Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Wellington and Hamilton, New Zealand

For one person, living is cheaper in Hamilton: $1,917 a month against $2,313 in Wellington, rent and utilities included – about $4,800 less a year. Rent and utilities account for most of the difference.

110

Cost of Living Index in Wellington
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Wellington Living Index
93

Cost of Living Index in Hamilton
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Hamilton Living Index

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Wellington

🇳🇿 New Zealand

$2,313

/mo nomad

Hamilton

🇳🇿 New Zealand

$1,917

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

How much you'll spend in Wellington and in Hamilton

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

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $2,313 in Wellington versus $1,917 in Hamilton.

Wellington $2,313
Hamilton $1,917

Estimated couple costs with rent: $3,422 in Wellington versus $2,828 in Hamilton.

Wellington $3,422
Hamilton $2,828

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $4,530 in Wellington versus $3,739 in Hamilton.

Wellington $4,530
Hamilton $3,739

Living in Wellington is roughly 21% more expensive than in Hamilton, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in transport.

Both cities are pricier than the global median: Wellington 70% above, Hamilton 41% above.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$14.02 NZ$24.99

$12.20 NZ$21.74

14.92%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$66.5 NZ$118

$74.6 NZ$133

-10.88%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$9.23 NZ$16.44

$8.34 NZ$14.86

10.67%

Cappuccino

$3.41 NZ$6.08

$3.49 NZ$6.22

-2.29%

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

$2.43 NZ$4.33

$2.31 NZ$4.12

5.19%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.69 NZ$3.02

$2.50 NZ$4.46

-32.40%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$7.48 NZ$13.34

$6.08 NZ$10.83

23.03%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$6.74 NZ$12.02

$5.61 NZ$10.00

20.14%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.95 NZ$3.48

$1.46 NZ$2.60

33.56%

White Bread (500g)

$2.25 NZ$4.02

$1.25 NZ$2.23

80.00%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.85 NZ$3.31

$1.94 NZ$3.45

-4.64%

Eggs

$7.10 NZ$12.66

$5.52 NZ$9.83

28.62%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$9.54 NZ$17.00

$5.78 NZ$10.30

65.05%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$9.62 NZ$17.14

$7.18 NZ$12.80

33.98%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$15.26 NZ$27.20

$11.70 NZ$20.85

30.43%

Apples (1kg)

$3.09 NZ$5.51

$2.71 NZ$4.82

14.02%

Banana (1kg)

$2.15 NZ$3.84

$2.31 NZ$4.12

-6.93%

Oranges (1kg)

$3.08 NZ$5.49

$3.24 NZ$5.78

-4.94%

Tomato (1kg)

$6.42 NZ$11.45

$6.21 NZ$11.06

3.38%

Potato (1kg)

$2.10 NZ$3.74

$2.05 NZ$3.65

2.44%

Onion (1kg)

$1.23 NZ$2.20

$1.41 NZ$2.52

-12.77%

Lettuce (1 head)

$2.01 NZ$3.59

$2.49 NZ$4.43

-19.28%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$1.16 NZ$2.07

$0.98 NZ$1.75

18.37%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$25.37 NZ$45.21

$26.19 NZ$46.68

-3.13%

Wine (Bottle)

