Cost of Living Comparison Between Wellington and Oamaru Cost of Living Comparison Between Wellington and Oamaru

Monthly Cost of Living

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $2,352 in Wellington versus $1,766 in Oamaru.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $3,549 in Wellington versus $2,710 in Oamaru.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $4,746 in Wellington versus $3,655 in Oamaru.

Living in Wellington is roughly 33% more expensive than Oamaru, driven mainly by Clothing & Footwear.

Both cities are pricier than the global median: Wellington 75% above, Oamaru 31% above.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$17.58 NZ$30.02

$16.65 NZ$28.42

5.59%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$84.0 NZ$143

$71.0 NZ$121

18.24%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$9.76 NZ$16.66

$9.84 NZ$16.81

-0.81%

Cappuccino

$3.63 NZ$6.19

$3.38 NZ$5.77

7.40%

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

$2.52 NZ$4.30

$2.29 NZ$3.90

10.04%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.20 NZ$3.75

$2.07 NZ$3.53

6.28%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$7.07 NZ$12.07

$7.43 NZ$12.69

-4.85%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$7.22 NZ$12.33

$7.40 NZ$12.64

-2.43%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.90 NZ$3.25

$1.84 NZ$3.14

3.26%

White Bread (500g)

$2.10 NZ$3.59

$1.10 NZ$1.88

90.91%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.96 NZ$3.34

$1.19 NZ$2.03

64.71%

Eggs

$6.93 NZ$11.83

$3.95 NZ$6.75

75.44%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$8.17 NZ$13.95

$8.18 NZ$13.97

-0.12%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$11.14 NZ$19.02

$9.48 NZ$16.18

17.51%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$12.93 NZ$22.08

$12.67 NZ$21.63

2.05%

Apples (1kg)

$3.02 NZ$5.16

$2.37 NZ$4.05

27.43%

Banana (1kg)

$2.36 NZ$4.02

$1.79 NZ$3.06

31.84%

Oranges (1kg)

$3.02 NZ$5.16

$2.96 NZ$5.06

2.03%

Tomato (1kg)

$4.67 NZ$7.97

$5.71 NZ$9.75

-18.21%

Potato (1kg)

$2.03 NZ$3.46

$1.53 NZ$2.61

32.68%

Onion (1kg)

$1.65 NZ$2.82

$1.23 NZ$2.09

34.15%

Lettuce (1 head)

$2.21 NZ$3.77

$1.85 NZ$3.17

19.46%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$1.24 NZ$2.12

$1.48 NZ$2.53

-16.22%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$27.01 NZ$46.13

$24.19 NZ$41.31

11.66%

Wine (Bottle)

$11.62 NZ$19.84

$5.94 NZ$10.14

95.62%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$3.58 NZ$6.11

$3.81 NZ$6.51

-6.04%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.27 NZ$5.58

$4.86 NZ$8.30

-32.72%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$2.78 NZ$4.75

$2.08 NZ$3.55

33.65%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$108 NZ$184

$64.5 NZ$110

67.24%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$2.63 NZ$4.50

$2.76 NZ$4.71

-4.71%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.85 NZ$3.17

$1.69 NZ$2.89

9.47%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$60.4 NZ$103

$30.07 NZ$51.4

100.70%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.67 NZ$2.85

$1.63 NZ$2.79

2.45%

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

$33.3K NZ$56.8K

$27.6K NZ$47.2K

20.50%

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

$24.6K NZ$42.0K

$19.5K NZ$33.4K

25.76%

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

$156 NZ$266

$117 NZ$201

32.61%

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

$32.71 NZ$55.9

$17.84 NZ$30.46

83.35%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$51.0 NZ$87.0

$48.61 NZ$83.0

4.81%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$35.71 NZ$61.0

$36.54 NZ$62.4

-2.27%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$20.14 NZ$34.39

$12.02 NZ$20.52

67.55%

Cinema Ticket

$12.11 NZ$20.69

$10.77 NZ$18.38

12.44%

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

$800 NZ$1,365

$651 NZ$1,112

22.80%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$12.9K NZ$22.1K

$9,375 NZ$16.0K

37.77%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$73.4 NZ$125

$61.1 NZ$104

20.11%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$52.8 NZ$90.1

$17.84 NZ$30.46

195.74%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$121 NZ$206

$48.93 NZ$83.6

146.27%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$144 NZ$246

$54.2 NZ$92.5

165.76%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,307 NZ$2,232

$977 NZ$1,669

33.77%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,110 NZ$1,896

$773 NZ$1,320

43.59%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$2,163 NZ$3,693

$1,593 NZ$2,720

35.76%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,925 NZ$3,286

$1,446 NZ$2,470

33.06%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$7,075 NZ$12.1K

$4,533 NZ$7,741

56.07%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$3,769 NZ$6,436

$3,275 NZ$5,593

15.07%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$3,021 NZ$5,159

$2,048 NZ$3,497

47.53%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

6.94

15.67%

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

Last update for Wellington: June 8, 2026

Last update for Oamaru: June 8, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $1,307 in Wellington and $977 in Oamaru. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Wellington pays 48% more on average. The extra income cushions the higher costs, though housing choices and lifestyle decide how much of the gap is truly closed.

Dining out: $84.0 in Wellington vs $71.0 in Oamaru for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $340 vs $296 per month, with Oamaru 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 Oamaru: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Oamaru is cheaper overall, especially in Groceries & Markets, Eating Out, Clothing & Footwear, Getting Around, Monthly Utilities & Internet. The 33% gap adds up to real monthly savings that compound significantly over time.

Wellington pays 48% more on average, which matters when comparing affordability. Whether that higher income actually nets you more depends on your spending habits and housing choices.

Rent for a central apartment: $1,307 in Wellington versus $977 in Oamaru. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Supermarket bills run roughly 15% higher in Wellington. For households that cook at home regularly, that difference adds up over a month.

Dining out is cheaper in Oamaru – a meal for two runs $71.0 versus $84.0 in Wellington. If you eat out regularly, this makes a real dent in your monthly spending.

At $1,766 in Oamaru versus $2,352 in Wellington, a $2,500 budget is realistic in Oamaru but tight or insufficient in Wellington. The gap between the two cities makes Oamaru the clear choice for anyone on this budget.

For families, Oamaru is more practical. Housing and childcare are both notably cheaper than in Wellington, and the savings on those two alone free up budget for education, activities, and family trips.

Safety-wise, Wellington and Oamaru are on par. Petty crime is typical for cities this size, and most residents feel comfortable going about their daily routines in either place.

Expats usually find Oamaru gentler on the wallet – expenses run 33% less than in Wellington. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.