Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Wellington and Napier

For one person, living is cheaper in Napier: $2,251 a month against $2,313 in Wellington, rent and utilities included – about $740 less a year. Other living expenses account for most of the difference.

110

Cost of Living Index in Wellington
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Wellington Living Index
108

Cost of Living Index in Napier
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Napier Living Index

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Wellington

🇳🇿 New Zealand

$2,313

/mo nomad

Napier

🇳🇿 New Zealand

$2,251

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

How much you'll spend in Wellington and in Napier

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

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $2,313 in Wellington versus $2,251 in Napier.

Wellington $2,313
Napier $2,251

Estimated couple costs with rent: $3,422 in Wellington versus $3,239 in Napier.

Wellington $3,422
Napier $3,239

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $4,530 in Wellington versus $4,227 in Napier.

Wellington $4,530
Napier $4,227

Living in Wellington is roughly 3% more expensive than in Napier, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in groceries.

Both cities are pricier than the global median: Wellington 70% above, Napier 65% above.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$14.02 NZ$24.93

$18.60 NZ$33.07

-24.62%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$66.5 NZ$118

$95.3 NZ$169

-30.28%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$9.23 NZ$16.40

$9.50 NZ$16.89

-2.84%

Cappuccino

$3.41 NZ$6.06

$3.45 NZ$6.14

-1.16%

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

$2.43 NZ$4.32

$2.27 NZ$4.03

7.05%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.69 NZ$3.01

$2.32 NZ$4.12

-27.16%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$7.48 NZ$13.30

$6.67 NZ$11.86

12.14%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$6.74 NZ$11.99

$5.74 NZ$10.21

17.42%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.95 NZ$3.47

$1.63 NZ$2.90

19.63%

White Bread (500g)

$2.25 NZ$4.01

$1.51 NZ$2.68

49.01%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.85 NZ$3.30

$1.48 NZ$2.64

25.00%

Eggs

$7.10 NZ$12.63

$5.65 NZ$10.04

25.66%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$9.54 NZ$16.96

$7.52 NZ$13.36

26.86%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$9.62 NZ$17.10

$8.58 NZ$15.25

12.12%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$15.26 NZ$27.13

$12.76 NZ$22.68

19.59%

Apples (1kg)

$3.09 NZ$5.50

$2.29 NZ$4.08

34.93%

Banana (1kg)

$2.15 NZ$3.83

$1.67 NZ$2.97

28.74%

Oranges (1kg)

$3.08 NZ$5.48

$3.13 NZ$5.56

-1.60%

Tomato (1kg)

$6.42 NZ$11.42

$2.88 NZ$5.12

122.92%

Potato (1kg)

$2.10 NZ$3.73

$1.79 NZ$3.18

17.32%

Onion (1kg)

$1.23 NZ$2.19

$2.59 NZ$4.60

-52.51%

Lettuce (1 head)

$2.01 NZ$3.58

$1.86 NZ$3.31

8.06%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$1.16 NZ$2.06

$1.18 NZ$2.10

-1.69%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$25.37 NZ$45.09

$20.68 NZ$36.75

22.68%

Wine (Bottle)

$11.48 NZ$20.41

$8.47 NZ$15.06

35.54%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$3.12 NZ$5.54

$2.55 NZ$4.54

22.35%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.89 NZ$5.13

$2.44 NZ$4.34

18.44%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$2.86 NZ$5.09

$1.97 NZ$3.49

45.18%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$105 NZ$186

$104 NZ$185

0.97%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$1.88 NZ$3.34

$2.30 NZ$4.09

-18.26%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.83 NZ$3.25

$1.84 NZ$3.28

-0.54%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$34.31 NZ$61.0

$30.23 NZ$53.7

13.50%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.84 NZ$3.27

$1.54 NZ$2.74

19.48%

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

$28.4K NZ$50.5K

$25.9K NZ$46.0K

9.65%

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

$23.8K NZ$42.3K

$23.9K NZ$42.4K

-0.24%

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

$201 NZ$357

$185 NZ$329

8.49%

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

$33.35 NZ$59.3

$35.28 NZ$62.7

-5.47%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$53.7 NZ$95.4

$48.81 NZ$86.8

9.92%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$35.87 NZ$63.8

$34.62 NZ$61.5

3.61%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$16.18 NZ$28.77

$10.85 NZ$19.29

49.12%

Cinema Ticket

$11.78 NZ$20.94

$8.68 NZ$15.43

35.71%

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

$1,065 NZ$1,892

$690 NZ$1,227

54.20%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$13.3K NZ$23.6K

$16.8K NZ$29.9K

-20.92%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$80.4 NZ$143

$107 NZ$190

-24.81%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$28.04 NZ$49.84

$35.09 NZ$62.4

-20.09%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$102 NZ$181

$104 NZ$185

-2.61%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$154 NZ$274

$121 NZ$216

26.86%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,143 NZ$2,031

$1,193 NZ$2,121

-4.26%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,078 NZ$1,917

$1,080 NZ$1,919

-0.14%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$2,057 NZ$3,656

$1,707 NZ$3,035

20.46%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,814 NZ$3,224

$1,491 NZ$2,651

21.62%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$6,594 NZ$11.7K

$4,873 NZ$8,662

35.32%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$3,655 NZ$6,497

$3,334 NZ$5,926

9.63%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$2,785 NZ$4,951

$3,110 NZ$5,528

-10.44%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

5.39

6.54

-17.58%

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

Last update for Wellington: October 27, 2026

Last update for Napier: October 24, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Accommodation & Living

Wellington

$1.1K 46.6%

Napier

$1.1K 48% 0.1% $1.5

Groceries & Markets

Wellington

$348 15.1%

Napier

$279 12.4% 19.9% $69

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Wellington

$288 12.4%

Napier

$269 12% 6.5% $19

Eating Out

Wellington

$248 10.7%

Napier

$282 12.5% 13.6% $34

Clothing & Footwear

Wellington

$164 7.1%

Napier

$166 7.4% 1% $1.7

Getting Around

Wellington

$127 5.5%

Napier

$123 5.5% 3.2% $4.1

Sport & Entertainment

Wellington

$59 2.6%

Napier

$52 2.3% 12.5% $7.5

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $1,143 in Wellington and $1,193 in Napier. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Napier pays 12% more on average while also being the cheaper of the two. The combined effect is a noticeably stronger local purchasing power.

Dining out: $66 in Wellington vs $95 in Napier. Groceries flip the comparison at $348 vs $279, with Napier cheaper for home cooking.

Good to know

🇳🇿 Wellington

🇳🇿 Napier

🕒 Local time

02:44 2:44 AM

Same time as Wellington

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

215,900 Capital

65,000

💱 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 Napier 270 km

From you

Wellington
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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 Napier: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Napier is about 3% cheaper overall, especially in groceries, leisure, and transport. That difference adds up to real monthly savings that compound significantly over time.

On paper, salaries run 10% lower in Wellington. 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: $1,143 in Wellington versus $1,193 in Napier. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Childcare runs $1,065 in Wellington versus $690 in Napier. Over years of preschool, even a modest monthly gap compounds into a major financial factor for families.

Dining out is cheaper in Wellington – a meal for two runs $66 versus $95 in Napier. If you eat out regularly, this makes a real dent in your monthly spending.

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 Napier are both considered safe, so it’s unlikely to be the deciding factor between them.