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: $2,354 in Wellington versus $1,687 in Tours.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $3,553 in Wellington versus $2,699 in Tours.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $4,751 in Wellington versus $3,712 in Tours.

Living in Wellington is roughly 40% more expensive than Tours, driven mainly by Getting Around.

Both cities are pricier than the global median: Wellington 76% above, Tours 26% above.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$17.30 NZ$29.21

$19.43 €16.72

-10.96%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$84.5 NZ$143

$56.9 €48.92

48.62%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$9.77 NZ$16.49

$13.86 €11.93

-29.51%

Cappuccino

$3.80 NZ$6.41

$4.21 €3.62

-9.74%

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

$2.60 NZ$4.40

$3.11 €2.68

-16.40%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.18 NZ$3.68

$1.83 €1.58

19.13%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$7.03 NZ$11.88

$8.63 €7.42

-18.54%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$7.45 NZ$12.59

$4.84 €4.16

53.93%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.87 NZ$3.15

$1.20 €1.04

55.83%

White Bread (500g)

$2.11 NZ$3.56

$1.70 €1.46

24.12%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.95 NZ$3.30

$2.10 €1.81

-7.14%

Eggs

$6.88 NZ$11.62

$4.51 €3.88

52.55%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$8.13 NZ$13.73

$18.86 €16.23

-56.89%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$11.06 NZ$18.67

$13.17 €11.33

-16.02%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$13.14 NZ$22.19

$18.72 €16.11

-29.81%

Apples (1kg)

$3.12 NZ$5.27

$3.63 €3.12

-14.05%

Banana (1kg)

$2.24 NZ$3.78

$3.20 €2.76

-30.00%

Oranges (1kg)

$2.99 NZ$5.05

$3.13 €2.70

-4.47%

Tomato (1kg)

$4.72 NZ$7.97

$3.62 €3.12

30.39%

Potato (1kg)

$2.07 NZ$3.49

$1.92 €1.65

7.81%

Onion (1kg)

$1.66 NZ$2.80

$1.98 €1.70

-16.16%

Lettuce (1 head)

$2.21 NZ$3.73

$1.69 €1.45

30.77%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$1.28 NZ$2.17

$0.31 €0.27

312.90%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$26.87 NZ$45.36

$13.50 €11.61

99.04%

Wine (Bottle)

$11.74 NZ$19.82

$8.96 €7.70

31.03%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$3.52 NZ$5.95

$2.50 €2.15

40.80%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.18 NZ$5.37

$2.52 €2.17

26.19%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$2.75 NZ$4.64

$2.12 €1.83

29.72%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$107 NZ$181

$52.2 €44.87

105.25%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$2.66 NZ$4.50

$3.43 €2.95

-22.45%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.85 NZ$3.13

$1.87 €1.61

-1.07%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$60.4 NZ$102

$34.79 €29.92

73.50%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.71 NZ$2.89

$1.99 €1.72

-14.07%

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

$33.6K NZ$56.7K

$32.4K €27.9K

3.72%

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

$24.6K NZ$41.5K

$32.7K €28.2K

-24.90%

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

$160 NZ$270

$136 €117

17.59%

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

$32.55 NZ$55.0

$26.63 €22.91

22.23%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$51.5 NZ$87.0

$26.81 €23.07

92.09%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$36.79 NZ$62.1

$36.78 €31.64

0.03%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$20.60 NZ$34.78

$13.98 €12.02

47.35%

Cinema Ticket

$12.17 NZ$20.55

$12.08 €10.39

0.75%

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

$800 NZ$1,351

$457 €394

74.95%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$12.6K NZ$21.4K

$8,625 €7,420

46.65%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$73.5 NZ$124

$122 €105

-39.91%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$53.1 NZ$89.7

$39.99 €34.40

32.88%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$119 NZ$201

$127 €109

-5.89%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$142 NZ$239

$149 €128

-4.89%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,339 NZ$2,261

$591 €509

126.50%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,105 NZ$1,865

$476 €409

132.25%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$2,103 NZ$3,551

$1,502 €1,292

40.01%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,888 NZ$3,188

$1,014 €873

86.14%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$6,602 NZ$11.1K

$3,826 €3,291

72.53%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$3,897 NZ$6,579

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$3,057 NZ$5,161

$2,365 €2,034

29.28%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

6.94

3.59

93.31%

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

Last update for Wellington: May 31, 2026

Last update for Tours: June 1, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $1,339 in Wellington and $591 in Tours. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Wellington pays 29% 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: $85.0 in Wellington vs $57.0 in Tours. Groceries flip the comparison at $340 vs $358, with Wellington 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 40% 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.

Wellington pays 29% more on average, 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: $1,339 in Wellington versus $591 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 $57.0 versus $85.0 in Wellington. If you eat out regularly, this makes a real dent in your monthly spending.

All in, you'll spend $2,354 per month in Wellington versus $1,687 in Tours – a 40% gap that adds up to real savings over time for anyone picking the cheaper option.

At $1,687 in Tours versus $2,354 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 $1,687 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 40% less than in Wellington. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.