Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Wellington and Mata Utu

For one person, living is cheaper in Wellington: $2,342 a month against $5,241 in Mata Utu, rent and utilities included – about $34,800 less a year. The total is higher in Mata Utu despite lower rent and utilities.

114

Cost of Living Index in Wellington
Learn more

Wellington Living Index

Jump to prices

Wellington

🇳🇿 New Zealand

$2,342

/mo nomad

Mata Utu

🇼🇫 Wallis and Futuna

$5,241

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

How much you'll spend in Wellington and in Mata Utu

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

A single person spends $2,342 per month in Wellington vs $5,241 in Mata Utu, rent included.

Wellington $2,342
Mata Utu $5,241

A couple spends around $3,316 per month in Wellington vs $6,656 in Mata Utu, rent included.

Wellington $3,316
Mata Utu $6,656

A family of three spends $4,291 per month in Wellington vs $8,071 in Mata Utu, rent included.

Wellington $4,291
Mata Utu $8,071

Wellington is about 55% cheaper than Mata Utu, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in utilities.

Both Wellington and Mata Utu sit above the global median – Wellington by 75%, Mata Utu by 291%.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$13.89 NZ$24.74

$11.06 CFPF 1,177

25.59%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$64.2 NZ$114

$111 CFPF 11.8K

-42.05%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$8.95 NZ$15.95

Cappuccino

$3.29 NZ$5.86

$7.68 CFPF 817

-57.16%

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

$2.35 NZ$4.19

$5.73 CFPF 610

-58.99%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.67 NZ$2.97

$3.29 CFPF 350

-49.24%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$7.24 NZ$12.90

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$6.75 NZ$12.03

$5.55 CFPF 591

21.62%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.90 NZ$3.38

White Bread (500g)

$2.15 NZ$3.83

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.82 NZ$3.24

Eggs

$6.73 NZ$11.99

Local Cheese (1kg)

$9.05 NZ$16.13

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$9.54 NZ$17.01

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$15.30 NZ$27.27

Apples (1kg)

$3.16 NZ$5.64

Banana (1kg)

$2.23 NZ$3.98

Oranges (1kg)

$2.97 NZ$5.28

Tomato (1kg)

$6.33 NZ$11.27

Potato (1kg)

$2.06 NZ$3.67

Onion (1kg)

$1.24 NZ$2.20

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.99 NZ$3.55

$11.17 CFPF 1,190

-82.18%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$1.19 NZ$2.13

$4.43 CFPF 472

-73.14%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$25.37 NZ$45.20

$16.77 CFPF 1,786

51.28%

Wine (Bottle)

$11.37 NZ$20.26

$16.69 CFPF 1,778

-31.88%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$3.17 NZ$5.65

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.76 NZ$4.92

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$2.74 NZ$4.88

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$102 NZ$182

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$1.82 NZ$3.24

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.77 NZ$3.16

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$33.17 NZ$59.1

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.83 NZ$3.26

$1.83 CFPF 194

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

$25.6K NZ$45.7K

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

$25.4K NZ$45.3K

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

$199 NZ$354

$145 CFPF 15.4K

37.33%

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

$32.79 NZ$58.4

$112 CFPF 12.0K

-70.83%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$53.5 NZ$95.3

$3,335 CFPF 355.2K

-98.40%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$38.58 NZ$68.8

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$16.40 NZ$29.22

Cinema Ticket

$12.14 NZ$21.64

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

$1,036 NZ$1,847

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$12.9K NZ$22.9K

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$78.4 NZ$140

$220 CFPF 23.5K

-64.41%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$28.23 NZ$50.3

$91.5 CFPF 9,746

-69.15%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$103 NZ$184

$228 CFPF 24.3K

-54.76%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$155 NZ$276

$283 CFPF 30.1K

-45.20%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,228 NZ$2,187

$898 CFPF 95.6K

36.74%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,139 NZ$2,030

$913 CFPF 97.2K

24.85%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$2,171 NZ$3,869

$2,238 CFPF 238.3K

-2.97%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,670 NZ$2,975

$2,282 CFPF 243.0K

-26.82%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$6,719 NZ$12.0K

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$3,505 NZ$6,246

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$2,818 NZ$5,022

$3,338 CFPF 355.5K

-15.58%

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 5, 2026

Last update for Mata Utu: October 5, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Accommodation & Living

