Cost of Living Comparison Between Wellington and New Plymouth Cost of Living Comparison Between Wellington and New Plymouth

😐 Solo nomad: Wellington is 4.1% more expensive than New Plymouth without rent, and 30.1% more expensive with rent.
😐 Family of 3: Wellington is 14.9% more expensive than New Plymouth without rent, and 29.4% more expensive with rent.
Currency
🍽 Eating Out
Wellington
New Plymouth
Difference
Meal at Budget Restaurant
$17.83 NZ$30.31
$15.20 NZ$25.84
17.30%
Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range
$84.2 NZ$143
$78.7 NZ$134
7.06%
Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)
$9.46 NZ$16.09
$10.75 NZ$18.27
-12.00%
Cappuccino
$3.65 NZ$6.21
$3.68 NZ$6.25
-0.82%
Coke/Pepsi/Fanta/Sprite (0.33 liter bottle)
$2.57 NZ$4.38
$2.26 NZ$3.84
13.72%
Water (0.33 liter bottle)
$2.20 NZ$3.73
$2.07 NZ$3.52
6.28%
Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)
$7.20 NZ$12.24
$5.34 NZ$9.08
34.83%
Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)
$7.44 NZ$12.65
$7.40 NZ$12.57
0.54%
🛒 Groceries & Markets
Wellington
New Plymouth
Difference
Milk (1 liter)
$1.82 NZ$3.10
$1.97 NZ$3.36
-7.61%
White Bread (500g)
$2.04 NZ$3.47
$1.49 NZ$2.53
36.91%
Rice (white) (1kg)
$1.97 NZ$3.35
$1.76 NZ$2.99
11.93%
Eggs
$7.24 NZ$12.31
$6.25 NZ$10.62
15.84%
Local Cheese (1kg)
$8.16 NZ$13.88
$7.28 NZ$12.37
12.09%
Chicken Fillets (1kg)
$10.90 NZ$18.54
$13.49 NZ$22.94
-19.20%
Beef Round Steak (1kg)
$13.19 NZ$22.42
$13.05 NZ$22.18
1.07%
Apples (1kg)
$3.06 NZ$5.21
$2.15 NZ$3.66
42.33%
Banana (1kg)
$2.36 NZ$4.01
$1.98 NZ$3.37
19.19%
Oranges (1kg)
$2.98 NZ$5.07
$3.14 NZ$5.34
-5.10%
Tomato (1kg)
$4.83 NZ$8.21
$6.74 NZ$11.46
-28.34%
Potato (1kg)
$2.02 NZ$3.44
$2.51 NZ$4.28
-19.52%
Onion (1kg)
$1.58 NZ$2.68
$1.60 NZ$2.71
-1.25%
Lettuce (1 head)
$2.30 NZ$3.90
$1.93 NZ$3.29
19.17%
Water (1.5 liter bottle)
$1.29 NZ$2.20
$1.43 NZ$2.43
-9.79%
Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)
$26.71 NZ$45.41
$21.12 NZ$35.90
26.47%
Wine (Bottle)
$10.89 NZ$18.52
$8.70 NZ$14.78
25.17%
Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)
$3.51 NZ$5.97
$3.86 NZ$6.57
-9.07%
Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)
$3.26 NZ$5.54
$4.41 NZ$7.50
-26.08%
🚌 Getting Around
Wellington
New Plymouth
Difference
One-way Ticket (Public Transport)
$2.67 NZ$4.54
$1.83 NZ$3.12
45.90%
Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)
$107 NZ$182
$62.9 NZ$107
70.25%
Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)
$2.77 NZ$4.70
$1.77 NZ$3.01
56.50%
Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)
$1.79 NZ$3.05
$3.32 NZ$5.65
-46.08%
Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)
$60.9 NZ$103
$36.43 NZ$61.9
67.09%
Gasoline (1 liter)
$1.67 NZ$2.85
$1.65 NZ$2.80
1.21%
Midsize Hatchback 1.4l (Volkswagen Golf, Toyota Prius, Honda Civic, etc)
$33.0K NZ$56.2K
$49.1K NZ$83.4K
-32.68%
Compact Sedan 1.6l (Toyota Corolla, Mazda3, Kia K4, Hyundai Elantra, etc)
$24.9K NZ$42.3K
$23.7K NZ$40.4K
4.83%
🧾 Monthly Utilities & Internet
Wellington
New Plymouth
Difference
Utilities for 2 People in 2-bedroom Apartment (Heating, Electricity, Gas, Water, Garbage) (85m2)
$155 NZ$264
$214 NZ$363
-27.39%
SIM Card Monthly Plan (Calls and 10GB+ Data)
$33.64 NZ$57.2
$29.89 NZ$50.8
12.55%
Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)
$51.1 NZ$86.8
$30.19 NZ$51.3
69.13%
🎉 Sport & Entertainment
Wellington
New Plymouth
Difference
Gym Membership (Monthly)
$36.54 NZ$62.1
$35.59 NZ$60.5
2.67%
Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)
$20.82 NZ$35.39
$12.00 NZ$20.40
73.50%
Cinema Ticket
$12.26 NZ$20.84
$10.90 NZ$18.52
12.48%
🧸 Childcare & Education
Wellington
New Plymouth
Difference
Preschool or Kindergarten, Full Day, Private, 1 Child (Monthly)
$818 NZ$1,390
$727 NZ$1,236
12.45%
International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)
$12.8K NZ$21.8K
$12.1K NZ$20.6K
6.13%
👕👟 Clothing & Footwear
Wellington
New Plymouth
Difference
Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)
$70.9 NZ$121
$91.3 NZ$155
-22.30%
Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)
$53.2 NZ$90.5
$36.76 NZ$62.5
44.80%
Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)
$120 NZ$204
$70.9 NZ$121
69.08%
Men's Leather Business Shoes
$145 NZ$247
$65.3 NZ$111
122.62%
🏠 Accommodation & Living
Wellington
New Plymouth
Difference
1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)
$1,297 NZ$2,205
$740 NZ$1,259
75.24%
1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)
$1,094 NZ$1,860
$675 NZ$1,147
62.08%
3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)
$2,127 NZ$3,616
$1,331 NZ$2,263
59.79%
3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)
$1,916 NZ$3,257
$1,184 NZ$2,013
61.79%
Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)
$6,806 NZ$11.6K
$3,340 NZ$5,678
103.76%
Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)
$4,067 NZ$6,914
$2,789 NZ$4,742
45.80%
💵 Salaries & Financials
Wellington
New Plymouth
Difference
Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)
$3,107 NZ$5,282
$2,653 NZ$4,510
17.10%
20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)
6.94
5.93
17.03%

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

Last update for Wellington: March 2, 2026

Last update for New Plymouth: February 28, 2026

City Median Internet Speeds Comparison (Updated December 2025)

The chart highlights the Precision Threshold for mobile and fixed broadband internet speeds, updated quarterly.
Digital Nomad Cost of Living Index

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