Cost of Living Comparison Between Wellington and Aberdeen Cost of Living Comparison Between Wellington and Aberdeen

Monthly Cost of Living

A single person spends $2,354 per month in Wellington vs $2,228 in Aberdeen, rent included.

A couple spends around $3,553 per month in Wellington vs $3,478 in Aberdeen, rent included.

A family of three spends $4,751 per month in Wellington vs $4,729 in Aberdeen, rent included.

Wellington costs about 6% more than Aberdeen, driven mainly by Eating Out.

Both Wellington and Aberdeen sit above the global median – Wellington by 76%, Aberdeen by 66%.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$17.30 NZ$29.21

$21.87 £16.26

-20.90%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$84.5 NZ$143

$80.0 £59.5

5.65%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$9.77 NZ$16.49

$10.06 £7.48

-2.88%

Cappuccino

$3.80 NZ$6.41

$4.70 £3.49

-19.15%

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

$2.60 NZ$4.40

$2.12 £1.58

22.64%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.18 NZ$3.68

$1.53 £1.14

42.48%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$7.03 NZ$11.88

$6.01 £4.46

16.97%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$7.45 NZ$12.59

$6.63 £4.93

12.37%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.87 NZ$3.15

$1.77 £1.32

5.65%

White Bread (500g)

$2.11 NZ$3.56

$1.69 £1.25

24.85%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.95 NZ$3.30

$1.85 £1.38

5.41%

Eggs

$6.88 NZ$11.62

$4.23 £3.15

62.65%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$8.13 NZ$13.73

$8.61 £6.40

-5.57%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$11.06 NZ$18.67

$11.72 £8.71

-5.63%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$13.14 NZ$22.19

$13.95 £10.37

-5.81%

Apples (1kg)

$3.12 NZ$5.27

$3.19 £2.37

-2.19%

Banana (1kg)

$2.24 NZ$3.78

$1.65 £1.23

35.76%

Oranges (1kg)

$2.99 NZ$5.05

$2.89 £2.15

3.46%

Tomato (1kg)

$4.72 NZ$7.97

$4.11 £3.05

14.84%

Potato (1kg)

$2.07 NZ$3.49

$1.14 £0.85

81.58%

Onion (1kg)

$1.66 NZ$2.80

$1.39 £1.03

19.42%

Lettuce (1 head)

$2.21 NZ$3.73

$1.20 £0.89

84.17%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$1.28 NZ$2.17

$1.40 £1.04

-8.57%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$26.87 NZ$45.36

$19.19 £14.27

40.02%

Wine (Bottle)

$11.74 NZ$19.82

$11.19 £8.31

4.92%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$3.52 NZ$5.95

$2.24 £1.66

57.14%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.18 NZ$5.37

$2.33 £1.73

36.48%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$2.75 NZ$4.64

$5.54 £4.12

-50.36%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$107 NZ$181

$107 £79.8

-0.21%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$2.66 NZ$4.50

$4.66 £3.47

-42.92%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.85 NZ$3.13

$1.70 £1.27

8.82%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$60.4 NZ$102

$34.63 £25.74

74.30%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.71 NZ$2.89

$1.90 £1.41

-10.00%

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

$33.6K NZ$56.7K

$38.0K £28.3K

-11.57%

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

$24.6K NZ$41.5K

$41.0K £30.4K

-39.99%

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

$160 NZ$270

$410 £305

-60.96%

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

$32.55 NZ$55.0

$24.34 £18.09

33.73%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$51.5 NZ$87.0

$45.47 £33.80

13.26%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$36.79 NZ$62.1

$62.7 £46.57

-41.28%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$20.60 NZ$34.78

$10.82 £8.05

90.39%

Cinema Ticket

$12.17 NZ$20.55

$8.93 £6.63

36.28%

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

$800 NZ$1,351

$1,835 £1,364

-56.38%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$12.6K NZ$21.4K

$15.5K £11.5K

-18.51%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$73.5 NZ$124

$84.0 £62.4

-12.48%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$53.1 NZ$89.7

$41.42 £30.79

28.30%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$119 NZ$201

$93.5 £69.5

27.32%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$142 NZ$239

$120 £89.4

17.68%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,339 NZ$2,261

$881 £655

52.04%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,105 NZ$1,865

$776 £577

42.31%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$2,103 NZ$3,551

$1,656 £1,231

27.04%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,888 NZ$3,188

$1,565 £1,163

20.64%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$6,602 NZ$11.1K

$2,344 £1,742

181.61%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$3,897 NZ$6,579

$3,546 £2,636

9.88%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$3,057 NZ$5,161

$3,604 £2,679

-15.18%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

6.94

6.2

11.94%

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

Last update for Wellington: May 31, 2026

Last update for Aberdeen: June 1, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A central one-bedroom costs $1,339 in Wellington versus $881 in Aberdeen. Rent is usually the largest line item in a monthly budget, so the gap here sets the tone for the overall comparison.

Salaries run about 18% higher in Aberdeen, which reinforces the cost advantage – you earn more and spend less. Purchasing power leans clearly in its favor.

A mid-range dinner for two costs $85.0 in Wellington versus $80.0 in Aberdeen. Monthly groceries follow the same trend: $340 vs $309 – making Aberdeen the more affordable choice for daily food spending.

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

Wellington vs Aberdeen: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Wellington costs about 6% more than Aberdeen, with the gap driven mainly by 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 $3,531 per month in Wellington and $3,342 in Aberdeen. That covers rent, food, utilities, transport, and enough left over to feel settled – not just surviving.

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

Monthly expenses with rent come to $2,354 in Wellington and $2,228 in Aberdeen. The difference isn't just one category – it shows up across housing, food, transport, and services.

Public transport costs about 0% less in Aberdeen. For daily commuters, that gap adds up to noticeable savings over a year.

A $2,000 monthly budget goes further in Aberdeen, where all-in costs run around $2,228, than in Wellington at $2,354. In Aberdeen it covers expenses comfortably, while in Wellington it requires careful planning or may not stretch far enough.

For digital nomads, it depends on budget. Aberdeen costs $2,228 versus $2,354 in Wellington. Both have workable remote work infrastructure, but the cost gap matters when income varies month to month.

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 Aberdeen. 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.