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

Monthly Cost of Living

A single person spends $2,354 per month in Wellington vs $1,846 in Feilding, rent included.

A couple spends around $3,553 per month in Wellington vs $2,902 in Feilding, rent included.

A family of three spends $4,751 per month in Wellington vs $3,957 in Feilding, rent included.

Wellington costs about 27% more than Feilding, driven mainly by Getting Around.

Both Wellington and Feilding sit above the global median – Wellington by 76%, Feilding by 38%.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$17.30 NZ$29.21

$15.17 NZ$25.61

14.04%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$84.5 NZ$143

$78.4 NZ$132

7.87%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$9.77 NZ$16.49

$9.69 NZ$16.36

0.83%

Cappuccino

$3.80 NZ$6.41

$3.55 NZ$5.99

7.04%

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

$2.60 NZ$4.40

$2.34 NZ$3.96

11.11%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.18 NZ$3.68

$2.08 NZ$3.51

4.81%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$7.03 NZ$11.88

$7.20 NZ$12.15

-2.36%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$7.45 NZ$12.59

$6.14 NZ$10.37

21.34%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.87 NZ$3.15

$1.83 NZ$3.10

2.19%

White Bread (500g)

$2.11 NZ$3.56

$2.01 NZ$3.40

4.98%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.95 NZ$3.30

$1.89 NZ$3.19

3.17%

Eggs

$6.88 NZ$11.62

$6.13 NZ$10.35

12.23%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$8.13 NZ$13.73

$8.07 NZ$13.63

0.74%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$11.06 NZ$18.67

$9.70 NZ$16.38

14.02%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$13.14 NZ$22.19

$12.76 NZ$21.54

2.98%

Apples (1kg)

$3.12 NZ$5.27

$2.77 NZ$4.67

12.64%

Banana (1kg)

$2.24 NZ$3.78

$2.29 NZ$3.87

-2.18%

Oranges (1kg)

$2.99 NZ$5.05

$2.98 NZ$5.02

0.34%

Tomato (1kg)

$4.72 NZ$7.97

$4.71 NZ$7.95

0.21%

Potato (1kg)

$2.07 NZ$3.49

$2.01 NZ$3.39

2.99%

Onion (1kg)

$1.66 NZ$2.80

$1.93 NZ$3.26

-13.99%

Lettuce (1 head)

$2.21 NZ$3.73

$2.19 NZ$3.71

0.91%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$1.28 NZ$2.17

$1.10 NZ$1.85

16.36%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$26.87 NZ$45.36

$24.20 NZ$40.85

11.03%

Wine (Bottle)

$11.74 NZ$19.82

$10.54 NZ$17.79

11.39%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$3.52 NZ$5.95

$2.58 NZ$4.35

36.43%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.18 NZ$5.37

$3.73 NZ$6.30

-14.75%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$2.75 NZ$4.64

$2.08 NZ$3.51

32.21%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$107 NZ$181

$63.8 NZ$108

67.86%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$2.66 NZ$4.50

$2.73 NZ$4.61

-2.56%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.85 NZ$3.13

$1.85 NZ$3.12

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$60.4 NZ$102

$34.73 NZ$58.6

73.80%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.71 NZ$2.89

$1.67 NZ$2.82

2.40%

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

$33.6K NZ$56.7K

$27.9K NZ$47.2K

20.32%

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

$24.6K NZ$41.5K

$22.0K NZ$37.1K

11.72%

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

$160 NZ$270

$141 NZ$238

13.57%

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

$32.55 NZ$55.0

$35.38 NZ$59.7

-8.00%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$51.5 NZ$87.0

$52.7 NZ$88.9

-2.22%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$36.79 NZ$62.1

$37.48 NZ$63.3

-1.84%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$20.60 NZ$34.78

$12.11 NZ$20.45

70.11%

Cinema Ticket

$12.17 NZ$20.55

$11.03 NZ$18.63

10.34%

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

$800 NZ$1,351

$731 NZ$1,235

9.44%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$12.6K NZ$21.4K

$12.1K NZ$20.5K

4.27%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$73.5 NZ$124

$67.4 NZ$114

9.07%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$53.1 NZ$89.7

$38.28 NZ$64.6

38.82%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$119 NZ$201

$95.0 NZ$160

25.34%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$142 NZ$239

$116 NZ$196

22.10%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,339 NZ$2,261

$977 NZ$1,650

37.01%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,105 NZ$1,865

$779 NZ$1,315

41.81%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$2,103 NZ$3,551

$1,561 NZ$2,636

34.73%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,888 NZ$3,188

$1,434 NZ$2,421

31.67%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$6,602 NZ$11.1K

$5,024 NZ$8,481

31.42%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$3,897 NZ$6,579

$3,309 NZ$5,587

17.75%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$3,057 NZ$5,161

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: May 31, 2026

Last update for Feilding: June 2, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A central one-bedroom costs $1,339 in Wellington versus $977 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 $78.0 in Feilding. Monthly groceries follow the same trend: $340 vs $318 – 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 27% 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 $3,531 per month in Wellington and $2,770 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 $78.0 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 $1,846, than in Wellington at $2,354. 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 $1,846 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 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.