Cost of Living Comparison Between Wellington and Timaru Cost of Living Comparison Between Wellington and Timaru

Monthly Cost of Living

A single person spends $2,347 per month in Wellington vs $2,062 in Timaru, rent included.

A couple spends around $3,521 per month in Wellington vs $3,176 in Timaru, rent included.

A family of three spends $4,694 per month in Wellington vs $4,291 in Timaru, rent included.

Wellington costs about 14% more than Timaru, driven mainly by Clothing & Footwear.

Both Wellington and Timaru sit above the global median – Wellington by 75%, Timaru by 54%.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$17.25 NZ$29.50

$15.15 NZ$25.90

13.86%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$83.1 NZ$142

$79.9 NZ$137

3.94%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$9.68 NZ$16.55

$9.74 NZ$16.66

-0.62%

Cappuccino

$3.72 NZ$6.36

$3.34 NZ$5.70

11.38%

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

$2.52 NZ$4.30

$2.24 NZ$3.82

12.50%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.11 NZ$3.61

$1.91 NZ$3.26

10.47%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$7.26 NZ$12.41

$5.96 NZ$10.18

21.81%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$7.45 NZ$12.73

$6.13 NZ$10.49

21.53%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.90 NZ$3.25

$1.63 NZ$2.79

16.56%

White Bread (500g)

$2.07 NZ$3.54

$1.90 NZ$3.24

8.95%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.86 NZ$3.19

$1.24 NZ$2.12

50.00%

Eggs

$7.20 NZ$12.30

$6.32 NZ$10.80

13.92%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$8.26 NZ$14.13

$10.07 NZ$17.22

-17.97%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$11.03 NZ$18.86

$10.80 NZ$18.47

2.13%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$13.10 NZ$22.40

$16.94 NZ$28.97

-22.67%

Apples (1kg)

$3.15 NZ$5.38

$2.56 NZ$4.38

23.05%

Banana (1kg)

$2.34 NZ$4.01

$2.45 NZ$4.18

-4.49%

Oranges (1kg)

$3.02 NZ$5.16

$3.09 NZ$5.29

-2.27%

Tomato (1kg)

$4.81 NZ$8.23

$5.76 NZ$9.85

-16.49%

Potato (1kg)

$1.99 NZ$3.40

$2.72 NZ$4.65

-26.84%

Onion (1kg)

$1.63 NZ$2.78

$2.36 NZ$4.03

-30.93%

Lettuce (1 head)

$2.20 NZ$3.76

$2.85 NZ$4.88

-22.81%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$1.24 NZ$2.12

$1.15 NZ$1.97

7.83%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$26.81 NZ$45.84

$29.17 NZ$49.88

-8.09%

Wine (Bottle)

$10.81 NZ$18.49

$7.45 NZ$12.73

45.10%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$3.50 NZ$5.99

$4.73 NZ$8.09

-26.00%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.14 NZ$5.38

$7.13 NZ$12.19

-55.96%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$2.75 NZ$4.70

$2.07 NZ$3.53

32.85%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$106 NZ$182

$63.2 NZ$108

68.40%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$2.76 NZ$4.71

$2.80 NZ$4.79

-1.43%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.81 NZ$3.09

$1.13 NZ$1.94

60.18%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$61.4 NZ$105

$31.53 NZ$53.9

94.83%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.73 NZ$2.96

$1.60 NZ$2.74

8.12%

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

$33.5K NZ$57.2K

$30.0K NZ$51.3K

11.48%

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

$25.5K NZ$43.6K

$17.8K NZ$30.5K

42.82%

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

$158 NZ$271

$187 NZ$320

-15.51%

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

$33.45 NZ$57.2

$23.66 NZ$40.46

41.38%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$52.1 NZ$89.1

$59.7 NZ$102

-12.72%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$36.59 NZ$62.6

$36.19 NZ$61.9

1.11%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$20.68 NZ$35.37

$11.94 NZ$20.42

73.20%

Cinema Ticket

$12.04 NZ$20.59

$13.12 NZ$22.43

-8.23%

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

$816 NZ$1,396

$483 NZ$827

68.90%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$12.8K NZ$21.9K

$7,081 NZ$12.1K

80.82%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$71.1 NZ$122

$88.3 NZ$151

-19.42%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$52.1 NZ$89.0

$49.20 NZ$84.1

5.81%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$120 NZ$204

$96.0 NZ$164

24.54%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$140 NZ$240

$278 NZ$475

-49.51%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,327 NZ$2,270

$957 NZ$1,636

38.71%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,102 NZ$1,885

$794 NZ$1,357

38.88%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$2,156 NZ$3,687

$1,599 NZ$2,735

34.83%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,959 NZ$3,349

$1,435 NZ$2,454

36.48%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$6,752 NZ$11.5K

$4,786 NZ$8,183

41.09%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$3,990 NZ$6,823

$3,377 NZ$5,775

18.16%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$3,088 NZ$5,280

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

6.94

6.74

2.97%

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

Last update for Wellington: April 25, 2026

Last update for Timaru: April 28, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A central one-bedroom costs $1,327 in Wellington versus $957 in Timaru. Rent is usually the largest line item in a monthly budget, so the gap here sets the tone for the overall comparison.

A mid-range dinner for two costs $83.0 in Wellington versus $80.0 in Timaru. Groceries tell a different story – $340 in Wellington vs $360 in Timaru – so Wellington wins on supermarket bills even if dining out costs more.

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 Timaru: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Wellington costs about 14% more than Timaru, with the gap driven mainly by Clothing & Footwear. That's enough to noticeably affect everyday spending and lifestyle for anyone choosing between the two.

For a comfortable life, plan on about $3,521 per month in Wellington and $3,093 in Timaru. That covers rent, food, utilities, transport, and enough left over to feel settled – not just surviving.

Rent is clearly cheaper in Timaru, 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 $83.0 in Wellington and $80.0 in Timaru. That's a good indicator of the overall restaurant and café pricing gap between the two cities.

Monthly expenses with rent come to $2,347 in Wellington and $2,062 in Timaru. The difference isn't just one category – it shows up across housing, food, transport, and services.

A $2,000 monthly budget goes further in Timaru, where all-in costs run around $2,062, than in Wellington at $2,347. In Timaru it covers expenses comfortably, while in Wellington it requires careful planning or may not stretch far enough.

For digital nomads, it depends on budget. Timaru costs $2,062 versus $2,347 in Wellington. Both have workable remote work infrastructure, but the cost gap matters when income varies month to month.

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