Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Wellington and Sydney

For one person, living is cheaper in Wellington: $2,342 a month against $3,182 in Sydney, rent and utilities included – about $10,100 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
155

Cost of Living Index in Sydney
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Sydney Living Index

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Wellington

🇳🇿 New Zealand

$2,342

/mo nomad

Sydney

🇦🇺 Australia

$3,182

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

How much you'll spend in Wellington and in Sydney

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

A single person spends $2,342 per month in Wellington vs $3,182 in Sydney, rent included.

Wellington $2,342
Sydney $3,182

A couple spends around $3,316 per month in Wellington vs $4,696 in Sydney, rent included.

Wellington $3,316
Sydney $4,696

A family of three spends $4,291 per month in Wellington vs $6,210 in Sydney, rent included.

Wellington $4,291
Sydney $6,210

Wellington is about 26% cheaper than Sydney, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in eating out.

Both Wellington and Sydney sit above the global median – Wellington by 75%, Sydney by 137%.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$13.89 NZ$24.74

$17.66 A$25.28

-21.35%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$64.2 NZ$114

$97.1 A$139

-33.93%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$8.95 NZ$15.95

$11.94 A$17.09

-25.04%

Cappuccino

$3.29 NZ$5.86

$4.00 A$5.72

-17.75%

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

$2.35 NZ$4.19

$2.84 A$4.06

-17.25%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.67 NZ$2.97

$2.27 A$3.25

-26.43%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$7.24 NZ$12.90

$7.89 A$11.29

-8.24%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$6.75 NZ$12.03

$7.13 A$10.20

-5.33%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.90 NZ$3.38

$1.66 A$2.38

14.46%

White Bread (500g)

$2.15 NZ$3.83

$2.79 A$4.00

-22.94%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.82 NZ$3.24

$2.32 A$3.33

-21.55%

Eggs

$6.73 NZ$11.99

$5.53 A$7.92

21.70%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$9.05 NZ$16.13

$12.08 A$17.28

-25.08%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$9.54 NZ$17.01

$9.84 A$14.09

-3.05%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$15.30 NZ$27.27

$16.61 A$23.78

-7.89%

Apples (1kg)

$3.16 NZ$5.64

$4.02 A$5.76

-21.39%

Banana (1kg)

$2.23 NZ$3.98

$3.15 A$4.51

-29.21%

Oranges (1kg)

$2.97 NZ$5.28

$3.50 A$5.01

-15.14%

Tomato (1kg)

$6.33 NZ$11.27

$4.47 A$6.39

41.61%

Potato (1kg)

$2.06 NZ$3.67

$3.32 A$4.76

-37.95%

Onion (1kg)

$1.24 NZ$2.20

$2.30 A$3.30

-46.09%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.99 NZ$3.55

$2.34 A$3.35

-14.96%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$1.19 NZ$2.13

$1.15 A$1.65

3.48%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$25.37 NZ$45.20

$45.02 A$64.4

-43.65%

Wine (Bottle)

