Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Whanganui and Wellington

For one person, living is cheaper in Whanganui: $2,000 a month against $2,313 in Wellington, rent and utilities included – about $3,800 less a year. Rent and utilities account for about half of the difference.

96

Cost of Living Index in Whanganui
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Whanganui Living Index
110

Cost of Living Index in Wellington
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Wellington Living Index

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Whanganui

🇳🇿 New Zealand

$2,000

/mo nomad

Wellington

🇳🇿 New Zealand

$2,313

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

How much you'll spend in Whanganui and in Wellington

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

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $2,000 in Whanganui versus $2,313 in Wellington.

Whanganui $2,000
Wellington $2,313

Estimated couple costs with rent: $2,910 in Whanganui versus $3,422 in Wellington.

Whanganui $2,910
Wellington $3,422

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $3,820 in Whanganui versus $4,530 in Wellington.

Whanganui $3,820
Wellington $4,530

Living in Whanganui costs roughly 14% less than in Wellington, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in groceries.

Both cities are pricier than the global median: Whanganui 47% above, Wellington 70% above.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$12.42 NZ$22.04

$14.02 NZ$24.90

-11.41%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$73.0 NZ$130

$66.5 NZ$118

9.81%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$8.38 NZ$14.89

$9.23 NZ$16.38

-9.21%

Cappuccino

$3.36 NZ$5.97

$3.41 NZ$6.06

-1.47%

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

$2.21 NZ$3.93

$2.43 NZ$4.32

-9.05%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.04 NZ$3.63

$1.69 NZ$3.00

20.71%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$5.48 NZ$9.73

$7.48 NZ$13.29

-26.74%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$5.48 NZ$9.73

$6.74 NZ$11.97

-18.69%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.34 NZ$2.37

$1.95 NZ$3.47

-31.28%

White Bread (500g)

$1.01 NZ$1.79

$2.25 NZ$4.00

-55.11%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.16 NZ$2.05

$1.85 NZ$3.29

-37.30%

Eggs

$5.54 NZ$9.84

$7.10 NZ$12.61

-21.97%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$5.64 NZ$10.02

$9.54 NZ$16.94

-40.88%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$7.49 NZ$13.30

$9.62 NZ$17.08

-22.14%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$11.96 NZ$21.23

$15.26 NZ$27.09

-21.63%

Apples (1kg)

$2.21 NZ$3.93

$3.09 NZ$5.49

-28.48%

Banana (1kg)

$1.98 NZ$3.51

$2.15 NZ$3.83

-7.91%

Oranges (1kg)

$1.89 NZ$3.35

$3.08 NZ$5.47

-38.64%

Tomato (1kg)

$3.51 NZ$6.23

$6.42 NZ$11.40

-45.33%

Potato (1kg)

$1.70 NZ$3.03

$2.10 NZ$3.72

-19.05%

Onion (1kg)

$1.32 NZ$2.34

$1.23 NZ$2.19

7.32%

Lettuce (1 head)

$2.27 NZ$4.02

$2.01 NZ$3.57

12.94%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.52 NZ$0.93

$1.16 NZ$2.06

-55.17%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$23.29 NZ$41.35

$25.37 NZ$45.04

-8.20%

Wine (Bottle)

