Cost of Living Comparison Between Wellington and Feilding Cost of Living Comparison Between Wellington and Feilding

Monthly Cost of Living

A single person spends $2,277 per month in Wellington vs $1,857 in Feilding, rent included.

A couple spends around $3,544 per month in Wellington vs $2,913 in Feilding, rent included.

A family of three spends $4,812 per month in Wellington vs $3,970 in Feilding, rent included.

Wellington costs about 23% more than Feilding, driven mainly by Getting Around.

Both Wellington and Feilding sit above the global median – Wellington by 70%, Feilding by 39%.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$17.28 NZ$29.58

$15.32 NZ$26.24

12.79%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$85.1 NZ$146

$79.5 NZ$136

7.10%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$9.91 NZ$16.97

$9.86 NZ$16.88

0.51%

Cappuccino

$3.75 NZ$6.42

$3.43 NZ$5.87

9.33%

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

$2.61 NZ$4.46

$2.36 NZ$4.03

10.59%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.18 NZ$3.74

$2.12 NZ$3.63

2.83%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$7.17 NZ$12.28

$7.09 NZ$12.14

1.13%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$7.37 NZ$12.62

$6.39 NZ$10.93

15.34%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.80 NZ$3.09

$1.84 NZ$3.15

-2.17%

White Bread (500g)

$2.02 NZ$3.46

$1.94 NZ$3.32

4.12%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.91 NZ$3.27

$1.82 NZ$3.12

4.95%

Eggs

$6.98 NZ$11.96

$6.09 NZ$10.43

14.61%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$7.95 NZ$13.61

$8.31 NZ$14.24

-4.33%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$11.26 NZ$19.28

$9.44 NZ$16.16

19.28%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$12.87 NZ$22.03

$13.05 NZ$22.35

-1.38%

Apples (1kg)

$3.05 NZ$5.22

$2.78 NZ$4.76

9.71%

Banana (1kg)

$2.36 NZ$4.03

$2.17 NZ$3.72

8.76%

Oranges (1kg)

$3.10 NZ$5.31

$3.04 NZ$5.20

1.97%

Tomato (1kg)

$4.81 NZ$8.23

$4.56 NZ$7.81

5.48%

Potato (1kg)

$2.06 NZ$3.53

$2.09 NZ$3.57

-1.44%

Onion (1kg)

$1.57 NZ$2.68

$1.88 NZ$3.22

-16.49%

Lettuce (1 head)

$2.25 NZ$3.86

$2.27 NZ$3.88

-0.88%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$1.31 NZ$2.24

$1.16 NZ$1.99

12.93%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$26.06 NZ$44.63

$24.04 NZ$41.16

8.40%

Wine (Bottle)

$10.75 NZ$18.40

$10.16 NZ$17.40

5.81%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$3.65 NZ$6.25

$2.48 NZ$4.25

47.18%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.28 NZ$5.62

$3.68 NZ$6.30

-10.87%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$2.69 NZ$4.61

$2.14 NZ$3.67

25.70%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$106 NZ$181

$63.6 NZ$109

66.28%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$2.76 NZ$4.73

$2.74 NZ$4.70

0.73%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.84 NZ$3.15

$1.78 NZ$3.04

3.37%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$60.8 NZ$104

$35.82 NZ$61.3

69.74%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.65 NZ$2.82

$1.71 NZ$2.93

-3.51%

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

$33.3K NZ$57.1K

$28.9K NZ$49.5K

15.39%

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

$25.5K NZ$43.7K

$22.3K NZ$38.2K

14.29%

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

$160 NZ$274

$143 NZ$244

11.99%

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

$33.45 NZ$57.3

$36.01 NZ$61.7

-7.11%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$51.5 NZ$88.2

$50.9 NZ$87.1

1.16%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$35.81 NZ$61.3

$36.15 NZ$61.9

-0.94%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$20.66 NZ$35.38

$11.92 NZ$20.41

73.32%

Cinema Ticket

$11.85 NZ$20.28

$10.65 NZ$18.23

11.27%

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

$792 NZ$1,357

$726 NZ$1,243

9.14%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$13.0K NZ$22.2K

$12.3K NZ$21.0K

5.50%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$73.0 NZ$125

$68.7 NZ$118

6.18%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$53.8 NZ$92.0

$38.34 NZ$65.6

40.19%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$119 NZ$203

$93.9 NZ$161

26.41%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$142 NZ$243

$119 NZ$203

19.59%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,303 NZ$2,230

$975 NZ$1,670

33.55%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,094 NZ$1,874

$794 NZ$1,360

37.79%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$2,101 NZ$3,597

$1,567 NZ$2,684

34.03%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,902 NZ$3,257

$1,434 NZ$2,455

32.67%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$6,864 NZ$11.8K

$4,695 NZ$8,039

46.19%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$3,720 NZ$6,369

$3,651 NZ$6,251

1.88%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$2,800 NZ$4,794

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

6.94

6.74

2.97%

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

Last update for Wellington: July 13, 2026

Last update for Feilding: July 13, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A central one-bedroom costs $1,303 in Wellington versus $975 in Feilding. Rent is usually the largest line item in a monthly budget, so the gap here sets the tone for the overall comparison.

A mid-range dinner for two costs $85.0 in Wellington versus $79.0 in Feilding. Monthly groceries follow the same trend: $339 vs $316 – making Feilding 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 Feilding: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Wellington costs about 23% more than Feilding, with the gap driven mainly by Getting Around. 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 $2,786 in Feilding. That covers rent, food, utilities, transport, and enough left over to feel settled – not just surviving.

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

Groceries cost about 7% 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 mid-range dinner for two costs $85.0 in Wellington and $79.0 in Feilding. That's a good indicator of the overall restaurant and café pricing gap between the two cities.

A $2,000 monthly budget goes further in Feilding, where all-in costs run around $1,857, than in Wellington at $2,277. In Feilding it covers expenses comfortably, while in Wellington it requires careful planning or may not stretch far enough.

For digital nomads, it depends on budget. Feilding costs $1,857 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 Feilding. 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.