Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Wellington and Pukekohe

For one person, living is cheaper in Pukekohe: $2,030 a month against $2,313 in Wellington, rent and utilities included – about $3,400 less a year. Rent and utilities account for most of the difference.

110

Cost of Living Index in Wellington
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Wellington Living Index
93

Cost of Living Index in Pukekohe
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Pukekohe Living Index

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Wellington

🇳🇿 New Zealand

$2,313

/mo nomad

Pukekohe

🇳🇿 New Zealand

$2,030

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

How much you'll spend in Wellington and in Pukekohe

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

A single person spends $2,313 per month in Wellington vs $2,030 in Pukekohe, rent included.

Wellington $2,313
Pukekohe $2,030

A couple spends around $3,422 per month in Wellington vs $2,838 in Pukekohe, rent included.

Wellington $3,422
Pukekohe $2,838

A family of three spends $4,530 per month in Wellington vs $3,647 in Pukekohe, rent included.

Wellington $4,530
Pukekohe $3,647

Wellington costs about 14% more than Pukekohe, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in groceries.

Both Wellington and Pukekohe sit above the global median – Wellington by 70%, Pukekohe by 49%.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$14.02 NZ$24.99

$12.13 NZ$21.61

15.58%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$66.5 NZ$118

$74.0 NZ$132

-10.20%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$9.23 NZ$16.44

$8.45 NZ$15.06

9.23%

Cappuccino

$3.41 NZ$6.08

$3.34 NZ$5.96

2.10%

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

$2.43 NZ$4.33

$2.28 NZ$4.06

6.58%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.69 NZ$3.02

$2.50 NZ$4.45

-32.40%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$7.48 NZ$13.34

$6.20 NZ$11.05

20.65%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$6.74 NZ$12.02

$5.52 NZ$9.84

22.10%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.95 NZ$3.48

$1.51 NZ$2.69

29.14%

White Bread (500g)

$2.25 NZ$4.02

$1.30 NZ$2.32

73.08%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.85 NZ$3.31

$1.91 NZ$3.41

-3.14%

Eggs

$7.10 NZ$12.66

$5.28 NZ$9.41

34.47%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$9.54 NZ$17.00

$5.70 NZ$10.15

67.37%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$9.62 NZ$17.14

$7.48 NZ$13.33

28.61%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$15.26 NZ$27.20

$11.98 NZ$21.34

27.38%

Apples (1kg)

$3.09 NZ$5.51

$2.63 NZ$4.69

17.49%

Banana (1kg)

$2.15 NZ$3.84

$2.33 NZ$4.15

-7.73%

Oranges (1kg)

$3.08 NZ$5.49

$3.18 NZ$5.67

-3.14%

Tomato (1kg)

$6.42 NZ$11.45

$6.07 NZ$10.82

5.77%

Potato (1kg)

$2.10 NZ$3.74

$2.06 NZ$3.66

1.94%

Onion (1kg)

$1.23 NZ$2.20

$1.43 NZ$2.56

-13.99%

Lettuce (1 head)

$2.01 NZ$3.59

$2.63 NZ$4.68

-23.57%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$1.16 NZ$2.07

$0.92 NZ$1.63

26.09%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$25.37 NZ$45.21

$26.25 NZ$46.78

-3.35%

Wine (Bottle)

