Cost of Living Comparison Between Wellington and Gore Cost of Living Comparison Between Wellington and Gore

Monthly Cost of Living

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $2,303 in Wellington versus $1,893 in Gore.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $3,534 in Wellington versus $2,953 in Gore.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $4,764 in Wellington versus $4,014 in Gore.

Living in Wellington is roughly 22% more expensive than in Gore, driven mainly by Getting Around.

Both cities are pricier than the global median: Wellington 73% above, Gore 42% above.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$17.73 NZ$30.05

$14.80 NZ$25.09

19.80%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$83.8 NZ$142

$78.9 NZ$134

6.26%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$9.39 NZ$15.91

$9.88 NZ$16.75

-4.96%

Cappuccino

$3.78 NZ$6.40

$3.50 NZ$5.93

8.00%

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

$2.47 NZ$4.18

$2.33 NZ$3.95

6.01%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.20 NZ$3.73

$2.10 NZ$3.57

4.76%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$7.17 NZ$12.16

$7.10 NZ$12.04

0.99%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$7.05 NZ$11.96

$6.17 NZ$10.46

14.26%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.88 NZ$3.19

$1.82 NZ$3.09

3.30%

White Bread (500g)

$2.12 NZ$3.59

$1.95 NZ$3.30

8.72%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.87 NZ$3.16

$1.83 NZ$3.11

2.19%

Eggs

$7.17 NZ$12.16

$6.25 NZ$10.60

14.72%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$8.25 NZ$13.99

$8.36 NZ$14.17

-1.32%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$11.12 NZ$18.84

$9.84 NZ$16.67

13.01%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$13.27 NZ$22.49

$12.89 NZ$21.85

2.95%

Apples (1kg)

$3.14 NZ$5.32

$2.79 NZ$4.74

12.54%

Banana (1kg)

$2.33 NZ$3.95

$2.27 NZ$3.85

2.64%

Oranges (1kg)

$3.10 NZ$5.25

$3.10 NZ$5.26

Tomato (1kg)

$4.67 NZ$7.92

$4.65 NZ$7.89

0.43%

Potato (1kg)

$2.00 NZ$3.39

$1.98 NZ$3.35

1.01%

Onion (1kg)

$1.62 NZ$2.75

$1.95 NZ$3.31

-16.92%

Lettuce (1 head)

$2.26 NZ$3.83

$2.29 NZ$3.88

-1.31%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$1.30 NZ$2.20

$1.15 NZ$1.96

13.04%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$26.08 NZ$44.22

$24.31 NZ$41.21

7.28%

Wine (Bottle)

$10.88 NZ$18.44

$9.65 NZ$16.35

12.75%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$3.53 NZ$5.98

$2.49 NZ$4.22

41.77%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.30 NZ$5.59

$3.73 NZ$6.32

-11.53%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$2.73 NZ$4.62

$2.15 NZ$3.64

26.98%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$105 NZ$178

$63.4 NZ$108

65.42%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$2.79 NZ$4.72

$2.75 NZ$4.67

1.45%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.80 NZ$3.06

$1.87 NZ$3.17

-3.74%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$60.0 NZ$102

$35.87 NZ$60.8

67.38%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.73 NZ$2.94

$1.62 NZ$2.75

6.79%

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

$33.7K NZ$57.1K

$28.4K NZ$48.2K

18.65%

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

$24.6K NZ$41.7K

$22.3K NZ$37.8K

10.34%

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

$155 NZ$263

$144 NZ$245

7.51%

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

$33.22 NZ$56.3

$35.30 NZ$59.9

-5.89%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$51.8 NZ$87.9

$50.9 NZ$86.4

1.75%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$35.56 NZ$60.3

$37.15 NZ$63.0

-4.28%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$20.11 NZ$34.08

$12.04 NZ$20.41

67.03%

Cinema Ticket

$12.16 NZ$20.61

$10.92 NZ$18.51

11.36%

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

$806 NZ$1,367

$749 NZ$1,270

7.65%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$12.9K NZ$21.9K

$11.8K NZ$20.0K

9.16%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$73.0 NZ$124

$68.6 NZ$116

6.40%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$52.2 NZ$88.5

$38.26 NZ$64.9

36.41%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$118 NZ$200

$93.3 NZ$158

26.27%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$144 NZ$244

$116 NZ$196

24.39%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,315 NZ$2,228

$991 NZ$1,680

32.66%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,102 NZ$1,868

$792 NZ$1,343

39.16%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$2,132 NZ$3,613

$1,582 NZ$2,682

34.73%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,896 NZ$3,214

$1,451 NZ$2,459

30.70%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$6,989 NZ$11.8K

$4,314 NZ$7,313

62.01%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$3,785 NZ$6,416

$2,883 NZ$4,887

31.29%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$2,670 NZ$4,526

$3,721 NZ$6,308

-28.25%

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 27, 2026

Last update for Gore: July 26, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $1,315 in Wellington and $991 in Gore. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Gore pays 39% more on average while also being the cheaper of the two. The combined effect is a noticeably stronger local purchasing power.

Dining out: $84.0 in Wellington vs $79.0 in Gore for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $342 vs $318 per month, with Gore cheaper across the board.

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 Gore: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Gore wins on cost – living expenses run 22% lower than in Wellington. Housing and daily spending are where you'll feel the difference most, making Gore the obvious pick if budget is a priority.

On paper, salaries run 39% lower in Gore. 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: $1,315 in Wellington versus $991 in Gore. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Childcare runs $806 in Wellington versus $749 in Gore. Over years of preschool, even a modest monthly gap compounds into a major financial factor for families.

Supermarket bills run roughly 7% higher in Wellington. For households that cook at home regularly, that difference adds up over a month.

At $1,893 in Gore versus $2,303 in Wellington, a $2,000 budget is realistic in Gore but tight or insufficient in Wellington. The gap between the two cities makes Gore the clear choice for anyone on this budget.

Both work as nomad bases, but Gore delivers better value – similar infrastructure at $1,893 monthly. If stretching your runway or maximizing savings is the goal, the price difference makes Gore hard to pass up.

Safety-wise, Wellington and Gore are on par. Petty crime is typical for cities this size, and most residents feel comfortable going about their daily routines in either place.

Expats usually find Gore gentler on the wallet – expenses run 22% less than in Wellington. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.