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

Monthly Cost of Living

A single person spends $2,354 per month in Wellington vs $2,193 in Derby, rent included.

A couple spends around $3,553 per month in Wellington vs $3,278 in Derby, rent included.

A family of three spends $4,751 per month in Wellington vs $4,364 in Derby, rent included.

Wellington costs about 7% more than Derby, driven mainly by Eating Out.

Both Wellington and Derby sit above the global median – Wellington by 76%, Derby by 64%.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$17.30 NZ$29.46

$24.87 £18.52

-30.44%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$84.5 NZ$144

$82.4 £61.4

2.57%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$9.77 NZ$16.63

$10.88 £8.11

-10.20%

Cappuccino

$3.80 NZ$6.46

$5.08 £3.78

-25.20%

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

$2.60 NZ$4.44

$2.34 £1.74

11.11%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.18 NZ$3.72

$1.63 £1.21

33.74%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$7.03 NZ$11.98

$6.20 £4.62

13.39%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$7.45 NZ$12.70

$5.55 £4.13

34.23%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.87 NZ$3.18

$1.47 £1.09

27.21%

White Bread (500g)

$2.11 NZ$3.59

$1.41 £1.05

49.65%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.95 NZ$3.33

$2.48 £1.85

-21.37%

Eggs

$6.88 NZ$11.72

$3.86 £2.88

78.24%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$8.13 NZ$13.85

$9.52 £7.09

-14.60%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$11.06 NZ$18.83

$8.98 £6.69

23.16%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$13.14 NZ$22.38

$13.25 £9.87

-0.83%

Apples (1kg)

$3.12 NZ$5.32

$4.73 £3.52

-34.04%

Banana (1kg)

$2.24 NZ$3.81

$2.80 £2.09

-20.00%

Oranges (1kg)

$2.99 NZ$5.09

$2.97 £2.21

0.67%

Tomato (1kg)

$4.72 NZ$8.04

$3.11 £2.31

51.77%

Potato (1kg)

$2.07 NZ$3.52

$0.99 £0.74

109.09%

Onion (1kg)

$1.66 NZ$2.82

$1.68 £1.25

-1.19%

Lettuce (1 head)

$2.21 NZ$3.76

$1.08 £0.80

104.63%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$1.28 NZ$2.19

$1.44 £1.08

-11.11%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$26.87 NZ$45.75

$18.37 £13.68

46.27%

Wine (Bottle)

$11.74 NZ$19.99

$10.12 £7.54

16.01%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$3.52 NZ$6.00

$2.60 £1.94

35.38%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.18 NZ$5.41

$3.14 £2.34

1.27%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$2.75 NZ$4.68

$2.67 £1.99

3.00%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$107 NZ$182

$94.0 £70.0

13.95%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$2.66 NZ$4.54

$4.64 £3.46

-42.67%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.85 NZ$3.16

$1.52 £1.13

21.71%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$60.4 NZ$103

$24.58 £18.31

145.57%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.71 NZ$2.92

$1.93 £1.44

-11.40%

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

$33.6K NZ$57.2K

$39.0K £29.0K

-13.74%

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

$24.6K NZ$41.9K

$40.7K £30.3K

-39.57%

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

$160 NZ$273

$352 £262

-54.53%

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

$32.55 NZ$55.4

$15.45 £11.51

110.68%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$51.5 NZ$87.7

$47.83 £35.63

7.67%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$36.79 NZ$62.7

$45.95 £34.22

-19.93%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$20.60 NZ$35.08

$25.13 £18.72

-18.03%

Cinema Ticket

$12.17 NZ$20.73

$15.38 £11.46

-20.87%

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

$800 NZ$1,363

$1,852 £1,379

-56.79%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$12.6K NZ$21.5K

$20.7K £15.4K

-38.76%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$73.5 NZ$125

$119 £88.5

-38.12%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$53.1 NZ$90.5

$59.5 £44.30

-10.66%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$119 NZ$203

$81.4 £60.6

46.32%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$142 NZ$241

$99.4 £74.1

42.35%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,339 NZ$2,281

$796 £593

68.14%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,105 NZ$1,881

$735 £547

50.29%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$2,103 NZ$3,582

$1,455 £1,084

44.55%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,888 NZ$3,216

$1,355 £1,009

39.39%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$6,602 NZ$11.2K

$5,743 £4,277

14.96%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$3,897 NZ$6,636

$3,132 £2,333

24.42%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$3,057 NZ$5,206

$3,742 £2,787

-18.31%

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: May 31, 2026

Last update for Derby: May 30, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A central one-bedroom costs $1,339 in Wellington versus $796 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 22% 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 $82.0 in Derby. Monthly groceries follow the same trend: $340 vs $303 – 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 7% 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 $3,531 per month in Wellington and $3,289 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 $800 per month in Wellington and $1,852 in Derby. For families with young kids, this one expense can tip the scales when choosing between the two cities.

Groceries cost about 12% 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 $2,193, than in Wellington at $2,354. 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 $2,193 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 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.