Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Upper Hutt and Wellington

For one person, living is cheaper in Upper Hutt: $1,952 a month against $2,313 in Wellington, rent and utilities included – about $4,300 less a year. Rent and utilities account for most of the difference.

96

Cost of Living Index in Upper Hutt
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Upper Hutt Living Index
110

Cost of Living Index in Wellington
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Wellington Living Index

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Upper Hutt

🇳🇿 New Zealand

$1,952

/mo nomad

Wellington

🇳🇿 New Zealand

$2,313

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

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

A single person spends $1,952 per month in Upper Hutt vs $2,313 in Wellington, rent included.

Upper Hutt $1,952
Wellington $2,313

A couple spends around $2,954 per month in Upper Hutt vs $3,422 in Wellington, rent included.

Upper Hutt $2,954
Wellington $3,422

A family of three spends $3,956 per month in Upper Hutt vs $4,530 in Wellington, rent included.

Upper Hutt $3,956
Wellington $4,530

Upper Hutt is about 16% cheaper than Wellington, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in eating out.

Both Upper Hutt and Wellington sit above the global median – Upper Hutt by 43%, Wellington by 70%.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$8.58 NZ$15.24

$14.02 NZ$24.90

-38.80%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$57.9 NZ$103

$66.5 NZ$118

-12.86%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$8.66 NZ$15.37

$9.23 NZ$16.38

-6.18%

Cappuccino

$2.92 NZ$5.18

$3.41 NZ$6.06

-14.37%

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

$2.39 NZ$4.25

$2.43 NZ$4.32

-1.65%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.74 NZ$3.09

$1.69 NZ$3.00

2.96%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$7.58 NZ$13.46

$7.48 NZ$13.29

1.34%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$6.64 NZ$11.79

$6.74 NZ$11.97

-1.48%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.86 NZ$3.31

$1.95 NZ$3.47

-4.62%

White Bread (500g)

$2.18 NZ$3.86

$2.25 NZ$4.00

-3.11%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.86 NZ$3.31

$1.85 NZ$3.29

0.54%

Eggs

$7.09 NZ$12.58

$7.10 NZ$12.61

-0.14%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$5.51 NZ$9.78

$9.54 NZ$16.94

-42.24%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$9.62 NZ$17.08

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$15.38 NZ$27.30

$15.26 NZ$27.09

0.79%

Apples (1kg)

$3.17 NZ$5.63

$3.09 NZ$5.49

2.59%

Banana (1kg)

$2.26 NZ$4.02

$2.15 NZ$3.83

5.12%

Oranges (1kg)

$3.14 NZ$5.58

$3.08 NZ$5.47

1.95%

Tomato (1kg)

$6.41 NZ$11.38

$6.42 NZ$11.40

-0.16%

Potato (1kg)

$2.17 NZ$3.85

$2.10 NZ$3.72

3.33%

Onion (1kg)

$1.30 NZ$2.31

$1.23 NZ$2.19

5.69%

Lettuce (1 head)

$2.08 NZ$3.69

$2.01 NZ$3.57

3.48%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$1.15 NZ$2.05

$1.16 NZ$2.06

-0.86%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$25.44 NZ$45.17

$25.37 NZ$45.04

0.28%

Wine (Bottle)

$11.31 NZ$20.09

$11.48 NZ$20.39

-1.48%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$3.19 NZ$5.67

$3.12 NZ$5.53

2.24%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.77 NZ$4.92

$2.89 NZ$5.12

-4.15%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$1.89 NZ$3.36

$2.86 NZ$5.08

-33.92%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$105 NZ$187

$105 NZ$186

0.33%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$1.82 NZ$3.23

$1.88 NZ$3.34

-3.19%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.84 NZ$3.27

$1.83 NZ$3.25

0.55%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$34.32 NZ$60.9

$34.31 NZ$60.9

0.03%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.83 NZ$3.24

$1.84 NZ$3.27

-0.54%

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

$28.5K NZ$50.6K

$28.4K NZ$50.4K

0.40%

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

$23.2K NZ$41.2K

$23.8K NZ$42.3K

-2.57%

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

$113 NZ$201

$201 NZ$357

-43.53%

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

$25.35 NZ$45.01

$33.35 NZ$59.2

-23.99%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$54.8 NZ$97.2

$53.7 NZ$95.3

2.07%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$42.80 NZ$76.0

$35.87 NZ$63.7

19.32%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$16.18 NZ$28.73

Cinema Ticket

$12.16 NZ$21.59

$11.78 NZ$20.92

3.23%

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

$1,064 NZ$1,890

$1,065 NZ$1,890

-0.01%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$13.3K NZ$23.6K

0.15%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$78.6 NZ$140

$80.4 NZ$143

-2.26%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$28.83 NZ$51.2

$28.04 NZ$49.78

2.82%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$104 NZ$185

$102 NZ$180

2.61%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$156 NZ$276

$154 NZ$274

1.02%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,057 NZ$1,877

$1,143 NZ$2,029

-7.49%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$869 NZ$1,542

$1,078 NZ$1,914

-19.44%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,498 NZ$2,659

$2,057 NZ$3,651

-27.18%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,531 NZ$2,719

$1,814 NZ$3,220

-15.57%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$4,193 NZ$7,444

$6,594 NZ$11.7K

-36.42%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$3,357 NZ$5,960

$3,655 NZ$6,489

-8.15%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$2,785 NZ$4,945

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 Upper Hutt: October 27, 2026

Last update for Wellington: October 27, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Accommodation & Living

Upper Hutt

$869 44.5%

Wellington

$1.1K 46.6% 24.1% $210

Groceries & Markets

Upper Hutt

$336 17.2%

Wellington

$348 15.1% 3.5% $12

Eating Out

Upper Hutt

$197 10.1%

Wellington

$248 10.7% 25.8% $51

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Upper Hutt

$194 9.9%

Wellington

$288 12.4% 48.7% $94

Clothing & Footwear

Upper Hutt

$165 8.5%

Wellington

$164 7.1% 0.9% $1.4

Getting Around

Upper Hutt

$124 6.3%

Wellington

$127 5.5% 2.8% $3.5

Sport & Entertainment

Upper Hutt

$67 3.4%

Wellington

$59 2.6% 11.5% $7.7

Cost Breakdown

A central one-bedroom costs $1,057 in Upper Hutt 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 $58 in Upper Hutt versus $66 in Wellington. Monthly groceries follow the same trend: $336 vs $348 – making Upper Hutt the more affordable choice for daily food spending.

Good to know

🇳🇿 Upper Hutt

🇳🇿 Wellington

🕒 Local time

12:53 12:53 PM

Same time as Upper Hutt

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

44,600

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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Upper Hutt Wellington 31 km

From you

Upper Hutt
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

Upper Hutt vs Wellington: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Wellington costs about 18% more than Upper Hutt, and outside of rent the gap comes mainly from eating out. That’s enough to noticeably affect everyday spending and lifestyle for anyone choosing between the two.

For a comfortable life, plan on about $2,928 per month in Upper Hutt 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 $1,057 in Upper Hutt and $1,143 in Wellington. The gap holds across neighborhoods – outer areas show a similar spread, just at lower price points.

Monthly expenses with rent come to $1,952 in Upper Hutt and $2,313 in Wellington. That makes Upper Hutt about 16% cheaper.

Kindergarten costs $1,064 per month in Upper Hutt 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 $1,952 in Upper Hutt 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.