Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Wellington and Gisborne

For one person, living is cheaper in Gisborne: $2,029 a month against $2,313 in Wellington, rent and utilities included – about $3,400 less a year. Higher rent and utilities in Wellington outweigh lower spending on other living expenses.

110

Cost of Living Index in Wellington
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Wellington Living Index
102

Cost of Living Index in Gisborne
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Gisborne Living Index

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Wellington

🇳🇿 New Zealand

$2,313

/mo nomad

Gisborne

🇳🇿 New Zealand

$2,029

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

How much you'll spend in Wellington and in Gisborne

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 Gisborne actually costs, broken down by who's living it.

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $2,313 in Wellington versus $2,029 in Gisborne.

Wellington $2,313
Gisborne $2,029

Estimated couple costs with rent: $3,422 in Wellington versus $3,006 in Gisborne.

Wellington $3,422
Gisborne $3,006

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $4,530 in Wellington versus $3,982 in Gisborne.

Wellington $4,530
Gisborne $3,982

Living in Wellington is roughly 14% more expensive than in Gisborne, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in clothing.

Both cities are pricier than the global median: Wellington 70% above, Gisborne 49% above.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$14.02 NZ$24.93

$28.96 NZ$51.5

-51.59%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$66.5 NZ$118

$54.7 NZ$97.2

21.61%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$9.23 NZ$16.40

$9.04 NZ$16.08

2.10%

Cappuccino

$3.41 NZ$6.06

$3.54 NZ$6.29

-3.67%

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

$2.43 NZ$4.32

$2.09 NZ$3.72

16.27%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.69 NZ$3.01

$2.03 NZ$3.62

-16.75%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$7.48 NZ$13.30

$6.35 NZ$11.29

17.80%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$6.74 NZ$11.99

$5.81 NZ$10.33

16.01%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.95 NZ$3.47

$1.84 NZ$3.27

5.98%

White Bread (500g)

$2.25 NZ$4.01

$2.02 NZ$3.59

11.39%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.85 NZ$3.30

$1.76 NZ$3.13

5.11%

Eggs

$7.10 NZ$12.63

$5.83 NZ$10.36

21.78%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$9.54 NZ$16.96

$8.50 NZ$15.10

12.24%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$9.62 NZ$17.10

$9.22 NZ$16.40

4.34%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$15.26 NZ$27.13

$14.35 NZ$25.50

6.34%

Apples (1kg)

$3.09 NZ$5.50

$2.62 NZ$4.66

17.94%

Banana (1kg)

$2.15 NZ$3.83

$2.27 NZ$4.04

-5.29%

Oranges (1kg)

$3.08 NZ$5.48

$3.07 NZ$5.46

0.33%

Tomato (1kg)

$6.42 NZ$11.42

$5.67 NZ$10.08

13.23%

Potato (1kg)

$2.10 NZ$3.73

$2.01 NZ$3.56

4.48%

Onion (1kg)

$1.23 NZ$2.19

$1.44 NZ$2.57

-14.58%

Lettuce (1 head)

$2.01 NZ$3.58

$2.23 NZ$3.96

-9.87%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$1.16 NZ$2.06

$1.10 NZ$1.96

5.45%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$25.37 NZ$45.09

$21.32 NZ$37.90

19.00%

Wine (Bottle)

