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: $2,347 in Wellington versus $1,885 in Gore.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $3,521 in Wellington versus $2,942 in Gore.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $4,694 in Wellington versus $3,999 in Gore.

Living in Wellington is roughly 25% more expensive than Gore, driven mainly by Getting Around.

Both cities are pricier than the global median: Wellington 75% above, Gore 41% above.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$17.25 NZ$29.50

$14.80 NZ$25.31

16.55%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$83.1 NZ$142

$78.0 NZ$133

6.51%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$9.68 NZ$16.55

$9.79 NZ$16.74

-1.12%

Cappuccino

$3.72 NZ$6.36

$3.54 NZ$6.05

5.08%

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

$2.52 NZ$4.30

$2.26 NZ$3.86

11.50%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.11 NZ$3.61

$2.12 NZ$3.62

-0.47%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$7.26 NZ$12.41

$7.12 NZ$12.17

1.97%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$7.45 NZ$12.73

$6.37 NZ$10.89

16.95%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.90 NZ$3.25

$1.88 NZ$3.21

1.06%

White Bread (500g)

$2.07 NZ$3.54

$1.90 NZ$3.25

8.95%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.86 NZ$3.19

$1.88 NZ$3.22

-1.06%

Eggs

$7.20 NZ$12.30

$6.33 NZ$10.82

13.74%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$8.26 NZ$14.13

$7.98 NZ$13.65

3.51%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$11.03 NZ$18.86

$9.45 NZ$16.16

16.72%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$13.10 NZ$22.40

$12.62 NZ$21.59

3.80%

Apples (1kg)

$3.15 NZ$5.38

$2.72 NZ$4.66

15.81%

Banana (1kg)

$2.34 NZ$4.01

$2.17 NZ$3.70

7.83%

Oranges (1kg)

$3.02 NZ$5.16

$3.01 NZ$5.14

0.33%

Tomato (1kg)

$4.81 NZ$8.23

$4.70 NZ$8.04

2.34%

Potato (1kg)

$1.99 NZ$3.40

$2.06 NZ$3.53

-3.40%

Onion (1kg)

$1.63 NZ$2.78

$1.89 NZ$3.23

-13.76%

Lettuce (1 head)

$2.20 NZ$3.76

$2.29 NZ$3.92

-3.93%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$1.24 NZ$2.12

$1.16 NZ$1.98

6.90%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$26.81 NZ$45.84

$24.55 NZ$41.98

9.21%

Wine (Bottle)

$10.81 NZ$18.49

$9.98 NZ$17.07

8.32%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$3.50 NZ$5.99

$2.59 NZ$4.43

35.14%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.14 NZ$5.38

$3.72 NZ$6.36

-15.59%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$2.75 NZ$4.70

$2.10 NZ$3.59

30.95%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$106 NZ$182

$65.0 NZ$111

63.53%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$2.76 NZ$4.71

$2.66 NZ$4.55

3.76%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.81 NZ$3.09

$1.86 NZ$3.18

-2.69%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$61.4 NZ$105

$35.01 NZ$59.9

75.46%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.73 NZ$2.96

$1.60 NZ$2.74

8.12%

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

$33.5K NZ$57.2K

$28.0K NZ$47.8K

19.64%

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

$25.5K NZ$43.6K

$22.2K NZ$37.9K

14.87%

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

$158 NZ$271

$142 NZ$242

11.67%

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

$33.45 NZ$57.2

$36.10 NZ$61.7

-7.34%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$52.1 NZ$89.1

$51.8 NZ$88.5

0.68%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$36.59 NZ$62.6

$37.48 NZ$64.1

-2.37%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$20.68 NZ$35.37

$12.14 NZ$20.76

70.35%

Cinema Ticket

$12.04 NZ$20.59

$11.06 NZ$18.91

8.86%

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

$816 NZ$1,396

$743 NZ$1,271

9.85%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$12.8K NZ$21.9K

$12.2K NZ$20.8K

5.33%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$71.1 NZ$122

$68.9 NZ$118

3.25%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$52.1 NZ$89.0

$38.24 NZ$65.4

36.14%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$120 NZ$204

$93.1 NZ$159

28.39%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$140 NZ$240

$115 NZ$196

22.06%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,327 NZ$2,270

$989 NZ$1,691

34.25%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,102 NZ$1,885

$771 NZ$1,319

42.94%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$2,156 NZ$3,687

$1,543 NZ$2,638

39.79%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,959 NZ$3,349

$1,441 NZ$2,465

35.89%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$6,752 NZ$11.5K

$4,578 NZ$7,829

47.48%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$3,990 NZ$6,823

$3,162 NZ$5,407

26.18%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$3,088 NZ$5,280

$3,715 NZ$6,352

-16.88%

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: April 25, 2026

Last update for Gore: April 25, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $1,327 in Wellington and $989 in Gore. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Gore pays 20% more on average while also being the cheaper of the two. The combined effect is a noticeably stronger local purchasing power.

Dining out: $83.0 in Wellington vs $78.0 in Gore for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $340 vs $315 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 25% 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, Gore earns 20% less. 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: $1,327 in Wellington versus $989 in Gore. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Childcare runs $816 in Wellington versus $743 in Gore. Over years of preschool, even a modest monthly gap compounds into a major financial factor for families.

Supermarket bills run roughly 8% higher in Wellington. For households that cook at home regularly, that difference adds up over a month.

At $1,885 in Gore versus $2,347 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 $1,885 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 25% less than in Wellington. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.