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: $2,460 in Wellington versus $1,944 in Gore.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $3,478 in Wellington versus $2,907 in Gore.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $4,495 in Wellington versus $3,869 in Gore.

Living in Wellington is roughly 27% more expensive than in Gore, driven mainly by Clothing & Footwear.

Both cities are pricier than the global median: Wellington 80% above, Gore 42% above.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$14.42 NZ$25.21

$15.01 NZ$26.23

-3.93%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$66.7 NZ$117

$59.2 NZ$104

12.72%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$9.20 NZ$16.08

$10.26 NZ$17.93

-10.33%

Cappuccino

$3.37 NZ$5.89

$3.06 NZ$5.35

10.13%

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

$2.47 NZ$4.31

$1.86 NZ$3.25

32.80%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.78 NZ$3.12

$1.83 NZ$3.21

-2.73%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$7.58 NZ$13.26

$5.52 NZ$9.66

37.32%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$6.76 NZ$11.81

$5.52 NZ$9.65

22.46%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.90 NZ$3.33

$1.92 NZ$3.36

-1.04%

White Bread (500g)

$2.21 NZ$3.87

$1.92 NZ$3.36

15.10%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.89 NZ$3.31

$2.01 NZ$3.51

-5.97%

Eggs

$7.04 NZ$12.31

$5.99 NZ$10.47

17.53%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$9.58 NZ$16.75

$8.22 NZ$14.37

16.55%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$9.68 NZ$16.93

$9.02 NZ$15.77

7.32%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$15.39 NZ$26.90

$13.55 NZ$23.68

13.58%

Apples (1kg)

$3.20 NZ$5.60

$2.96 NZ$5.17

8.11%

Banana (1kg)

$2.20 NZ$3.85

$2.05 NZ$3.58

7.32%

Oranges (1kg)

$3.13 NZ$5.47

$3.22 NZ$5.63

-2.80%

Tomato (1kg)

$6.58 NZ$11.51

$4.97 NZ$8.68

32.39%

Potato (1kg)

$2.20 NZ$3.84

$2.24 NZ$3.91

-1.79%

Onion (1kg)

$1.26 NZ$2.20

$1.43 NZ$2.50

-11.89%

Lettuce (1 head)

$2.08 NZ$3.63

$1.83 NZ$3.20

13.66%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$1.22 NZ$2.14

$1.06 NZ$1.85

15.09%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$26.41 NZ$46.17

$21.42 NZ$37.44

23.30%

Wine (Bottle)

$11.68 NZ$20.42

$8.52 NZ$14.89

37.09%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$3.20 NZ$5.59

$3.05 NZ$5.33

4.92%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.82 NZ$4.93

$3.24 NZ$5.66

-12.96%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$2.84 NZ$4.96

$1.59 NZ$2.78

78.62%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$102 NZ$179

$91.1 NZ$159

12.22%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$1.95 NZ$3.41

$2.02 NZ$3.53

-3.47%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.84 NZ$3.21

$1.90 NZ$3.33

-3.16%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$35.32 NZ$61.7

$27.74 NZ$48.49

27.33%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.94 NZ$3.39

$1.69 NZ$2.95

14.79%

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

$26.1K NZ$45.6K

$25.0K NZ$43.7K

4.20%

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

$26.2K NZ$45.9K

$21.7K NZ$37.9K

21.04%

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

$201 NZ$351

$118 NZ$206

70.55%

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

$33.20 NZ$58.0

$25.04 NZ$43.78

32.59%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$54.6 NZ$95.4

$57.0 NZ$99.6

-4.21%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$39.64 NZ$69.3

$42.66 NZ$74.6

-7.08%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$16.86 NZ$29.48

Cinema Ticket

$12.18 NZ$21.30

$11.76 NZ$20.56

3.57%

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

$1,109 NZ$1,938

$789 NZ$1,379

40.57%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$13.4K NZ$23.4K

$15.2K NZ$26.5K

-11.82%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$80.1 NZ$140

$56.7 NZ$99.1

41.30%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$29.42 NZ$51.4

$36.35 NZ$63.6

-19.06%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$104 NZ$182

$87.0 NZ$152

19.58%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$159 NZ$278

$108 NZ$189

47.64%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,235 NZ$2,159

$1,009 NZ$1,764

22.41%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,176 NZ$2,057

$771 NZ$1,348

52.55%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$2,211 NZ$3,865

$1,468 NZ$2,567

50.59%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,750 NZ$3,060

$1,652 NZ$2,888

5.93%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$6,730 NZ$11.8K

$5,062 NZ$8,849

32.94%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$3,659 NZ$6,396

$3,829 NZ$6,694

-4.45%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$2,864 NZ$5,007

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

5.39

5.4

-0.19%

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

Last update for Wellington: September 13, 2026

Last update for Gore: September 12, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $1,235 in Wellington and $1,009 in Gore. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Dining out: $67.0 in Wellington vs $59.0 in Gore for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $352 vs $314 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 27% 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.

You'd need roughly $3,690 in Wellington and $2,917 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.

Rent for a central apartment: $1,235 in Wellington versus $1,009 in Gore. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Childcare runs $1,109 in Wellington versus $789 in Gore. Over years of preschool, even a modest monthly gap compounds into a major financial factor for families.

Supermarket bills run roughly 12% higher in Wellington. For households that cook at home regularly, that difference adds up over a month.

At $1,944 in Gore versus $2,460 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 $1,944 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 27% less than in Wellington. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.