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: $2,303 in Wellington versus $1,737 in Whanganui.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $3,534 in Wellington versus $2,690 in Whanganui.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $4,764 in Wellington versus $3,643 in Whanganui.

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

Both cities are pricier than the global median: Wellington 73% above, Whanganui 31% above.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$17.73 NZ$30.05

$14.88 NZ$25.23

19.15%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$83.8 NZ$142

$71.0 NZ$120

18.13%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$9.39 NZ$15.91

$9.25 NZ$15.68

1.51%

Cappuccino

$3.78 NZ$6.40

$3.23 NZ$5.48

17.03%

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

$2.47 NZ$4.18

$2.36 NZ$4.00

4.66%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.20 NZ$3.73

$1.75 NZ$2.97

25.71%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$7.17 NZ$12.16

$4.88 NZ$8.28

46.93%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$7.05 NZ$11.96

$5.55 NZ$9.41

27.03%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.88 NZ$3.19

$1.68 NZ$2.85

11.90%

White Bread (500g)

$2.12 NZ$3.59

$1.55 NZ$2.64

36.77%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.87 NZ$3.16

$1.97 NZ$3.33

-5.08%

Eggs

$7.17 NZ$12.16

$5.93 NZ$10.05

20.91%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$8.25 NZ$13.99

$7.18 NZ$12.16

14.90%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$11.12 NZ$18.84

$9.05 NZ$15.34

22.87%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$13.27 NZ$22.49

$12.55 NZ$21.28

5.74%

Apples (1kg)

$3.14 NZ$5.32

$2.45 NZ$4.16

28.16%

Banana (1kg)

$2.33 NZ$3.95

$1.88 NZ$3.19

23.94%

Oranges (1kg)

$3.10 NZ$5.25

$2.44 NZ$4.14

27.05%

Tomato (1kg)

$4.67 NZ$7.92

$3.50 NZ$5.93

33.43%

Potato (1kg)

$2.00 NZ$3.39

$2.16 NZ$3.65

-7.41%

Onion (1kg)

$1.62 NZ$2.75

$2.23 NZ$3.77

-27.35%

Lettuce (1 head)

$2.26 NZ$3.83

$2.10 NZ$3.57

7.62%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$1.30 NZ$2.20

$0.55 NZ$0.94

136.36%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$26.08 NZ$44.22

$20.38 NZ$34.54

27.97%

Wine (Bottle)

$10.88 NZ$18.44

$10.08 NZ$17.08

7.94%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$3.53 NZ$5.98

$2.44 NZ$4.14

44.67%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.30 NZ$5.59

$2.70 NZ$4.58

22.22%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$2.73 NZ$4.62

$2.08 NZ$3.53

31.25%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$105 NZ$178

$63.7 NZ$108

64.72%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$2.79 NZ$4.72

$2.65 NZ$4.50

5.28%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.80 NZ$3.06

$1.78 NZ$3.02

1.12%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$60.0 NZ$102

$34.95 NZ$59.3

71.79%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.73 NZ$2.94

$1.65 NZ$2.79

4.85%

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

$33.7K NZ$57.1K

$26.6K NZ$45.1K

26.69%

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

$24.6K NZ$41.7K

$23.3K NZ$39.6K

5.32%

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

$155 NZ$263

$117 NZ$198

32.97%

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

$33.22 NZ$56.3

$37.25 NZ$63.1

-10.82%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$51.8 NZ$87.9

$47.56 NZ$80.6

8.98%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$35.56 NZ$60.3

$36.77 NZ$62.3

-3.29%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$20.11 NZ$34.08

$11.93 NZ$20.22

68.57%

Cinema Ticket

$12.16 NZ$20.61

$7.12 NZ$12.07

70.79%

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

$806 NZ$1,367

$367 NZ$622

119.58%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$12.9K NZ$21.9K

$11.8K NZ$20.1K

8.98%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$73.0 NZ$124

$68.8 NZ$117

6.12%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$52.2 NZ$88.5

$36.45 NZ$61.8

43.18%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$118 NZ$200

$97.0 NZ$164

21.47%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$144 NZ$244

$128 NZ$217

12.53%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,315 NZ$2,228

$1,211 NZ$2,053

8.52%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,102 NZ$1,868

$735 NZ$1,246

49.99%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$2,132 NZ$3,613

$1,541 NZ$2,612

38.35%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,896 NZ$3,214

$1,372 NZ$2,325

38.22%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$6,989 NZ$11.8K

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$3,785 NZ$6,416

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$2,670 NZ$4,526

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: July 27, 2026

Last update for Whanganui: July 26, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $1,315 in Wellington and $1,211 in Whanganui. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Dining out: $84.0 in Wellington vs $71.0 in Whanganui for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $342 vs $283 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, Monthly Utilities & Internet. The 33% gap adds up to real monthly savings that compound significantly over time.

You'd need roughly $3,454 in Wellington and $2,606 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: $1,315 in Wellington versus $1,211 in Whanganui. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Childcare runs $806 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 $1,737 in Whanganui versus $2,303 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.