Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Wellington and Gore

For one person, living is cheaper in Gore: $1,982 a month against $2,313 in Wellington, rent and utilities included – about $4,000 less a year. Rent and utilities account for most of the difference.

Wellington, New Zealand
Gore, New Zealand
Wellington
🇳🇿 New Zealand
$2,313
/mo nomad
Gore
🇳🇿 New Zealand
$1,982
/mo nomad
Monthly Cost of Living

How much you'll spend in Wellington and in Gore

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

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $2,313 in Wellington versus $1,982 in Gore.

  • Wellington $2,313
  • Gore $1,982

Estimated couple costs with rent: $3,422 in Wellington versus $3,018 in Gore.

  • Wellington $3,422
  • Gore $3,018

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $4,530 in Wellington versus $4,054 in Gore.

  • Wellington $4,530
  • Gore $4,054

Living in Wellington is roughly 17% more expensive than in Gore, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in groceries.

Both cities are pricier than the global median: Wellington 70% above, Gore 46% above.

Currency
🍽 Eating Out
Wellington
Gore
Difference
Meal at Budget Restaurant
$14.02 NZ$24.90
$14.13 NZ$25.09
-0.78%
Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range
$66.5 NZ$118
$66.5 NZ$118
-0.11%
Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)
$9.23 NZ$16.38
$7.90 NZ$14.02
16.84%
Cappuccino
$3.41 NZ$6.06
$3.07 NZ$5.45
11.07%
Coke/Pepsi/Fanta/Sprite (0.33 liter bottle)
$2.43 NZ$4.32
$2.29 NZ$4.07
6.11%
Water (0.33 liter bottle)
$1.69 NZ$3.00
$1.56 NZ$2.76
8.33%
Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)
$7.48 NZ$13.29
$5.69 NZ$10.10
31.46%
Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)
$6.74 NZ$11.97
$5.60 NZ$9.94
20.36%
🛒 Groceries & Markets
Wellington
Gore
Difference
Milk (1 liter)
$1.95 NZ$3.47
$1.81 NZ$3.21
7.73%
White Bread (500g)
$2.25 NZ$4.00
$2.25 NZ$3.99
-
Rice (white) (1kg)
$1.85 NZ$3.29
$1.54 NZ$2.74
20.13%
Eggs
$7.10 NZ$12.61
$6.30 NZ$11.18
12.70%
Local Cheese (1kg)
$9.54 NZ$16.94
$9.29 NZ$16.49
2.69%
Chicken Fillets (1kg)
$9.62 NZ$17.08
$8.46 NZ$15.03
13.71%
Beef Round Steak (1kg)
$15.26 NZ$27.09
$14.91 NZ$26.48
2.35%
Apples (1kg)
$3.09 NZ$5.49
$2.48 NZ$4.40
24.60%
Banana (1kg)
$2.15 NZ$3.83
$2.43 NZ$4.32
-11.52%
Oranges (1kg)
$3.08 NZ$5.47
$2.69 NZ$4.78
14.50%
Tomato (1kg)
$6.42 NZ$11.40
$5.43 NZ$9.65
18.23%
Potato (1kg)
$2.10 NZ$3.72
$1.85 NZ$3.28
13.51%
Onion (1kg)
$1.23 NZ$2.19
$1.70 NZ$3.02
-27.65%
Lettuce (1 head)
$2.01 NZ$3.57
$2.04 NZ$3.62
-1.47%
Water (1.5 liter bottle)
$1.16 NZ$2.06
$1.22 NZ$2.17
-4.92%
Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)
$25.37 NZ$45.04
$23.64 NZ$41.97
7.32%
Wine (Bottle)
$11.48 NZ$20.39
$10.29 NZ$18.27
11.56%
Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)
$3.12 NZ$5.53
$2.83 NZ$5.02
10.25%
Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)
$2.89 NZ$5.12
$3.14 NZ$5.58
-7.96%
🚌 Getting Around
Wellington
Gore
Difference
One-way Ticket (Public Transport)
$2.86 NZ$5.08
$2.23 NZ$3.96
28.25%
Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)
$105 NZ$186
$111 NZ$196
-5.15%
Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)
$1.88 NZ$3.34
$2.32 NZ$4.12
-18.97%
Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)
$1.83 NZ$3.25
$1.74 NZ$3.09
5.17%
Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)
$34.31 NZ$60.9
$33.38 NZ$59.3
2.79%
Gasoline (1 liter)
$1.84 NZ$3.27
$1.66 NZ$2.95
10.84%
Midsize Hatchback 1.4l (Volkswagen Golf, Toyota Prius, Honda Civic, etc)
$28.4K NZ$50.4K
$31.0K NZ$55.1K
-8.51%
Compact Sedan 1.6l (Toyota Corolla, Mazda3, Kia K4, Hyundai Elantra, etc)
$23.8K NZ$42.3K
$23.2K NZ$41.2K
2.54%
🧾 Monthly Utilities & Internet
Wellington
Gore
Difference
Utilities for 2 People in 2-bedroom Apartment (Heating, Electricity, Gas, Water, Garbage) (85m2)
$201 NZ$357
$120 NZ$212
67.92%
SIM Card Monthly Plan (Calls and 10GB+ Data)
$33.35 NZ$59.2
$24.94 NZ$44.27
33.72%
Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)
$53.7 NZ$95.3
$54.5 NZ$96.7
-1.51%
🎉 Sport & Entertainment
Wellington
Gore
Difference
Gym Membership (Monthly)
$35.87 NZ$63.7
$35.12 NZ$62.4
2.14%
Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)
$16.18 NZ$28.73
-
-
Cinema Ticket
$11.78 NZ$20.92
$9.82 NZ$17.43
19.96%
🧸 Childcare & Education
Wellington
Gore
Difference
Preschool or Kindergarten, Full Day, Private, 1 Child (Monthly)
$1,065 NZ$1,890
$671 NZ$1,191
58.69%
International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)
$13.3K NZ$23.6K
$16.8K NZ$29.9K
-21.12%
👕👟 Clothing & Footwear
Wellington
Gore
Difference
Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)
$80.4 NZ$143
$66.4 NZ$118
21.17%
Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)
$28.04 NZ$49.78
$38.76 NZ$68.8
-27.66%
Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)
$102 NZ$180
$91.9 NZ$163
10.58%
Men's Leather Business Shoes
$154 NZ$274
$118 NZ$210
30.39%
🏠 Accommodation & Living
Wellington
Gore
Difference
1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)
$1,143 NZ$2,029
$1,142 NZ$2,027
0.06%
1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)
$1,078 NZ$1,914
$903 NZ$1,603
19.44%
3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)
$2,057 NZ$3,651
$1,815 NZ$3,222
13.33%
3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)
$1,814 NZ$3,220
$1,592 NZ$2,827
13.92%
Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)
$6,594 NZ$11.7K
$4,405 NZ$7,820
49.71%
Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)
$3,655 NZ$6,489
$3,437 NZ$6,102
6.33%
💵 Salaries & Financials
Wellington
Gore
Difference
Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)
$2,785 NZ$4,945
-
-
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 Gore: October 25, 2026