$9.56 NZ$16.97

$11.48 NZ$20.39

-16.72%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$2.60 NZ$4.61

$3.12 NZ$5.53

-16.67%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.23 NZ$3.96

$2.89 NZ$5.12

-22.84%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$1.96 NZ$3.48

$2.86 NZ$5.08

-31.47%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$109 NZ$193

$105 NZ$186

3.48%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$3.59 NZ$6.38

$1.88 NZ$3.34

90.96%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$2.04 NZ$3.62

$1.83 NZ$3.25

11.48%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$31.45 NZ$55.8

$34.31 NZ$60.9

-8.34%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.62 NZ$2.87

$1.84 NZ$3.27

-11.96%

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

$28.2K NZ$50.0K

$28.4K NZ$50.4K

-0.79%

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

$22.7K NZ$40.3K

$23.8K NZ$42.3K

-4.54%

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

$197 NZ$351

$201 NZ$357

-1.65%

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

$32.21 NZ$57.2

$33.35 NZ$59.2

-3.42%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$47.07 NZ$83.6

$53.7 NZ$95.3

-12.26%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$39.46 NZ$70.1

$35.87 NZ$63.7

10.01%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$16.18 NZ$28.73

Cinema Ticket

$5.66 NZ$10.05

$11.78 NZ$20.92

-51.95%

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

$686 NZ$1,218

$1,065 NZ$1,890

-35.54%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$23.1K NZ$41.1K

$13.3K NZ$23.6K

74.15%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$61.3 NZ$109

$80.4 NZ$143

-23.81%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$38.61 NZ$68.6

$28.04 NZ$49.78

37.70%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$93.4 NZ$166

$102 NZ$180

-8.10%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$106 NZ$188

$154 NZ$274

-31.23%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,030 NZ$1,828

$1,143 NZ$2,029

-9.87%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$939 NZ$1,668

$1,078 NZ$1,914

-12.89%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,657 NZ$2,941

$2,057 NZ$3,651

-19.44%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,465 NZ$2,602

$1,814 NZ$3,220

-19.20%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$4,694 NZ$8,334

$6,594 NZ$11.7K

-28.82%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$2,967 NZ$5,267

$3,655 NZ$6,489

-18.83%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$2,785 NZ$4,945

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

6.8

5.39

26.16%

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

Last update for Whanganui: October 27, 2026

Last update for Wellington: October 27, 2026

Monthly budget structure

Share of the monthly basket for one person, rent included.

Accommodation & Living

Whanganui

$939 47%

Wellington

$1.1K 46.6% 14.8% $139

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Whanganui

$277 13.8%

Wellington

$288 12.4% 4% $11

Groceries & Markets

Whanganui

$248 12.4%

Wellington

$348 15.1% 40.3% $100

Eating Out

Whanganui

$220 11%

Wellington

$248 10.7% 12.7% $28

Clothing & Footwear

Whanganui

$135 6.7%

Wellington

$164 7.1% 21.7% $29

Getting Around

Whanganui

$130 6.5%

Wellington

$127 5.5% 2.2% $2.8

Sport & Entertainment

Whanganui

$51 2.5%

Wellington

$59 2.6% 17% $8.6

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $1,030 in Whanganui and $1,143 in Wellington. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Dining out: $73 in Whanganui vs $66 in Wellington. Groceries flip the comparison at $248 vs $348, with Whanganui cheaper for home cooking.

Good to know

🇳🇿 Whanganui

🇳🇿 Wellington

🕒 Local time

12:34 12:34 PM

Same time as Whanganui

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

42,300

215,900 Capital

💱 Currency

New Zealand Dollar NZD $

📈 Exchange rate

1 NZD = 0.563 USD

1 NZD = 0.504 EUR

1 NZD = 0.563 USD

1 NZD = 0.504 EUR

Exchange rates and currency converter

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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

Whanganui vs Wellington: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Whanganui is about 14% cheaper overall, especially in groceries, clothing, and eating out. That difference adds up to real monthly savings that compound significantly over time.

You’d need roughly $3,000 in Whanganui and $3,470 in Wellington 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: $1,030 in Whanganui versus $1,143 in Wellington. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Childcare runs $686 in Whanganui versus $1,065 in Wellington. Over years of preschool, even a modest monthly gap compounds into a major financial factor for families.

Supermarket bills run roughly 40% higher in Wellington. For households that cook at home regularly, that difference adds up over a month.

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.

Safety-wise, Whanganui and Wellington are both considered safe, so it’s unlikely to be the deciding factor between them.