$11.48 NZ$20.41

$9.32 NZ$16.56

23.18%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$3.12 NZ$5.54

$3.44 NZ$6.11

-9.30%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.89 NZ$5.13

$3.35 NZ$5.95

-13.73%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$2.86 NZ$5.09

$1.73 NZ$3.07

65.32%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$105 NZ$186

$99.1 NZ$176

5.89%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$1.88 NZ$3.34

$2.50 NZ$4.44

-24.80%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.83 NZ$3.25

$1.78 NZ$3.17

2.81%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$34.31 NZ$61.0

$33.82 NZ$60.1

1.45%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.84 NZ$3.27

$2.22 NZ$3.95

-17.12%

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

$28.4K NZ$50.5K

$27.6K NZ$49.1K

2.81%

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

$23.8K NZ$42.3K

$24.8K NZ$44.1K

-4.12%

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

$201 NZ$357

$115 NZ$205

74.37%

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

$33.35 NZ$59.3

$32.28 NZ$57.4

3.31%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$53.7 NZ$95.4

$49.02 NZ$87.1

9.45%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$35.87 NZ$63.8

$39.98 NZ$71.1

-10.28%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$16.18 NZ$28.77

Cinema Ticket

$11.78 NZ$20.94

$11.04 NZ$19.62

6.70%

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

$1,065 NZ$1,892

$718 NZ$1,276

48.29%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$13.3K NZ$23.6K

$17.9K NZ$31.9K

-25.95%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$80.4 NZ$143

$53.8 NZ$95.6

49.51%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$28.04 NZ$49.84

$36.84 NZ$65.5

-23.89%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$102 NZ$181

$88.2 NZ$157

15.21%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$154 NZ$274

$127 NZ$226

21.31%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,143 NZ$2,031

$1,013 NZ$1,801

12.75%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,078 NZ$1,917

$830 NZ$1,475

29.92%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$2,057 NZ$3,656

$1,463 NZ$2,600

40.59%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,814 NZ$3,224

$1,309 NZ$2,326

38.61%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$6,594 NZ$11.7K

$4,946 NZ$8,792

33.32%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$3,655 NZ$6,497

$3,203 NZ$5,694

14.11%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$2,785 NZ$4,951

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

5.39

5.83

-7.55%

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

Last update for Wellington: October 27, 2026

Last update for Gisborne: October 24, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Accommodation & Living

Wellington

$1.1K 46.6%

Gisborne

$830 40.9% 23% $248

Groceries & Markets

Wellington

$348 15.1%

Gisborne

$325 16% 6.8% $24

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Wellington

$288 12.4%

Gisborne

$196 9.7% 31.7% $91

Eating Out

Wellington

$248 10.7%

Gisborne

$361 17.8% 45.5% $113

Clothing & Footwear

Wellington

$164 7.1%

Gisborne

$138 6.8% 16% $26

Getting Around

Wellington

$127 5.5%

Gisborne

$117 5.8% 7.8% $10

Sport & Entertainment

Wellington

$59 2.6%

Gisborne

$62 3.1% 4.4% $2.6

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $1,143 in Wellington and $1,013 in Gisborne. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Dining out: $66 in Wellington vs $55 in Gisborne for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $348 vs $325 per month, with Gisborne cheaper across the board.

Good to know

🇳🇿 Wellington

🇳🇿 Gisborne

🕒 Local time

13:47 1:47 PM

Same time as Wellington

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

215,900 Capital

37,300

💱 Currency

New Zealand Dollar NZD $

📈 Exchange rate

1 NZD = 0.563 USD

1 NZD = 0.504 EUR

1 NZD = 0.563 USD

1 NZD = 0.504 EUR

Exchange rates and currency converter

On the map

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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 Gisborne: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Gisborne is about 12% cheaper overall, especially in clothing, groceries, and transport. That difference adds up to real monthly savings that compound significantly over time.

You’d need roughly $3,470 in Wellington and $3,044 in Gisborne to live well. The gap comes down to housing and overall price levels. Both cities are liveable on less, but these numbers represent actual comfort.

Rent for a central apartment: $1,143 in Wellington versus $1,013 in Gisborne. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

All in, you’ll spend $2,313 per month in Wellington versus $2,029 in Gisborne – Gisborne is about 12% cheaper, which adds up to real savings over time.

A monthly transit pass in Gisborne runs roughly 6% less than in Wellington. The price difference matters if you commute daily and watch your budget.

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.

Safety-wise, Wellington and Gisborne are both considered safe, so it’s unlikely to be the deciding factor between them.

Expats usually find Gisborne gentler on the wallet – expenses run 12% less than in Wellington. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.