Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Napier and Wellington

For one person, living is cheaper in Napier: $2,251 a month against $2,313 in Wellington, rent and utilities included – about $740 less a year. Other living expenses account for most of the difference.

108

Cost of Living Index in Napier
Learn more

Napier Living Index
110

Cost of Living Index in Wellington
Learn more

Wellington Living Index

Jump to prices

Napier

🇳🇿 New Zealand

$2,251

/mo nomad

Wellington

🇳🇿 New Zealand

$2,313

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

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

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $2,251 in Napier versus $2,313 in Wellington.

Napier $2,251
Wellington $2,313

Estimated couple costs with rent: $3,239 in Napier versus $3,422 in Wellington.

Napier $3,239
Wellington $3,422

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $4,227 in Napier versus $4,530 in Wellington.

Napier $4,227
Wellington $4,530

Living in Napier costs roughly 3% less than in Wellington, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in groceries.

Both cities are pricier than the global median: Napier 65% above, Wellington 70% above.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$18.60 NZ$33.07

$14.02 NZ$24.93

32.67%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$95.3 NZ$169

$66.5 NZ$118

43.42%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$9.50 NZ$16.89

$9.23 NZ$16.40

2.93%

Cappuccino

$3.45 NZ$6.14

$3.41 NZ$6.06

1.17%

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

$2.27 NZ$4.03

$2.43 NZ$4.32

-6.58%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.32 NZ$4.12

$1.69 NZ$3.01

37.28%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$6.67 NZ$11.86

$7.48 NZ$13.30

-10.83%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$5.74 NZ$10.21

$6.74 NZ$11.99

-14.84%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.63 NZ$2.90

$1.95 NZ$3.47

-16.41%

White Bread (500g)

$1.51 NZ$2.68

$2.25 NZ$4.01

-32.89%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.48 NZ$2.64

$1.85 NZ$3.30

-20.00%

Eggs

$5.65 NZ$10.04

$7.10 NZ$12.63

-20.42%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$7.52 NZ$13.36

$9.54 NZ$16.96

-21.17%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$8.58 NZ$15.25

$9.62 NZ$17.10

-10.81%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$12.76 NZ$22.68

$15.26 NZ$27.13

-16.38%

Apples (1kg)

$2.29 NZ$4.08

$3.09 NZ$5.50

-25.89%

Banana (1kg)

$1.67 NZ$2.97

$2.15 NZ$3.83

-22.33%

Oranges (1kg)

$3.13 NZ$5.56

$3.08 NZ$5.48

1.62%

Tomato (1kg)

$2.88 NZ$5.12

$6.42 NZ$11.42

-55.14%

Potato (1kg)

$1.79 NZ$3.18

$2.10 NZ$3.73

-14.76%

Onion (1kg)

$2.59 NZ$4.60

$1.23 NZ$2.19

110.57%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.86 NZ$3.31

$2.01 NZ$3.58

-7.46%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$1.18 NZ$2.10

$1.16 NZ$2.06

1.72%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$20.68 NZ$36.75

$25.37 NZ$45.09

-18.49%

Wine (Bottle)

$8.47 NZ$15.06

$11.48 NZ$20.41

-26.22%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$2.55 NZ$4.54

$3.12 NZ$5.54

-18.27%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.44 NZ$4.34

$2.89 NZ$5.13

-15.57%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$1.97 NZ$3.49

$2.86 NZ$5.09

-31.12%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$104 NZ$185

$105 NZ$186

-0.96%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$2.30 NZ$4.09

$1.88 NZ$3.34

22.34%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.84 NZ$3.28

$1.83 NZ$3.25

0.55%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$30.23 NZ$53.7

$34.31 NZ$61.0

-11.89%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.54 NZ$2.74

$1.84 NZ$3.27

-16.30%

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

$25.9K NZ$46.0K

$28.4K NZ$50.5K

-8.80%

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

$23.9K NZ$42.4K

$23.8K NZ$42.3K

0.24%

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

$185 NZ$329

$201 NZ$357

-7.83%

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

$35.28 NZ$62.7

$33.35 NZ$59.3

5.79%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$48.81 NZ$86.8

$53.7 NZ$95.4

-9.02%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$34.62 NZ$61.5

$35.87 NZ$63.8

-3.48%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$10.85 NZ$19.29

$16.18 NZ$28.77

-32.94%

Cinema Ticket

$8.68 NZ$15.43

$11.78 NZ$20.94

-26.32%

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

$690 NZ$1,227

$1,065 NZ$1,892

-35.15%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$16.8K NZ$29.9K

$13.3K NZ$23.6K

26.46%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$107 NZ$190

$80.4 NZ$143

32.99%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$35.09 NZ$62.4

$28.04 NZ$49.84

25.14%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$104 NZ$185

$102 NZ$181

2.68%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$121 NZ$216

$154 NZ$274

-21.17%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,193 NZ$2,121

$1,143 NZ$2,031

4.45%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,080 NZ$1,919

$1,078 NZ$1,917

0.14%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,707 NZ$3,035

$2,057 NZ$3,656

-16.98%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,491 NZ$2,651

$1,814 NZ$3,224

-17.77%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$4,873 NZ$8,662

$6,594 NZ$11.7K

-26.10%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$3,334 NZ$5,926

$3,655 NZ$6,497

-8.79%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$3,110 NZ$5,528

$2,785 NZ$4,951

11.66%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

6.54

5.39

21.34%

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

Last update for Napier: 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

Napier

$1.1K 48%

Wellington

$1.1K 46.6% 0.1% $1.5

Eating Out

Napier

$282 12.5%

Wellington

$248 10.7% 12% $34

Groceries & Markets

Napier

$279 12.4%

Wellington

$348 15.1% 24.9% $69

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Napier

$269 12%

Wellington

$288 12.4% 6.9% $19

Clothing & Footwear

Napier

$166 7.4%

Wellington

$164 7.1% 1% $1.7

Getting Around

Napier

$123 5.5%

Wellington

$127 5.5% 3.3% $4.1

Sport & Entertainment

Napier

$52 2.3%

Wellington

$59 2.6% 14.3% $7.5

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $1,193 in Napier and $1,143 in Wellington. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Napier pays 12% more on average while also being the cheaper of the two. The combined effect is a noticeably stronger local purchasing power.

Dining out: $95 in Napier vs $66 in Wellington. Groceries flip the comparison at $279 vs $348, with Napier cheaper for home cooking.

Good to know

🇳🇿 Napier

🇳🇿 Wellington

🕒 Local time

17:05 5:05 PM

Same time as Napier

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

65,000

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

Lowest

Highest

Between locations

Napier Wellington 270 km

From you

Napier
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

Napier vs Wellington: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Napier is about 3% cheaper overall, especially in groceries, leisure, and transport. That difference adds up to real monthly savings that compound significantly over time.

Average pay runs 12% higher in Napier, which matters when comparing affordability. Whether that higher income actually nets you more depends on your spending habits and housing choices.

Rent for a central apartment: $1,193 in Napier versus $1,143 in Wellington. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Childcare runs $690 in Napier versus $1,065 in Wellington. Over years of preschool, even a modest monthly gap compounds into a major financial factor for families.

Dining out is cheaper in Wellington – a meal for two runs $66 versus $95 in Napier. If you eat out regularly, this makes a real dent in your monthly spending.

Both cities offer a good standard of living with different trade-offs. Neither is objectively better – the right pick depends on what matters most: affordability, career, cultural scene, or climate.

Safety-wise, Napier and Wellington are both considered safe, so it’s unlikely to be the deciding factor between them.