Cost of Living Comparison Between Wellington and Tours Cost of Living Comparison Between Wellington and Tours

Monthly Cost of Living

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $2,436 in Wellington versus $1,659 in Tours.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $3,489 in Wellington versus $2,656 in Tours.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $4,542 in Wellington versus $3,653 in Tours.

Living in Wellington is roughly 47% more expensive than in Tours, driven mainly by Getting Around.

Both cities are pricier than the global median: Wellington 77% above, Tours 20% above.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$14.34 NZ$24.68

$14.88 €12.83

-3.63%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$67.3 NZ$116

$70.9 €61.1

-5.06%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$9.72 NZ$16.73

$13.90 €11.99

-30.07%

Cappuccino

$3.41 NZ$5.88

$3.81 €3.29

-10.50%

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

$2.57 NZ$4.43

$2.99 €2.58

-14.05%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.84 NZ$3.17

$1.38 €1.19

33.33%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$7.61 NZ$13.09

$7.66 €6.61

-0.65%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$7.12 NZ$12.25

$4.68 €4.04

52.14%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.92 NZ$3.30

$1.31 €1.13

46.56%

White Bread (500g)

$2.32 NZ$3.99

$1.87 €1.62

24.06%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.93 NZ$3.32

$2.04 €1.76

-5.39%

Eggs

$7.29 NZ$12.53

$4.79 €4.13

52.19%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$9.78 NZ$16.83

$17.38 €14.99

-43.73%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$10.05 NZ$17.29

$11.29 €9.74

-10.98%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$15.73 NZ$27.06

$18.39 €15.85

-14.46%

Apples (1kg)

$3.21 NZ$5.51

$3.67 €3.17

-12.53%

Banana (1kg)

$2.31 NZ$3.98

$3.85 €3.32

-40.00%

Oranges (1kg)

$3.15 NZ$5.42

$2.94 €2.53

7.14%

Tomato (1kg)

$6.67 NZ$11.48

$3.33 €2.87

100.30%

Potato (1kg)

$2.14 NZ$3.69

$1.95 €1.68

9.74%

Onion (1kg)

$1.31 NZ$2.25

$2.05 €1.77

-36.10%

Lettuce (1 head)

$2.19 NZ$3.76

$1.73 €1.49

26.59%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$1.20 NZ$2.07

$0.35 €0.30

242.86%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$26.36 NZ$45.36

$14.09 €12.15

87.08%

Wine (Bottle)

$11.86 NZ$20.40

$6.99 €6.03

69.67%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$3.24 NZ$5.58

$2.46 €2.12

31.71%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.92 NZ$5.02

$2.57 €2.22

13.62%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$3.00 NZ$5.16

$2.25 €1.94

33.33%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$108 NZ$186

$57.5 €49.58

87.81%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$1.97 NZ$3.38

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.92 NZ$3.30

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$34.88 NZ$60.0

$35.20 €30.35

-0.91%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.98 NZ$3.41

$2.18 €1.88

-9.17%

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

$26.0K NZ$44.7K

$37.1K €32.0K

-30.04%

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

$26.7K NZ$46.0K

$34.0K €29.3K

-21.32%

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

$206 NZ$355

$141 €122

45.96%

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

$32.99 NZ$56.8

$13.63 €11.76

142.04%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$56.2 NZ$96.8

$33.04 €28.49

70.22%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$40.29 NZ$69.3

$40.82 €35.20

-1.30%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$17.02 NZ$29.28

Cinema Ticket

$12.98 NZ$22.33

$10.29 €8.87

26.14%

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

$1,107 NZ$1,905

$1,888 €1,628

-41.35%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$13.5K NZ$23.3K

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$80.1 NZ$138

$112 €96.8

-28.72%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$29.15 NZ$50.1

$40.65 €35.05

-28.29%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$108 NZ$185

$115 €98.9

-6.06%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$163 NZ$280

$154 €133

5.41%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,297 NZ$2,231

$670 €578

93.44%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,210 NZ$2,082

$515 €444

135.14%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$2,278 NZ$3,919

$1,471 €1,268

54.89%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,759 NZ$3,026

$1,049 €905

67.57%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$7,004 NZ$12.1K

$3,819 €3,293

83.39%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$3,701 NZ$6,368

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$2,914 NZ$5,013

$2,309 €1,991

26.21%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

5.39

3.79

42.22%

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

Last update for Wellington: September 7, 2026

Last update for Tours: September 7, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $1,297 in Wellington and $670 in Tours. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Wellington pays 26% more on average. The extra income cushions the higher costs, though housing choices and lifestyle decide how much of the gap is truly closed.

Dining out: $67.0 in Wellington vs $71.0 in Tours. Groceries flip the comparison at $360 vs $345, with Tours cheaper for home cooking.

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 Tours: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Tours wins on cost – living expenses run 47% lower than in Wellington. Housing and daily spending are where you'll feel the difference most, making Tours the obvious pick if budget is a priority.

Average pay runs 26% higher in Wellington, which matters when comparing affordability. Whether that higher income actually nets you more depends on your spending habits and housing choices.

Rent for a central apartment: $1,297 in Wellington versus $670 in Tours. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Dining out is cheaper in Tours – a meal for two runs $71.0 versus $67.0 in Wellington. If you eat out regularly, this makes a real dent in your monthly spending.

All in, you'll spend $2,436 per month in Wellington versus $1,659 in Tours – a 47% gap that adds up to real savings over time for anyone picking the cheaper option.

At $1,659 in Tours versus $2,436 in Wellington, a $2,000 budget is realistic in Tours but tight or insufficient in Wellington. The gap between the two cities makes Tours the clear choice for anyone on this budget.

Both work as nomad bases, but Tours delivers better value – similar infrastructure at $1,659 monthly. If stretching your runway or maximizing savings is the goal, the price difference makes Tours hard to pass up.

Safety-wise, Wellington and Tours are on par. Petty crime is typical for cities this size, and most residents feel comfortable going about their daily routines in either place.

Expats usually find Tours gentler on the wallet – expenses run 47% less than in Wellington. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.