Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Wellington and Levin

For one person, living is cheaper in Levin: $2,005 a month against $2,313 in Wellington, rent and utilities included – about $3,700 less a year. Rent and utilities account for about half of the difference.

110

Cost of Living Index in Wellington
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Wellington Living Index
96

Cost of Living Index in Levin
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Levin Living Index

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Wellington

🇳🇿 New Zealand

$2,313

/mo nomad

Levin

🇳🇿 New Zealand

$2,005

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

How much you'll spend in Wellington and in Levin

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

A single person spends $2,313 per month in Wellington vs $2,005 in Levin, rent included.

Wellington $2,313
Levin $2,005

A couple spends around $3,422 per month in Wellington vs $2,929 in Levin, rent included.

Wellington $3,422
Levin $2,929

A family of three spends $4,530 per month in Wellington vs $3,853 in Levin, rent included.

Wellington $4,530
Levin $3,853

Wellington costs about 15% more than Levin, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in groceries.

Both Wellington and Levin sit above the global median – Wellington by 70%, Levin by 47%.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$14.02 NZ$24.91

$13.87 NZ$24.65

1.08%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$66.5 NZ$118

$66.0 NZ$117

0.76%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$9.23 NZ$16.39

$9.31 NZ$16.53

-0.86%

Cappuccino

$3.41 NZ$6.06

$2.79 NZ$4.96

22.22%

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

$2.43 NZ$4.32

$2.44 NZ$4.33

-0.41%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.69 NZ$3.01

$1.70 NZ$3.02

-0.59%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$7.48 NZ$13.29

$7.50 NZ$13.32

-0.27%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$6.74 NZ$11.98

$6.64 NZ$11.79

1.51%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.95 NZ$3.47

$1.90 NZ$3.37

2.63%

White Bread (500g)

$2.25 NZ$4.00

$0.91 NZ$1.61

147.25%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.85 NZ$3.30

$1.71 NZ$3.04

8.19%

Eggs

$7.10 NZ$12.62

$7.03 NZ$12.49

1.00%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$9.54 NZ$16.95

$6.67 NZ$11.85

43.03%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$9.62 NZ$17.09

$7.18 NZ$12.76

33.98%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$15.26 NZ$27.11

$9.48 NZ$16.85

60.97%

Apples (1kg)

$3.09 NZ$5.50

$1.74 NZ$3.09

77.59%

Banana (1kg)

$2.15 NZ$3.83

$2.17 NZ$3.86

-0.92%

Oranges (1kg)

$3.08 NZ$5.47

$3.09 NZ$5.49

-0.32%

Tomato (1kg)

$6.42 NZ$11.41

$1.80 NZ$3.20

256.67%

Potato (1kg)

$2.10 NZ$3.72

$1.95 NZ$3.46

7.69%

Onion (1kg)

$1.23 NZ$2.19

$1.24 NZ$2.21

-0.81%

Lettuce (1 head)

$2.01 NZ$3.57

$1.82 NZ$3.23

10.44%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$1.16 NZ$2.06

$0.59 NZ$1.05

96.61%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$25.37 NZ$45.07

$18.26 NZ$32.44

38.94%

Wine (Bottle)

