Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Wellington and Regina

For one person, living is cheaper in Regina: $2,049 a month against $2,358 in Wellington, rent and utilities included – about $3,700 less a year. Higher rent and utilities in Wellington outweigh lower spending on other living expenses.

114

Cost of Living Index in Wellington
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Wellington Living Index
100

Cost of Living Index in Regina
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Regina Living Index

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Wellington

🇳🇿 New Zealand

$2,358

/mo nomad

Regina

🇨🇦 Canada

$2,049

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

How much you'll spend in Wellington and in Regina

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

A single person spends $2,358 per month in Wellington vs $2,049 in Regina, rent included.

Wellington $2,358
Regina $2,049

A couple spends around $3,368 per month in Wellington vs $3,139 in Regina, rent included.

Wellington $3,368
Regina $3,139

A family of three spends $4,378 per month in Wellington vs $4,229 in Regina, rent included.

Wellington $4,378
Regina $4,229

Wellington costs about 15% more than Regina, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in eating out.

Both Wellington and Regina sit above the global median – Wellington by 75%, Regina by 52%.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$13.72 NZ$24.27

$20.59 CA$29.11

-33.37%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$63.7 NZ$113

$66.3 CA$93.7

-3.79%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$8.95 NZ$15.83

$10.67 CA$15.09

-16.12%

Cappuccino

$3.42 NZ$6.05

$4.34 CA$6.13

-21.20%

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

$2.44 NZ$4.31

$2.23 CA$3.15

9.42%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.69 NZ$2.98

$1.75 CA$2.47

-3.43%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$7.22 NZ$12.76

$6.50 CA$9.19

11.08%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$6.65 NZ$11.76

$6.07 CA$8.59

9.56%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.91 NZ$3.38

$1.48 CA$2.09

29.05%

White Bread (500g)

$2.20 NZ$3.89

$2.23 CA$3.15

-1.35%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.83 NZ$3.24

$2.94 CA$4.16

-37.76%

Eggs

$6.77 NZ$11.97

$3.26 CA$4.61

107.67%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$9.05 NZ$16.00

$13.38 CA$18.92

-32.36%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$9.85 NZ$17.43

$11.22 CA$15.86

-12.21%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$15.19 NZ$26.86

$16.22 CA$22.93

-6.35%

Apples (1kg)

$3.12 NZ$5.52

$4.15 CA$5.86

-24.82%

Banana (1kg)

$2.21 NZ$3.91

$1.42 CA$2.01

55.63%

Oranges (1kg)

$3.07 NZ$5.43

$3.74 CA$5.29

-17.91%

Tomato (1kg)

$6.59 NZ$11.65

$3.60 CA$5.09

83.06%

Potato (1kg)

$2.06 NZ$3.64

$2.17 CA$3.06

-5.07%

Onion (1kg)

$1.23 NZ$2.18

$2.25 CA$3.18

-45.33%

Lettuce (1 head)

$2.07 NZ$3.66

$2.61 CA$3.69

-20.69%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$1.15 NZ$2.03

$1.96 CA$2.78

-41.33%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$24.86 NZ$43.96

$14.65 CA$20.71

69.69%

Wine (Bottle)

