Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Thames and Wellington

For one person, living is cheaper in Thames: $1,966 a month against $2,358 in Wellington, rent and utilities included – about $4,700 less a year. Rent and utilities account for most of the difference.

96

Cost of Living Index in Thames
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Thames Living Index
114

Cost of Living Index in Wellington
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Wellington Living Index

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Thames

🇳🇿 New Zealand

$1,966

/mo nomad

Wellington

🇳🇿 New Zealand

$2,358

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

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

A single person spends $1,966 per month in Thames vs $2,358 in Wellington, rent included.

Thames $1,966
Wellington $2,358

A couple spends around $2,999 per month in Thames vs $3,368 in Wellington, rent included.

Thames $2,999
Wellington $3,368

A family of three spends $4,032 per month in Thames vs $4,378 in Wellington, rent included.

Thames $4,032
Wellington $4,378

Thames is about 17% cheaper than Wellington, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in transport.

Both Thames and Wellington sit above the global median – Thames by 46%, Wellington by 75%.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$13.93 NZ$24.63

$13.72 NZ$24.27

1.53%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$68.4 NZ$121

$63.7 NZ$113

7.28%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$8.89 NZ$15.72

$8.95 NZ$15.83

-0.67%

Cappuccino

$3.42 NZ$6.06

$3.42 NZ$6.05

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

$2.02 NZ$3.57

$2.44 NZ$4.31

-17.21%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.74 NZ$3.08

$1.69 NZ$2.98

2.96%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$6.88 NZ$12.16

$7.22 NZ$12.76

-4.71%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$6.73 NZ$11.90

$6.65 NZ$11.76

1.20%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.87 NZ$3.31

$1.91 NZ$3.38

-2.09%

White Bread (500g)

$2.22 NZ$3.93

$2.20 NZ$3.89

0.91%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.79 NZ$3.16

$1.83 NZ$3.24

-2.19%

Eggs

$6.20 NZ$10.97

$6.77 NZ$11.97

-8.42%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$8.79 NZ$15.55

$9.05 NZ$16.00

-2.87%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$9.68 NZ$17.11

$9.85 NZ$17.43

-1.73%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$16.82 NZ$29.74

$15.19 NZ$26.86

10.73%

Apples (1kg)

$2.80 NZ$4.95

$3.12 NZ$5.52

-10.26%

Banana (1kg)

$2.16 NZ$3.82

$2.21 NZ$3.91

-2.26%

Oranges (1kg)

$2.91 NZ$5.14

$3.07 NZ$5.43

-5.21%

Tomato (1kg)

$5.75 NZ$10.17

$6.59 NZ$11.65

-12.75%

Potato (1kg)

$2.13 NZ$3.77

$2.06 NZ$3.64

3.40%

Onion (1kg)

$1.52 NZ$2.69

$1.23 NZ$2.18

23.58%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.98 NZ$3.50

$2.07 NZ$3.66

-4.35%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$1.04 NZ$1.84

$1.15 NZ$2.03

-9.57%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$26.57 NZ$46.99

$24.86 NZ$43.96

6.88%

Wine (Bottle)

