Cost of Living Comparison Between Wellington and Canterbury Cost of Living Comparison Between Wellington and Canterbury

๐Ÿ˜ Solo nomad: Wellington is 17.5% more expensive than Canterbury without rent, and 33.1% more expensive with rent.
๐Ÿ˜ Family of 3: Wellington is 25.8% more expensive than Canterbury without rent, and 32.9% more expensive with rent.
Currency
๐Ÿฝ Eating Out
Wellington
Canterbury
Difference
Meal at Budget Restaurant
$17.83 NZ$30.49
$12.23 NZ$20.92
45.79%
Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range
$84.2 NZ$144
$65.4 NZ$112
28.82%
Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)
$9.46 NZ$16.18
$9.02 NZ$15.43
4.88%
Cappuccino
$3.65 NZ$6.24
$3.27 NZ$5.60
11.62%
Coke/Pepsi/Fanta/Sprite (0.33 liter bottle)
$2.57 NZ$4.40
$2.20 NZ$3.75
16.82%
Water (0.33 liter bottle)
$2.20 NZ$3.76
$2.10 NZ$3.58
4.76%
Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)
$7.20 NZ$12.32
$4.19 NZ$7.16
71.84%
Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)
$7.44 NZ$12.72
$6.07 NZ$10.38
22.57%
๐Ÿ›’ Groceries & Markets
Wellington
Canterbury
Difference
Milk (1 liter)
$1.82 NZ$3.11
$1.25 NZ$2.13
45.60%
White Bread (500g)
$2.04 NZ$3.50
$1.99 NZ$3.41
2.51%
Rice (white) (1kg)
$1.97 NZ$3.37
$1.84 NZ$3.14
7.07%
Eggs
$7.24 NZ$12.38
$5.62 NZ$9.60
28.83%
Local Cheese (1kg)
$8.16 NZ$13.96
$6.49 NZ$11.10
25.73%
Chicken Fillets (1kg)
$10.90 NZ$18.65
$10.81 NZ$18.49
0.83%
Beef Round Steak (1kg)
$13.19 NZ$22.55
$8.87 NZ$15.17
48.70%
Apples (1kg)
$3.06 NZ$5.24
$2.24 NZ$3.82
36.61%
Banana (1kg)
$2.36 NZ$4.03
$2.31 NZ$3.95
2.16%
Oranges (1kg)
$2.98 NZ$5.10
$3.34 NZ$5.71
-10.78%
Tomato (1kg)
$4.83 NZ$8.26
$4.44 NZ$7.59
8.78%
Potato (1kg)
$2.02 NZ$3.46
$1.25 NZ$2.13
61.60%
Onion (1kg)
$1.58 NZ$2.70
$1.99 NZ$3.40
-20.60%
Lettuce (1 head)
$2.30 NZ$3.93
$1.78 NZ$3.05
29.21%
Water (1.5 liter bottle)
$1.29 NZ$2.21
$1.12 NZ$1.92
15.18%
Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)
$26.71 NZ$45.68
$23.68 NZ$40.50
12.80%
Wine (Bottle)
$10.89 NZ$18.63
$9.10 NZ$15.56
19.67%
Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)
$3.51 NZ$6.00
$2.53 NZ$4.32
38.74%
Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)
$3.26 NZ$5.57
$3.70 NZ$6.33
-11.89%
๐ŸšŒ Getting Around
Wellington
Canterbury
Difference
One-way Ticket (Public Transport)
$2.67 NZ$4.57
$0.94 NZ$1.61
184.04%
Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)
$107 NZ$183
$62.9 NZ$108
70.14%
Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)
$2.77 NZ$4.73
$2.66 NZ$4.55
4.14%
Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)
$1.79 NZ$3.07
$1.15 NZ$1.96
55.65%
Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)
$60.9 NZ$104
$29.73 NZ$50.8
104.74%
Gasoline (1 liter)
$1.67 NZ$2.86
$1.67 NZ$2.86
-
Midsize Hatchback 1.4l (Volkswagen Golf, Toyota Prius, Honda Civic, etc)
$33.0K NZ$56.5K
$19.8K NZ$33.8K
67.17%
Compact Sedan 1.6l (Toyota Corolla, Mazda3, Kia K4, Hyundai Elantra, etc)
$24.9K NZ$42.6K
$25.9K NZ$44.3K
-3.92%
๐Ÿงพ Monthly Utilities & Internet
Wellington
Canterbury
Difference
Utilities for 2 People in 2-bedroom Apartment (Heating, Electricity, Gas, Water, Garbage) (85m2)
$155 NZ$265
$101 NZ$173
53.61%
SIM Card Monthly Plan (Calls and 10GB+ Data)
$33.64 NZ$57.5
$35.63 NZ$60.9
-5.59%
Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)
$51.1 NZ$87.3
$55.8 NZ$95.5
-8.56%
๐ŸŽ‰ Sport & Entertainment
Wellington
Canterbury
Difference
Gym Membership (Monthly)
$36.54 NZ$62.5
$37.27 NZ$63.7
-1.96%
Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)
$20.82 NZ$35.60
$12.23 NZ$20.92
70.24%
Cinema Ticket
$12.26 NZ$20.96
$9.79 NZ$16.74
25.23%
๐Ÿงธ Childcare & Education
Wellington
Canterbury
Difference
Preschool or Kindergarten, Full Day, Private, 1 Child (Monthly)
$818 NZ$1,398
$596 NZ$1,019
37.19%
International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)
$12.8K NZ$21.9K
$12.0K NZ$20.5K
7.17%
๐Ÿ‘•๐Ÿ‘Ÿ Clothing & Footwear
Wellington
Canterbury
Difference
Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)
$70.9 NZ$121
$53.1 NZ$90.8
33.58%
Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)
$53.2 NZ$91.0
$29.73 NZ$50.8
79.04%
Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)
$120 NZ$205
$93.2 NZ$159
28.71%
Men's Leather Business Shoes
$145 NZ$249
$124 NZ$212
17.23%
๐Ÿ  Accommodation & Living
Wellington
Canterbury
Difference
1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)
$1,297 NZ$2,218
$948 NZ$1,621
36.82%
1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)
$1,094 NZ$1,870
$798 NZ$1,365
37.03%
3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)
$2,127 NZ$3,637
$1,587 NZ$2,715
33.98%
3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)
$1,916 NZ$3,277
$1,429 NZ$2,444
34.09%
Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)
$6,806 NZ$11.6K
-
-
Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)
$4,067 NZ$6,955
-
-
๐Ÿ’ต Salaries & Financials
Wellington
Canterbury
Difference
Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)
$3,107 NZ$5,313
$2,860 NZ$4,890
8.64%
20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)
6.94
7.07
-1.84%

CityCost data is based on AI and user input โ€“ minor inaccuracies may occur.

Last update for Wellington: March 2, 2026

Last update for Canterbury: March 2, 2026

City Median Internet Speeds Comparison (Updated December 2025)

The chart highlights the Precision Threshold for mobile and fixed broadband internet speeds, updated quarterly.
Digital Nomad Cost of Living Index

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