Sydney vs Wellington Cost of Living
Sydney (Australia) · Overall index 73.6 — Wellington (New Zealand) · Overall index 59.5
Summary
- Overall, Wellington is 19% cheaper than Sydney.
- Rent in Wellington is 39% cheaper than in Sydney.
- Transport in Wellington is 17% cheaper than in Sydney.
| Item | Sydney | Wellington | Diff |
|---|---|---|---|
| Rent | -39% | ||
| 1-bedroom apartment, city centre (monthly) | $2,565 | $1,575 | -39% |
| 1-bedroom apartment, outside centre (monthly) | $1,647 | $1,163 | -29% |
| 3-bedroom apartment, city centre (monthly) | $5,117 | $2,868 | -44% |
| 3-bedroom apartment, outside centre (monthly) | $3,039 | $1,768 | -42% |
| Groceries | -12% | ||
| Milk (1L) | $1.21 | $0.97 | -20% |
| White bread (500g) | $3.39 | $3.24 | -4% |
| Rice (1kg) | $3.94 | $4.29 | +9% |
| Eggs (12) | $4.39 | $3.69 | -16% |
| Local cheese (1kg) | $11.4 | $10 | -12% |
| Chicken fillets (1kg) | $12.4 | $10.3 | -17% |
| Beef round (1kg) | $17.4 | $15.3 | -12% |
| Apples (1kg) | $5.02 | $4.68 | -7% |
| Bananas (1kg) | $1.93 | $1.55 | -20% |
| Oranges (1kg) | $4.29 | $3.7 | -14% |
| Tomatoes (1kg) | $5.4 | $4.47 | -17% |
| Potatoes (1kg) | $2.41 | $2.19 | -9% |
| Onions (1kg) | $2.68 | $1.95 | -27% |
| Lettuce (1 head) | $2.13 | $1.83 | -14% |
| Water (1.5L bottle) | $2.34 | $2 | -15% |
| Bottle of wine (mid-range) | $12.2 | $12.7 | +4% |
| Transport | -17% | ||
| Public transport, one-way ticket | $2.2 | $1.96 | -11% |
| Public transport, monthly pass | $108 | $74.8 | -31% |
| Taxi, base fare | $3.3 | $3.06 | -7% |
| Taxi, per km | $1.42 | $1.26 | -11% |
| Gasoline (1L) | $0.85 | $0.63 | -26% |
| New compact car (e.g., VW Golf) | $21,959 | $18,568 | -15% |
| Dining out | -14% | ||
| Meal, inexpensive restaurant | $20.9 | $17.6 | -16% |
| Meal for 2, mid-range restaurant (3 courses) | $92.8 | $85.9 | -7% |
| Fast food combo meal | $9.43 | $7.58 | -20% |
| Cappuccino | $4.57 | $4.18 | -9% |
| Coke/Pepsi (0.33L, restaurant) | $2.1 | $1.76 | -16% |
| Domestic beer (0.5L, restaurant) | $5.5 | $5.34 | -3% |
| Imported beer (0.33L, restaurant) | $7.76 | $5.95 | -23% |
| Water (0.33L, restaurant) | $1.81 | $1.49 | -18% |
| Telecom | -7% | ||
| Mobile plan, calls + 10GB+ data (monthly) | $49.8 | $51.8 | +4% |
| Broadband internet 60Mbps+ (monthly) | $52.8 | $53.7 | +2% |
| Prepaid mobile tariff (1 min) | $0.31 | $0.23 | -26% |
| Video streaming subscription (monthly) | $14.2 | $13.3 | -6% |
| Utilities & household | -14% | ||
| Basic utilities, 85m² apartment (monthly) | $149 | $134 | -10% |
| Electricity (1 kWh) | $0.21 | $0.15 | -29% |
| Tap water (1m³) | $3.73 | $3.54 | -5% |
| Natural gas (1m³) | $1.38 | $1.04 | -25% |
| Waste collection (monthly) | $18.6 | $15.6 | -16% |
| Fitness club (monthly) | $66.5 | $66.2 | 0% |
| Cinema ticket (1 seat) | $12.6 | $11.8 | -6% |
| Men's haircut | $29.2 | $24.6 | -16% |
| Domestic cleaning (1 hour) | $20.8 | $17.4 | -16% |
| Private kindergarten (monthly) | $1,990 | $1,686 | -15% |
3,526 total data points · Price data as of 2026-07-01 · Exchange rates as of 2026-07-15
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Estimates for reference only — not official statistics.
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