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

😐 Solo nomad: Wellington is 27.5% more expensive than Thames without rent, and 21.3% more expensive with rent.
😐 Family of 3: Wellington is 25.8% more expensive than Thames without rent, and 21% more expensive with rent.
Currency
🍽 Eating Out
Wellington
Thames
Difference
Meal at Budget Restaurant
$17.30 NZ$29.40
$15.13 NZ$25.72
14.34%
Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range
$83.1 NZ$141
$79.3 NZ$135
4.74%
Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)
$9.37 NZ$15.94
$9.56 NZ$16.25
-1.99%
Cappuccino
$3.78 NZ$6.43
$3.40 NZ$5.77
11.18%
Coke/Pepsi/Fanta/Sprite (0.33 liter bottle)
$2.47 NZ$4.19
$2.37 NZ$4.03
4.22%
Water (0.33 liter bottle)
$2.09 NZ$3.56
$2.20 NZ$3.74
-5.00%
Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)
$7.38 NZ$12.54
$7.20 NZ$12.25
2.50%
Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)
$7.37 NZ$12.52
$7.45 NZ$12.67
-1.07%
🛒 Groceries & Markets
Wellington
Thames
Difference
Milk (1 liter)
$1.86 NZ$3.17
$1.80 NZ$3.06
3.33%
White Bread (500g)
$2.12 NZ$3.60
$2.10 NZ$3.58
0.95%
Rice (white) (1kg)
$1.96 NZ$3.33
$1.94 NZ$3.30
1.03%
Eggs
$7.13 NZ$12.12
$6.73 NZ$11.45
5.94%
Local Cheese (1kg)
$8.30 NZ$14.10
$8.94 NZ$15.19
-7.16%
Chicken Fillets (1kg)
$10.92 NZ$18.57
$9.80 NZ$16.66
11.43%
Beef Round Steak (1kg)
$13.29 NZ$22.59
$12.79 NZ$21.75
3.91%
Apples (1kg)
$3.15 NZ$5.35
$2.81 NZ$4.78
12.10%
Banana (1kg)
$2.23 NZ$3.80
$2.21 NZ$3.76
0.90%
Oranges (1kg)
$3.06 NZ$5.20
$3.28 NZ$5.57
-6.71%
Tomato (1kg)
$4.78 NZ$8.13
$4.09 NZ$6.95
16.87%
Potato (1kg)
$2.08 NZ$3.54
$2.06 NZ$3.50
0.97%
Onion (1kg)
$1.65 NZ$2.80
$1.72 NZ$2.92
-4.07%
Lettuce (1 head)
$2.20 NZ$3.73
$1.96 NZ$3.32
12.24%
Water (1.5 liter bottle)
$1.23 NZ$2.10
$1.28 NZ$2.17
-3.91%
Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)
$26.91 NZ$45.74
$25.44 NZ$43.25
5.78%
Wine (Bottle)
$10.70 NZ$18.19
$10.43 NZ$17.74
2.59%
Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)
$3.56 NZ$6.05
$3.04 NZ$5.17
17.11%
Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)
$3.19 NZ$5.43
$3.96 NZ$6.73
-19.44%
🚌 Getting Around
Wellington
Thames
Difference
One-way Ticket (Public Transport)
$2.77 NZ$4.72
$2.14 NZ$3.63
29.44%
Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)
$108 NZ$184
$64.9 NZ$110
66.26%
Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)
$2.64 NZ$4.49
$2.06 NZ$3.50
28.16%
Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)
$1.84 NZ$3.12
$1.99 NZ$3.38
-7.54%
Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)
$60.4 NZ$103
$34.67 NZ$59.0
74.24%
Gasoline (1 liter)
$1.71 NZ$2.90
$1.62 NZ$2.75
5.56%
Midsize Hatchback 1.4l (Volkswagen Golf, Toyota Prius, Honda Civic, etc)
$33.6K NZ$57.1K
$28.6K NZ$48.6K
17.55%
Compact Sedan 1.6l (Toyota Corolla, Mazda3, Kia K4, Hyundai Elantra, etc)
$25.1K NZ$42.6K
$22.2K NZ$37.7K
13.14%
🧾 Monthly Utilities & Internet
Wellington
Thames
Difference
Utilities for 2 People in 2-bedroom Apartment (Heating, Electricity, Gas, Water, Garbage) (85m2)
$160 NZ$271
$142 NZ$242
12.01%
SIM Card Monthly Plan (Calls and 10GB+ Data)
$32.86 NZ$55.9
$30.66 NZ$52.1
7.18%
Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)
$52.2 NZ$88.7
$48.31 NZ$82.1
8.03%
🎉 Sport & Entertainment
Wellington
Thames
Difference
Gym Membership (Monthly)
$35.65 NZ$60.6
$36.37 NZ$61.8
-1.98%
Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)
$20.40 NZ$34.67
$11.83 NZ$20.11
72.44%
Cinema Ticket
$12.09 NZ$20.55
$15.19 NZ$25.83
-20.41%
🧸 Childcare & Education
Wellington
Thames
Difference
Preschool or Kindergarten, Full Day, Private, 1 Child (Monthly)
$803 NZ$1,366
$911 NZ$1,549
-11.82%
International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)
$13.0K NZ$22.0K
$13.5K NZ$22.9K
-3.81%
👕👟 Clothing & Footwear
Wellington
Thames
Difference
Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)
$72.7 NZ$124
$70.3 NZ$119
3.43%
Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)
$53.1 NZ$90.2
$50.3 NZ$85.5
5.55%
Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)
$119 NZ$203
$100 NZ$170
18.91%
Men's Leather Business Shoes
$141 NZ$239
$125 NZ$213
12.40%
🏠 Accommodation & Living
Wellington
Thames
Difference
1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)
$1,309 NZ$2,225
$979 NZ$1,664
33.76%
1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)
$1,099 NZ$1,869
$784 NZ$1,333
40.24%
3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)
$2,168 NZ$3,686
$1,583 NZ$2,691
36.96%
3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)
$1,938 NZ$3,294
$1,414 NZ$2,404
36.99%
Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)
$6,803 NZ$11.6K
$4,654 NZ$7,912
46.18%
Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)
$3,961 NZ$6,734
$3,038 NZ$5,165
30.40%
💵 Salaries & Financials
Wellington
Thames
Difference
Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)
$3,081 NZ$5,238
-
-
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: April 12, 2026

Last update for Thames: April 12, 2026

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

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