Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Porirua and Wellington

For one person, living is cheaper in Porirua: $2,186 a month against $2,313 in Wellington, rent and utilities included – about $1,500 less a year. Rent and utilities account for most of the difference.

100

Cost of Living Index in Porirua
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Porirua Living Index
110

Cost of Living Index in Wellington
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Wellington Living Index

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Porirua

🇳🇿 New Zealand

$2,186

/mo nomad

Wellington

🇳🇿 New Zealand

$2,313

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

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

A single person spends $2,186 per month in Porirua vs $2,313 in Wellington, rent included.

Porirua $2,186
Wellington $2,313

A couple spends around $3,131 per month in Porirua vs $3,422 in Wellington, rent included.

Porirua $3,131
Wellington $3,422

A family of three spends $4,076 per month in Porirua vs $4,530 in Wellington, rent included.

Porirua $4,076
Wellington $4,530

Porirua is about 5% cheaper than Wellington, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in eating out.

Both Porirua and Wellington sit above the global median – Porirua by 61%, Wellington by 70%.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$13.84 NZ$24.57

$14.02 NZ$24.90

-1.28%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$66.0 NZ$117

$66.5 NZ$118

-0.74%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$8.98 NZ$15.94

$9.23 NZ$16.38

-2.71%

Cappuccino

$2.90 NZ$5.15

$3.41 NZ$6.06

-14.96%

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

$2.42 NZ$4.29

$2.43 NZ$4.32

-0.41%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.70 NZ$3.02

$1.69 NZ$3.00

0.59%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$7.24 NZ$12.85

$7.48 NZ$13.29

-3.21%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$6.70 NZ$11.89

$6.74 NZ$11.97

-0.59%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.96 NZ$3.48

$1.95 NZ$3.47

0.51%

White Bread (500g)

$2.21 NZ$3.92

$2.25 NZ$4.00

-1.78%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.88 NZ$3.34

$1.85 NZ$3.29

1.62%

Eggs

$6.95 NZ$12.34

$7.10 NZ$12.61

-2.11%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$9.36 NZ$16.62

$9.54 NZ$16.94

-1.89%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$9.68 NZ$17.18

$9.62 NZ$17.08

0.62%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$15.54 NZ$27.58

$15.26 NZ$27.09

1.83%

Apples (1kg)

$3.05 NZ$5.42

$3.09 NZ$5.49

-1.29%

Banana (1kg)

$2.24 NZ$3.98

$2.15 NZ$3.83

4.19%

Oranges (1kg)

$3.04 NZ$5.39

$3.08 NZ$5.47

-1.30%

Tomato (1kg)

$6.70 NZ$11.90

$6.42 NZ$11.40

4.36%

Potato (1kg)

$2.17 NZ$3.85

$2.10 NZ$3.72

3.33%

Onion (1kg)

$1.26 NZ$2.23

$1.23 NZ$2.19

2.44%

Lettuce (1 head)

$2.01 NZ$3.57

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$1.20 NZ$2.13

$1.16 NZ$2.06

3.45%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$25.87 NZ$45.93

$25.37 NZ$45.04

1.97%

Wine (Bottle)

$11.28 NZ$20.03

$11.48 NZ$20.39

-1.74%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$3.19 NZ$5.67

$3.12 NZ$5.53

2.24%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.90 NZ$5.15

$2.89 NZ$5.12

0.35%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$1.70 NZ$3.01

$2.86 NZ$5.08

-40.56%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$109 NZ$194

$105 NZ$186

4.37%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$1.90 NZ$3.37

$1.88 NZ$3.34

1.06%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.85 NZ$3.28

$1.83 NZ$3.25

1.09%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$33.96 NZ$60.3

$34.31 NZ$60.9

-1.02%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.55 NZ$2.75

$1.84 NZ$3.27

-15.76%

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

$28.9K NZ$51.4K

$28.4K NZ$50.4K

1.95%

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

$23.8K NZ$42.3K

0.06%

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

$122 NZ$217

$201 NZ$357

-39.00%

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

$33.64 NZ$59.7

$33.35 NZ$59.2

0.87%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$54.4 NZ$96.6

$53.7 NZ$95.3

1.45%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$38.32 NZ$68.0

$35.87 NZ$63.7

6.83%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$16.18 NZ$28.73

Cinema Ticket

$12.17 NZ$21.60

$11.78 NZ$20.92

3.31%

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

$1,045 NZ$1,856

$1,065 NZ$1,890

-1.80%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$13.1K NZ$23.2K

$13.3K NZ$23.6K

-1.59%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$77.5 NZ$138

$80.4 NZ$143

-3.62%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$28.03 NZ$49.77

$28.04 NZ$49.78

-0.04%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$102 NZ$180

0.03%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$153 NZ$271

$154 NZ$274

-0.77%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,148 NZ$2,038

$1,143 NZ$2,029

0.46%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,035 NZ$1,838

$1,078 NZ$1,914

-4.02%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,581 NZ$2,807

$2,057 NZ$3,651

-23.13%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,470 NZ$2,610

$1,814 NZ$3,220

-18.95%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$5,077 NZ$9,013

$6,594 NZ$11.7K

-23.02%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$3,417 NZ$6,066

$3,655 NZ$6,489

-6.51%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$2,785 NZ$4,944

$2,785 NZ$4,945

-0.00%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

5.39

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

Last update for Porirua: 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

Porirua

$1K 47.3%

Wellington

$1.1K 46.6% 4.2% $43

Groceries & Markets

Porirua

$350 16%

Wellington

$348 15.1% 0.6% $2

Eating Out

Porirua

$238 10.9%

Wellington

$248 10.7% 4.1% $9.7

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Porirua

$211 9.6%

Wellington

$288 12.4% 36.7% $77

Clothing & Footwear

Porirua

$162 7.4%

Wellington

$164 7.1% 1.1% $1.8

Getting Around

Porirua

$127 5.8%

Wellington

$127 5.5% 0% $0

Sport & Entertainment

Porirua

$63 2.9%

Wellington

$59 2.6% 5.1% $3.2

Cost Breakdown

A central one-bedroom costs $1,148 in Porirua 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 $66 in Porirua versus $66 in Wellington. Groceries tell a different story – $350 in Porirua vs $348 in Wellington – so Wellington wins on supermarket bills even if dining out costs more.

Good to know

🇳🇿 Porirua

🇳🇿 Wellington

🕒 Local time

19:17 7:17 PM

Same time as Porirua

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

61,900

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

Porirua Wellington 18 km

From you

Porirua
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

Porirua vs Wellington: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Yes – Wellington is pricier by about 6%, and outside of rent the gap shows up most in eating out.

For a comfortable life, plan on about $3,280 per month in Porirua 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 $1,148 in Porirua and $1,143 in Wellington. The gap holds across neighborhoods – outer areas show a similar spread, just at lower price points.

Public transport costs about 4% less in Wellington. For daily commuters, that gap adds up to noticeable savings over a year.

Kindergarten costs $1,045 per month in Porirua and $1,065 in Wellington. For families with young kids, this one expense can tip the scales when choosing between the two cities.

It depends on your priorities. Wellington has an edge in some lifestyle areas, with costs from $2,186 in Porirua 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.