Cost of Living Comparison Between Wellington and Invercargill Cost of Living Comparison Between Wellington and Invercargill

😐 Solo nomad: Wellington is 29.1% more expensive than Invercargill without rent, and 49.1% more expensive with rent.
😐 Family of 3: Wellington is 10.8% more expensive than Invercargill without rent, and 38.9% more expensive with rent.
Currency
🍽 Eating Out
Wellington
Invercargill
Difference
Meal at Budget Restaurant
$17.57 NZ$28.98
$12.2 NZ$20.13
44.02%
Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range
$82.9 NZ$137
$72 NZ$119
15.18%
Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)
$9.53 NZ$15.72
$8.59 NZ$14.16
10.94%
Cappuccino
$3.59 NZ$5.92
$3.51 NZ$5.79
2.28%
Coke/Pepsi/Fanta/Sprite (0.33 liter bottle)
$2.47 NZ$4.08
$1.73 NZ$2.86
42.77%
Water (0.33 liter bottle)
$2.2 NZ$3.62
$1.46 NZ$2.41
50.68%
Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)
$7.03 NZ$11.6
$5.93 NZ$9.79
18.55%
Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)
$7.38 NZ$12.18
$4.84 NZ$7.99
52.48%
πŸ›’ Groceries & Markets
Wellington
Invercargill
Difference
Milk (1 liter)
$1.88 NZ$3.1
$1.49 NZ$2.46
26.17%
White Bread (500g)
$2.09 NZ$3.44
$1.73 NZ$2.86
20.81%
Rice (white) (1kg)
$1.96 NZ$3.23
$1.76 NZ$2.91
11.36%
Eggs
$6.89 NZ$11.37
$5.7 NZ$9.4
20.88%
Local Cheese (1kg)
$8.24 NZ$13.6
$8.17 NZ$13.48
0.86%
Chicken Fillets (1kg)
$10.92 NZ$18.01
$9.38 NZ$15.48
16.42%
Beef Round Steak (1kg)
$12.99 NZ$21.42
$13.31 NZ$21.95
-2.40%
Apples (1kg)
$3.12 NZ$5.15
$2.84 NZ$4.69
9.86%
Banana (1kg)
$2.31 NZ$3.82
$2.27 NZ$3.74
1.76%
Oranges (1kg)
$3.1 NZ$5.12
$2.57 NZ$4.24
20.62%
Tomato (1kg)
$4.68 NZ$7.72
$3.66 NZ$6.03
27.87%
Potato (1kg)
$2.07 NZ$3.41
$2 NZ$3.29
3.50%
Onion (1kg)
$1.57 NZ$2.59
$1.78 NZ$2.93
-11.80%
Lettuce (1 head)
$2.3 NZ$3.79
$2.48 NZ$4.09
-7.26%
Water (1.5 liter bottle)
$1.28 NZ$2.11
$1.07 NZ$1.77
19.63%
Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)
$27.02 NZ$44.57
$21.97 NZ$36.23
22.99%
Wine (Bottle)
$10.48 NZ$17.28
$8.55 NZ$14.1
22.57%
Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)
$3.68 NZ$6.08
$4.06 NZ$6.69
-9.36%
Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)
$3.24 NZ$5.35
$3.66 NZ$6.03
-11.48%
🚌 Getting Around
Wellington
Invercargill
Difference
One-way Ticket (Public Transport)
$2.78 NZ$4.59
$1.6 NZ$2.63
73.75%
Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)
$106 NZ$175
$63.2 NZ$104
68.42%
Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)
$2.67 NZ$4.41
$2.35 NZ$3.88
13.62%
Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)
$1.78 NZ$2.93
$1.95 NZ$3.21
-8.72%
Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)
$59.2 NZ$97.6
$30.23 NZ$49.86
95.67%
Gasoline (1 liter)
$1.66 NZ$2.73
$1.63 NZ$2.69
1.84%
Midsize Hatchback 1.4l (Volkswagen Golf, Toyota Prius, Honda Civic, etc)
$33K NZ$54.5K
$25.5K NZ$42.1K
29.40%
Compact Sedan 1.6l (Toyota Corolla, Mazda3, Kia K4, Hyundai Elantra, etc)
$25K NZ$41.3K
$20.2K NZ$33.3K
23.84%
🧾 Monthly Utilities & Internet
Wellington
Invercargill
Difference
Utilities for 2 People in 2-bedroom Apartment (Heating, Electricity, Gas, Water, Garbage) (85m2)
$161 NZ$265
$101 NZ$167
58.53%
SIM Card Monthly Plan (Calls and 10GB+ Data)
$33.1 NZ$54.6
$35.1 NZ$57.9
-5.70%
Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)
$52.6 NZ$86.7
$49.5 NZ$81.7
6.22%
πŸŽ‰ Sport & Entertainment
Wellington
Invercargill
Difference
Gym Membership (Monthly)
$36.7 NZ$60.5
$29.19 NZ$48.15
25.73%
Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)
$20.16 NZ$33.25
$11.93 NZ$19.67
68.99%
Cinema Ticket
$11.86 NZ$19.56
$9.71 NZ$16.02
22.14%
🧸 Childcare & Education
Wellington
Invercargill
Difference
Preschool or Kindergarten, Full Day, Private, 1 Child (Monthly)
$789 NZ$1,301
$584 NZ$963
35.11%
International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)
$12.7K NZ$20.9K
$12.2K NZ$20.1K
4.14%
πŸ‘•πŸ‘Ÿ Clothing & Footwear
Wellington
Invercargill
Difference
Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)
$72.5 NZ$120
$65.6 NZ$108
10.47%
Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)
$53.7 NZ$88.6
$35.5 NZ$58.6
51.35%
Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)
$118 NZ$195
$82 NZ$135
44.02%
Men's Leather Business Shoes
$145 NZ$240
$83.9 NZ$138
73.25%
🏠 Accommodation & Living
Wellington
Invercargill
Difference
1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)
$1,341 NZ$2,211
$649 NZ$1,071
106.48%
1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)
$1,091 NZ$1,800
$586 NZ$966
86.34%
3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)
$2,146 NZ$3,539
$873 NZ$1,439
145.87%
3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)
$1,893 NZ$3,122
$1,081 NZ$1,783
75.14%
Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)
$6,617 NZ$10.9K
$5,707 NZ$9,413
15.94%
Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)
$4,828 NZ$7,962
$3,429 NZ$5,655
40.79%
πŸ’΅ Salaries & Financials
Wellington
Invercargill
Difference
Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)
$3,228 NZ$5,324
$2,804 NZ$4,624
15.13%
20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)
6.94
6.87
1.02%

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

Last update for Wellington: October 28, 2025

Last update for Invercargill: October 28, 2025

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