Cost of Living Comparison Between Wellington and Lincoln Cost of Living Comparison Between Wellington and Lincoln

Monthly Cost of Living

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $2,277 in Wellington versus $2,272 in Lincoln.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $3,544 in Wellington versus $3,373 in Lincoln.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $4,812 in Wellington versus $4,474 in Lincoln.

Monthly costs are close between Wellington and Lincoln; which city is cheaper depends on the spending category.

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

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$17.28 NZ$29.52

$27.39 £20.39

-36.91%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$85.1 NZ$145

$75.0 £55.8

13.53%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$9.91 NZ$16.93

$10.31 £7.67

-3.88%

Cappuccino

$3.75 NZ$6.41

$5.36 £3.99

-30.04%

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

$2.61 NZ$4.45

$2.32 £1.72

12.50%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.18 NZ$3.73

$1.56 £1.16

39.74%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$7.17 NZ$12.25

$6.66 £4.96

7.66%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$7.37 NZ$12.59

$6.87 £5.11

7.28%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.80 NZ$3.08

$1.41 £1.05

27.66%

White Bread (500g)

$2.02 NZ$3.46

$1.41 £1.05

43.26%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.91 NZ$3.26

$1.37 £1.02

39.42%

Eggs

$6.98 NZ$11.93

$3.44 £2.56

102.91%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$7.95 NZ$13.58

$9.19 £6.84

-13.49%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$11.26 NZ$19.24

$8.82 £6.56

27.66%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$12.87 NZ$21.98

$11.89 £8.85

8.24%

Apples (1kg)

$3.05 NZ$5.20

$3.65 £2.72

-16.44%

Banana (1kg)

$2.36 NZ$4.03

$1.24 £0.92

90.32%

Oranges (1kg)

$3.10 NZ$5.30

$2.87 £2.14

8.01%

Tomato (1kg)

$4.81 NZ$8.21

$3.11 £2.31

54.66%

Potato (1kg)

$2.06 NZ$3.53

$0.90 £0.67

128.89%

Onion (1kg)

$1.57 NZ$2.68

$1.64 £1.22

-4.27%

Lettuce (1 head)

$2.25 NZ$3.85

$1.19 £0.89

89.08%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$1.31 NZ$2.23

$1.43 £1.07

-8.39%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$26.06 NZ$44.53

$18.99 £14.14

37.23%

Wine (Bottle)

$10.75 NZ$18.36

$10.55 £7.85

1.90%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$3.65 NZ$6.24

$3.82 £2.85

-4.45%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.28 NZ$5.61

$3.31 £2.47

-0.91%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$2.69 NZ$4.60

$4.33 £3.23

-37.88%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$106 NZ$181

$87.9 £65.4

20.44%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$2.76 NZ$4.71

$4.09 £3.05

-32.52%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.84 NZ$3.14

$1.53 £1.14

20.26%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$60.8 NZ$104

$47.20 £35.14

28.81%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.65 NZ$2.81

$1.88 £1.40

-12.23%

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

$33.3K NZ$56.9K

$33.3K £24.8K

0.12%

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

$25.5K NZ$43.6K

$40.5K £30.2K

-37.00%

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

$160 NZ$273

$321 £239

-50.14%

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

$33.45 NZ$57.2

$15.57 £11.59

114.84%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$51.5 NZ$88.0

$45.91 £34.18

12.15%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$35.81 NZ$61.2

$42.90 £31.94

-16.53%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$20.66 NZ$35.30

$18.84 £14.03

9.66%

Cinema Ticket

$11.85 NZ$20.24

$16.61 £12.36

-28.66%

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

$792 NZ$1,354

$1,863 £1,387

-57.48%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$13.0K NZ$22.1K

$21.1K £15.7K

-38.56%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$73.0 NZ$125

$110 £82.0

-33.77%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$53.8 NZ$91.8

$43.73 £32.55

22.91%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$119 NZ$203

$79.0 £58.8

50.23%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$142 NZ$243

$98.1 £73.0

44.89%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,303 NZ$2,225

$1,090 £812

19.48%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,094 NZ$1,870

$887 £660

23.43%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$2,101 NZ$3,589

$1,965 £1,463

6.91%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,902 NZ$3,250

$1,481 £1,103

28.41%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$6,864 NZ$11.7K

$2,522 £1,878

172.13%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$3,720 NZ$6,355

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$2,800 NZ$4,783

$3,207 £2,387

-12.68%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

6.94

5.56

24.82%

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

Last update for Wellington: July 13, 2026

Last update for Lincoln: July 12, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $1,303 in Wellington and $1,090 in Lincoln. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Lincoln pays 15% more on average. How far that income stretches comes down to housing choices and lifestyle.

Dining out: $85.0 in Wellington vs $75.0 in Lincoln for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $339 vs $282 per month, with Lincoln 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 Lincoln: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

On paper, salaries run 15% lower in Lincoln. That's worth factoring in alongside costs, though remote workers earning in a stronger currency may not notice the difference at all.

Rent for a central apartment: $1,303 in Wellington versus $1,090 in Lincoln. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Childcare runs $792 in Wellington versus $1,863 in Lincoln. Over years of preschool, even a modest monthly gap compounds into a major financial factor for families.

Dining out is cheaper in Lincoln – a meal for two runs $75.0 versus $85.0 in Wellington. If you eat out regularly, this makes a real dent in your monthly spending.

At $2,272 in Lincoln versus $2,277 in Wellington, a $3,000 budget is realistic in Lincoln but tight or insufficient in Wellington. The gap between the two cities makes Lincoln the clear choice for anyone on this budget.

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