Monthly budget structure
Share of the monthly basket for one person, rent included.
Accommodation & Living
Wellington
$1.1K
Gore
$903 16.3% $176
Groceries & Markets
Wellington
$348
Gore
$325 6.8% $24
Monthly Utilities & Internet
Wellington
$288
Gore
$199 30.9% $89
Eating Out
Wellington
$248
Gore
$229 7.9% $20
Clothing & Footwear
Wellington
$164
Gore
$142 13.4% $22
Getting Around
Wellington
$127
Gore
$131 2.5% $3.2
Sport & Entertainment
Wellington
$59
Gore
$55 7.9% $4.7

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $1,143 in Wellington and $1,142 in Gore. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Dining out: $66 in Wellington vs $67 in Gore. Groceries flip the comparison at $348 vs $325, with Gore cheaper for home cooking.

Good to know
🇳🇿 Wellington
🇳🇿 Gore
🕒 Local time
07:39 7:39 AM
07:39 7:39 AM
Same time as Wellington
🌤 Weather
👥 Population
215,900 Capital
3,100
Exchange rates and currency converter

USD, EUR to NZD – New Zealand Dollar Converter

New Zealand Dollar exchange rates as of October 31, 2026: 1 USD = 1.78 NZD (1 NZD = 0.563 USD). 1 EUR = 1.98 NZD (1 NZD = 0.504 EUR).

On the map
Between locations
  • Wellington Gore 710 km ≈ 1 h 30 min nonstop flight
From you
  • Wellington
  • Gore

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 Gore: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions
Which city is more expensive, Wellington or Gore?
Gore wins on cost – living expenses run 14% 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.
How much do you need to earn to live comfortably in Wellington and in Gore?
You’d need roughly $3,470 in Wellington and $2,973 in Gore 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.
How much does a 1-bedroom apartment cost in Wellington compared to Gore?
Rent for a central apartment: $1,143 in Wellington versus $1,142 in Gore. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.
How do childcare costs compare in Wellington and in Gore?
Childcare runs $1,065 in Wellington versus $671 in Gore. Over years of preschool, even a modest monthly gap compounds into a major financial factor for families.
How expensive is transport in Wellington compared to Gore?
A monthly transit pass in Wellington runs roughly 5% less than in Gore. The price difference matters if you commute daily and watch your budget.
Which city offers a better quality of life: Wellington or Gore?
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.
How safe is Wellington compared to Gore?
Safety-wise, Wellington and Gore are both considered safe, so it’s unlikely to be the deciding factor between them.

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