Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Wellington and Tours

For one person, living is cheaper in Tours: $1,662 a month against $2,313 in Wellington, rent and utilities included – about $7,800 less a year. Rent and utilities account for most of the difference.

Wellington, New Zealand
Tours, France
Wellington
🇳🇿 New Zealand
$2,313
/mo nomad
Tours
🇫🇷 France
$1,662
/mo nomad
Monthly Cost of Living

How much you'll spend in Wellington and in Tours

Real prices from locals and on-the-ground checks – rent, groceries, transit and the daily extras. Here's what a month in Wellington and in Tours actually costs, broken down by who's living it.

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $2,313 in Wellington versus $1,662 in Tours.

  • Wellington $2,313
  • Tours $1,662

Estimated couple costs with rent: $3,422 in Wellington versus $2,545 in Tours.

  • Wellington $3,422
  • Tours $2,545

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $4,530 in Wellington versus $3,428 in Tours.

  • Wellington $4,530
  • Tours $3,428

Living in Wellington is roughly 39% more expensive than in Tours, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in transport.

Both cities are pricier than the global median: Wellington 70% above, Tours 22% above.

Currency
🍽 Eating Out
Wellington
Tours
Difference
Meal at Budget Restaurant
$14.02 NZ$24.94
$14.82 €13.22
-5.40%
Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range
$66.5 NZ$118
$68.3 €60.9
-2.62%
Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)
$9.23 NZ$16.41
$13.67 €12.20
-32.48%
Cappuccino
$3.41 NZ$6.07
$3.65 €3.26
-6.58%
Coke/Pepsi/Fanta/Sprite (0.33 liter bottle)
$2.43 NZ$4.32
$2.75 €2.46
-11.64%
Water (0.33 liter bottle)
$1.69 NZ$3.01
$1.29 €1.15
31.01%
Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)
$7.48 NZ$13.31
$7.12 €6.35
5.06%
Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)
$6.74 NZ$11.99
$4.49 €4.00
50.11%
🛒 Groceries & Markets
Wellington
Tours
Difference
Milk (1 liter)
$1.95 NZ$3.47
$1.23 €1.10
58.54%
White Bread (500g)
$2.25 NZ$4.01
$1.79 €1.59
25.70%
Rice (white) (1kg)
$1.85 NZ$3.30
$1.88 €1.67
-1.60%
Eggs
$7.10 NZ$12.64
$3.71 €3.31
91.37%
Local Cheese (1kg)
$9.54 NZ$16.97
$17.01 €15.17
-43.92%
Chicken Fillets (1kg)
$9.62 NZ$17.11
$11.52 €10.28
-16.49%
Beef Round Steak (1kg)
$15.26 NZ$27.14
$17.25 €15.39
-11.54%
Apples (1kg)
$3.09 NZ$5.50
$3.36 €3.00
-8.04%
Banana (1kg)
$2.15 NZ$3.83
$1.94 €1.73
10.82%
Oranges (1kg)
$3.08 NZ$5.48
$2.84 €2.54
8.45%
Tomato (1kg)
$6.42 NZ$11.42
$3.18 €2.83
101.89%
Potato (1kg)
$2.10 NZ$3.73
$1.93 €1.73
8.81%
Onion (1kg)
$1.23 NZ$2.20
$1.96 €1.74
-37.24%
Lettuce (1 head)
$2.01 NZ$3.58
$1.63 €1.46
23.31%
Water (1.5 liter bottle)
$1.16 NZ$2.06
$0.34 €0.31
241.18%
Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)
$25.37 NZ$45.12
$13.45 €12.00
88.62%
Wine (Bottle)
$11.48 NZ$20.42
$6.62 €5.91
73.41%
Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)
$3.12 NZ$5.55
$2.32 €2.07
34.48%
Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)
$2.89 NZ$5.13
$2.45 €2.18
17.96%
🚌 Getting Around
Wellington
Tours
Difference
One-way Ticket (Public Transport)
$2.86 NZ$5.09
$2.12 €1.89
34.91%
Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)
$105 NZ$187
$55.7 €49.73
88.19%
Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)
$1.88 NZ$3.35
-
-
Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)
$1.83 NZ$3.26
-
-
Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)
$34.31 NZ$61.0
$33.00 €29.44
3.97%
Gasoline (1 liter)
$1.84 NZ$3.27
$2.06 €1.84
-10.68%
Midsize Hatchback 1.4l (Volkswagen Golf, Toyota Prius, Honda Civic, etc)
$28.4K NZ$50.5K
$35.0K €31.2K
-18.78%
Compact Sedan 1.6l (Toyota Corolla, Mazda3, Kia K4, Hyundai Elantra, etc)
$23.8K NZ$42.3K
$38.6K €34.5K
-38.41%
🧾 Monthly Utilities & Internet
Wellington
Tours
Difference
Utilities for 2 People in 2-bedroom Apartment (Heating, Electricity, Gas, Water, Garbage) (85m2)
$201 NZ$357
$138 €123
45.98%
SIM Card Monthly Plan (Calls and 10GB+ Data)
$33.35 NZ$59.3
$12.92 €11.53
158.13%
Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)
$53.7 NZ$95.4
$31.91 €28.47
68.13%
🎉 Sport & Entertainment
Wellington
Tours
Difference
Gym Membership (Monthly)
$35.87 NZ$63.8
$32.69 €29.16
9.73%
Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)
$16.18 NZ$28.79
-
-
Cinema Ticket
$11.78 NZ$20.96
$10.22 €9.12
15.26%
🧸 Childcare & Education
Wellington
Tours
Difference
Preschool or Kindergarten, Full Day, Private, 1 Child (Monthly)
$1,065 NZ$1,894
$1,758 €1,569
-39.46%
International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)
$13.3K NZ$23.6K
-
-
👕👟 Clothing & Footwear
Wellington
Tours
Difference
Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)
$80.4 NZ$143
$109 €97.4
-26.30%
Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)
$28.04 NZ$49.87
$38.35 €34.22
-26.88%
Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)
$102 NZ$181
$112 €99.6
-8.99%
Men's Leather Business Shoes
$154 NZ$274
$145 €129
6.18%
🏠 Accommodation & Living
Wellington
Tours
Difference
1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)
$1,143 NZ$2,032
$783 €699
45.89%
1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)
$1,078 NZ$1,918
$598 €533
80.34%
3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)
$2,057 NZ$3,658
$1,475 €1,316
39.46%
3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)
$1,814 NZ$3,226
$972 €867
86.60%
Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)
$6,594 NZ$11.7K
$4,201 €3,748
56.96%
Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)
$3,655 NZ$6,501
$3,007 €2,683
21.53%
💵 Salaries & Financials
Wellington
Tours
Difference
Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)
$2,785 NZ$4,954
$2,237 €1,996
24.47%
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: October 27, 2026