$11.48 NZ$20.46

$10.72 NZ$19.11

7.09%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$3.12 NZ$5.56

$4.02 NZ$7.17

-22.39%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.89 NZ$5.14

$4.14 NZ$7.38

-30.19%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$2.86 NZ$5.10

$2.66 NZ$4.74

7.52%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$105 NZ$187

$52.7 NZ$93.8

99.20%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$1.88 NZ$3.35

$3.70 NZ$6.59

-49.19%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.83 NZ$3.26

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$34.31 NZ$61.1

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.84 NZ$3.28

$1.67 NZ$2.97

10.18%

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

$28.4K NZ$50.6K

$28.2K NZ$50.3K

0.61%

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

$23.8K NZ$42.4K

$22.4K NZ$39.8K

6.47%

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

$201 NZ$358

$58.3 NZ$104

244.66%

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

$33.35 NZ$59.4

$36.48 NZ$65.0

-8.58%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$53.7 NZ$95.6

$55.5 NZ$98.9

-3.30%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$35.87 NZ$63.9

$25.73 NZ$45.86

39.41%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$16.18 NZ$28.84

$28.98 NZ$51.6

-44.17%

Cinema Ticket

$11.78 NZ$21.00

$13.93 NZ$24.83

-15.43%

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

$1,065 NZ$1,897

$670 NZ$1,195

58.81%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$13.3K NZ$23.7K

$22.5K NZ$40.0K

-40.84%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$80.4 NZ$143

$63.7 NZ$113

26.35%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$28.04 NZ$49.97

$38.93 NZ$69.4

-27.97%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$102 NZ$181

$94.7 NZ$169

7.25%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$154 NZ$275

$107 NZ$190

44.61%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,143 NZ$2,036

$1,090 NZ$1,942

4.87%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,078 NZ$1,922

$987 NZ$1,759

9.23%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$2,057 NZ$3,665

$1,636 NZ$2,915

25.72%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,814 NZ$3,232

$1,476 NZ$2,631

22.88%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$6,594 NZ$11.8K

$4,019 NZ$7,163

64.07%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$3,655 NZ$6,514

$4,525 NZ$8,064

-19.23%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$2,785 NZ$4,964

$2,678 NZ$4,773

4.00%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

5.39

6.83

-21.08%

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

Last update for Wellington: October 27, 2026

Last update for Hamilton: October 26, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Accommodation & Living

Wellington

$1.1K 46.6%

Hamilton

$987 51.5% 8.5% $91

Groceries & Markets

Wellington

$348 15.1%

Hamilton

$297 15.5% 14.7% $51

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Wellington

$288 12.4%

Hamilton

$150 7.8% 47.8% $138

Eating Out

Wellington

$248 10.7%

Hamilton

$225 11.8% 9.2% $23

Clothing & Footwear

Wellington

$164 7.1%

Hamilton

$137 7.1% 16.6% $27

Getting Around

Wellington

$127 5.5%

Hamilton

$67 * 3.5% 47.4% $60

Sport & Entertainment

Wellington

$59 2.6%

Hamilton

$54 2.8% 9.8% $5.8

Categories marked with * are only partly priced – their share counts the items that do have prices.

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $1,143 in Wellington and $1,090 in Hamilton. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Wellington pays 4% more on average. The extra income cushions the higher costs, though housing choices and lifestyle decide how much of the gap is truly closed.

Dining out: $66 in Wellington vs $75 in Hamilton. Groceries flip the comparison at $348 vs $297, with Hamilton cheaper for home cooking.

Good to know

🇳🇿 Wellington

🇳🇿 Hamilton

🕒 Local time

07:00 7:00 AM

Same time as Wellington

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

215,900 Capital

169,500

💱 Currency

New Zealand Dollar NZD $

📈 Exchange rate

1 NZD = 0.561 USD

1 NZD = 0.504 EUR

1 NZD = 0.561 USD

1 NZD = 0.504 EUR

Exchange rates and currency converter

On the map

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Wellington Hamilton 390 km

From you

Wellington
Hamilton

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 Hamilton: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Hamilton is cheaper overall, especially in transport, groceries, and clothing. The 21% gap adds up to real monthly savings that compound significantly over time.

Average pay runs 4% higher in Wellington, which matters when comparing affordability. Whether that higher income actually nets you more depends on your spending habits and housing choices.

Rent for a central apartment: $1,143 in Wellington versus $1,090 in Hamilton. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Dining out is cheaper in Wellington – a meal for two runs $66 versus $75 in Hamilton. If you eat out regularly, this makes a real dent in your monthly spending.

All in, you’ll spend $2,313 per month in Wellington versus $1,917 in Hamilton – a 21% gap that adds up to real savings over time for anyone picking the cheaper option.

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

It comes down to priorities – Hamilton wins on affordability, Wellington on earning potential. Factor in climate, language, visa rules, and proximity to places that matter to you before deciding.