Cost of Living Comparison Between Wellington and Derby Cost of Living Comparison Between Wellington and Derby

Monthly Cost of Living

A single person spends $2,277 per month in Wellington vs $2,184 in Derby, rent included.

A couple spends around $3,544 per month in Wellington vs $3,267 in Derby, rent included.

A family of three spends $4,812 per month in Wellington vs $4,351 in Derby, rent included.

Wellington costs about 4% more than Derby, driven mainly by Eating Out.

Both Wellington and Derby sit above the global median – Wellington by 70%, Derby by 63%.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$17.28 NZ$29.52

$25.11 £18.69

-31.18%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$85.1 NZ$145

$81.1 £60.4

4.95%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$9.91 NZ$16.93

$10.80 £8.04

-8.24%

Cappuccino

$3.75 NZ$6.41

$5.11 £3.80

-26.61%

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

$2.61 NZ$4.45

$2.32 £1.73

12.50%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.18 NZ$3.73

$1.58 £1.17

37.97%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$7.17 NZ$12.25

$6.20 £4.61

15.65%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$7.37 NZ$12.59

$5.39 £4.01

36.73%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.80 NZ$3.08

$1.48 £1.10

21.62%

White Bread (500g)

$2.02 NZ$3.46

$1.42 £1.05

42.25%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.91 NZ$3.26

$2.36 £1.76

-19.07%

Eggs

$6.98 NZ$11.93

$3.99 £2.97

74.94%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$7.95 NZ$13.58

$9.11 £6.78

-12.73%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$11.26 NZ$19.24

$8.72 £6.49

29.13%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$12.87 NZ$21.98

$12.99 £9.67

-0.92%

Apples (1kg)

$3.05 NZ$5.20

$4.63 £3.45

-34.13%

Banana (1kg)

$2.36 NZ$4.03

$2.75 £2.04

-14.18%

Oranges (1kg)

$3.10 NZ$5.30

$2.93 £2.18

5.80%

Tomato (1kg)

$4.81 NZ$8.21

$3.19 £2.38

50.78%

Potato (1kg)

$2.06 NZ$3.53

$0.94 £0.70

119.15%

Onion (1kg)

$1.57 NZ$2.68

$1.72 £1.28

-8.72%

Lettuce (1 head)

$2.25 NZ$3.85

$1.12 £0.83

100.89%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$1.31 NZ$2.23

$1.42 £1.06

-7.75%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$26.06 NZ$44.53

$18.66 £13.90

39.66%

Wine (Bottle)

$10.75 NZ$18.36

$10.70 £7.96

0.47%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$3.65 NZ$6.24

$2.71 £2.02

34.69%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.28 NZ$5.61

$3.15 £2.35

4.13%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$2.69 NZ$4.60

$2.75 £2.05

-2.18%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$106 NZ$181

$92.3 £68.7

14.67%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$2.76 NZ$4.71

$4.81 £3.58

-42.62%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.84 NZ$3.14

$1.55 £1.15

18.71%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$60.8 NZ$104

$24.47 £18.22

148.47%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.65 NZ$2.81

$1.91 £1.42

-13.61%

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

$33.3K NZ$56.9K

$38.3K £28.6K

-13.08%

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

$25.5K NZ$43.6K

$41.1K £30.6K

-37.85%

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

$160 NZ$273

$353 £263

-54.72%

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

$33.45 NZ$57.2

$15.58 £11.60

114.70%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$51.5 NZ$88.0

$47.63 £35.46

8.10%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$35.81 NZ$61.2

$45.35 £33.77

-21.04%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$20.66 NZ$35.30

$24.85 £18.50

-16.86%

Cinema Ticket

$11.85 NZ$20.24

$15.33 £11.42

-22.70%

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

$792 NZ$1,354

$1,878 £1,398

-57.81%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$13.0K NZ$22.1K

$20.4K £15.2K

-36.43%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$73.0 NZ$125

$118 £87.8

-38.10%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$53.8 NZ$91.8

$58.0 £43.15

-7.26%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$119 NZ$203

$81.4 £60.6

45.77%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$142 NZ$243

$99.1 £73.8

43.43%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,303 NZ$2,225

$774 £576

68.26%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,094 NZ$1,870

$760 £566

44.08%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$2,101 NZ$3,589

$1,451 £1,080

44.77%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,902 NZ$3,250

$1,372 £1,021

38.67%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$6,864 NZ$11.7K

$5,778 £4,301

18.80%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$3,720 NZ$6,355

$3,177 £2,365

17.09%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$2,800 NZ$4,783

$3,534 £2,631

-20.77%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

6.94

5.56

24.82%

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

Last update for Wellington: July 13, 2026

Last update for Derby: July 13, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A central one-bedroom costs $1,303 in Wellington versus $774 in Derby. 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 26% higher in Derby, 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 $81.0 in Derby. Monthly groceries follow the same trend: $339 vs $301 – making Derby 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 Derby: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Wellington costs about 4% more than Derby, 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 $3,416 per month in Wellington and $3,276 in Derby. That covers rent, food, utilities, transport, and enough left over to feel settled – not just surviving.

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

Kindergarten costs $792 per month in Wellington and $1,878 in Derby. For families with young kids, this one expense can tip the scales when choosing between the two cities.

Groceries cost about 13% 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 $2,000 monthly budget goes further in Derby, where all-in costs run around $2,184, than in Wellington at $2,277. In Derby it covers expenses comfortably, while in Wellington it requires careful planning or may not stretch far enough.

For digital nomads, it depends on budget. Derby costs $2,184 versus $2,277 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 Derby. 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.