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

😐 Solo nomad: Wellington is 12% more expensive than Thames without rent, and 24.3% more expensive with rent.
😐 Family of 3: Wellington is 6.7% more expensive than Thames without rent, and 22.6% more expensive with rent.
Currency
🍽 Eating Out
Wellington
Thames
Difference
Meal at Budget Restaurant
$17.83 NZ$29.96
$14.78 NZ$24.83
20.64%
Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range
$84.2 NZ$141
$79.0 NZ$133
6.57%
Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)
$9.46 NZ$15.90
$9.46 NZ$15.89
-
Cappuccino
$3.65 NZ$6.13
$3.53 NZ$5.93
3.40%
Coke/Pepsi/Fanta/Sprite (0.33 liter bottle)
$2.57 NZ$4.32
$2.28 NZ$3.82
12.72%
Water (0.33 liter bottle)
$2.20 NZ$3.69
$2.22 NZ$3.73
-0.90%
Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)
$7.20 NZ$12.10
$7.11 NZ$11.95
1.27%
Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)
$7.44 NZ$12.50
$7.29 NZ$12.24
2.06%
🛒 Groceries & Markets
Wellington
Thames
Difference
Milk (1 liter)
$1.82 NZ$3.06
$1.81 NZ$3.03
0.55%
White Bread (500g)
$2.04 NZ$3.43
$2.10 NZ$3.53
-2.86%
Rice (white) (1kg)
$1.97 NZ$3.31
$1.94 NZ$3.26
1.55%
Eggs
$7.24 NZ$12.17
$6.87 NZ$11.55
5.39%
Local Cheese (1kg)
$8.16 NZ$13.72
$8.55 NZ$14.36
-4.56%
Chicken Fillets (1kg)
$10.90 NZ$18.32
$9.56 NZ$16.06
14.02%
Beef Round Steak (1kg)
$13.19 NZ$22.15
$13.18 NZ$22.13
0.08%
Apples (1kg)
$3.06 NZ$5.15
$2.81 NZ$4.73
8.90%
Banana (1kg)
$2.36 NZ$3.96
$2.30 NZ$3.87
2.61%
Oranges (1kg)
$2.98 NZ$5.01
$3.20 NZ$5.38
-6.88%
Tomato (1kg)
$4.83 NZ$8.12
$4.15 NZ$6.97
16.39%
Potato (1kg)
$2.02 NZ$3.40
$2.08 NZ$3.49
-2.88%
Onion (1kg)
$1.58 NZ$2.65
$1.64 NZ$2.75
-3.66%
Lettuce (1 head)
$2.30 NZ$3.86
$1.91 NZ$3.21
20.42%
Water (1.5 liter bottle)
$1.29 NZ$2.17
$1.25 NZ$2.09
3.20%
Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)
$26.71 NZ$44.88
$25.76 NZ$43.29
3.69%
Wine (Bottle)
$10.89 NZ$18.30
$10.72 NZ$18.02
1.59%
Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)
$3.51 NZ$5.90
$2.91 NZ$4.89
20.62%
Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)
$3.26 NZ$5.47
$3.83 NZ$6.43
-14.88%
🚌 Getting Around
Wellington
Thames
Difference
One-way Ticket (Public Transport)
$2.67 NZ$4.49
$2.05 NZ$3.45
30.24%
Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)
$107 NZ$180
$63.9 NZ$107
67.66%
Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)
$2.77 NZ$4.65
$2.07 NZ$3.48
33.82%
Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)
$1.79 NZ$3.01
$1.95 NZ$3.27
-8.21%
Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)
$60.9 NZ$102
$35.57 NZ$59.8
71.13%
Gasoline (1 liter)
$1.67 NZ$2.81
$1.65 NZ$2.77
1.21%
Midsize Hatchback 1.4l (Volkswagen Golf, Toyota Prius, Honda Civic, etc)
$33.0K NZ$55.5K
$28.2K NZ$47.3K
17.33%
Compact Sedan 1.6l (Toyota Corolla, Mazda3, Kia K4, Hyundai Elantra, etc)
$24.9K NZ$41.8K
$22.1K NZ$37.2K
12.54%
🧾 Monthly Utilities & Internet
Wellington
Thames
Difference
Utilities for 2 People in 2-bedroom Apartment (Heating, Electricity, Gas, Water, Garbage) (85m2)
$155 NZ$261
$145 NZ$244
6.93%
SIM Card Monthly Plan (Calls and 10GB+ Data)
$33.64 NZ$56.5
$30.72 NZ$51.6
9.51%
Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)
$51.1 NZ$85.8
$48.06 NZ$80.7
6.24%
🎉 Sport & Entertainment
Wellington
Thames
Difference
Gym Membership (Monthly)
$36.54 NZ$61.4
$36.62 NZ$61.5
-0.22%
Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)
$20.82 NZ$34.97
$12.03 NZ$20.22
73.07%
Cinema Ticket
$12.26 NZ$20.59
$15.19 NZ$25.52
-19.29%
🧸 Childcare & Education
Wellington
Thames
Difference
Preschool or Kindergarten, Full Day, Private, 1 Child (Monthly)
$818 NZ$1,374
$892 NZ$1,499
-8.33%
International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)
$12.8K NZ$21.6K
$13.7K NZ$23.0K
-6.31%
👕👟 Clothing & Footwear
Wellington
Thames
Difference
Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)
$70.9 NZ$119
$69.7 NZ$117
1.81%
Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)
$53.2 NZ$89.4
$50.4 NZ$84.6
5.66%
Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)
$120 NZ$201
$97.1 NZ$163
23.44%
Men's Leather Business Shoes
$145 NZ$244
$126 NZ$212
15.42%
🏠 Accommodation & Living
Wellington
Thames
Difference
1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)
$1,297 NZ$2,180
$970 NZ$1,630
33.69%
1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)
$1,094 NZ$1,838
$786 NZ$1,321
39.09%
3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)
$2,127 NZ$3,573
$1,549 NZ$2,603
37.29%
3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)
$1,916 NZ$3,219
$1,434 NZ$2,409
33.61%
Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)
$6,806 NZ$11.4K
$4,747 NZ$7,975
43.38%
Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)
$4,067 NZ$6,833
$3,656 NZ$6,142
11.25%
💵 Salaries & Financials
Wellington
Thames
Difference
Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)
$3,107 NZ$5,219
-
-
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: March 2, 2026

Last update for Thames: March 1, 2026

City Median Internet Speeds Comparison (Updated December 2025)

The chart highlights the Precision Threshold for mobile and fixed broadband internet speeds, updated quarterly.
Digital Nomad Cost of Living Index

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