Cost of Living Comparison Between Wellington and Thames Cost of Living Comparison Between Wellington and Thames

😐 Solo nomad: Wellington is 25.8% more expensive than Thames without rent, and 23% more expensive with rent.
😐 Family of 3: Wellington is 17.3% more expensive than Thames without rent, and 16.9% more expensive with rent.
Currency
🍽 Eating Out
Wellington
Thames
Difference
Meal at Budget Restaurant
$17.57 NZ$28.98
$15.31 NZ$25.25
14.76%
Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range
$82.9 NZ$137
$79.9 NZ$132
3.83%
Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)
$9.53 NZ$15.72
$9.94 NZ$16.39
-4.12%
Cappuccino
$3.59 NZ$5.92
$3.52 NZ$5.8
1.99%
Coke/Pepsi/Fanta/Sprite (0.33 liter bottle)
$2.47 NZ$4.08
$2.26 NZ$3.73
9.29%
Water (0.33 liter bottle)
$2.2 NZ$3.62
$2.29 NZ$3.78
-3.93%
Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)
$7.03 NZ$11.6
$7.12 NZ$11.75
-1.26%
Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)
$7.38 NZ$12.18
$7.29 NZ$12.02
1.23%
πŸ›’ Groceries & Markets
Wellington
Thames
Difference
Milk (1 liter)
$1.88 NZ$3.1
$1.8 NZ$2.96
4.44%
White Bread (500g)
$2.09 NZ$3.44
$2.07 NZ$3.41
0.97%
Rice (white) (1kg)
$1.96 NZ$3.23
$1.99 NZ$3.29
-1.51%
Eggs
$6.89 NZ$11.37
$6.88 NZ$11.35
0.15%
Local Cheese (1kg)
$8.24 NZ$13.6
$8.48 NZ$13.99
-2.83%
Chicken Fillets (1kg)
$10.92 NZ$18.01
$9.8 NZ$16.16
11.43%
Beef Round Steak (1kg)
$12.99 NZ$21.42
$12.97 NZ$21.4
0.15%
Apples (1kg)
$3.12 NZ$5.15
$2.93 NZ$4.83
6.48%
Banana (1kg)
$2.31 NZ$3.82
$2.18 NZ$3.59
5.96%
Oranges (1kg)
$3.1 NZ$5.12
$3.37 NZ$5.56
-8.01%
Tomato (1kg)
$4.68 NZ$7.72
$4.12 NZ$6.79
13.59%
Potato (1kg)
$2.07 NZ$3.41
$1.99 NZ$3.29
4.02%
Onion (1kg)
$1.57 NZ$2.59
$1.69 NZ$2.79
-7.10%
Lettuce (1 head)
$2.3 NZ$3.79
$1.94 NZ$3.21
18.56%
Water (1.5 liter bottle)
$1.28 NZ$2.11
$1.27 NZ$2.1
0.79%
Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)
$27.02 NZ$44.57
$24.93 NZ$41.11
8.38%
Wine (Bottle)
$10.48 NZ$17.28
$11.35 NZ$18.73
-7.67%
Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)
$3.68 NZ$6.08
$2.98 NZ$4.92
23.49%
Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)
$3.24 NZ$5.35
$3.93 NZ$6.49
-17.56%
🚌 Getting Around
Wellington
Thames
Difference
One-way Ticket (Public Transport)
$2.78 NZ$4.59
$2.06 NZ$3.4
34.95%
Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)
$106 NZ$175
$64.8 NZ$107
64.18%
Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)
$2.67 NZ$4.41
$2.16 NZ$3.56
23.61%
Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)
$1.78 NZ$2.93
$2.01 NZ$3.32
-11.44%
Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)
$59.2 NZ$97.6
$35.55 NZ$58.6
66.39%
Gasoline (1 liter)
$1.66 NZ$2.73
$1.71 NZ$2.82
-2.92%
Midsize Hatchback 1.4l (Volkswagen Golf, Toyota Prius, Honda Civic, etc)
$33K NZ$54.5K
$28.7K NZ$47.3K
15.20%
Compact Sedan 1.6l (Toyota Corolla, Mazda3, Kia K4, Hyundai Elantra, etc)
$25K NZ$41.3K
$21.8K NZ$35.9K
14.88%
🧾 Monthly Utilities & Internet
Wellington
Thames
Difference
Utilities for 2 People in 2-bedroom Apartment (Heating, Electricity, Gas, Water, Garbage) (85m2)
$161 NZ$265
$144 NZ$237
11.76%
SIM Card Monthly Plan (Calls and 10GB+ Data)
$33.1 NZ$54.6
$29.96 NZ$49.41
10.48%
Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)
$52.6 NZ$86.7
$49.04 NZ$80.9
7.22%
πŸŽ‰ Sport & Entertainment
Wellington
Thames
Difference
Gym Membership (Monthly)
$36.7 NZ$60.5
$36.59 NZ$60.4
0.30%
Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)
$20.16 NZ$33.25
$12.04 NZ$19.86
67.44%
Cinema Ticket
$11.86 NZ$19.56
$14.99 NZ$24.72
-20.88%
🧸 Childcare & Education
Wellington
Thames
Difference
Preschool or Kindergarten, Full Day, Private, 1 Child (Monthly)
$789 NZ$1,301
$893 NZ$1,472
-11.61%
International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)
$12.7K NZ$20.9K
$13.5K NZ$22.3K
-5.97%
πŸ‘•πŸ‘Ÿ Clothing & Footwear
Wellington
Thames
Difference
Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)
$72.5 NZ$120
$70.2 NZ$116
3.26%
Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)
$53.7 NZ$88.6
$50.6 NZ$83.5
6.12%
Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)
$118 NZ$195
$96.7 NZ$159
22.19%
Men's Leather Business Shoes
$145 NZ$240
$126 NZ$208
15.07%
🏠 Accommodation & Living
Wellington
Thames
Difference
1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)
$1,341 NZ$2,211
$958 NZ$1,581
39.90%
1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)
$1,091 NZ$1,800
$773 NZ$1,275
41.13%
3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)
$2,146 NZ$3,539
$1,590 NZ$2,622
34.99%
3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)
$1,893 NZ$3,122
$1,416 NZ$2,335
33.71%
Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)
$6,617 NZ$10.9K
$4,813 NZ$7,937
37.50%
Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)
$4,828 NZ$7,962
$3,741 NZ$6,169
29.06%
πŸ’΅ Salaries & Financials
Wellington
Thames
Difference
Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)
$3,228 NZ$5,324
-
-
20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)
6.94
6.37
8.95%

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

Last update for Wellington: October 28, 2025

Last update for Thames: October 28, 2025

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