Wellington

$1.1K 48.3%

Mata Utu

–

Groceries & Markets

Wellington

$343 14.5%

Mata Utu

–

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Wellington

$285 12.1%

Mata Utu

–

Eating Out

Wellington

$243 10.3%

Mata Utu

–

Clothing & Footwear

Wellington

$164 7%

Mata Utu

–

Getting Around

Wellington

$124 5.2%

Mata Utu

–

Sport & Entertainment

Wellington

$63 2.7%

Mata Utu

–

Cost Breakdown

A central one-bedroom costs $1,228 in Wellington versus $898 in Mata Utu. 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 18% higher in Mata Utu, which partly offsets the higher cost of living there. Purchasing power depends on which expenses matter most to you.

A mid-range dinner for two costs $64.0 in Wellington versus $111 in Mata Utu. Groceries tell a different story – $343 in Wellington vs $131 in Mata Utu – so Mata Utu wins on supermarket bills even if dining out costs more.

Good to know

🇳🇿 Wellington

🇼🇫 Mata Utu

🕒 Local time

23:09 11:09 PM

22:09 10:09 PM

1 h behind Wellington

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

215,900 Capital

1,200 Capital

💱 Currency

New Zealand Dollar NZD $

CFP Franc XPF Fr

📈 Exchange rate

1 NZD = 0.561 USD

1 NZD = 0.501 EUR

1,000 XPF = 9.39 USD

1,000 XPF = 8.38 EUR

Exchange rates and currency converter

XPF, USD, EUR to NZD – New Zealand Dollar Converter

🇺🇸 United States Dollar ($)

🇳🇿 New Zealand Dollar ($)

New Zealand Dollar exchange rates as of October 10, 2026: 1 USD = 1.78 NZD (1 NZD = 0.561 USD). 1 EUR = 2 NZD (1 NZD = 0.501 EUR).

CFP Franc exchange rates as of October 10, 2026: 1 USD = 107 XPF (1,000 XPF = 9.39 USD). 1 EUR = 119 XPF (1,000 XPF = 8.38 EUR).

USD to NZD in detail →

On the map

Lowest

Highest

Between locations

Wellington Mata Utu 3,240 km ≈ 4 h 30 min nonstop flight

From you

Wellington
Mata Utu

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 Mata Utu: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Monthly costs with rent: $2,342 in Wellington, $5,241 in Mata Utu – roughly 124% apart. Outside of rent, the biggest gap is in utilities.

For a comfortable life, plan on about $3,513 per month in Wellington and $7,862 in Mata Utu. That covers rent, food, utilities, transport, and enough left over to feel settled – not just surviving.

Rent is clearly cheaper in Wellington, especially for central apartments. Housing is actually the single biggest factor behind the overall cost gap between these two cities.

A mid-range dinner for two costs $64.0 in Wellington and $111 in Mata Utu. That's a good indicator of the overall restaurant and café pricing gap between the two cities.

Monthly expenses with rent come to $2,342 in Wellington and $5,241 in Mata Utu. That's a gap of about 124%.

A $2,500 monthly budget goes further in Wellington, where all-in costs run around $2,342, than in Mata Utu at $5,241. In Wellington it covers expenses comfortably, while in Mata Utu it requires careful planning or may not stretch far enough.

It depends on your priorities. Wellington has an edge in some lifestyle areas, with costs from $2,342 in Wellington to $5,241 in Mata Utu. Climate, culture, job market, and personal taste all factor in.

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