Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Wellington and Woking

For one person, living is cheaper in Wellington: $2,313 a month against $3,181 in Woking, rent and utilities included – about $10,400 less a year. Rent and utilities account for most of the difference.

Wellington, New Zealand
Woking, United Kingdom
Wellington
🇳🇿 New Zealand
$2,313
/mo nomad
Woking
🇬🇧 United Kingdom
$3,181
/mo nomad
Monthly Cost of Living

How much you'll spend in Wellington and in Woking

Real prices from locals and on-the-ground checks – rent, groceries, transit and the daily extras. Here's what a month in Wellington and in Woking actually costs, broken down by who's living it.

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $2,313 in Wellington versus $3,181 in Woking.

  • Wellington $2,313
  • Woking $3,181

Estimated couple costs with rent: $3,422 in Wellington versus $4,415 in Woking.

  • Wellington $3,422
  • Woking $4,415

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $4,530 in Wellington versus $5,648 in Woking.

  • Wellington $4,530
  • Woking $5,648

Living in Wellington costs roughly 27% less than in Woking, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in eating out.

Both cities are pricier than the global median: Wellington 70% above, Woking 134% above.

Currency
🍽 Eating Out
Wellington
Woking
Difference
Meal at Budget Restaurant
$14.02 NZ$24.99
$21.68 £16.32
-35.33%
Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range
$66.5 NZ$118
$87.9 £66.1
-24.37%
Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)
$9.23 NZ$16.44
$10.10 £7.60
-8.61%
Cappuccino
$3.41 NZ$6.08
$4.56 £3.43
-25.22%
Coke/Pepsi/Fanta/Sprite (0.33 liter bottle)
$2.43 NZ$4.33
$2.28 £1.72
6.58%
Water (0.33 liter bottle)
$1.69 NZ$3.02
$1.71 £1.29
-1.17%
Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)
$7.48 NZ$13.34
$8.16 £6.14
-8.33%
Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)
$6.74 NZ$12.02
$5.83 £4.39
15.61%
🛒 Groceries & Markets
Wellington
Woking
Difference
Milk (1 liter)
$1.95 NZ$3.48
$1.64 £1.23
18.90%
White Bread (500g)
$2.25 NZ$4.02
$1.91 £1.44
17.80%
Rice (white) (1kg)
$1.85 NZ$3.31
$2.80 £2.11
-33.93%
Eggs
$7.10 NZ$12.66
$4.28 £3.22
65.89%
Local Cheese (1kg)
$9.54 NZ$17.00
$12.78 £9.62
-25.35%
Chicken Fillets (1kg)
$9.62 NZ$17.14
$9.89 £7.44
-2.73%
Beef Round Steak (1kg)
$15.26 NZ$27.20
$14.31 £10.77
6.64%
Apples (1kg)
$3.09 NZ$5.51
$3.65 £2.74
-15.34%
Banana (1kg)
$2.15 NZ$3.84
$1.36 £1.02
58.09%
Oranges (1kg)
$3.08 NZ$5.49
$3.43 £2.58
-10.20%
Tomato (1kg)
$6.42 NZ$11.45
$4.17 £3.14
53.96%
Potato (1kg)
$2.10 NZ$3.74
$1.14 £0.86
84.21%
Onion (1kg)
$1.23 NZ$2.20
$1.23 £0.92
-
Lettuce (1 head)
$2.01 NZ$3.59
$1.12 £0.84
79.46%
Water (1.5 liter bottle)
$1.16 NZ$2.07
$1.04 £0.79
11.54%
Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)
$25.37 NZ$45.21
$17.62 £13.26
43.98%
Wine (Bottle)
$11.48 NZ$20.46
$10.54 £7.93
8.92%
Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)
$3.12 NZ$5.56
$2.58 £1.94
20.93%
Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)
$2.89 NZ$5.14
$3.32 £2.50
-12.95%
🚌 Getting Around
Wellington
Woking
Difference
One-way Ticket (Public Transport)
$2.86 NZ$5.10
$4.07 £3.06
-29.73%
Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)
$105 NZ$187
$106 £79.5
-0.76%
Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)
$1.88 NZ$3.35
$4.53 £3.41
-58.50%
Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)
$1.83 NZ$3.26
$3.90 £2.93
-53.08%
Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)
$34.31 NZ$61.1
$19.72 £14.84
73.99%
Gasoline (1 liter)
$1.84 NZ$3.28
$1.86 £1.40
-1.08%
Midsize Hatchback 1.4l (Volkswagen Golf, Toyota Prius, Honda Civic, etc)
$28.4K NZ$50.6K
$37.7K £28.4K
-24.67%
Compact Sedan 1.6l (Toyota Corolla, Mazda3, Kia K4, Hyundai Elantra, etc)
$23.8K NZ$42.4K
$40.4K £30.4K
-41.05%
🧾 Monthly Utilities & Internet
Wellington
Woking
Difference
Utilities for 2 People in 2-bedroom Apartment (Heating, Electricity, Gas, Water, Garbage) (85m2)
$201 NZ$358
$504 £380
-60.20%
SIM Card Monthly Plan (Calls and 10GB+ Data)
$33.35 NZ$59.4
$17.17 £12.93
94.23%
Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)
$53.7 NZ$95.6
$43.36 £32.63
23.73%
🎉 Sport & Entertainment
Wellington
Woking
Difference
Gym Membership (Monthly)
$35.87 NZ$63.9
$50.2 £37.81
-28.60%
Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)
$16.18 NZ$28.84
$13.82 £10.40
17.08%
Cinema Ticket
$11.78 NZ$21.00
$14.13 £10.64
-16.63%
🧸 Childcare & Education
Wellington
Woking
Difference
Preschool or Kindergarten, Full Day, Private, 1 Child (Monthly)
$1,065 NZ$1,897
$2,027 £1,526
-47.49%
International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)
$13.3K NZ$23.7K
$27.6K £20.8K
-51.94%
👕👟 Clothing & Footwear
Wellington
Woking
Difference
Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)
$80.4 NZ$143
$110 £82.6
-26.76%
Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)
$28.04 NZ$49.97
$55.8 £41.96
-49.70%
Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)
$102 NZ$181
$107 £80.3
-4.71%
Men's Leather Business Shoes
$154 NZ$275
$85.0 £64.0
81.25%
🏠 Accommodation & Living
Wellington
Woking
Difference
1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)
$1,143 NZ$2,036
$1,782 £1,341
-35.87%
1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)
$1,078 NZ$1,922
$1,585 £1,193
-31.98%
3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)
$2,057 NZ$3,665
$2,712 £2,041
-24.17%
3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)
$1,814 NZ$3,232
$2,398 £1,805
-24.38%
Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)
$6,594 NZ$11.8K
$8,119 £6,110
-18.78%
Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)
$3,655 NZ$6,514
$6,130 £4,614
-40.38%
💵 Salaries & Financials
Wellington
Woking
Difference
Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)
$2,785 NZ$4,964
$3,677 £2,768
-24.26%
20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)
5.39
5.64
-4.43%

