Cost of Living Comparison Between Oamaru and Wellington Cost of Living Comparison Between Oamaru and Wellington

Monthly Cost of Living

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $1,726 in Oamaru versus $2,303 in Wellington.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $2,682 in Oamaru versus $3,534 in Wellington.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $3,638 in Oamaru versus $4,764 in Wellington.

Living in Oamaru costs roughly 25% less than in Wellington, driven mainly by Clothing & Footwear.

Both cities are pricier than the global median: Oamaru 30% above, Wellington 73% above.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$17.10 NZ$29.00

$17.73 NZ$30.05

-3.55%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$72.5 NZ$123

$83.8 NZ$142

-13.57%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$9.57 NZ$16.23

$9.39 NZ$15.91

1.92%

Cappuccino

$3.48 NZ$5.91

$3.78 NZ$6.40

-7.94%

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

$2.27 NZ$3.85

$2.47 NZ$4.18

-8.10%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.05 NZ$3.48

$2.20 NZ$3.73

-6.82%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$7.21 NZ$12.23

$7.17 NZ$12.16

0.56%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$7.10 NZ$12.03

$7.05 NZ$11.96

0.71%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.79 NZ$3.04

$1.88 NZ$3.19

-4.79%

White Bread (500g)

$1.15 NZ$1.95

$2.12 NZ$3.59

-45.75%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.23 NZ$2.09

$1.87 NZ$3.16

-34.22%

Eggs

$3.89 NZ$6.60

$7.17 NZ$12.16

-45.75%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$8.06 NZ$13.66

$8.25 NZ$13.99

-2.30%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$9.13 NZ$15.48

$11.12 NZ$18.84

-17.90%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$12.89 NZ$21.84

$13.27 NZ$22.49

-2.86%

Apples (1kg)

$2.46 NZ$4.18

$3.14 NZ$5.32

-21.66%

Banana (1kg)

$1.82 NZ$3.09

$2.33 NZ$3.95

-21.89%

Oranges (1kg)

$2.96 NZ$5.02

$3.10 NZ$5.25

-4.52%

Tomato (1kg)

$5.59 NZ$9.48

$4.67 NZ$7.92

19.70%

Potato (1kg)

$1.54 NZ$2.61

$2.00 NZ$3.39

-23.00%

Onion (1kg)

$1.22 NZ$2.07

$1.62 NZ$2.75

-24.69%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.86 NZ$3.16

$2.26 NZ$3.83

-17.70%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$1.40 NZ$2.38

$1.30 NZ$2.20

7.69%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$23.75 NZ$40.25

$26.08 NZ$44.22

-8.93%

Wine (Bottle)

$5.92 NZ$10.04

$10.88 NZ$18.44

-45.59%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$3.77 NZ$6.39

$3.53 NZ$5.98

6.80%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$4.94 NZ$8.38

$3.30 NZ$5.59

49.70%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$2.10 NZ$3.56

$2.73 NZ$4.62

-23.08%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$63.2 NZ$107

$105 NZ$178

-39.73%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$2.73 NZ$4.63

$2.79 NZ$4.72

-2.15%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.69 NZ$2.87

$1.80 NZ$3.06

-6.11%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$30.64 NZ$52.0

$60.0 NZ$102

-48.97%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.68 NZ$2.85

$1.73 NZ$2.94

-2.89%

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

$27.7K NZ$46.9K

$33.7K NZ$57.1K

-17.96%

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

$19.7K NZ$33.4K

$24.6K NZ$41.7K

-19.84%

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

$118 NZ$201

$155 NZ$263

-23.72%

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

$18.23 NZ$30.91

$33.22 NZ$56.3

-45.12%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$47.64 NZ$80.8

$51.8 NZ$87.9

-8.08%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$37.05 NZ$62.8

$35.56 NZ$60.3

4.19%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$12.30 NZ$20.84

$20.11 NZ$34.08

-38.84%

Cinema Ticket

$10.80 NZ$18.31

$12.16 NZ$20.61

-11.18%

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

$653 NZ$1,107

$806 NZ$1,367

-18.98%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$9,274 NZ$15.7K

$12.9K NZ$21.9K

-28.15%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$61.0 NZ$103

$73.0 NZ$124

-16.54%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$17.94 NZ$30.40

$52.2 NZ$88.5

-65.63%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$48.00 NZ$81.4

$118 NZ$200

-59.25%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$54.8 NZ$92.8

$144 NZ$244

-61.92%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$983 NZ$1,667

$1,315 NZ$2,228

-25.21%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$780 NZ$1,322

$1,102 NZ$1,868

-29.21%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,550 NZ$2,628

$2,132 NZ$3,613

-27.27%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,420 NZ$2,407

$1,896 NZ$3,214

-25.10%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$4,804 NZ$8,143

$6,989 NZ$11.8K

-31.27%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$3,073 NZ$5,210

$3,785 NZ$6,416

-18.80%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$2,013 NZ$3,412

$2,670 NZ$4,526

-24.61%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

6.94

-13.54%

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

Last update for Oamaru: July 27, 2026

Last update for Wellington: July 27, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $983 in Oamaru and $1,315 in Wellington. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Wellington pays 33% 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: $72.0 in Oamaru vs $84.0 in Wellington for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $293 vs $342 per month, with Oamaru cheaper across the board.

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

Oamaru vs Wellington: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Oamaru is cheaper overall, especially in Groceries & Markets, Eating Out, Getting Around, Clothing & Footwear, Monthly Utilities & Internet. The 33% gap adds up to real monthly savings that compound significantly over time.

On paper, salaries run 33% 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: $983 in Oamaru versus $1,315 in Wellington. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Supermarket bills run roughly 16% higher in Wellington. For households that cook at home regularly, that difference adds up over a month.

Dining out is cheaper in Oamaru – a meal for two runs $72.0 versus $84.0 in Wellington. If you eat out regularly, this makes a real dent in your monthly spending.

At $1,726 in Oamaru versus $2,303 in Wellington, a $2,500 budget is realistic in Oamaru but tight or insufficient in Wellington. The gap between the two cities makes Oamaru the clear choice for anyone on this budget.

For families, Oamaru 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, Oamaru 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 Oamaru gentler on the wallet – expenses run 33% less than in Wellington. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.