington

$164 7.1% 19.3% $27

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Manukau

$136 7.1%

Wellington

$288 12.4% 112% $152

Getting Around

Manukau

$131 6.8%

Wellington

$127 5.5% 2.5% $3.2

Sport & Entertainment

Manukau

$68 3.6%

Wellington

$59 2.6% 12.7% $8.6

Cost Breakdown

A central one-bedroom costs $1,036 in Manukau 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 53% higher in Wellington. Purchasing power depends on which expenses matter most to you.

A mid-range dinner for two costs $68 in Manukau versus $66 in Wellington. Groceries tell a different story – $282 in Manukau vs $348 in Wellington – so Manukau wins on supermarket bills even if dining out costs more.

Good to know

🇳🇿 Manukau

🇳🇿 Wellington

🕒 Local time

10:16 10:16 AM

Same time as Manukau

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

362,000

215,900 Capital

💱 Currency

New Zealand Dollar NZD $

📈 Exchange rate

1 NZD = 0.563 USD

1 NZD = 0.504 EUR

1 NZD = 0.563 USD

1 NZD = 0.504 EUR

Exchange rates and currency converter

On the map

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Manukau Wellington 470 km

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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

Manukau vs Wellington: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Monthly costs with rent: $1,914 in Manukau, $2,313 in Wellington – Manukau comes out roughly 17% cheaper. Outside of rent, the biggest gap is in groceries.

For a comfortable life, plan on about $2,871 per month in Manukau and $3,470 in Wellington. That covers rent, food, utilities, transport, and enough left over to feel settled – not just surviving.

A central 1-bedroom goes for about $1,036 in Manukau and $1,143 in Wellington. The gap holds across neighborhoods – outer areas show a similar spread, just at lower price points.

Groceries cost about 23% more in Wellington, though the gap depends on what you buy.

A mid-range dinner for two costs $68 in Manukau and $66 in Wellington. That’s a good indicator of the overall restaurant and café pricing gap between the two cities.

$3,000 covers both cities comfortably – all-in costs are $1,914 in Manukau and $2,313 in Wellington, leaving budget for savings and extras in both cases.

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

Both cities have a reputation for safety. In either place, the choice of neighborhood matters more than the choice between the two cities.

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