Cost of Living Comparison Between Wellington and Whanganui Cost of Living Comparison Between Wellington and Whanganui

Monthly Cost of Living

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $2,352 in Wellington versus $1,765 in Whanganui.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $3,549 in Wellington versus $2,744 in Whanganui.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $4,746 in Wellington versus $3,724 in Whanganui.

Living in Wellington is roughly 33% more expensive than Whanganui, driven mainly by Groceries & Markets.

Both cities are pricier than the global median: Wellington 75% above, Whanganui 31% above.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$17.58 NZ$30.02

$15.21 NZ$25.97

15.58%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$84.0 NZ$143

$72.1 NZ$123

16.54%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$9.76 NZ$16.66

$9.00 NZ$15.36

8.44%

Cappuccino

$3.63 NZ$6.19

$3.42 NZ$5.84

6.14%

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

$2.52 NZ$4.30

$2.29 NZ$3.90

10.04%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.20 NZ$3.75

$1.67 NZ$2.84

31.74%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$7.07 NZ$12.07

$4.86 NZ$8.29

45.47%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$7.22 NZ$12.33

$5.38 NZ$9.19

34.20%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.90 NZ$3.25

$1.67 NZ$2.85

13.77%

White Bread (500g)

$2.10 NZ$3.59

$1.55 NZ$2.65

35.48%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.96 NZ$3.34

$1.94 NZ$3.31

1.03%

Eggs

$6.93 NZ$11.83

$5.75 NZ$9.82

20.52%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$8.17 NZ$13.95

$7.19 NZ$12.27

13.63%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$11.14 NZ$19.02

$9.00 NZ$15.37

23.78%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$12.93 NZ$22.08

$12.43 NZ$21.22

4.02%

Apples (1kg)

$3.02 NZ$5.16

$2.46 NZ$4.20

22.76%

Banana (1kg)

$2.36 NZ$4.02

$1.81 NZ$3.08

30.39%

Oranges (1kg)

$3.02 NZ$5.16

$2.51 NZ$4.29

20.32%

Tomato (1kg)

$4.67 NZ$7.97

$3.49 NZ$5.96

33.81%

Potato (1kg)

$2.03 NZ$3.46

$2.06 NZ$3.51

-1.46%

Onion (1kg)

$1.65 NZ$2.82

$2.16 NZ$3.69

-23.61%

Lettuce (1 head)

$2.21 NZ$3.77

$2.14 NZ$3.66

3.27%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$1.24 NZ$2.12

$0.56 NZ$0.96

121.43%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$27.01 NZ$46.13

$20.04 NZ$34.21

34.78%

Wine (Bottle)

$11.62 NZ$19.84

$9.93 NZ$16.95

17.02%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$3.58 NZ$6.11

$2.55 NZ$4.35

40.39%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.27 NZ$5.58

$2.59 NZ$4.43

26.25%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$2.78 NZ$4.75

$2.17 NZ$3.71

28.11%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$108 NZ$184

$63.4 NZ$108

70.11%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$2.63 NZ$4.50

$2.79 NZ$4.76

-5.73%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.85 NZ$3.17

$1.77 NZ$3.02

4.52%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$60.4 NZ$103

$34.94 NZ$59.7

72.72%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.67 NZ$2.85

$1.64 NZ$2.80

1.83%

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

$33.3K NZ$56.8K

$27.2K NZ$46.4K

22.41%

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

$24.6K NZ$42.0K

$23.3K NZ$39.7K

5.65%

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

$156 NZ$266

$121 NZ$207

28.58%

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

$32.71 NZ$55.9

$36.68 NZ$62.6

-10.82%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$51.0 NZ$87.0

$48.84 NZ$83.4

4.32%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$35.71 NZ$61.0

$36.54 NZ$62.4

-2.27%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$20.14 NZ$34.39

$11.95 NZ$20.40

68.54%

Cinema Ticket

$12.11 NZ$20.69

$7.26 NZ$12.39

66.80%

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

$800 NZ$1,365

$367 NZ$626

118.08%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$12.9K NZ$22.1K

$12.0K NZ$20.5K

7.77%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$73.4 NZ$125

$70.5 NZ$120

4.04%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$52.8 NZ$90.1

$36.23 NZ$61.9

45.63%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$121 NZ$206

$98.4 NZ$168

22.50%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$144 NZ$246

$129 NZ$220

11.51%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,307 NZ$2,232

$1,222 NZ$2,087

6.96%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,110 NZ$1,896

$716 NZ$1,222

55.13%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$2,163 NZ$3,693

$1,559 NZ$2,662

38.73%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,925 NZ$3,286

$1,355 NZ$2,314

42.01%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$7,075 NZ$12.1K

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$3,769 NZ$6,436

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$3,021 NZ$5,159

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

6.94

6.69

3.74%

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

Last update for Wellington: June 8, 2026

Last update for Whanganui: June 7, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $1,307 in Wellington and $1,222 in Whanganui. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Dining out: $84.0 in Wellington vs $72.0 in Whanganui for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $340 vs $281 per month, with Whanganui 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 Whanganui: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Whanganui is cheaper overall, especially in Groceries & Markets, Eating Out, Clothing & Footwear, Getting Around, Sport & Entertainment. The 33% gap adds up to real monthly savings that compound significantly over time.

You'd need roughly $3,528 in Wellington and $2,648 in Whanganui to live well. The gap comes down to housing and overall price levels. Both cities are liveable on less, but these numbers represent actual comfort.

Rent for a central apartment: $1,307 in Wellington versus $1,222 in Whanganui. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Childcare runs $800 in Wellington versus $367 in Whanganui. Over years of preschool, even a modest monthly gap compounds into a major financial factor for families.

Supermarket bills run roughly 21% higher in Wellington. For households that cook at home regularly, that difference adds up over a month.

At $1,765 in Whanganui versus $2,352 in Wellington, a $2,500 budget is realistic in Whanganui but tight or insufficient in Wellington. The gap between the two cities makes Whanganui the clear choice for anyone on this budget.

For families, Whanganui 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 Whanganui 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 Whanganui gentler on the wallet – expenses run 33% less than in Wellington. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.