Cost of Living Comparison Between Palmerston North and Wellington Cost of Living Comparison Between Palmerston North and Wellington

Monthly Cost of Living

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $1,714 in Palmerston North versus $2,354 in Wellington.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $2,743 in Palmerston North versus $3,553 in Wellington.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $3,773 in Palmerston North versus $4,751 in Wellington.

Living in Palmerston North costs roughly 27% less than in Wellington, driven mainly by Getting Around.

Both cities are pricier than the global median: Palmerston North 28% above, Wellington 76% above.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$16.49 NZ$27.84

$17.30 NZ$29.21

-4.68%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$71.3 NZ$120

$84.5 NZ$143

-15.63%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$12.21 NZ$20.62

$9.77 NZ$16.49

24.97%

Cappuccino

$3.57 NZ$6.03

$3.80 NZ$6.41

-6.05%

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

$2.38 NZ$4.02

$2.60 NZ$4.40

-8.46%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.07 NZ$3.49

$2.18 NZ$3.68

-5.05%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$7.15 NZ$12.07

$7.03 NZ$11.88

1.71%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$6.31 NZ$10.65

$7.45 NZ$12.59

-15.30%

Milk (1 liter)

$2.01 NZ$3.40

$1.87 NZ$3.15

7.49%

White Bread (500g)

$2.10 NZ$3.54

$2.11 NZ$3.56

-0.47%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.75 NZ$2.95

$1.95 NZ$3.30

-10.26%

Eggs

$5.23 NZ$8.82

$6.88 NZ$11.62

-23.98%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$8.26 NZ$13.95

$8.13 NZ$13.73

1.60%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$9.23 NZ$15.58

$11.06 NZ$18.67

-16.55%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$12.60 NZ$21.27

$13.14 NZ$22.19

-4.11%

Apples (1kg)

$2.51 NZ$4.23

$3.12 NZ$5.27

-19.55%

Banana (1kg)

$1.80 NZ$3.04

$2.24 NZ$3.78

-19.64%

Oranges (1kg)

$2.46 NZ$4.15

$2.99 NZ$5.05

-17.73%

Tomato (1kg)

$3.34 NZ$5.63

$4.72 NZ$7.97

-29.24%

Potato (1kg)

$2.16 NZ$3.64

$2.07 NZ$3.49

4.35%

Onion (1kg)

$2.18 NZ$3.68

$1.66 NZ$2.80

31.33%

Lettuce (1 head)

$2.04 NZ$3.45

$2.21 NZ$3.73

-7.69%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.97 NZ$1.65

$1.28 NZ$2.17

-24.22%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$20.54 NZ$34.68

$26.87 NZ$45.36

-23.56%

Wine (Bottle)

$9.04 NZ$15.27

$11.74 NZ$19.82

-23.00%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$2.52 NZ$4.26

$3.52 NZ$5.95

-28.41%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$5.41 NZ$9.14

$3.18 NZ$5.37

70.13%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$4.72 NZ$7.98

$2.75 NZ$4.64

71.64%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$30.37 NZ$51.3

$107 NZ$181

-71.64%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$2.47 NZ$4.18

$2.66 NZ$4.50

-7.14%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.84 NZ$3.11

$1.85 NZ$3.13

-0.54%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$17.02 NZ$28.73

$60.4 NZ$102

-71.80%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.73 NZ$2.92

$1.71 NZ$2.89

1.17%

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

$18.8K NZ$31.7K

$33.6K NZ$56.7K

-44.07%

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

$21.8K NZ$36.7K

$24.6K NZ$41.5K

-11.49%

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

$89.8 NZ$152

$160 NZ$270

-43.95%

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

$37.60 NZ$63.5

$32.55 NZ$55.0

15.51%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$48.40 NZ$81.7

$51.5 NZ$87.0

-6.02%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$34.74 NZ$58.7

$36.79 NZ$62.1

-5.57%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$13.16 NZ$22.22

$20.60 NZ$34.78

-36.12%

Cinema Ticket

$9.00 NZ$15.20

$12.17 NZ$20.55

-26.05%

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

$1,004 NZ$1,694

$800 NZ$1,351

25.40%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$6,168 NZ$10.4K

$12.6K NZ$21.4K

-51.24%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$57.6 NZ$97.3

$73.5 NZ$124

-21.61%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$37.67 NZ$63.6

$53.1 NZ$89.7

-29.11%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$91.2 NZ$154

$119 NZ$201

-23.43%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$93.4 NZ$158

$142 NZ$239

-34.02%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$839 NZ$1,416

$1,339 NZ$2,261

-37.38%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$688 NZ$1,162

$1,105 NZ$1,865

-37.68%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,548 NZ$2,614

$2,103 NZ$3,551

-26.38%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,390 NZ$2,347

$1,888 NZ$3,188

-26.37%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$2,200 NZ$3,714

$6,602 NZ$11.1K

-66.68%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$1,969 NZ$3,324

$3,897 NZ$6,579

-49.48%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$2,671 NZ$4,509

$3,057 NZ$5,161

-12.63%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

6.69

6.94

-3.60%

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

Last update for Palmerston North: May 31, 2026

Last update for Wellington: May 31, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $839 in Palmerston North and $1,339 in Wellington. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Wellington pays 14% 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: $71.0 in Palmerston North vs $85.0 in Wellington for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $300 vs $340 per month, with Palmerston North 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

Palmerston North vs Wellington: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Palmerston North and Wellington differ by about 37% in total monthly costs ($1,714 vs $2,354 including rent). Palmerston North is meaningfully more affordable – a gap that matters a lot on a fixed or modest income.

On paper, Wellington earns 14% less. 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: $839 in Palmerston North versus $1,339 in Wellington. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Childcare runs $1,004 in Palmerston North versus $800 in Wellington. Over years of preschool, even a modest monthly gap compounds into a major financial factor for families.

Supermarket bills run roughly 13% higher in Wellington. For households that cook at home regularly, that difference adds up over a month.

At $1,714 in Palmerston North versus $2,354 in Wellington, a $3,000 budget is realistic in Palmerston North but tight or insufficient in Wellington. The gap between the two cities makes Palmerston North the clear choice for anyone on this budget.

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, Palmerston North 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 Palmerston North gentler on the wallet – expenses run 37% less than in Wellington. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.