Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Paihia and Wellington

For one person, living is cheaper in Paihia: $1,992 a month against $2,313 in Wellington, rent and utilities included – about $3,900 less a year. Rent and utilities account for most of the difference.

102

Cost of Living Index in Paihia
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Paihia Living Index
110

Cost of Living Index in Wellington
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Wellington Living Index

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Paihia

🇳🇿 New Zealand

$1,992

/mo nomad

Wellington

🇳🇿 New Zealand

$2,313

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

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

A single person spends $1,992 per month in Paihia vs $2,313 in Wellington, rent included.

Paihia $1,992
Wellington $2,313

A couple spends around $3,026 per month in Paihia vs $3,422 in Wellington, rent included.

Paihia $3,026
Wellington $3,422

A family of three spends $4,061 per month in Paihia vs $4,530 in Wellington, rent included.

Paihia $4,061
Wellington $4,530

Paihia is about 14% cheaper than Wellington, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in clothing.

Both Paihia and Wellington sit above the global median – Paihia by 46%, Wellington by 70%.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$14.21 NZ$25.24

$14.02 NZ$24.90

1.36%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$33.59 NZ$59.6

$66.5 NZ$118

-49.46%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$8.73 NZ$15.50

$9.23 NZ$16.38

-5.42%

Cappuccino

$3.51 NZ$6.24

$3.41 NZ$6.06

2.93%

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

$1.98 NZ$3.51

$2.43 NZ$4.32

-18.52%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.82 NZ$3.23

$1.69 NZ$3.00

7.69%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$6.69 NZ$11.88

$7.48 NZ$13.29

-10.56%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$6.94 NZ$12.33

$6.74 NZ$11.97

2.97%

Milk (1 liter)

$2.01 NZ$3.56

$1.95 NZ$3.47

3.08%

White Bread (500g)

$2.27 NZ$4.03

$2.25 NZ$4.00

0.89%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.89 NZ$3.36

$1.85 NZ$3.29

2.16%

Eggs

$6.39 NZ$11.35

$7.10 NZ$12.61

-10.00%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$8.79 NZ$15.60

$9.54 NZ$16.94

-7.86%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$10.20 NZ$18.11

$9.62 NZ$17.08

6.03%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$17.11 NZ$30.37

$15.26 NZ$27.09

12.12%

Apples (1kg)

$2.92 NZ$5.19

$3.09 NZ$5.49

-5.50%

Banana (1kg)

$2.07 NZ$3.67

$2.15 NZ$3.83

-3.72%

Oranges (1kg)

$3.03 NZ$5.37

$3.08 NZ$5.47

-1.62%

Tomato (1kg)

$5.76 NZ$10.23

$6.42 NZ$11.40

-10.28%

Potato (1kg)

$2.11 NZ$3.75

$2.10 NZ$3.72

0.48%

Onion (1kg)

$1.54 NZ$2.73

$1.23 NZ$2.19

25.20%

Lettuce (1 head)

$2.07 NZ$3.68

$2.01 NZ$3.57

2.99%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$1.09 NZ$1.94

$1.16 NZ$2.06

-6.03%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$28.05 NZ$49.80

$25.37 NZ$45.04

10.56%

Wine (Bottle)