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

Last update for Wellington: October 27, 2026

Last update for Woking: October 25, 2026

Monthly budget structure
Share of the monthly basket for one person, rent included.
Accommodation & Living
Wellington
$1.1K
Woking
$1.6K 47% $507
Groceries & Markets
Wellington
$348
Woking
$319 8.4% $29
Monthly Utilities & Internet
Wellington
$288
Woking
$565 96.3% $277
Eating Out
Wellington
$248
Woking
$327 31.7% $79
Clothing & Footwear
Wellington
$164
Woking
$161 1.9% $3.1
Getting Around
Wellington
$127
Woking
$146 14.6% $19
Sport & Entertainment
Wellington
$59
Woking
$79 32.1% $19

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $1,143 in Wellington and $1,782 in Woking. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Woking pays 32% more on average. The extra income cushions the higher costs, though housing choices and lifestyle decide how much of the gap is truly closed.

Dining out: $66 in Wellington vs $88 in Woking. Groceries flip the comparison at $348 vs $319, with Woking cheaper for home cooking.

Good to know
🇳🇿 Wellington
🇬🇧 Woking
🕒 Local time
11:56 11:56 AM
22:56 10:56 PM
13 h behind Wellington
🌤 Weather
👥 Population
215,900 Capital
103,900
💱 Currency
Exchange rates and currency converter

GBP, USD, EUR to NZD – New Zealand Dollar Converter

New Zealand Dollar exchange rates as of October 28, 2026: 1 USD = 1.78 NZD (1 NZD = 0.561 USD). 1 EUR = 1.98 NZD (1 NZD = 0.504 EUR).

British Pound exchange rates as of October 28, 2026: 1 USD = 0.753 GBP (1 GBP = 1.33 USD). 1 EUR = 0.838 GBP (1 GBP = 1.19 EUR).

On the map
Between locations
  • Wellington Woking 18,840 km ≈ 24 h nonstop flight
From you
  • Wellington
  • Woking

Distances are measured in a straight line. Your location is detected approximately.

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 Woking: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions
Is Wellington cheaper than Woking?
Wellington is about 27% cheaper overall, especially in eating out, leisure, and transport. That difference adds up to real monthly savings that compound significantly over time.
Where can you earn more: Wellington or Woking?
On paper, salaries run 24% lower in Wellington. That’s worth factoring in alongside costs, though remote workers earning in a stronger currency may not notice the difference at all.
What is the rent difference between Wellington and Woking?
Rent for a central apartment: $1,143 in Wellington versus $1,782 in Woking. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.
How do food prices compare in Wellington and in Woking?
Shoppers in Woking pay roughly 8% less for everyday groceries. It’s an unusual reversal that partly offsets higher costs elsewhere.
What are total monthly expenses in Wellington and in Woking?
All in, you’ll spend $2,313 per month in Wellington versus $3,181 in Woking – Wellington is about 27% cheaper, which adds up to real savings over time.
Is it better to live in Wellington or in Woking?
Both cities offer a good standard of living with different trade-offs. Neither is objectively better – the right pick depends on what matters most: affordability, career, cultural scene, or climate.
Which city is safer, Wellington or Woking?
Safety-wise, Wellington and Woking are both considered safe, so it’s unlikely to be the deciding factor between them.
Which city is the better choice to relocate to?
It comes down to priorities – Wellington wins on affordability, Woking on earning potential. Factor in climate, language, visa rules, and proximity to places that matter to you before deciding.

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