Cost of Living Comparison Between Wellington and Cambridge Cost of Living Comparison Between Wellington and Cambridge

😐 Solo nomad: Wellington is 28.9% more expensive than Cambridge without rent, and 6.8% more expensive with rent.
😐 Family of 3: Wellington is 34.6% more expensive than Cambridge without rent, and 21.1% more expensive with rent.
Currency
🍽 Eating Out
Wellington
Cambridge
Difference
Meal at Budget Restaurant
$17.57 NZ$28.98
$13.41 NZ$22.11
31.02%
Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range
$82.9 NZ$137
$35.86 NZ$59.1
131.23%
Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)
$9.53 NZ$15.72
$9 NZ$14.84
5.89%
Cappuccino
$3.59 NZ$5.92
$2.98 NZ$4.91
20.47%
Coke/Pepsi/Fanta/Sprite (0.33 liter bottle)
$2.47 NZ$4.08
$2.37 NZ$3.9
4.22%
Water (0.33 liter bottle)
$2.2 NZ$3.62
$2.16 NZ$3.57
1.85%
Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)
$7.03 NZ$11.6
$4.68 NZ$7.72
50.21%
Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)
$7.38 NZ$12.18
$6.29 NZ$10.37
17.33%
πŸ›’ Groceries & Markets
Wellington
Cambridge
Difference
Milk (1 liter)
$1.88 NZ$3.1
$1.62 NZ$2.67
16.05%
White Bread (500g)
$2.09 NZ$3.44
$1.63 NZ$2.69
28.22%
Rice (white) (1kg)
$1.96 NZ$3.23
$1.9 NZ$3.14
3.16%
Eggs
$6.89 NZ$11.37
$6.03 NZ$9.95
14.26%
Local Cheese (1kg)
$8.24 NZ$13.6
$7.97 NZ$13.15
3.39%
Chicken Fillets (1kg)
$10.92 NZ$18.01
$9.27 NZ$15.29
17.80%
Beef Round Steak (1kg)
$12.99 NZ$21.42
$12.34 NZ$20.36
5.27%
Apples (1kg)
$3.12 NZ$5.15
$2.49 NZ$4.1
25.30%
Banana (1kg)
$2.31 NZ$3.82
$1.81 NZ$2.99
27.62%
Oranges (1kg)
$3.1 NZ$5.12
$2.43 NZ$4.01
27.57%
Tomato (1kg)
$4.68 NZ$7.72
$2.95 NZ$4.86
58.64%
Potato (1kg)
$2.07 NZ$3.41
$2.09 NZ$3.44
-0.96%
Onion (1kg)
$1.57 NZ$2.59
$1.78 NZ$2.94
-11.80%
Lettuce (1 head)
$2.3 NZ$3.79
$2.06 NZ$3.39
11.65%
Water (1.5 liter bottle)
$1.28 NZ$2.11
$1.26 NZ$2.07
1.59%
Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)
$27.02 NZ$44.57
$19.99 NZ$32.98
35.17%
Wine (Bottle)
$10.48 NZ$17.28
$10.51 NZ$17.34
-0.29%
Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)
$3.68 NZ$6.08
$2.51 NZ$4.15
46.61%
Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)
$3.24 NZ$5.35
$2.73 NZ$4.5
18.68%
🚌 Getting Around
Wellington
Cambridge
Difference
One-way Ticket (Public Transport)
$2.78 NZ$4.59
$3.03 NZ$5
-8.25%
Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)
$106 NZ$175
$64.3 NZ$106
65.48%
Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)
$2.67 NZ$4.41
$2.65 NZ$4.38
0.75%
Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)
$1.78 NZ$2.93
$1.93 NZ$3.19
-7.77%
Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)
$59.2 NZ$97.6
$35.58 NZ$58.7
66.25%
Gasoline (1 liter)
$1.66 NZ$2.73
$1.73 NZ$2.85
-4.05%
Midsize Hatchback 1.4l (Volkswagen Golf, Toyota Prius, Honda Civic, etc)
$33K NZ$54.5K
$27.1K NZ$44.7K
21.91%
Compact Sedan 1.6l (Toyota Corolla, Mazda3, Kia K4, Hyundai Elantra, etc)
$25K NZ$41.3K
$23.6K NZ$38.8K
6.24%
🧾 Monthly Utilities & Internet
Wellington
Cambridge
Difference
Utilities for 2 People in 2-bedroom Apartment (Heating, Electricity, Gas, Water, Garbage) (85m2)
$161 NZ$265
$110 NZ$182
45.50%
SIM Card Monthly Plan (Calls and 10GB+ Data)
$33.1 NZ$54.6
$36.87 NZ$60.8
-10.23%
Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)
$52.6 NZ$86.7
$39.14 NZ$64.6
34.34%
πŸŽ‰ Sport & Entertainment
Wellington
Cambridge
Difference
Gym Membership (Monthly)
$36.7 NZ$60.5
$36.49 NZ$60.2
0.58%
Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)
$20.16 NZ$33.25
$12.09 NZ$19.94
66.75%
Cinema Ticket
$11.86 NZ$19.56
$8.93 NZ$14.73
32.81%
🧸 Childcare & Education
Wellington
Cambridge
Difference
Preschool or Kindergarten, Full Day, Private, 1 Child (Monthly)
$789 NZ$1,301
$744 NZ$1,228
6.00%
International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)
$12.7K NZ$20.9K
$12.2K NZ$20.2K
3.68%
πŸ‘•πŸ‘Ÿ Clothing & Footwear
Wellington
Cambridge
Difference
Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)
$72.5 NZ$120
$101 NZ$167
-28.54%
Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)
$53.7 NZ$88.6
$56.2 NZ$92.7
-4.36%
Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)
$118 NZ$195
$105 NZ$173
12.76%
Men's Leather Business Shoes
$145 NZ$240
$130 NZ$215
11.79%
🏠 Accommodation & Living
Wellington
Cambridge
Difference
1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)
$1,341 NZ$2,211
$967 NZ$1,595
38.61%
1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)
$1,091 NZ$1,800
$1,198 NZ$1,976
-8.90%
3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)
$2,146 NZ$3,539
$2,143 NZ$3,534
0.14%
3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)
$1,893 NZ$3,122
$1,544 NZ$2,547
22.58%
Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)
$6,617 NZ$10.9K
$4,717 NZ$7,780
40.28%
Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)
$4,828 NZ$7,962
$3,977 NZ$6,559
21.39%
πŸ’΅ Salaries & Financials
Wellington
Cambridge
Difference
Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)
$3,228 NZ$5,324
$2,574 NZ$4,245
25.40%
20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)
6.94
6
15.67%

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

Last update for Wellington: October 28, 2025

Last update for Cambridge: October 26, 2025

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