Last update: Nov 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Wellington and Duncan BC

For one person, living is cheaper in Duncan BC: $2,161 a month against $2,274 in Wellington, rent and utilities included – about $1,400 less a year. Rent and utilities account for most of the difference.

108

Cost of Living Index in Wellington
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Wellington Living Index
103

Cost of Living Index in Duncan BC
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Duncan BC Living Index

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Wellington

🇳🇿 New Zealand

$2,274

/mo nomad

Duncan BC

🇨🇦 Canada

$2,161

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

How much you'll spend in Wellington and in Duncan BC

Real prices from locals and on-the-ground checks – rent, groceries, transit and the daily extras. Here's what a month in Wellington and in Duncan BC actually costs, broken down by who's living it.

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $2,274 in Wellington versus $2,161 in Duncan BC.

Wellington $2,274
Duncan BC $2,161

Estimated couple costs with rent: $3,372 in Wellington versus $3,358 in Duncan BC.

Wellington $3,372
Duncan BC $3,358

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $4,470 in Wellington versus $4,555 in Duncan BC.

Wellington $4,470
Duncan BC $4,555

Living in Wellington is roughly 5% more expensive than in Duncan BC, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in transport.

Both cities are pricier than the global median: Wellington 68% above, Duncan BC 60% above.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$14.09 NZ$25.03

$17.85 CA$24.91

-21.06%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$65.6 NZ$117

$70.8 CA$98.7

-7.28%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$9.40 NZ$16.70

$10.56 CA$14.73

-10.98%

Cappuccino

$3.32 NZ$5.89

$3.95 CA$5.51

-15.95%

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

$2.35 NZ$4.18

$2.15 CA$3.00

9.30%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.73 NZ$3.08

$1.70 CA$2.38

1.76%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$7.32 NZ$13.00

$5.49 CA$7.66

33.33%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$6.65 NZ$11.81

$5.78 CA$8.07

15.05%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.83 NZ$3.24

$1.64 CA$2.29

11.59%

White Bread (500g)

$2.13 NZ$3.79

$2.65 CA$3.69

-19.62%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.84 NZ$3.26

$4.40 CA$6.13

-58.18%

Eggs

$6.89 NZ$12.25

$4.08 CA$5.70

68.87%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$9.32 NZ$16.55

$11.96 CA$16.69

-22.07%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$9.87 NZ$17.53

$13.19 CA$18.40

-25.17%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$14.86 NZ$26.39

$14.02 CA$19.57

5.99%

Apples (1kg)

$2.95 NZ$5.24

$3.91 CA$5.45

-24.55%

Banana (1kg)

$2.21 NZ$3.92

$1.39 CA$1.93

58.99%

Oranges (1kg)

$3.02 NZ$5.36

$3.67 CA$5.12

-17.71%

Tomato (1kg)

$6.27 NZ$11.14

$3.98 CA$5.56

57.54%

Potato (1kg)

$2.10 NZ$3.73

$2.77 CA$3.87

-24.19%

Onion (1kg)

$1.40 NZ$2.48

$2.95 CA$4.11

-52.54%

Lettuce (1 head)

$2.04 NZ$3.62

$2.54 CA$3.54

-19.69%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$1.18 NZ$2.10

$1.57 CA$2.20

-24.84%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$24.59 NZ$43.68

$13.72 CA$19.14

79.23%

Wine (Bottle)

