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: $2,460 in Wellington versus $1,967 in Whanganui.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $3,478 in Wellington versus $2,974 in Whanganui.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $4,495 in Wellington versus $3,982 in Whanganui.

Living in Wellington is roughly 25% more expensive than in Whanganui, driven mainly by Groceries & Markets.

Both cities are pricier than the global median: Wellington 80% above, Whanganui 44% above.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$14.42 NZ$25.21

$14.39 NZ$25.16

0.21%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$66.7 NZ$117

$67.7 NZ$118

-1.40%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$9.20 NZ$16.08

$8.88 NZ$15.53

3.60%

Cappuccino

$3.37 NZ$5.89

$3.41 NZ$5.97

-1.17%

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

$2.47 NZ$4.31

$2.30 NZ$4.02

7.39%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.78 NZ$3.12

$1.74 NZ$3.04

2.30%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$7.58 NZ$13.26

$5.76 NZ$10.07

31.60%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$6.76 NZ$11.81

$5.55 NZ$9.70

21.80%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.90 NZ$3.33

$1.40 NZ$2.45

35.71%

White Bread (500g)

$2.21 NZ$3.87

$0.98 NZ$1.72

125.51%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.89 NZ$3.31

$1.16 NZ$2.04

62.93%

Eggs

$7.04 NZ$12.31

$5.47 NZ$9.56

28.70%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$9.58 NZ$16.75

$5.81 NZ$10.16

64.89%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$9.68 NZ$16.93

$9.47 NZ$16.56

2.22%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$15.39 NZ$26.90

$15.77 NZ$27.57

-2.41%

Apples (1kg)

$3.20 NZ$5.60

$2.24 NZ$3.92

42.86%

Banana (1kg)

$2.20 NZ$3.85

$2.01 NZ$3.51

9.45%

Oranges (1kg)

$3.13 NZ$5.47

$1.92 NZ$3.35

63.02%

Tomato (1kg)

$6.58 NZ$11.51

$3.51 NZ$6.13

87.46%

Potato (1kg)

$2.20 NZ$3.84

$1.74 NZ$3.04

26.44%

Onion (1kg)

$1.26 NZ$2.20

$1.33 NZ$2.32

-5.26%

Lettuce (1 head)

$2.08 NZ$3.63

$2.08 NZ$3.64

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$1.22 NZ$2.14

$0.52 NZ$0.92

134.62%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$26.41 NZ$46.17

$24.08 NZ$42.10

9.68%

Wine (Bottle)

$11.68 NZ$20.42

$10.19 NZ$17.82

14.62%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$3.20 NZ$5.59

$2.64 NZ$4.61

21.21%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.82 NZ$4.93

$2.34 NZ$4.09

20.51%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$2.84 NZ$4.96

$1.66 NZ$2.91

71.08%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$102 NZ$179

$97.0 NZ$170

5.39%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$1.95 NZ$3.41

$1.93 NZ$3.38

1.04%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.84 NZ$3.21

$1.84 NZ$3.22

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$35.32 NZ$61.7

$34.91 NZ$61.0

1.17%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.94 NZ$3.39

$1.61 NZ$2.82

20.50%

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

$26.1K NZ$45.6K

$25.5K NZ$44.6K

2.10%

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

$26.2K NZ$45.9K

$26.3K NZ$45.9K

-0.19%

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

$201 NZ$351

$201 NZ$352

-0.38%

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

$33.20 NZ$58.0

$32.91 NZ$57.5

0.88%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$54.6 NZ$95.4

$48.14 NZ$84.2

13.40%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$39.64 NZ$69.3

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$16.86 NZ$29.48

Cinema Ticket

$12.18 NZ$21.30

$5.85 NZ$10.22

108.21%

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

$1,109 NZ$1,938

$1,091 NZ$1,908

1.61%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$13.4K NZ$23.4K

$13.1K NZ$22.9K

1.88%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$80.1 NZ$140

$81.5 NZ$142

-1.62%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$29.42 NZ$51.4

$29.22 NZ$51.1

0.68%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$104 NZ$182

$103 NZ$181

0.53%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$159 NZ$278

$160 NZ$280

-0.46%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,235 NZ$2,159

$945 NZ$1,651

30.74%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,176 NZ$2,057

$855 NZ$1,495

37.56%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$2,211 NZ$3,865

$1,660 NZ$2,902

33.18%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,750 NZ$3,060

$1,491 NZ$2,606

17.40%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$6,730 NZ$11.8K

$4,176 NZ$7,300

61.15%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$3,659 NZ$6,396

$3,147 NZ$5,502

16.25%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$2,864 NZ$5,007

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

5.39

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

Last update for Wellington: September 13, 2026

Last update for Whanganui: September 15, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $1,235 in Wellington and $945 in Whanganui. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Dining out: $67.0 in Wellington vs $68.0 in Whanganui. Groceries flip the comparison at $352 vs $272, with Whanganui cheaper for home cooking.

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, Getting Around, Monthly Utilities & Internet, Sport & Entertainment. The 25% gap adds up to real monthly savings that compound significantly over time.

You'd need roughly $3,690 in Wellington and $2,950 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: $1,235 in Wellington versus $945 in Whanganui. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Childcare runs $1,109 in Wellington versus $1,091 in Whanganui. Over years of preschool, even a modest monthly gap compounds into a major financial factor for families.

Supermarket bills run roughly 30% higher in Wellington. For households that cook at home regularly, that difference adds up over a month.

At $1,967 in Whanganui versus $2,460 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 25% less than in Wellington. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.