Cost of Living Comparison Between Wellington and Dunedin Cost of Living Comparison Between Wellington and Dunedin

๐Ÿ˜ Solo nomad: Wellington is 10.4% more expensive than Dunedin without rent, and 26.7% more expensive with rent.
๐Ÿ˜ Family of 3: Wellington is 12.1% more expensive than Dunedin without rent, and 25.8% more expensive with rent.
Currency
๐Ÿฝ Eating Out
Wellington
Dunedin
Difference
Meal at Budget Restaurant
$17.57 NZ$28.98
$12.25 NZ$20.2
43.43%
Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range
$82.9 NZ$137
$73.7 NZ$122
12.45%
Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)
$9.53 NZ$15.72
$10.95 NZ$18.07
-12.97%
Cappuccino
$3.59 NZ$5.92
$3.46 NZ$5.7
3.76%
Coke/Pepsi/Fanta/Sprite (0.33 liter bottle)
$2.47 NZ$4.08
$2.2 NZ$3.63
12.27%
Water (0.33 liter bottle)
$2.2 NZ$3.62
$2.05 NZ$3.38
7.32%
Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)
$7.03 NZ$11.6
$7.2 NZ$11.87
-2.36%
Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)
$7.38 NZ$12.18
$6.08 NZ$10.03
21.38%
๐Ÿ›’ Groceries & Markets
Wellington
Dunedin
Difference
Milk (1 liter)
$1.88 NZ$3.1
$2.08 NZ$3.44
-9.62%
White Bread (500g)
$2.09 NZ$3.44
$1.96 NZ$3.22
6.63%
Rice (white) (1kg)
$1.96 NZ$3.23
$1.81 NZ$2.99
8.29%
Eggs
$6.89 NZ$11.37
$5.67 NZ$9.35
21.52%
Local Cheese (1kg)
$8.24 NZ$13.6
$8.36 NZ$13.8
-1.44%
Chicken Fillets (1kg)
$10.92 NZ$18.01
$10.62 NZ$17.52
2.82%
Beef Round Steak (1kg)
$12.99 NZ$21.42
$13.05 NZ$21.53
-0.46%
Apples (1kg)
$3.12 NZ$5.15
$2.86 NZ$4.72
9.09%
Banana (1kg)
$2.31 NZ$3.82
$2.24 NZ$3.69
3.12%
Oranges (1kg)
$3.1 NZ$5.12
$3.3 NZ$5.45
-6.06%
Tomato (1kg)
$4.68 NZ$7.72
$4.54 NZ$7.49
3.08%
Potato (1kg)
$2.07 NZ$3.41
$1.91 NZ$3.15
8.38%
Onion (1kg)
$1.57 NZ$2.59
$2.04 NZ$3.37
-23.04%
Lettuce (1 head)
$2.3 NZ$3.79
$2.48 NZ$4.09
-7.26%
Water (1.5 liter bottle)
$1.28 NZ$2.11
$1.07 NZ$1.76
19.63%
Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)
$27.02 NZ$44.57
$24.01 NZ$39.6
12.54%
Wine (Bottle)
$10.48 NZ$17.28
$8.7 NZ$14.34
20.46%
Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)
$3.68 NZ$6.08
$2.59 NZ$4.27
42.08%
Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)
$3.24 NZ$5.35
$3.63 NZ$5.99
-10.74%
๐ŸšŒ Getting Around
Wellington
Dunedin
Difference
One-way Ticket (Public Transport)
$2.78 NZ$4.59
$1.25 NZ$2.05
122.40%
Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)
$106 NZ$175
$72.8 NZ$120
46.06%
Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)
$2.67 NZ$4.41
$6.16 NZ$10.15
-56.66%
Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)
$1.78 NZ$2.93
$1.1 NZ$1.81
61.82%
Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)
$59.2 NZ$97.6
$30.44 NZ$50.2
94.32%
Gasoline (1 liter)
$1.66 NZ$2.73
$1.72 NZ$2.84
-3.49%
Midsize Hatchback 1.4l (Volkswagen Golf, Toyota Prius, Honda Civic, etc)
$33K NZ$54.5K
$19.7K NZ$32.5K
67.59%
Compact Sedan 1.6l (Toyota Corolla, Mazda3, Kia K4, Hyundai Elantra, etc)
$25K NZ$41.3K
$25.6K NZ$42.3K
-2.40%
๐Ÿงพ Monthly Utilities & Internet
Wellington
Dunedin
Difference
Utilities for 2 People in 2-bedroom Apartment (Heating, Electricity, Gas, Water, Garbage) (85m2)
$161 NZ$265
$99.8 NZ$165
60.85%
SIM Card Monthly Plan (Calls and 10GB+ Data)
$33.1 NZ$54.6
$35.84 NZ$59.1
-7.65%
Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)
$52.6 NZ$86.7
$55.6 NZ$91.8
-5.48%
๐ŸŽ‰ Sport & Entertainment
Wellington
Dunedin
Difference
Gym Membership (Monthly)
$36.7 NZ$60.5
$52 NZ$85.7
-29.36%
Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)
$20.16 NZ$33.25
$6.13 NZ$10.12
228.87%
Cinema Ticket
$11.86 NZ$19.56
$9.74 NZ$16.06
21.77%
๐Ÿงธ Childcare & Education
Wellington
Dunedin
Difference
Preschool or Kindergarten, Full Day, Private, 1 Child (Monthly)
$789 NZ$1,301
$577 NZ$952
36.70%
International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)
$12.7K NZ$20.9K
$12.2K NZ$20.1K
3.90%
๐Ÿ‘•๐Ÿ‘Ÿ Clothing & Footwear
Wellington
Dunedin
Difference
Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)
$72.5 NZ$120
$67.1 NZ$111
7.98%
Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)
$53.7 NZ$88.6
$35.49 NZ$58.5
51.39%
Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)
$118 NZ$195
$94.1 NZ$155
25.54%
Men's Leather Business Shoes
$145 NZ$240
$123 NZ$203
18.11%
๐Ÿ  Accommodation & Living
Wellington
Dunedin
Difference
1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)
$1,341 NZ$2,211
$879 NZ$1,450
52.46%
1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)
$1,091 NZ$1,800
$774 NZ$1,277
40.98%
3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)
$2,146 NZ$3,539
$1,512 NZ$2,493
41.95%
3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)
$1,893 NZ$3,122
$1,344 NZ$2,217
40.84%
Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)
$6,617 NZ$10.9K
$2,880 NZ$4,751
129.73%
Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)
$4,828 NZ$7,962
$2,002 NZ$3,303
141.08%
๐Ÿ’ต Salaries & Financials
Wellington
Dunedin
Difference
Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)
$3,228 NZ$5,324
$2,565 NZ$4,230
25.85%
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: October 28, 2025

Last update for Dunedin: October 28, 2025

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