$11.37 NZ$20.26

$13.96 A$19.97

-18.55%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$3.17 NZ$5.65

$3.98 A$5.70

-20.35%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.76 NZ$4.92

$4.07 A$5.82

-32.19%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$2.74 NZ$4.88

$3.16 A$4.52

-13.29%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$102 NZ$182

$150 A$215

-32.00%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$1.82 NZ$3.24

$3.45 A$4.94

-47.25%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.77 NZ$3.16

$1.63 A$2.33

8.59%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$33.17 NZ$59.1

$39.98 A$57.2

-17.03%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.83 NZ$3.26

$1.40 A$2.01

30.71%

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

$25.6K NZ$45.7K

$28.4K A$40.7K

-9.82%

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

$25.4K NZ$45.3K

$29.4K A$42.1K

-13.56%

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

$199 NZ$354

$220 A$315

-9.62%

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

$32.79 NZ$58.4

$27.70 A$39.64

18.38%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$53.5 NZ$95.3

$55.5 A$79.5

-3.73%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$38.58 NZ$68.8

$74.3 A$106

-48.09%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$16.40 NZ$29.22

$23.95 A$34.28

-31.52%

Cinema Ticket

$12.14 NZ$21.64

$17.73 A$25.37

-31.53%

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

$1,036 NZ$1,847

$2,157 A$3,087

-51.95%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$12.9K NZ$22.9K

$28.3K A$40.5K

-54.54%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$78.4 NZ$140

$78.4 A$112

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$28.23 NZ$50.3

$70.5 A$101

-59.97%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$103 NZ$184

$111 A$159

-7.32%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$155 NZ$276

$132 A$189

17.52%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,228 NZ$2,187

$2,514 A$3,598

-51.18%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,139 NZ$2,030

$1,732 A$2,478

-34.20%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$2,171 NZ$3,869

$4,889 A$6,996

-55.58%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,670 NZ$2,975

$3,039 A$4,349

-45.05%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$6,719 NZ$12.0K

$13.2K A$18.9K

-49.16%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$3,505 NZ$6,246

$8,117 A$11.6K

-56.82%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$2,818 NZ$5,022

$4,082 A$5,842

-30.96%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

5.39

5.84

-7.71%

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

Last update for Wellington: October 5, 2026

Last update for Sydney: October 5, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Accommodation & Living

Wellington

$1.1K 48.3%

Sydney

$1.7K 54.5% 52% $592

Groceries & Markets

Wellington

$343 14.5%

Sydney

$380 12% 10.8% $37

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Wellington

$285 12.1%

Sydney

$303 9.6% 6.4% $18

Eating Out

Wellington

$243 10.3%

Sydney

$299 9.4% 23.1% $56

Clothing & Footwear

Wellington

$164 7%

Sydney

$176 5.6% 7.5% $12

Getting Around

Wellington

$124 5.2%

Sydney

$174 5.5% 40.9% $51

Sport & Entertainment

Wellington

$63 2.7%

Sydney

$110 3.5% 74.6% $47

Cost Breakdown

A central one-bedroom costs $1,228 in Wellington versus $2,514 in Sydney. 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 45% higher in Sydney, 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 $97.0 in Sydney. Monthly groceries follow the same trend: $343 vs $380 – making Wellington the more affordable choice for daily food spending.

Good to know

🇳🇿 Wellington

🇦🇺 Sydney

🕒 Local time

20:14 8:14 PM

18:14 6:14 PM

2 h behind Wellington

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

215,900 Capital

4,840,600

💱 Currency

New Zealand Dollar NZD $

Australian Dollar AUD $

📈 Exchange rate

1 NZD = 0.561 USD

1 NZD = 0.5 EUR

1 AUD = 0.699 USD

1 AUD = 0.623 EUR

Exchange rates and currency converter

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

🇺🇸 United States Dollar ($)

🇳🇿 New Zealand Dollar ($)

New Zealand Dollar exchange rates as of October 10, 2026: 1 USD = 1.78 NZD (1 NZD = 0.561 USD). 1 EUR = 2 NZD (1 NZD = 0.5 EUR).

Australian Dollar exchange rates as of October 10, 2026: 1 USD = 1.43 AUD (1 AUD = 0.699 USD). 1 EUR = 1.61 AUD (1 AUD = 0.623 EUR).

USD to NZD in detail →

On the map

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Highest

Between locations

Wellington Sydney 2,230 km ≈ 3 h 15 min nonstop flight

From you

Wellington
Sydney

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 Sydney: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Monthly costs with rent: $2,342 in Wellington, $3,182 in Sydney – roughly 36% apart. Outside of rent, the biggest gap is in eating out.

For a comfortable life, plan on about $3,513 per month in Wellington and $4,774 in Sydney. That covers rent, food, utilities, transport, and enough left over to feel settled – not just surviving.

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

A mid-range dinner for two costs $64.0 in Wellington and $97.0 in Sydney. That's a good indicator of the overall restaurant and café pricing gap between the two cities.

Monthly expenses with rent come to $2,342 in Wellington and $3,182 in Sydney. That's a gap of about 36%.

A $2,500 monthly budget goes further in Wellington, where all-in costs run around $2,342, than in Sydney at $3,182. In Wellington it covers expenses comfortably, while in Sydney it requires careful planning or may not stretch far enough.

It depends on your priorities. Wellington has an edge in some lifestyle areas, with costs from $2,342 in Wellington to $3,182 in Sydney. Climate, culture, job market, and personal taste all factor in.

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