$10.25 NZ$18.12

$11.28 NZ$19.95

-9.13%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$2.84 NZ$5.02

$3.09 NZ$5.47

-8.09%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.38 NZ$5.98

$2.87 NZ$5.08

17.77%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$1.45 NZ$2.56

$2.83 NZ$5.01

-48.76%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$75.4 NZ$133

$102 NZ$180

-25.78%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$2.30 NZ$4.06

$1.87 NZ$3.30

22.99%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.92 NZ$3.40

$1.82 NZ$3.22

5.49%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$32.20 NZ$56.9

$34.15 NZ$60.4

-5.71%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.87 NZ$3.31

$1.82 NZ$3.22

2.75%

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

$25.1K NZ$44.5K

$25.0K NZ$44.2K

0.64%

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

$21.7K NZ$38.4K

$25.4K NZ$44.9K

-14.65%

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

$183 NZ$324

$197 NZ$348

-6.74%

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

$26.20 NZ$46.33

$32.00 NZ$56.6

-18.13%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$50.7 NZ$89.6

$52.4 NZ$92.7

-3.39%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$41.84 NZ$74.0

$37.73 NZ$66.7

10.89%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$16.11 NZ$28.50

Cinema Ticket

$13.10 NZ$23.17

$11.93 NZ$21.10

9.81%

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

$1,135 NZ$2,007

$1,056 NZ$1,867

7.50%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$19.2K NZ$34.0K

$12.8K NZ$22.6K

50.68%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$79.2 NZ$140

$76.3 NZ$135

3.71%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$39.93 NZ$70.6

$28.23 NZ$49.93

41.45%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$92.3 NZ$163

$99.6 NZ$176

-7.35%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$111 NZ$197

$152 NZ$270

-26.89%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$930 NZ$1,645

$1,226 NZ$2,169

-24.14%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$821 NZ$1,451

$1,141 NZ$2,018

-28.07%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,484 NZ$2,624

$2,143 NZ$3,790

-30.75%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,486 NZ$2,629

$1,709 NZ$3,022

-13.01%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$4,552 NZ$8,050

$6,578 NZ$11.6K

-30.80%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$3,773 NZ$6,673

$3,559 NZ$6,294

6.03%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$2,785 NZ$4,925

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 Thames: October 11, 2026

Last update for Wellington: October 10, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Accommodation & Living

Thames

$821 41.7%

Wellington

$1.1K 48.4% 39% $320

Groceries & Markets

Thames

$337 17.1%

Wellington

$346 14.7% 2.8% $9.3

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Thames

$260 13.2%

Wellington

$281 11.9% 8% $21

Eating Out

Thames

$242 12.3%

Wellington

$244 10.3% 0.6% $1.5

Clothing & Footwear

Thames

$145 7.4%

Wellington

$160 6.8% 10.5% $15

Getting Around

Thames

$93 4.7%

Wellington

$124 5.3% 33.1% $31

Sport & Entertainment

Thames

$68 3.5%

Wellington

$62 2.6% 9.5% $6.5

Cost Breakdown

A central one-bedroom costs $930 in Thames versus $1,226 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 $68.0 in Thames versus $64.0 in Wellington. Groceries tell a different story – $337 in Thames vs $346 in Wellington – so Thames wins on supermarket bills even if dining out costs more.

Good to know

🇳🇿 Thames

🇳🇿 Wellington

🕒 Local time

23:28 11:28 PM

Same time as Thames

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

7,500

215,900 Capital

💱 Currency

New Zealand Dollar NZD $

📈 Exchange rate

1 NZD = 0.565 USD

1 NZD = 0.503 EUR

1 NZD = 0.565 USD

1 NZD = 0.503 EUR

Exchange rates and currency converter

On the map

Lowest

Highest

Between locations

Thames Wellington 470 km

From you

Thames
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

Thames vs Wellington: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Yes – Wellington is pricier by about 20%, and outside of rent the gap shows up most in transport.

For a comfortable life, plan on about $2,949 per month in Thames and $3,536 in Wellington. That covers rent, food, utilities, transport, and enough left over to feel settled – not just surviving.

Rent is clearly cheaper in Thames, especially for central apartments. Housing is actually the single biggest factor behind the overall cost gap between these two cities.

Kindergarten costs $1,135 per month in Thames and $1,056 in Wellington. For families with young kids, this one expense can tip the scales when choosing between the two cities.

Groceries cost about 3% more in Wellington, though it depends on what you buy. Local produce may be comparable; imported and premium items show the biggest price gap.

A $2,500 monthly budget goes further in Thames, where all-in costs run around $1,966, than in Wellington at $2,358. In Thames it covers expenses comfortably, while in Wellington it requires careful planning or may not stretch far enough.

Families tend to lean toward Thames – lower housing and cheaper childcare make a real difference, especially on a single income or when paying for private education.

Both have safer and rougher neighborhoods, but overall safety is comparable to other large cities. Neighborhood choice matters more than the city-level comparison – central, well-trafficked areas feel secure in both.

If budget matters most, go with Thames. If higher salaries, better infrastructure, or specific career opportunities are the priority, Wellington makes more sense. Both are solid long-term options with distinct trade-offs.