Last update for Tours: October 26, 2026

Monthly budget structure
Share of the monthly basket for one person, rent included.
Accommodation & Living
Wellington
$1.1K
Tours
$598 44.5% $480
Groceries & Markets
Wellington
$348
Tours
$319 8.5% $30
Monthly Utilities & Internet
Wellington
$288
Tours
$182 36.6% $105
Eating Out
Wellington
$248
Tours
$264 6.4% $16
Clothing & Footwear
Wellington
$164
Tours
$182 11% $18
Getting Around
Wellington
$127
Tours
$64 * 49.6% $63
Sport & Entertainment
Wellington
$59
Tours
$53 10.6% $6.3

Categories marked with * are only partly priced – their share counts the items that do have prices.

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $1,143 in Wellington and $783 in Tours. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Wellington pays 24% 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: $66 in Wellington vs $68 in Tours. Groceries flip the comparison at $348 vs $319, with Tours cheaper for home cooking.

Good to know
🇳🇿 Wellington
🇫🇷 Tours
🕒 Local time
07:21 7:21 AM
19:21 7:21 PM
12 h behind Wellington
🌤 Weather
👥 Population
215,900 Capital
137,658
💱 Currency
Euro EUR €
Exchange rates and currency converter

EUR, USD to NZD – New Zealand Dollar Converter

New Zealand Dollar exchange rates as of November 2, 2026: 1 USD = 1.78 NZD (1 NZD = 0.562 USD). 1 EUR = 1.99 NZD (1 NZD = 0.504 EUR).

Euro exchange rates as of November 2, 2026: 1 USD = 0.892 EUR (1 EUR = 1.12 USD).

On the map
Between locations
  • Wellington Tours 19,190 km ≈ 24 h nonstop flight
From you
  • Wellington
  • Tours

Distances are measured in a straight line. Your location is detected approximately.

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
Which city is more expensive, Wellington or Tours?
Tours wins on cost – living expenses run 28% 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.
Are salaries higher in Wellington or in Tours?
Average pay runs 24% higher in Wellington, which matters when comparing affordability. Whether that higher income actually nets you more depends on your spending habits and housing choices.
How much does a 1-bedroom apartment cost in Wellington compared to Tours?
Rent for a central apartment: $1,143 in Wellington versus $783 in Tours. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.
How do dining costs compare in Wellington and in Tours?
Dining out is cheaper in Wellington – a meal for two runs $66 versus $68 in Tours. If you eat out regularly, this makes a real dent in your monthly spending.
How much does it cost to live in Wellington compared to Tours?
All in, you’ll spend $2,313 per month in Wellington versus $1,662 in Tours – Tours is about 28% cheaper, which adds up to real savings over time.
Can you live on $2,000/month in Wellington or in Tours?
At $1,662 in Tours versus $2,313 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.
Which city offers a better quality of life: Wellington or Tours?
Both cities offer a good standard of living with different trade-offs. Neither is objectively better – the right pick depends on what matters most: affordability, career, cultural scene, or climate.
How safe is Wellington compared to Tours?
Safety-wise, Wellington and Tours are both considered safe, so it’s unlikely to be the deciding factor between them.
Should I move to Wellington or to Tours?
It comes down to priorities – Tours wins on affordability, Wellington on earning potential. Factor in climate, language, visa rules, and proximity to places that matter to you before deciding.

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