Cost of Living Comparison Between Wellington and Rotorua Cost of Living Comparison Between Wellington and Rotorua

๐Ÿ˜ Solo nomad: Wellington is 57.8% more expensive than Rotorua without rent, and 60% more expensive with rent.
๐Ÿ˜ Family of 3: Wellington is 47.3% more expensive than Rotorua without rent, and 53.5% more expensive with rent.
Currency
๐Ÿฝ Eating Out
Wellington
Rotorua
Difference
Meal at Budget Restaurant
$17.57 NZ$28.98
$12.1 NZ$19.96
45.21%
Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range
$82.9 NZ$137
$61.1 NZ$101
35.62%
Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)
$9.53 NZ$15.72
$9.7 NZ$16
-1.75%
Cappuccino
$3.59 NZ$5.92
$2.76 NZ$4.54
30.07%
Coke/Pepsi/Fanta/Sprite (0.33 liter bottle)
$2.47 NZ$4.08
$2.23 NZ$3.67
10.76%
Water (0.33 liter bottle)
$2.2 NZ$3.62
$2.23 NZ$3.68
-1.35%
Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)
$7.03 NZ$11.6
$5.52 NZ$9.1
27.36%
Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)
$7.38 NZ$12.18
$5.53 NZ$9.13
33.45%
๐Ÿ›’ Groceries & Markets
Wellington
Rotorua
Difference
Milk (1 liter)
$1.88 NZ$3.1
$1.82 NZ$3.01
3.30%
White Bread (500g)
$2.09 NZ$3.44
$2.12 NZ$3.5
-1.42%
Rice (white) (1kg)
$1.96 NZ$3.23
$1.33 NZ$2.2
47.37%
Eggs
$6.89 NZ$11.37
$5.45 NZ$8.99
26.42%
Local Cheese (1kg)
$8.24 NZ$13.6
$7.95 NZ$13.11
3.65%
Chicken Fillets (1kg)
$10.92 NZ$18.01
$8.49 NZ$14.01
28.62%
Beef Round Steak (1kg)
$12.99 NZ$21.42
$10.76 NZ$17.75
20.72%
Apples (1kg)
$3.12 NZ$5.15
$1.83 NZ$3.02
70.49%
Banana (1kg)
$2.31 NZ$3.82
$2.18 NZ$3.59
5.96%
Oranges (1kg)
$3.1 NZ$5.12
$3.32 NZ$5.48
-6.63%
Tomato (1kg)
$4.68 NZ$7.72
$1.25 NZ$2.05
274.40%
Potato (1kg)
$2.07 NZ$3.41
$1.74 NZ$2.87
18.97%
Onion (1kg)
$1.57 NZ$2.59
$1.69 NZ$2.78
-7.10%
Lettuce (1 head)
$2.3 NZ$3.79
$1.96 NZ$3.23
17.35%
Water (1.5 liter bottle)
$1.28 NZ$2.11
$1.23 NZ$2.03
4.07%
Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)
$27.02 NZ$44.57
$23.25 NZ$38.34
16.22%
Wine (Bottle)
$10.48 NZ$17.28
$8.43 NZ$13.9
24.32%
Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)
$3.68 NZ$6.08
$1.4 NZ$2.31
162.86%
Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)
$3.24 NZ$5.35
$2.82 NZ$4.66
14.89%
๐ŸšŒ Getting Around
Wellington
Rotorua
Difference
One-way Ticket (Public Transport)
$2.78 NZ$4.59
$1.73 NZ$2.85
60.69%
Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)
$106 NZ$175
$63.9 NZ$105
66.57%
Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)
$2.67 NZ$4.41
$1.85 NZ$3.06
44.32%
Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)
$1.78 NZ$2.93
$1.59 NZ$2.63
11.95%
Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)
$59.2 NZ$97.6
$35.3 NZ$58.2
67.56%
Gasoline (1 liter)
$1.66 NZ$2.73
$1.62 NZ$2.67
2.47%
Midsize Hatchback 1.4l (Volkswagen Golf, Toyota Prius, Honda Civic, etc)
$33K NZ$54.5K
$28.4K NZ$46.9K
16.15%
Compact Sedan 1.6l (Toyota Corolla, Mazda3, Kia K4, Hyundai Elantra, etc)
$25K NZ$41.3K
$22.4K NZ$37K
11.65%
๐Ÿงพ Monthly Utilities & Internet
Wellington
Rotorua
Difference
Utilities for 2 People in 2-bedroom Apartment (Heating, Electricity, Gas, Water, Garbage) (85m2)
$161 NZ$265
$141 NZ$232
14.06%
SIM Card Monthly Plan (Calls and 10GB+ Data)
$33.1 NZ$54.6
$29.88 NZ$49.28
10.78%
Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)
$52.6 NZ$86.7
$46.26 NZ$76.3
13.66%
๐ŸŽ‰ Sport & Entertainment
Wellington
Rotorua
Difference
Gym Membership (Monthly)
$36.7 NZ$60.5
$35.24 NZ$58.1
4.14%
Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)
$20.16 NZ$33.25
$10.06 NZ$16.58
100.40%
Cinema Ticket
$11.86 NZ$19.56
$10.14 NZ$16.72
16.96%
๐Ÿงธ Childcare & Education
Wellington
Rotorua
Difference
Preschool or Kindergarten, Full Day, Private, 1 Child (Monthly)
$789 NZ$1,301
$921 NZ$1,519
-14.34%
International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)
$12.7K NZ$20.9K
$13.5K NZ$22.3K
-6.10%
๐Ÿ‘•๐Ÿ‘Ÿ Clothing & Footwear
Wellington
Rotorua
Difference
Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)
$72.5 NZ$120
$70 NZ$115
3.65%
Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)
$53.7 NZ$88.6
$35.54 NZ$58.6
51.18%
Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)
$118 NZ$195
$42.28 NZ$69.7
179.35%
Men's Leather Business Shoes
$145 NZ$240
$54.7 NZ$90.2
165.97%
๐Ÿ  Accommodation & Living
Wellington
Rotorua
Difference
1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)
$1,341 NZ$2,211
$715 NZ$1,180
87.40%
1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)
$1,091 NZ$1,800
$526 NZ$868
107.45%
3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)
$2,146 NZ$3,539
$1,446 NZ$2,385
48.37%
3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)
$1,893 NZ$3,122
$888 NZ$1,464
113.30%
Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)
$6,617 NZ$10.9K
$4,256 NZ$7,020
55.46%
Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)
$4,828 NZ$7,962
$3,375 NZ$5,566
43.05%
๐Ÿ’ต Salaries & Financials
Wellington
Rotorua
Difference
Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)
$3,228 NZ$5,324
$3,775 NZ$6,227
-14.50%
20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)
6.94
6.37
8.95%

Citycost data is based on AI and user input โ€“ minor inaccuracies may occur.

Last update for Wellington: October 28, 2025

Last update for Rotorua: October 26, 2025

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