Cost of Living Comparison Between Wellington and Whakatane Cost of Living Comparison Between Wellington and Whakatane

Monthly Cost of Living

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $2,347 in Wellington versus $1,828 in Whakatane.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $3,521 in Wellington versus $2,827 in Whakatane.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $4,694 in Wellington versus $3,825 in Whakatane.

Living in Wellington is roughly 28% more expensive than Whakatane, driven mainly by Groceries & Markets.

Both cities are pricier than the global median: Wellington 75% above, Whakatane 37% above.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$17.25 NZ$29.50

$15.03 NZ$25.70

14.77%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$83.1 NZ$142

$72.7 NZ$124

14.28%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$9.68 NZ$16.55

$9.43 NZ$16.13

2.65%

Cappuccino

$3.72 NZ$6.36

$3.44 NZ$5.89

8.14%

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

$2.52 NZ$4.30

$2.26 NZ$3.86

11.50%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.11 NZ$3.61

$2.29 NZ$3.92

-7.86%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$7.26 NZ$12.41

$6.64 NZ$11.36

9.34%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$7.45 NZ$12.73

$6.50 NZ$11.12

14.62%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.90 NZ$3.25

$1.75 NZ$2.99

8.57%

White Bread (500g)

$2.07 NZ$3.54

$1.00 NZ$1.71

107.00%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.86 NZ$3.19

$1.95 NZ$3.34

-4.62%

Eggs

$7.20 NZ$12.30

$5.94 NZ$10.15

21.21%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$8.26 NZ$14.13

$7.81 NZ$13.36

5.76%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$11.03 NZ$18.86

$9.33 NZ$15.95

18.22%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$13.10 NZ$22.40

$13.25 NZ$22.67

-1.13%

Apples (1kg)

$3.15 NZ$5.38

$2.61 NZ$4.45

20.69%

Banana (1kg)

$2.34 NZ$4.01

$2.21 NZ$3.78

5.88%

Oranges (1kg)

$3.02 NZ$5.16

$3.25 NZ$5.55

-7.08%

Tomato (1kg)

$4.81 NZ$8.23

$4.06 NZ$6.94

18.47%

Potato (1kg)

$1.99 NZ$3.40

$2.07 NZ$3.53

-3.86%

Onion (1kg)

$1.63 NZ$2.78

$1.63 NZ$2.80

Lettuce (1 head)

$2.20 NZ$3.76

$1.88 NZ$3.21

17.02%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$1.24 NZ$2.12

$1.19 NZ$2.03

4.20%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$26.81 NZ$45.84

$24.89 NZ$42.56

7.71%

Wine (Bottle)

$10.81 NZ$18.49

$8.67 NZ$14.82

24.68%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$3.50 NZ$5.99

$1.59 NZ$2.71

120.13%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.14 NZ$5.38

$1.19 NZ$2.04

163.87%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$2.75 NZ$4.70

$2.09 NZ$3.58

31.58%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$106 NZ$182

$65.0 NZ$111

63.73%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$2.76 NZ$4.71

$2.06 NZ$3.52

33.98%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.81 NZ$3.09

$1.90 NZ$3.25

-4.74%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$61.4 NZ$105

$34.67 NZ$59.3

77.18%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.73 NZ$2.96

$1.70 NZ$2.91

1.76%

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

$33.5K NZ$57.2K

$27.9K NZ$47.7K

19.89%

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

$25.5K NZ$43.6K

$9,522 NZ$16.3K

167.63%

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

$158 NZ$271

$127 NZ$218

24.32%

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

$33.45 NZ$57.2

$30.74 NZ$52.6

8.82%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$52.1 NZ$89.1

$47.69 NZ$81.6

9.31%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$36.59 NZ$62.6

$36.89 NZ$63.1

-0.81%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$20.68 NZ$35.37

$11.96 NZ$20.46

72.91%

Cinema Ticket

$12.04 NZ$20.59

$8.82 NZ$15.08

36.51%

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

$816 NZ$1,396

$920 NZ$1,574

-11.30%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$12.8K NZ$21.9K

$13.5K NZ$23.1K

-5.37%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$71.1 NZ$122

$71.5 NZ$122

-0.59%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$52.1 NZ$89.0

$43.49 NZ$74.4

19.71%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$120 NZ$204

$91.9 NZ$157

30.07%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$140 NZ$240

$127 NZ$217

10.34%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,327 NZ$2,270

$957 NZ$1,636

38.74%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,102 NZ$1,885

$801 NZ$1,369

37.62%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$2,156 NZ$3,687

$1,591 NZ$2,721

35.50%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,959 NZ$3,349

$1,420 NZ$2,427

37.97%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$6,752 NZ$11.5K

$4,781 NZ$8,176

41.22%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$3,990 NZ$6,823

$3,447 NZ$5,894

15.77%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$3,088 NZ$5,280

$4,162 NZ$7,117

-25.81%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

6.94

6.37

8.95%

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

Last update for Wellington: April 25, 2026

Last update for Whakatane: April 27, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $1,327 in Wellington and $957 in Whakatane. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Whakatane pays 35% more on average while also being the cheaper of the two. The combined effect is a noticeably stronger local purchasing power.

Dining out: $83.0 in Wellington vs $73.0 in Whakatane for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $340 vs $287 per month, with Whakatane cheaper across the board.

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 Whakatane: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Whakatane is cheaper overall, especially in Groceries & Markets, Eating Out, Clothing & Footwear, Getting Around, Monthly Utilities & Internet. The 28% gap adds up to real monthly savings that compound significantly over time.

On paper, Whakatane earns 35% less. That's worth factoring in alongside costs, though remote workers earning in a stronger currency may not notice the difference at all.

Rent for a central apartment: $1,327 in Wellington versus $957 in Whakatane. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Childcare runs $816 in Wellington versus $920 in Whakatane. Over years of preschool, even a modest monthly gap compounds into a major financial factor for families.

Supermarket bills run roughly 18% higher in Wellington. For households that cook at home regularly, that difference adds up over a month.

At $1,828 in Whakatane versus $2,347 in Wellington, a $2,000 budget is realistic in Whakatane but tight or insufficient in Wellington. The gap between the two cities makes Whakatane the clear choice for anyone on this budget.

For families, Whakatane is more practical. Housing and childcare are both notably cheaper than in Wellington, and the savings on those two alone free up budget for education, activities, and family trips.

Safety-wise, Wellington and Whakatane 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 Whakatane gentler on the wallet – expenses run 28% less than in Wellington. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.