Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Wellington and Palmerston North

For one person, living is cheaper in Palmerston North: $1,562 a month against $2,358 in Wellington, rent and utilities included – about $9,600 less a year. Rent and utilities account for most of the difference.

114

Cost of Living Index in Wellington
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Wellington Living Index
76

Cost of Living Index in Palmerston North
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Palmerston North Living Index

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Wellington

🇳🇿 New Zealand

$2,358

/mo nomad

Palmerston North

🇳🇿 New Zealand

$1,562

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

How much you'll spend in Wellington and in Palmerston North

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

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $2,358 in Wellington versus $1,562 in Palmerston North.

Wellington $2,358
Palmerston North $1,562

Estimated couple costs with rent: $3,368 in Wellington versus $2,537 in Palmerston North.

Wellington $3,368
Palmerston North $2,537

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $4,378 in Wellington versus $3,511 in Palmerston North.

Wellington $4,378
Palmerston North $3,511

Living in Wellington is roughly 51% more expensive than in Palmerston North, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in groceries.

Both cities are pricier than the global median: Wellington 75% above, Palmerston North 16% above.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$13.72 NZ$24.27

$13.50 NZ$23.87

1.63%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$63.7 NZ$113

0.14%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$8.95 NZ$15.83

$8.80 NZ$15.56

1.70%

Cappuccino

$3.42 NZ$6.05

$3.13 NZ$5.54

9.27%

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

$2.44 NZ$4.31

$2.36 NZ$4.18

3.39%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.69 NZ$2.98

$1.68 NZ$2.97

0.60%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$7.22 NZ$12.76

$6.43 NZ$11.38

12.29%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$6.65 NZ$11.76

$6.52 NZ$11.53

1.99%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.91 NZ$3.38

$1.84 NZ$3.26

3.80%

White Bread (500g)

$2.20 NZ$3.89

$2.14 NZ$3.78

2.80%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.83 NZ$3.24

$1.37 NZ$2.42

33.58%

Eggs

$6.77 NZ$11.97

$4.85 NZ$8.58

39.59%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$9.05 NZ$16.00

$6.41 NZ$11.34

41.19%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$9.85 NZ$17.43

$9.50 NZ$16.80

3.68%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$15.19 NZ$26.86

$10.78 NZ$19.06

40.91%

Apples (1kg)

$3.12 NZ$5.52

$2.54 NZ$4.48

22.83%

Banana (1kg)

$2.21 NZ$3.91

$2.23 NZ$3.94

-0.90%

Oranges (1kg)

$3.07 NZ$5.43

$2.30 NZ$4.07

33.48%

Tomato (1kg)

$6.59 NZ$11.65

$5.53 NZ$9.78

19.17%

Potato (1kg)

$2.06 NZ$3.64

$1.41 NZ$2.49

46.10%

Onion (1kg)

$1.23 NZ$2.18

$0.86 NZ$1.53

43.02%

Lettuce (1 head)

$2.07 NZ$3.66

$1.72 NZ$3.04

20.35%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$1.15 NZ$2.03

$0.75 NZ$1.33

53.33%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$24.86 NZ$43.96

$22.06 NZ$39.00

12.69%

Wine (Bottle)

