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Living in Wellington

In Wellington, the median rent tenants pay is €1,214 a month (2026) and unemployment is 3% (2023).

Wellington is the national capital of New Zealand. Wellington had a population of 202,689 in 2023.

Last checked 2026-09-1919 sources

Population202,689people1 Jan 2023Official source · Wellington City profile — population and census summary
Median rent1,214EUR/month31 Jul 2026Official source · Tenancy Services (MBIE) — Detailed monthly rental bond data by territorial authority (median weekly rent)
Unemployment rate3%2023 CensusOfficial source · Estimated resident population at 30 June 2025

Which New Zealand-wide rules apply when you move to Wellington?

National rules stay on the country page instead of being relabelled as city data.

Visa and entry rulesPassport-specific entry and national residence context.BenefitsCountry-wide eligibility and official application routes.Taxes in New ZealandNational rates and thresholds that apply in Wellington.Healthcare eligibilityCountry-wide insurance and residence conditions.

Housing and cost

Practical estimates in July 2026 placed basic utilities for an 85 m² home at €175.63 per month, fixed internet at €47.5 per month, and an inexpensive restaurant meal at €12.3. A monthly estimate placed a mobile plan with at least 10 GB of data at €27 in July 2026. A monthly estimate placed a fitness-club membership at €35.15 in July 2026.

What recurs every month6 published recurring costs, € per month
Wellington recurring monthly costs, € per month

€ / month

Private kindergarten€946
Utilities, 85 m² flat€176
Transport pass€92
Internet, 60 Mbps€48
Fitness club€35
Mobile plan, 10 GB€27

Supplemental estimate lane; these items are not official statistics.

MetricValuePeriodSource
Fitness club membership, monthly35.15 EUR/month31 Jul 2026Lebenshaltungskosten in Wellington17Commercial estimate · Supplemental context
Col Groceries Index Basket Eur Month94.39 EUR/month3 Aug 2026Numbeo18Supplemental estimate · Supplemental context
Internet, 60 Mbps unlimited47.5 EUR/month31 Jul 2026Lebenshaltungskosten in Wellington17Commercial estimate · Supplemental context
Private kindergarten, monthly946 EUR/month31 Jul 2026Lebenshaltungskosten in Wellington17Commercial estimate · Supplemental context
Meal at an inexpensive restaurant12.3 EUR31 Jul 2026Lebenshaltungskosten in Wellington17Commercial estimate · Supplemental context
Mobile plan, 10 GB26.78 EUR/month31 Jul 2026Lebenshaltungskosten in Wellington17Commercial estimate · Supplemental context
Monthly transport pass92.02 EUR/month3 Aug 2026Numbeo18Supplemental estimate · Supplemental context
Basic utilities, 85 m² home175.6 EUR/month31 Jul 2026Lebenshaltungskosten in Wellington17Commercial estimate · Supplemental context
Dwellings84,678 dwellings2023Estimated resident population at 30 June 202514Official
Median monthly rent1,214 EUR/month31 Jul 2026Tenancy Services (MBIE) — Detailed monthly rental bond data by territorial authority (median weekly rent)15Official

Is Wellington a good place to live?

There is no universal answer. The profile scores below show who the available published evidence may suit; they are a decision aid, not a personal recommendation.

Try your profile
Remote worker32%strong on work, weak on air quality · range 23–41%
Skilled employee56%strong on work, weak on safety · range 48–64%
Student36%strong on education, weak on safety · range 28–44%
Family53%strong on family, weak on safety · range 44–62%
Retirement30%strong on housing, weak on admin · range 18–42%

Worked out from these numbers

How international is the population?

34.4% of residents hold a foreign nationality — 69,690 people of 202,689 people. This counts nationality, not place of birth, so long-settled residents who naturalised are not in it.

Work and income

The unemployment rate was 3% in 2023.

Unemployment across cities in New ZealandUnemployment in Wellington is 3.0%. Of 91 cities with data, 42 have unemployment of 2 to under 4%.

Unemployment rate (%)

MetricValuePeriodSource
Public employment offices1 count15 Sept 2026Work and Income — Wellington service centre16Official
Unemployment rate3 %2023 CensusEstimated resident population at 30 June 202514Official · Wellington City territorial authority; labour force aged 15+

What does a salary buy in Wellington?

Take-home pay after tax, minus rent and the everyday bills this city publishes. Each line names its source.

New Zealand median gross pay: €3,128 (2025-06-30).
Left over each month€966of €2,521 take-home
  • Rent
  • Utilities
  • Transport
  • Internet
  • Mobile
  • Left over
Line-by-line breakdown and sources
Each month€
Take-home payOECD Taxing Wages 2025, single, no children. Includes central and local income tax and employee social contributions; euro amounts at the ECB average for 2026-08.€2,521
Rentmedian rent of a whole dwelling · official · Tenancy Services (MBIE) · 2026-07-31− €1,214
Public transport pass€92 · market price · Numbeo · 2026-08-03− €92
Utilities, 85 m²€176 · market price · Lebenshaltungskosten in Wellington · 2026-07-31− €176
Internet€48 · market price · Lebenshaltungskosten in Wellington · 2026-07-31− €48
Mobile plan€27 · market price · Lebenshaltungskosten in Wellington · 2026-07-31− €27
Left over€966
Take-home pay for other salaries and households

Public employment offices in Wellington

Work and Income lists 1 public employment office in Wellington (checked 2026-09-16). Use the official office finder for addresses and appointments; registration and job search are also available online through the national service below.