$11.48 NZ$20.40

$11.26 NZ$20.00

1.95%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$3.12 NZ$5.54

$3.17 NZ$5.63

-1.58%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.89 NZ$5.13

$2.91 NZ$5.18

-0.69%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$2.86 NZ$5.08

$1.97 NZ$3.50

45.18%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$105 NZ$186

$119 NZ$211

-11.57%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$1.88 NZ$3.34

$1.84 NZ$3.27

2.17%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.83 NZ$3.25

$1.85 NZ$3.29

-1.08%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$34.31 NZ$61.0

$34.18 NZ$60.7

0.38%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.84 NZ$3.27

$1.61 NZ$2.85

14.29%

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

$28.4K NZ$50.4K

$28.4K NZ$50.5K

-0.19%

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

$23.8K NZ$42.3K

$24.0K NZ$42.6K

-0.79%

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

$201 NZ$357

$200 NZ$355

0.63%

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

$33.35 NZ$59.3

$21.91 NZ$38.92

52.21%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$53.7 NZ$95.3

$53.9 NZ$95.7

-0.45%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$35.87 NZ$63.7

$39.09 NZ$69.4

-8.24%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$16.18 NZ$28.75

Cinema Ticket

$11.78 NZ$20.93

$10.37 NZ$18.42

13.60%

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

$1,065 NZ$1,891

$1,056 NZ$1,876

0.80%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$13.3K NZ$23.6K

$13.0K NZ$23.2K

1.82%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$80.4 NZ$143

$79.4 NZ$141

1.32%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$28.04 NZ$49.81

$22.63 NZ$40.20

23.91%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$102 NZ$180

$51.8 NZ$91.9

96.33%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$154 NZ$274

$113 NZ$201

35.93%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,143 NZ$2,030

$1,024 NZ$1,818

11.63%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,078 NZ$1,916

$914 NZ$1,625

17.91%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$2,057 NZ$3,654

$1,181 NZ$2,098

74.14%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,814 NZ$3,222

$1,490 NZ$2,647

21.72%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$6,594 NZ$11.7K

$4,200 NZ$7,461

57.01%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$3,655 NZ$6,493

$3,177 NZ$5,644

15.05%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$2,785 NZ$4,948

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

5.39

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

Last update for Wellington: October 27, 2026

Last update for Levin: October 24, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Accommodation & Living

Wellington

$1.1K 46.6%

Levin

$914 45.6% 15.2% $164

Groceries & Markets

Wellington

$348 15.1%

Levin

$257 12.8% 26.1% $91

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Wellington

$288 12.4%

Levin

$275 13.7% 4.3% $12

Eating Out

Wellington

$248 10.7%

Levin

$240 12% 3.4% $8.4

Clothing & Footwear

Wellington

$164 7.1%

Levin

$120 6% 26.6% $44

Getting Around

Wellington

$127 5.5%

Levin

$138 6.9% 8% $10

Sport & Entertainment

Wellington

$59 2.6%

Levin

$60 3% 0.7% $0.4

Cost Breakdown

A central one-bedroom costs $1,143 in Wellington versus $1,024 in Levin. Rent is usually the largest line item in a monthly budget, so the gap here sets the tone for the overall comparison.

A mid-range dinner for two costs $66 in Wellington versus $66 in Levin. Groceries tell a different story – $348 in Wellington vs $257 in Levin – so Levin wins on supermarket bills even if dining out costs more.

Good to know

🇳🇿 Wellington

🇳🇿 Levin

🕒 Local time

06:12 6:12 AM

Same time as Wellington

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

215,900 Capital

18,800

💱 Currency

New Zealand Dollar NZD $

📈 Exchange rate

1 NZD = 0.563 USD

1 NZD = 0.504 EUR

1 NZD = 0.563 USD

1 NZD = 0.504 EUR

Exchange rates and currency converter

On the map

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Wellington Levin 86 km

From you

Wellington
Levin

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 Levin: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Monthly costs with rent: $2,313 in Wellington, $2,005 in Levin – Levin comes out roughly 13% cheaper. Outside of rent, the biggest gap is in groceries.

For a comfortable life, plan on about $3,470 per month in Wellington and $3,007 in Levin. That covers rent, food, utilities, transport, and enough left over to feel settled – not just surviving.

Rent is clearly cheaper in Levin, especially for central apartments: a one-bedroom in the center costs $1,024 there versus $1,143 in Wellington.

Public transport costs about 12% less in Wellington. For daily commuters, that gap adds up to noticeable savings over a year.

Groceries cost about 35% more in Wellington, though the gap depends on what you buy.

$3,000 covers both cities comfortably – all-in costs are $2,313 in Wellington and $2,005 in Levin, leaving budget for savings and extras in both cases.

It depends on your priorities. Wellington has an edge in some lifestyle areas, with costs from $2,005 in Levin to $2,313 in Wellington. Climate, culture, job market, and personal taste all factor in.

Both cities have a reputation for safety. In either place, the choice of neighborhood matters more than the choice between the two cities.