Cost of Living Comparison Between Wellington and Wanaka Cost of Living Comparison Between Wellington and Wanaka

😐 Solo nomad: Wellington is 23% more expensive than Wanaka without rent, and 28.3% more expensive with rent.
😐 Family of 3: Wellington is 16.9% more expensive than Wanaka without rent, and 18.4% more expensive with rent.
Currency
🍽 Eating Out
Wellington
Wanaka
Difference
Meal at Budget Restaurant
$17.57 NZ$28.98
$12.03 NZ$19.84
46.05%
Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range
$82.9 NZ$137
$60.5 NZ$99.7
37.15%
Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)
$9.53 NZ$15.72
$9.16 NZ$15.11
4.04%
Cappuccino
$3.59 NZ$5.92
$3.27 NZ$5.4
9.79%
Coke/Pepsi/Fanta/Sprite (0.33 liter bottle)
$2.47 NZ$4.08
$1.74 NZ$2.87
41.95%
Water (0.33 liter bottle)
$2.2 NZ$3.62
$1.94 NZ$3.2
13.40%
Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)
$7.03 NZ$11.6
$7.29 NZ$12.02
-3.57%
Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)
$7.38 NZ$12.18
$5.99 NZ$9.88
23.21%
πŸ›’ Groceries & Markets
Wellington
Wanaka
Difference
Milk (1 liter)
$1.88 NZ$3.1
$2.07 NZ$3.41
-9.18%
White Bread (500g)
$2.09 NZ$3.44
$1.88 NZ$3.1
11.17%
Rice (white) (1kg)
$1.96 NZ$3.23
$1.91 NZ$3.15
2.62%
Eggs
$6.89 NZ$11.37
$5.57 NZ$9.18
23.70%
Local Cheese (1kg)
$8.24 NZ$13.6
$8.28 NZ$13.65
-0.48%
Chicken Fillets (1kg)
$10.92 NZ$18.01
$10.64 NZ$17.56
2.63%
Beef Round Steak (1kg)
$12.99 NZ$21.42
$13.19 NZ$21.75
-1.52%
Apples (1kg)
$3.12 NZ$5.15
$2.96 NZ$4.89
5.41%
Banana (1kg)
$2.31 NZ$3.82
$2.17 NZ$3.58
6.45%
Oranges (1kg)
$3.1 NZ$5.12
$3.28 NZ$5.4
-5.49%
Tomato (1kg)
$4.68 NZ$7.72
$4.42 NZ$7.29
5.88%
Potato (1kg)
$2.07 NZ$3.41
$1.99 NZ$3.29
4.02%
Onion (1kg)
$1.57 NZ$2.59
$2.08 NZ$3.43
-24.52%
Lettuce (1 head)
$2.3 NZ$3.79
$2.46 NZ$4.05
-6.50%
Water (1.5 liter bottle)
$1.28 NZ$2.11
$1.11 NZ$1.82
15.32%
Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)
$27.02 NZ$44.57
$24.45 NZ$40.32
10.51%
Wine (Bottle)
$10.48 NZ$17.28
$8.51 NZ$14.04
23.15%
Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)
$3.68 NZ$6.08
$2.6 NZ$4.29
41.54%
Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)
$3.24 NZ$5.35
$3.71 NZ$6.11
-12.67%
🚌 Getting Around
Wellington
Wanaka
Difference
One-way Ticket (Public Transport)
$2.78 NZ$4.59
$2.08 NZ$3.43
33.65%
Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)
$106 NZ$175
$63.3 NZ$104
68.02%
Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)
$2.67 NZ$4.41
$2.64 NZ$4.35
1.14%
Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)
$1.78 NZ$2.93
$1.14 NZ$1.88
56.14%
Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)
$59.2 NZ$97.6
$29.78 NZ$49.11
98.62%
Gasoline (1 liter)
$1.66 NZ$2.73
$1.74 NZ$2.86
-4.60%
Midsize Hatchback 1.4l (Volkswagen Golf, Toyota Prius, Honda Civic, etc)
$33K NZ$54.5K
$19.6K NZ$32.4K
68.27%
Compact Sedan 1.6l (Toyota Corolla, Mazda3, Kia K4, Hyundai Elantra, etc)
$25K NZ$41.3K
$25.7K NZ$42.4K
-2.60%
🧾 Monthly Utilities & Internet
Wellington
Wanaka
Difference
Utilities for 2 People in 2-bedroom Apartment (Heating, Electricity, Gas, Water, Garbage) (85m2)
$161 NZ$265
$104 NZ$171
55.06%
SIM Card Monthly Plan (Calls and 10GB+ Data)
$33.1 NZ$54.6
$35.34 NZ$58.3
-6.34%
Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)
$52.6 NZ$86.7
$56.1 NZ$92.6
-6.34%
πŸŽ‰ Sport & Entertainment
Wellington
Wanaka
Difference
Gym Membership (Monthly)
$36.7 NZ$60.5
$41.88 NZ$69.1
-12.37%
Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)
$20.16 NZ$33.25
$11.98 NZ$19.76
68.28%
Cinema Ticket
$11.86 NZ$19.56
$9.84 NZ$16.23
20.53%
🧸 Childcare & Education
Wellington
Wanaka
Difference
Preschool or Kindergarten, Full Day, Private, 1 Child (Monthly)
$789 NZ$1,301
$582 NZ$960
35.51%
International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)
$12.7K NZ$20.9K
$12.2K NZ$20.1K
4.20%
πŸ‘•πŸ‘Ÿ Clothing & Footwear
Wellington
Wanaka
Difference
Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)
$72.5 NZ$120
$65.4 NZ$108
10.87%
Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)
$53.7 NZ$88.6
$35.05 NZ$57.8
53.30%
Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)
$118 NZ$195
$73.6 NZ$121
60.41%
Men's Leather Business Shoes
$145 NZ$240
$79.3 NZ$131
83.44%
🏠 Accommodation & Living
Wellington
Wanaka
Difference
1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)
$1,341 NZ$2,211
$1,056 NZ$1,741
27.03%
1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)
$1,091 NZ$1,800
$855 NZ$1,411
27.60%
3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)
$2,146 NZ$3,539
$1,982 NZ$3,269
8.27%
3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)
$1,893 NZ$3,122
$1,752 NZ$2,890
8.05%
Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)
$6,617 NZ$10.9K
$4,252 NZ$7,012
55.63%
Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)
$4,828 NZ$7,962
$3,842 NZ$6,336
25.66%
πŸ’΅ Salaries & Financials
Wellington
Wanaka
Difference
Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)
$3,228 NZ$5,324
$4,747 NZ$7,830
-32.00%
20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)
6.94
4
73.50%

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

Last update for Wellington: October 28, 2025

Last update for Wanaka: October 27, 2025

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