Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Wellington and Hastings, New Zealand

For one person, living is cheaper in Hastings: $1,776 a month against $2,313 in Wellington, rent and utilities included – about $6,400 less a year. Rent and utilities account for most of the difference.

110

Cost of Living Index in Wellington
Learn more

Wellington Living Index
86

Cost of Living Index in Hastings
Learn more

Hastings Living Index

Jump to prices

Wellington

🇳🇿 New Zealand

$2,313

/mo nomad

Hastings

🇳🇿 New Zealand

$1,776

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

How much you'll spend in Wellington and in Hastings

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

A single person spends $2,313 per month in Wellington vs $1,776 in Hastings, rent included.

Wellington $2,313
Hastings $1,776

A couple spends around $3,422 per month in Wellington vs $2,606 in Hastings, rent included.

Wellington $3,422
Hastings $2,606

A family of three spends $4,530 per month in Wellington vs $3,436 in Hastings, rent included.

Wellington $4,530
Hastings $3,436

Wellington costs about 30% more than Hastings, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in groceries.

Both Wellington and Hastings sit above the global median – Wellington by 70%, Hastings by 31%.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$14.02 NZ$24.99

$11.55 NZ$20.58

21.39%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$66.5 NZ$118

$56.3 NZ$100

18.13%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$9.23 NZ$16.44

$9.33 NZ$16.63

-1.07%

Cappuccino

$3.41 NZ$6.08

$3.29 NZ$5.86

3.65%

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

$2.43 NZ$4.33

$1.82 NZ$3.24

33.52%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.69 NZ$3.02

$1.40 NZ$2.49

20.71%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$7.48 NZ$13.34

$4.43 NZ$7.89

68.85%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$6.74 NZ$12.02

$5.64 NZ$10.06

19.50%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.95 NZ$3.48

$1.48 NZ$2.64

31.76%

White Bread (500g)

$2.25 NZ$4.02

$1.24 NZ$2.21

81.45%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.85 NZ$3.31

$1.77 NZ$3.16

4.52%

Eggs

$7.10 NZ$12.66

$5.38 NZ$9.59

31.97%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$9.54 NZ$17.00

$5.72 NZ$10.20

66.78%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$9.62 NZ$17.14

$7.48 NZ$13.33

28.61%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$15.26 NZ$27.20

$11.72 NZ$20.89

30.20%

Apples (1kg)

$3.09 NZ$5.51

$2.60 NZ$4.64

18.85%

Banana (1kg)

$2.15 NZ$3.84

$2.01 NZ$3.59

6.97%

Oranges (1kg)

$3.08 NZ$5.49

$3.11 NZ$5.55

-0.96%

Tomato (1kg)

$6.42 NZ$11.45

$3.34 NZ$5.96

92.22%

Potato (1kg)

$2.10 NZ$3.74

$1.79 NZ$3.19

17.32%

Onion (1kg)

$1.23 NZ$2.20

$1.03 NZ$1.83

19.42%

Lettuce (1 head)

$2.01 NZ$3.59

$1.42 NZ$2.53

41.55%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$1.16 NZ$2.07

$0.97 NZ$1.73

19.59%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$25.37 NZ$45.21

$17.86 NZ$31.82

42.05%

Wine (Bottle)