$11.48 NZ$20.46

$10.65 NZ$18.98

7.79%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$3.12 NZ$5.56

$3.96 NZ$7.06

-21.21%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.89 NZ$5.14

$4.06 NZ$7.24

-28.82%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$2.86 NZ$5.10

$1.75 NZ$3.12

63.43%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$105 NZ$187

$91.9 NZ$164

14.11%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$1.88 NZ$3.35

$3.73 NZ$6.65

-49.60%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.83 NZ$3.26

$2.02 NZ$3.60

-9.41%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$34.31 NZ$61.1

$32.01 NZ$57.1

7.19%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.84 NZ$3.28

$1.68 NZ$2.99

9.52%

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

$28.4K NZ$50.6K

$28.1K NZ$50.0K

1.10%

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

$23.8K NZ$42.4K

$22.6K NZ$40.2K

5.45%

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

$201 NZ$358

$58.8 NZ$105

241.61%

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

$33.35 NZ$59.4

$37.25 NZ$66.4

-10.47%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$53.7 NZ$95.6

$55.5 NZ$98.8

-3.25%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$35.87 NZ$63.9

$39.28 NZ$70.0

-8.68%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$16.18 NZ$28.84

Cinema Ticket

$11.78 NZ$21.00

$13.86 NZ$24.70

-15.01%

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

$1,065 NZ$1,897

$677 NZ$1,206

57.35%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$13.3K NZ$23.7K

$22.7K NZ$40.4K

-41.39%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$80.4 NZ$143

$61.9 NZ$110

29.88%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$28.04 NZ$49.97

$38.64 NZ$68.9

-27.43%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$102 NZ$181

$93.9 NZ$167

8.17%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$154 NZ$275

$104 NZ$186

47.97%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,143 NZ$2,036

$985 NZ$1,756

15.95%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,078 NZ$1,922

$1,044 NZ$1,860

3.29%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$2,057 NZ$3,665

$1,420 NZ$2,531

44.81%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,814 NZ$3,232

$1,305 NZ$2,326

38.95%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$6,594 NZ$11.8K

$4,512 NZ$8,041

46.17%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$3,655 NZ$6,514

$3,582 NZ$6,384

2.03%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$2,785 NZ$4,964

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

5.39

6.83

-21.08%

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

Last update for Wellington: October 27, 2026

Last update for Pukekohe: October 25, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Accommodation & Living

Wellington

$1.1K 46.6%

Pukekohe

$1K 51.4% 3.2% $34

Groceries & Markets

Wellington

$348 15.1%

Pukekohe

$297 14.6% 14.6% $51

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Wellington

$288 12.4%

Pukekohe

$151 7.5% 47.4% $136

Eating Out

Wellington

$248 10.7%

Pukekohe

$224 11% 9.9% $25

Clothing & Footwear

Wellington

$164 7.1%

Pukekohe

$134 6.6% 18% $29

Getting Around

Wellington

$127 5.5%

Pukekohe

$113 5.6% 11.5% $15

Sport & Entertainment

Wellington

$59 2.6%

Pukekohe

$67 3.3% 12.7% $7.6

Cost Breakdown

A central one-bedroom costs $1,143 in Wellington versus $985 in Pukekohe. Rent is usually the largest line item in a monthly budget, so the gap here sets the tone for the overall comparison.

A mid-range dinner for two costs $66 in Wellington versus $74 in Pukekohe. Groceries tell a different story – $348 in Wellington vs $297 in Pukekohe – so Pukekohe wins on supermarket bills even if dining out costs more.

Good to know

🇳🇿 Wellington

🇳🇿 Pukekohe

🕒 Local time

02:01 2:01 AM

Same time as Wellington

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

215,900 Capital

26,900

💱 Currency

New Zealand Dollar NZD $

📈 Exchange rate

1 NZD = 0.561 USD

1 NZD = 0.504 EUR

1 NZD = 0.561 USD

1 NZD = 0.504 EUR

Exchange rates and currency converter

On the map

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Wellington Pukekohe 450 km

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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 Pukekohe: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Yes – Wellington is pricier by about 14%, and outside of rent the gap shows up most in groceries.

For a comfortable life, plan on about $3,470 per month in Wellington and $3,046 in Pukekohe. That covers rent, food, utilities, transport, and enough left over to feel settled – not just surviving.

Rent is clearly cheaper in Pukekohe, especially for central apartments: a one-bedroom in the center costs $985 there versus $1,143 in Wellington.

A mid-range dinner for two costs $66 in Wellington and $74 in Pukekohe. That’s a good indicator of the overall restaurant and café pricing gap between the two cities.

Monthly expenses with rent come to $2,313 in Wellington and $2,030 in Pukekohe. That’s a gap of about 14%.

Families tend to lean toward Pukekohe – lower housing and cheaper childcare make a real difference, especially on a single income or when paying for private education.

Both have safer and rougher neighborhoods, but overall safety is comparable to other large cities. Neighborhood choice matters more than the city-level comparison – central, well-trafficked areas feel secure in both.