$11.27 NZ$20.02

$11.71 CA$16.33

-3.76%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$3.23 NZ$5.75

$2.54 CA$3.54

27.17%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.94 NZ$5.22

$2.84 CA$3.96

3.52%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$2.78 NZ$4.94

$1.83 CA$2.56

51.91%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$104 NZ$185

$39.92 CA$55.7

160.92%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$1.84 NZ$3.26

$2.62 CA$3.65

-29.77%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.78 NZ$3.17

$1.63 CA$2.27

9.20%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$34.07 NZ$60.5

$30.31 CA$42.30

12.41%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.82 NZ$3.23

$1.23 CA$1.71

47.97%

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

$27.7K NZ$49.2K

$26.4K CA$36.8K

5.06%

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

$23.6K NZ$42.0K

$21.2K CA$29.6K

11.56%

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

$188 NZ$334

$87.4 CA$122

114.82%

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

$31.98 NZ$56.8

$35.93 CA$50.1

-10.99%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$51.7 NZ$91.9

$51.5 CA$71.8

0.49%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$36.71 NZ$65.2

$61.3 CA$85.5

-40.09%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$16.00 NZ$28.42

Cinema Ticket

$12.00 NZ$21.32

$12.53 CA$17.49

-4.23%

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

$1,062 NZ$1,887

$1,082 CA$1,510

-1.85%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$22.7K NZ$40.3K

$18.6K CA$25.9K

22.20%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$78.3 NZ$139

$57.7 CA$80.4

35.84%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$27.75 NZ$49.29

$33.54 CA$46.80

-17.26%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$102 NZ$181

$91.6 CA$128

11.14%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$151 NZ$268

$92.0 CA$128

63.85%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,148 NZ$2,039

$1,321 CA$1,843

-13.12%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,064 NZ$1,890

$1,074 CA$1,498

-0.92%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,996 NZ$3,546

$2,553 CA$3,562

-21.80%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,796 NZ$3,190

$2,019 CA$2,817

-11.07%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$6,545 NZ$11.6K

$4,345 CA$6,062

50.63%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$3,561 NZ$6,325

$3,638 CA$5,076

-2.13%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$2,741 NZ$4,869

$3,096 CA$4,319

-11.45%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

5.39

4.24

27.12%

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

Last update for Wellington: November 1, 2026

Last update for Duncan BC: November 2, 2026

Monthly budget structure

Share of the monthly basket for one person, rent included.

Accommodation & Living

Wellington

$1.1K 46.8%

Duncan BC

$1.1K 49.7% 0.9% $9.9

Groceries & Markets

Wellington

$344 15.1%

Duncan BC

$368 17% 7.1% $24

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Wellington

$272 11.9%

Duncan BC

$175 8.1% 35.6% $97

Eating Out

Wellington

$247 10.9%

Duncan BC

$276 12.8% 11.9% $29

Clothing & Footwear

Wellington

$161 7.1%

Duncan BC

$124 5.7% 23.4% $38

Getting Around

Wellington

$126 5.5%

Duncan BC

$58 2.7% 54% $68

Sport & Entertainment

Wellington

$61 2.7%

Duncan BC

$86 4% 42.2% $26

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $1,148 in Wellington and $1,321 in Duncan BC. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Duncan BC pays 13% more on average while also being the cheaper of the two. The combined effect is a noticeably stronger local purchasing power.

Dining out: $66 in Wellington vs $71 in Duncan BC for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $344 vs $368 per month, with Wellington cheaper across the board.

Good to know

🇳🇿 Wellington

🇨🇦 Duncan BC

🕒 Local time

07:02 7:02 AM

11:02 11:02 AM

20 h behind Wellington

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

215,900 Capital

22,199

💱 Currency

New Zealand Dollar NZD $

Canadian Dollar CAD $

📈 Exchange rate

1 NZD = 0.563 USD

1 NZD = 0.503 EUR

1 CAD = 0.717 USD

1 CAD = 0.64 EUR

Exchange rates and currency converter

CAD, USD, EUR to NZD – New Zealand Dollar Converter

🇺🇸 United States Dollar ($)

🇳🇿 New Zealand Dollar ($)

New Zealand Dollar exchange rates as of November 3, 2026: 1 USD = 1.78 NZD (1 NZD = 0.563 USD). 1 EUR = 1.99 NZD (1 NZD = 0.503 EUR).

Canadian Dollar exchange rates as of November 3, 2026: 1 USD = 1.4 CAD (1 CAD = 0.717 USD). 1 EUR = 1.56 CAD (1 CAD = 0.64 EUR).

USD to NZD in detail →

On the map

Lowest

Highest

Between locations

Wellington Duncan BC 11,690 km ≈ 15 h nonstop flight

From you

Wellington
Duncan BC

Distances are measured in a straight line. Your location is detected approximately.

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 Duncan BC: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Duncan BC is about 5% cheaper overall, especially in transport and clothing. That difference adds up to real monthly savings that compound significantly over time.

On paper, salaries run 11% lower in Wellington. That’s worth factoring in alongside costs, though remote workers earning in a stronger currency may not notice the difference at all.

Rent for a central apartment: $1,148 in Wellington versus $1,321 in Duncan BC. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Shoppers in Wellington pay roughly 7% less for everyday groceries. It’s an unusual reversal that partly offsets higher costs elsewhere.

Dining out is cheaper in Wellington – a meal for two runs $66 versus $71 in Duncan BC. If you eat out regularly, this makes a real dent in your monthly spending.

Both cities offer a good standard of living with different trade-offs. Neither is objectively better – the right pick depends on what matters most: affordability, career, cultural scene, or climate.