Cost of Living Comparison Between Whangarei and Wellington Cost of Living Comparison Between Whangarei and Wellington

๐Ÿ˜ Solo nomad: Whangarei is 14.7% more expensive than Wellington without rent, and 28.1% cheaper with rent.
๐Ÿ˜ Family of 3: Whangarei is 15.9% more expensive than Wellington without rent, and 21% cheaper with rent.
Currency
๐Ÿฝ Eating Out
Whangarei
Wellington
Difference
Meal at Budget Restaurant
$21.41 NZ$35.3
$17.57 NZ$28.98
21.86%
Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range
$85.8 NZ$141
$82.9 NZ$137
3.46%
Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)
$10.28 NZ$16.96
$9.53 NZ$15.72
7.87%
Cappuccino
$3.92 NZ$6.46
$3.59 NZ$5.92
9.19%
Coke/Pepsi/Fanta/Sprite (0.33 liter bottle)
$2.05 NZ$3.39
$2.47 NZ$4.08
-17.00%
Water (0.33 liter bottle)
$1.69 NZ$2.79
$2.2 NZ$3.62
-23.18%
Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)
$6.31 NZ$10.41
$7.03 NZ$11.6
-10.24%
Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)
$8.06 NZ$13.3
$7.38 NZ$12.18
9.21%
๐Ÿ›’ Groceries & Markets
Whangarei
Wellington
Difference
Milk (1 liter)
$1.9 NZ$3.14
$1.88 NZ$3.1
1.06%
White Bread (500g)
$2.23 NZ$3.67
$2.09 NZ$3.44
6.70%
Rice (white) (1kg)
$1.96 NZ$3.24
$1.96 NZ$3.23
-
Eggs
$6.52 NZ$10.75
$6.89 NZ$11.37
-5.37%
Local Cheese (1kg)
$9.87 NZ$16.28
$8.24 NZ$13.6
19.78%
Chicken Fillets (1kg)
$10.98 NZ$18.1
$10.92 NZ$18.01
0.55%
Beef Round Steak (1kg)
$16.46 NZ$27.14
$12.99 NZ$21.42
26.71%
Apples (1kg)
$3.05 NZ$5.02
$3.12 NZ$5.15
-2.24%
Banana (1kg)
$2.39 NZ$3.94
$2.31 NZ$3.82
3.46%
Oranges (1kg)
$2.98 NZ$4.92
$3.1 NZ$5.12
-3.87%
Tomato (1kg)
$4.72 NZ$7.79
$4.68 NZ$7.72
0.85%
Potato (1kg)
$2.51 NZ$4.13
$2.07 NZ$3.41
21.26%
Onion (1kg)
$1.96 NZ$3.24
$1.57 NZ$2.59
24.84%
Lettuce (1 head)
$2.56 NZ$4.22
$2.3 NZ$3.79
11.30%
Water (1.5 liter bottle)
$1.11 NZ$1.84
$1.28 NZ$2.11
-13.28%
Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)
$24.38 NZ$40.2
$27.02 NZ$44.57
-9.77%
Wine (Bottle)
$10.49 NZ$17.29
$10.48 NZ$17.28
0.10%
Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)
$2.38 NZ$3.92
$3.68 NZ$6.08
-35.33%
Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)
$2.88 NZ$4.75
$3.24 NZ$5.35
-11.11%
๐ŸšŒ Getting Around
Whangarei
Wellington
Difference
One-way Ticket (Public Transport)
$1.78 NZ$2.93
$2.78 NZ$4.59
-35.97%
Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)
$138 NZ$228
$106 NZ$175
30.09%
Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)
$3.99 NZ$6.59
$2.67 NZ$4.41
49.44%
Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)
$1.58 NZ$2.6
$1.78 NZ$2.93
-11.24%
Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)
$14.32 NZ$23.63
$59.2 NZ$97.6
-75.79%
Gasoline (1 liter)
$1.66 NZ$2.73
$1.66 NZ$2.73
-
Midsize Hatchback 1.4l (Volkswagen Golf, Toyota Prius, Honda Civic, etc)
$44.3K NZ$73.1K
$33K NZ$54.5K
34.19%
Compact Sedan 1.6l (Toyota Corolla, Mazda3, Kia K4, Hyundai Elantra, etc)
$22.4K NZ$37K
$25K NZ$41.3K
-10.37%
๐Ÿงพ Monthly Utilities & Internet
Whangarei
Wellington
Difference
Utilities for 2 People in 2-bedroom Apartment (Heating, Electricity, Gas, Water, Garbage) (85m2)
$136 NZ$225
$161 NZ$265
-15.21%
SIM Card Monthly Plan (Calls and 10GB+ Data)
$39.43 NZ$65
$33.1 NZ$54.6
19.12%
Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)
$52.1 NZ$85.9
$52.6 NZ$86.7
-0.99%
๐ŸŽ‰ Sport & Entertainment
Whangarei
Wellington
Difference
Gym Membership (Monthly)
$37.1 NZ$61.2
$36.7 NZ$60.5
1.09%
Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)
$3.06 NZ$5.04
$20.16 NZ$33.25
-84.82%
Cinema Ticket
$10.73 NZ$17.7
$11.86 NZ$19.56
-9.53%
๐Ÿงธ Childcare & Education
Whangarei
Wellington
Difference
Preschool or Kindergarten, Full Day, Private, 1 Child (Monthly)
$779 NZ$1,285
$789 NZ$1,301
-1.30%
International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)
$12.1K NZ$20K
$12.7K NZ$20.9K
-4.45%
๐Ÿ‘•๐Ÿ‘Ÿ Clothing & Footwear
Whangarei
Wellington
Difference
Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)
$66.8 NZ$110
$72.5 NZ$120
-7.93%
Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)
$33.3 NZ$54.9
$53.7 NZ$88.6
-38.02%
Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)
$81.9 NZ$135
$118 NZ$195
-30.63%
Men's Leather Business Shoes
$99.2 NZ$164
$145 NZ$240
-31.82%
๐Ÿ  Accommodation & Living
Whangarei
Wellington
Difference
1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)
$530 NZ$873
$1,341 NZ$2,211
-60.50%
1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)
$459 NZ$757
$1,091 NZ$1,800
-57.94%
3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)
$1,018 NZ$1,679
$2,146 NZ$3,539
-52.57%
3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)
$774 NZ$1,277
$1,893 NZ$3,122
-59.11%
Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)
$3,367 NZ$5,553
$6,617 NZ$10.9K
-49.12%
Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)
$3,375 NZ$5,567
$4,828 NZ$7,962
-30.08%
๐Ÿ’ต Salaries & Financials
Whangarei
Wellington
Difference
Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)
$2,466 NZ$4,067
$3,228 NZ$5,324
-23.60%
20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)
6.7
6.94
-3.46%

Citycost data is based on AI and user input โ€“ minor inaccuracies may occur.

Last update for Whangarei: October 28, 2025

Last update for Wellington: October 28, 2025

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