$11.28 NZ$19.95

$7.91 NZ$13.99

42.60%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$3.09 NZ$5.47

$2.65 NZ$4.69

16.60%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.87 NZ$5.08

$2.78 NZ$4.91

3.24%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$2.83 NZ$5.01

$3.93 NZ$6.95

-27.99%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$102 NZ$180

$82.3 NZ$146

23.39%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$1.87 NZ$3.30

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.82 NZ$3.22

$1.78 NZ$3.14

2.25%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$34.15 NZ$60.4

$16.63 NZ$29.40

105.35%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.82 NZ$3.22

$1.64 NZ$2.90

10.98%

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

$25.0K NZ$44.2K

$21.6K NZ$38.1K

15.87%

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

$25.4K NZ$44.9K

$23.9K NZ$42.3K

6.23%

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

$197 NZ$348

$68.2 NZ$121

188.38%

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

$32.00 NZ$56.6

$32.09 NZ$56.8

-0.28%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$52.4 NZ$92.7

$34.64 NZ$61.3

51.39%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$37.73 NZ$66.7

$21.79 NZ$38.54

73.15%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$16.11 NZ$28.50

$14.08 NZ$24.90

14.42%

Cinema Ticket

$11.93 NZ$21.10

$11.60 NZ$20.52

2.84%

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

$1,056 NZ$1,867

$1,034 NZ$1,829

2.10%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$12.8K NZ$22.6K

$8,550 NZ$15.1K

49.21%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$76.3 NZ$135

$69.5 NZ$123

9.83%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$28.23 NZ$49.93

$27.70 NZ$48.98

1.91%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$99.6 NZ$176

$83.1 NZ$147

19.92%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$152 NZ$270

$82.5 NZ$146

84.73%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,226 NZ$2,169

$906 NZ$1,602

35.43%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,141 NZ$2,018

$639 NZ$1,129

78.65%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$2,143 NZ$3,790

$1,587 NZ$2,807

34.99%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,709 NZ$3,022

$1,311 NZ$2,318

30.35%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$6,578 NZ$11.6K

$2,023 NZ$3,577

225.19%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$3,559 NZ$6,294

$1,836 NZ$3,247

93.84%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$2,785 NZ$4,925

$2,494 NZ$4,411

11.65%

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 10, 2026

Last update for Palmerston North: October 12, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Accommodation & Living

Wellington

$1.1K 48.4%

Palmerston North

$639 40.9% 44% $502

Groceries & Markets

Wellington

$346 14.7%

Palmerston North

$283 18.1% 18.2% $63

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Wellington

$281 11.9%

Palmerston North

$135 8.6% 52% $146

Eating Out

Wellington

$244 10.3%

Palmerston North

$233 14.9% 4.2% $10

Clothing & Footwear

Wellington

$160 6.8%

Palmerston North

$118 7.6% 26.3% $42

Getting Around

Wellington

$124 5.3%

Palmerston North

$109 7% 12.2% $15

Sport & Entertainment

Wellington

$62 2.6%

Palmerston North

$45 2.9% 26.9% $17

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $1,226 in Wellington and $906 in Palmerston North. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Wellington pays 12% 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: $64.0 in Wellington vs $64.0 in Palmerston North. Groceries flip the comparison at $346 vs $283, with Palmerston North cheaper for home cooking.

Good to know

🇳🇿 Wellington

🇳🇿 Palmerston North

🕒 Local time

15:51 3:51 PM

Same time as Wellington

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

215,900 Capital

90,500

💱 Currency

New Zealand Dollar NZD $

📈 Exchange rate

1 NZD = 0.565 USD

1 NZD = 0.503 EUR

1 NZD = 0.565 USD

1 NZD = 0.503 EUR

Exchange rates and currency converter

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Wellington Palmerston North 130 km

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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 Palmerston North: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Wellington and Palmerston North differ by about 51% in total monthly costs ($2,358 vs $1,562 including rent). Palmerston North is meaningfully more affordable – a gap that matters a lot on a fixed or modest income.

Average pay runs 12% higher in Wellington, 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: $1,226 in Wellington versus $906 in Palmerston North. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Childcare runs $1,056 in Wellington versus $1,034 in Palmerston North. Over years of preschool, even a modest monthly gap compounds into a major financial factor for families.

Supermarket bills run roughly 22% higher in Wellington. For households that cook at home regularly, that difference adds up over a month.

At $1,562 in Palmerston North versus $2,358 in Wellington, a $2,000 budget is realistic in Palmerston North but tight or insufficient in Wellington. The gap between the two cities makes Palmerston North the clear choice for anyone on this budget.

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 Palmerston North 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 Palmerston North gentler on the wallet – expenses run 51% less than in Wellington. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.