$11.48 NZ$20.46

$9.50 NZ$16.92

20.84%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$3.12 NZ$5.56

$3.86 NZ$6.88

-19.17%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.89 NZ$5.14

$3.02 NZ$5.38

-4.30%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$2.86 NZ$5.10

$2.82 NZ$5.03

1.42%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$105 NZ$187

$104 NZ$185

0.99%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$1.88 NZ$3.35

$3.75 NZ$6.69

-49.87%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.83 NZ$3.26

$2.81 NZ$5.01

-34.88%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$34.31 NZ$61.1

$33.06 NZ$58.9

3.78%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.84 NZ$3.28

$1.56 NZ$2.78

17.95%

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

$28.4K NZ$50.6K

$28.0K NZ$49.9K

1.34%

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

$23.8K NZ$42.4K

$22.8K NZ$40.6K

4.41%

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

$201 NZ$358

$193 NZ$343

4.25%

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

$33.35 NZ$59.4

$36.75 NZ$65.5

-9.25%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$53.7 NZ$95.6

$58.5 NZ$104

-8.35%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$35.87 NZ$63.9

$27.61 NZ$49.20

29.92%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$16.18 NZ$28.84

Cinema Ticket

$11.78 NZ$21.00

$10.35 NZ$18.45

13.82%

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

$1,065 NZ$1,897

$684 NZ$1,219

55.64%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$13.3K NZ$23.7K

$23.0K NZ$41.0K

-42.28%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$80.4 NZ$143

$47.65 NZ$84.9

68.77%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$28.04 NZ$49.97

$37.98 NZ$67.7

-26.17%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$102 NZ$181

$94.1 NZ$168

7.99%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$154 NZ$275

$90.0 NZ$160

71.24%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,143 NZ$2,036

$826 NZ$1,472

38.33%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,078 NZ$1,922

$711 NZ$1,267

51.70%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$2,057 NZ$3,665

$1,567 NZ$2,792

31.28%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,814 NZ$3,232

$1,165 NZ$2,076

55.72%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$6,594 NZ$11.8K

$4,213 NZ$7,508

56.53%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$3,655 NZ$6,514

$3,293 NZ$5,869

10.98%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$2,785 NZ$4,964

$1,586 NZ$2,827

75.60%

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 Hastings: October 24, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Accommodation & Living

Wellington

$1.1K 46.6%

Hastings

$711 40% 34.1% $368

Groceries & Markets

Wellington

$348 15.1%

Hastings

$269 15.1% 22.8% $79

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Wellington

$288 12.4%

Hastings

$288 16.2% 0% $0.1

Eating Out

Wellington

$248 10.7%

Hastings

$206 11.6% 17% $42

Clothing & Footwear

Wellington

$164 7.1%

Hastings

$121 6.8% 25.9% $43

Getting Around

Wellington

$127 5.5%

Hastings

$133 7.5% 4.4% $5.6

Sport & Entertainment

Wellington

$59 2.6%

Hastings

$48 2.7% 18.7% $11

Cost Breakdown

A central one-bedroom costs $1,143 in Wellington versus $826 in Hastings. Rent is usually the largest line item in a monthly budget, so the gap here sets the tone for the overall comparison.

Salaries run about 76% higher in Wellington. Purchasing power depends on which expenses matter most to you.

A mid-range dinner for two costs $66 in Wellington versus $56 in Hastings. Monthly groceries follow the same trend: $348 vs $269 – making Hastings the more affordable choice for daily food spending.

Good to know

🇳🇿 Wellington

🇳🇿 Hastings

🕒 Local time

03:10 3:10 AM

Same time as Wellington

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

215,900 Capital

50,100

💱 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

Lowest

Highest

Between locations

Wellington Hastings 250 km

From you

Wellington
Hastings

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 Hastings: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Wellington costs about 30% more than Hastings, and outside of rent the gap comes mainly from groceries. That’s enough to noticeably affect everyday spending and lifestyle for anyone choosing between the two.

For a comfortable life, plan on about $3,470 per month in Wellington and $2,664 in Hastings. That covers rent, food, utilities, transport, and enough left over to feel settled – not just surviving.

Rent is clearly cheaper in Hastings, especially for central apartments: a one-bedroom in the center costs $826 there versus $1,143 in Wellington.

A mid-range dinner for two costs $66 in Wellington and $56 in Hastings. That’s a good indicator of the overall restaurant and café pricing gap between the two cities.

Groceries cost about 30% more in Wellington, though it depends on what you buy. Local produce may be comparable; imported and premium items show the biggest price gap.

A $2,000 monthly budget goes further in Hastings, where all-in costs run around $1,776, than in Wellington at $2,313. In Hastings it covers expenses comfortably, while in Wellington it requires careful planning or may not stretch far enough.

Families tend to lean toward Hastings – lower housing and cheaper childcare make a real difference, especially on a single income or when paying for private education.

Both have safer and rougher neighborhoods, but overall safety is comparable to other large cities. Neighborhood choice matters more than the city-level comparison – central, well-trafficked areas feel secure in both.

If budget matters most, go with Hastings. If higher salaries, better infrastructure, or specific career opportunities are the priority, Wellington makes more sense. Both are solid long-term options with distinct trade-offs.