$10.27 NZ$18.23

$11.48 NZ$20.39

-10.54%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$2.79 NZ$4.95

$3.12 NZ$5.53

-10.58%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.35 NZ$5.94

$2.89 NZ$5.12

15.92%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$2.11 NZ$3.75

$2.86 NZ$5.08

-26.22%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$106 NZ$188

$105 NZ$186

0.88%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$1.71 NZ$3.04

$1.88 NZ$3.34

-9.04%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$2.00 NZ$3.55

$1.83 NZ$3.25

9.29%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$32.17 NZ$57.1

$34.31 NZ$60.9

-6.24%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.90 NZ$3.38

$1.84 NZ$3.27

3.26%

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

$27.4K NZ$48.7K

$28.4K NZ$50.4K

-3.40%

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

$21.8K NZ$38.8K

$23.8K NZ$42.3K

-8.27%

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

$186 NZ$330

$201 NZ$357

-7.53%

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

$27.00 NZ$47.94

$33.35 NZ$59.2

-19.04%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$51.8 NZ$91.9

$53.7 NZ$95.3

-3.52%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$42.96 NZ$76.3

$35.87 NZ$63.7

19.77%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$16.18 NZ$28.73

Cinema Ticket

$12.32 NZ$21.87

$11.78 NZ$20.92

4.58%

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

$1,087 NZ$1,930

$1,065 NZ$1,890

2.10%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$19.8K NZ$35.1K

$13.3K NZ$23.6K

48.90%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$79.5 NZ$141

$80.4 NZ$143

-1.09%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$41.10 NZ$73.0

$28.04 NZ$49.78

46.58%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$94.2 NZ$167

$102 NZ$180

-7.29%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$110 NZ$196

$154 NZ$274

-28.37%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,015 NZ$1,801

$1,143 NZ$2,029

-11.20%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$798 NZ$1,418

$1,078 NZ$1,914

-25.95%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,691 NZ$3,001

$2,057 NZ$3,651

-17.80%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,591 NZ$2,824

$1,814 NZ$3,220

-12.31%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$4,841 NZ$8,594

$6,594 NZ$11.7K

-26.59%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$3,767 NZ$6,689

$3,655 NZ$6,489

3.08%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$2,785 NZ$4,945

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

5.37

5.39

-0.37%

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

Last update for Paihia: October 25, 2026

Last update for Wellington: October 27, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Accommodation & Living

Paihia

$798 40.1%

Wellington

$1.1K 46.6% 35% $280

Groceries & Markets

Paihia

$345 17.3%

Wellington

$348 15.1% 1.1% $3.7

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Paihia

$264 13.3%

Wellington

$288 12.4% 8.8% $23

Eating Out

Paihia

$245 12.3%

Wellington

$248 10.7% 1.5% $3.6

Clothing & Footwear

Paihia

$146 7.4%

Wellington

$164 7.1% 12% $18

Getting Around

Paihia

$126 6.3%

Wellington

$127 5.5% 1.1% $1.4

Sport & Entertainment

Paihia

$68 3.4%

Wellington

$59 2.6% 12.1% $8.2

Cost Breakdown

A central one-bedroom costs $1,015 in Paihia 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.

A mid-range dinner for two costs $34 in Paihia versus $66 in Wellington. Monthly groceries follow the same trend: $345 vs $348 – making Paihia the more affordable choice for daily food spending.

Good to know

🇳🇿 Paihia

🇳🇿 Wellington

🕒 Local time

12:15 12:15 PM

Same time as Paihia

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

1,800

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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Between locations

Paihia Wellington 670 km ≈ 1 h 15 min nonstop flight

From you

Paihia
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

Paihia vs Wellington: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Monthly costs with rent: $1,992 in Paihia, $2,313 in Wellington – Paihia comes out roughly 14% cheaper. Outside of rent, the biggest gap is in clothing.

For a comfortable life, plan on about $2,988 per month in Paihia 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 Paihia, especially for central apartments: a one-bedroom in the center costs $1,015 there versus $1,143 in Wellington.

Kindergarten costs $1,087 per month in Paihia and $1,065 in Wellington. For families with young kids, this one expense can tip the scales when choosing between the two cities.

Monthly expenses with rent come to $1,992 in Paihia and $2,313 in Wellington. That makes Paihia about 14% cheaper.

$3,000 covers both cities comfortably – all-in costs are $1,992 in Paihia and $2,313 in Wellington, leaving budget for savings and extras in both cases.

It depends on your priorities. Wellington has an edge in some lifestyle areas, with costs from $1,992 in Paihia to $2,313 in Wellington. Climate, culture, job market, and personal taste all factor in.

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