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

😐 Solo nomad: Wellington is 1.9% more expensive than New Plymouth without rent, and 28.6% more expensive with rent.
😐 Family of 3: Wellington is 15.2% more expensive than New Plymouth without rent, and 25% more expensive with rent.
Currency
🍽 Eating Out
Wellington
New Plymouth
Difference
Meal at Budget Restaurant
$17.57 NZ$28.98
$15.32 NZ$25.27
14.69%
Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range
$82.9 NZ$137
$77.9 NZ$129
6.40%
Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)
$9.53 NZ$15.72
$10.57 NZ$17.44
-9.84%
Cappuccino
$3.59 NZ$5.92
$3.73 NZ$6.16
-3.75%
Coke/Pepsi/Fanta/Sprite (0.33 liter bottle)
$2.47 NZ$4.08
$2.37 NZ$3.91
4.22%
Water (0.33 liter bottle)
$2.2 NZ$3.62
$2.04 NZ$3.36
7.84%
Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)
$7.03 NZ$11.6
$5.33 NZ$8.79
31.89%
Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)
$7.38 NZ$12.18
$7.33 NZ$12.08
0.68%
πŸ›’ Groceries & Markets
Wellington
New Plymouth
Difference
Milk (1 liter)
$1.88 NZ$3.1
$2.06 NZ$3.4
-8.74%
White Bread (500g)
$2.09 NZ$3.44
$1.55 NZ$2.56
34.84%
Rice (white) (1kg)
$1.96 NZ$3.23
$1.81 NZ$2.99
8.29%
Eggs
$6.89 NZ$11.37
$6.29 NZ$10.37
9.54%
Local Cheese (1kg)
$8.24 NZ$13.6
$7.66 NZ$12.64
7.57%
Chicken Fillets (1kg)
$10.92 NZ$18.01
$13.13 NZ$21.66
-16.83%
Beef Round Steak (1kg)
$12.99 NZ$21.42
$13 NZ$21.45
-0.08%
Apples (1kg)
$3.12 NZ$5.15
$2.13 NZ$3.51
46.48%
Banana (1kg)
$2.31 NZ$3.82
$2 NZ$3.29
15.50%
Oranges (1kg)
$3.1 NZ$5.12
$3.21 NZ$5.3
-3.43%
Tomato (1kg)
$4.68 NZ$7.72
$6.8 NZ$11.21
-31.18%
Potato (1kg)
$2.07 NZ$3.41
$2.62 NZ$4.32
-20.99%
Onion (1kg)
$1.57 NZ$2.59
$1.6 NZ$2.64
-1.88%
Lettuce (1 head)
$2.3 NZ$3.79
$2.01 NZ$3.31
14.43%
Water (1.5 liter bottle)
$1.28 NZ$2.11
$1.38 NZ$2.28
-7.25%
Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)
$27.02 NZ$44.57
$20.76 NZ$34.24
30.15%
Wine (Bottle)
$10.48 NZ$17.28
$8.31 NZ$13.7
26.11%
Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)
$3.68 NZ$6.08
$3.72 NZ$6.13
-1.08%
Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)
$3.24 NZ$5.35
$4.37 NZ$7.2
-25.86%
🚌 Getting Around
Wellington
New Plymouth
Difference
One-way Ticket (Public Transport)
$2.78 NZ$4.59
$1.79 NZ$2.96
55.31%
Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)
$106 NZ$175
$64.6 NZ$107
64.69%
Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)
$2.67 NZ$4.41
$1.79 NZ$2.95
49.16%
Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)
$1.78 NZ$2.93
$3.4 NZ$5.61
-47.65%
Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)
$59.2 NZ$97.6
$35.8 NZ$59
65.22%
Gasoline (1 liter)
$1.66 NZ$2.73
$1.67 NZ$2.75
-0.60%
Midsize Hatchback 1.4l (Volkswagen Golf, Toyota Prius, Honda Civic, etc)
$33K NZ$54.5K
$47.5K NZ$78.3K
-30.42%
Compact Sedan 1.6l (Toyota Corolla, Mazda3, Kia K4, Hyundai Elantra, etc)
$25K NZ$41.3K
$24K NZ$39.5K
4.35%
🧾 Monthly Utilities & Internet
Wellington
New Plymouth
Difference
Utilities for 2 People in 2-bedroom Apartment (Heating, Electricity, Gas, Water, Garbage) (85m2)
$161 NZ$265
$213 NZ$351
-24.56%
SIM Card Monthly Plan (Calls and 10GB+ Data)
$33.1 NZ$54.6
$30.03 NZ$49.52
10.22%
Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)
$52.6 NZ$86.7
$30.6 NZ$50.5
71.83%
πŸŽ‰ Sport & Entertainment
Wellington
New Plymouth
Difference
Gym Membership (Monthly)
$36.7 NZ$60.5
$44.65 NZ$73.6
-17.81%
Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)
$20.16 NZ$33.25
$12.25 NZ$20.21
64.57%
Cinema Ticket
$11.86 NZ$19.56
$11.02 NZ$18.18
7.62%
🧸 Childcare & Education
Wellington
New Plymouth
Difference
Preschool or Kindergarten, Full Day, Private, 1 Child (Monthly)
$789 NZ$1,301
$753 NZ$1,241
4.85%
International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)
$12.7K NZ$20.9K
$12.2K NZ$20.1K
4.29%
πŸ‘•πŸ‘Ÿ Clothing & Footwear
Wellington
New Plymouth
Difference
Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)
$72.5 NZ$120
$89 NZ$147
-18.53%
Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)
$53.7 NZ$88.6
$35.85 NZ$59.1
49.87%
Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)
$118 NZ$195
$71.2 NZ$117
65.86%
Men's Leather Business Shoes
$145 NZ$240
$65.4 NZ$108
122.54%
🏠 Accommodation & Living
Wellington
New Plymouth
Difference
1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)
$1,341 NZ$2,211
$735 NZ$1,213
82.35%
1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)
$1,091 NZ$1,800
$679 NZ$1,120
60.76%
3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)
$2,146 NZ$3,539
$1,345 NZ$2,219
59.50%
3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)
$1,893 NZ$3,122
$1,182 NZ$1,949
60.17%
Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)
$6,617 NZ$10.9K
$3,326 NZ$5,486
98.93%
Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)
$4,828 NZ$7,962
$2,678 NZ$4,417
80.25%
πŸ’΅ Salaries & Financials
Wellington
New Plymouth
Difference
Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)
$3,228 NZ$5,324
$2,240 NZ$3,695
44.10%
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: October 28, 2025

Last update for New Plymouth: October 29, 2025

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