$11.28 NZ$19.95

$12.96 CA$18.32

-12.96%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$3.09 NZ$5.47

$3.51 CA$4.97

-11.97%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.87 NZ$5.08

$3.41 CA$4.82

-15.84%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$2.83 NZ$5.01

$2.30 CA$3.25

23.04%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$102 NZ$180

$61.8 CA$87.4

64.25%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$1.87 NZ$3.30

$3.50 CA$4.94

-46.57%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.82 NZ$3.22

$0.74 CA$1.04

145.95%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$34.15 NZ$60.4

$20.83 CA$29.45

63.95%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.82 NZ$3.22

$1.19 CA$1.69

52.94%

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

$25.0K NZ$44.2K

$28.2K CA$39.9K

-11.36%

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

$25.4K NZ$44.9K

$19.8K CA$28.1K

28.06%

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

$197 NZ$348

$174 CA$246

13.01%

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

$32.00 NZ$56.6

$50.2 CA$70.9

-36.19%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$52.4 NZ$92.7

$56.3 CA$79.6

-6.81%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$37.73 NZ$66.7

$36.74 CA$51.9

2.69%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$16.11 NZ$28.50

$16.01 CA$22.64

0.62%

Cinema Ticket

$11.93 NZ$21.10

$9.43 CA$13.33

26.51%

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

$1,056 NZ$1,867

$468 CA$662

125.54%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$12.8K NZ$22.6K

$10.4K CA$14.7K

22.82%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$76.3 NZ$135

$51.5 CA$72.7

48.38%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$28.23 NZ$49.93

$37.19 CA$52.6

-24.09%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$99.6 NZ$176

$90.9 CA$129

9.52%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$152 NZ$270

$104 CA$147

46.46%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,226 NZ$2,169

$1,044 CA$1,475

17.52%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,141 NZ$2,018

$833 CA$1,178

36.90%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$2,143 NZ$3,790

$1,773 CA$2,506

20.88%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,709 NZ$3,022

$1,540 CA$2,177

10.98%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$6,578 NZ$11.6K

$2,100 CA$2,969

213.22%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$3,559 NZ$6,294

$2,032 CA$2,873

75.12%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$2,785 NZ$4,925

$2,586 CA$3,656

7.69%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

5.39

4.58

17.69%

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

Last update for Wellington: October 10, 2026

Last update for Regina: October 13, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Accommodation & Living

Wellington

$1.1K 48.4%

Regina

$833 40.7% 27% $308

Groceries & Markets

Wellington

$346 14.7%

Regina

$364 17.8% 5.3% $18

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Wellington

$281 11.9%

Regina

$281 13.7% 0.2% $0.7

Eating Out

Wellington

$244 10.3%

Regina

$309 15.1% 27% $66

Clothing & Footwear

Wellington

$160 6.8%

Regina

$128 6.2% 20.5% $33

Getting Around

Wellington

$124 5.3%

Regina

$78 3.8% 36.9% $46

Sport & Entertainment

Wellington

$62 2.6%

Regina

$56 2.7% 9.7% $6

Cost Breakdown

A central one-bedroom costs $1,226 in Wellington versus $1,044 in Regina. Rent is usually the largest line item in a monthly budget, so the gap here sets the tone for the overall comparison.

Salaries run about 8% higher in Wellington, which partly offsets the higher cost of living there. Purchasing power depends on which expenses matter most to you.

A mid-range dinner for two costs $64.0 in Wellington versus $66.0 in Regina. Monthly groceries follow the same trend: $346 vs $364 – making Wellington the more affordable choice for daily food spending.

Good to know

🇳🇿 Wellington

🇨🇦 Regina

🕒 Local time

08:36 8:36 AM

13:36 1:36 PM

19 h behind Wellington

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

215,900 Capital

215,106

💱 Currency

New Zealand Dollar NZD $

Canadian Dollar CAD $

📈 Exchange rate

1 NZD = 0.565 USD

1 NZD = 0.503 EUR

1 CAD = 0.707 USD

1 CAD = 0.629 EUR

Exchange rates and currency converter

CAD, USD, EUR to NZD – New Zealand Dollar Converter

🇺🇸 United States Dollar ($)

🇳🇿 New Zealand Dollar ($)

New Zealand Dollar exchange rates as of October 18, 2026: 1 USD = 1.77 NZD (1 NZD = 0.565 USD). 1 EUR = 1.99 NZD (1 NZD = 0.503 EUR).

Canadian Dollar exchange rates as of October 18, 2026: 1 USD = 1.41 CAD (1 CAD = 0.707 USD). 1 EUR = 1.59 CAD (1 CAD = 0.629 EUR).

USD to NZD in detail →

On the map

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Between locations

Wellington Regina 12,840 km ≈ 17 h nonstop flight

From you

Wellington
Regina

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 Regina: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Yes – Wellington is pricier by about 15%, and outside of rent the gap shows up most in eating out.

For a comfortable life, plan on about $3,536 per month in Wellington and $3,074 in Regina. That covers rent, food, utilities, transport, and enough left over to feel settled – not just surviving.

Rent is clearly cheaper in Regina, especially for central apartments. Housing is actually the single biggest factor behind the overall cost gap between these two cities.

Interestingly, groceries are about 5% cheaper in Wellington – one category where the pricier city actually offers better value, probably thanks to stronger retail competition or local farming.

A mid-range dinner for two costs $64.0 in Wellington and $66.0 in Regina. That's a good indicator of the overall restaurant and café pricing gap between the two cities.

A $2,500 monthly budget goes further in Regina, where all-in costs run around $2,049, than in Wellington at $2,358. In Regina it covers expenses comfortably, while in Wellington it requires careful planning or may not stretch far enough.

Families tend to lean toward Regina – 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.

If budget matters most, go with Regina. If higher salaries, better infrastructure, or specific career opportunities are the priority, Wellington makes more sense. Both are solid long-term options with distinct trade-offs.