Office count verified

Work and Income employment service — Public employment service

Ministry of Social Development, New Zealand

Job Search
Open official service
Open the New Zealand service overview

The office count comes from the service's own directory. Individual addresses and opening hours are not listed here yet. Sources checked through 16 Sept 2026.

Family and education

A monthly estimate placed private kindergarten fees at €945.97 in July 2026.

MetricValuePeriodSource
Public language course providers2 count31 Aug 2026Official public language-service provider/location register5Official

Healthcare

MetricValuePeriodSource
GP practices35 count16 Sept 2026Healthpoint General Practice (GP) directory4Official
Hospital beds per 100,000 residents245.2 beds per 100,00016 Sept 2026Certified Public hospital providers CSV1Official
Hospitals2 count16 Sept 2026Certified Public hospital providers CSV1Official

Yes — migrants can receive medical care in Wellington when the national insurance or residence conditions are met.

Healthcare access follows the country-wide insurance rules; local capacity facts remain city data and are not used as proof of eligibility.

Open the official coverage guide
Hospital beds per 100,000 residents245.2 beds per 100,000Verified 2026-09-16
Country rule verified 2026-08-03.

Mobility and administration

Working from home accounted for 18.7% of commutes in 2023. Cycling accounted for 4.1% of commutes in 2023.

MetricValuePeriodSource
G09 Bicycle Commute Share Pct4.1 %2023 CensusEstimated resident population at 30 June 202514Official · Wellington City territorial authority; employed usual residents travelling to work
Destinations from nearest airport21 count3 Aug 2026OpenFlights6Official
Nearest airportWLG3 Aug 2026OurAirports7Official
Distance to nearest airport5 km3 Aug 2026OurAirports7Official
Public transport monthly pass92.02 EUR/month3 Aug 2026Numbeo18Supplemental estimate · Supplemental context

Language courses and integration in Wellington

3 exact course-location records are linked to this city. Check the linked source for dates, availability and enrolment.

Verified locally
3verified local records
2publicly funded course providers

KiwiClass Multicultural Support Services

Level 1 Ranchhod House, 39 Webb Street, Mt Cook, Wellington

View official record
Check courses in WellingtonHow the country programme works
Exact city-linked records checked 2026-08-10. Provider-supplied records are supplemental and are not presented as official accreditation.

Find courses near Wellington

Climate and air quality

Monthly mean temperatures were 17.8°C in January and 9.8°C in July. Monthly precipitation was 60 mm in January and 109.7 mm in July. Annual PM2.5 was 8.21 µg/m³ at the end of 2020.

Temperature through the yearAverage daytime high and night-time low, °C
Rainfall through the yearAverage monthly precipitation, mm
Sunshine through the yearAverage monthly sunshine, hours
MetricValuePeriodSource
Average daytime high by monthJan 21 · Feb 21.2 · Mar 19.7 · Apr 17.3 · May 15.4 · Jun 13.2 · Jul 12.5 · Aug 13 · Sep 14.4 · Oct 15.8 · Nov 17.4 · Dec 19.6 °C1991–2020WMO Climatological Normals 1991-2020 station CSV19Independent
Average night-time low by monthJan 14.6 · Feb 14.8 · Mar 13.5 · Apr 11.7 · May 10.1 · Jun 8 · Jul 7.1 · Aug 7.6 · Sep 8.9 · Oct 10.1 · Nov 11.4 · Dec 13.5 °C1991–2020WMO Climatological Normals 1991-2020 station CSV19Independent
Average temperature by monthJan 17.8 · Feb 18 · Mar 16.6 · Apr 14.5 · May 12.7 · Jun 10.6 · Jul 9.8 · Aug 10.3 · Sep 11.6 · Oct 13 · Nov 14.4 · Dec 16.5 °C1991–2020WMO Climatological Normals 1991-2020 station CSV19Independent
Average precipitation by monthJan 60 · Feb 60.4 · Mar 66 · Apr 79.8 · May 88.4 · Jun 102.6 · Jul 109.7 · Aug 94.1 · Sep 79.9 · Oct 90.9 · Nov 74.7 · Dec 67.1 mm1991–2020WMO Climatological Normals 1991-2020 station CSV19Independent
Average sunshine by monthJan 231.8 · Feb 211.4 · Mar 204 · Apr 156.4 · May 133.1 · Jun 101.2 · Jul 121 · Aug 147.8 · Sep 164.4 · Oct 193.3 · Nov 211.7 · Dec 218 hours1991–2020WMO Climatological Normals 1991-2020 station CSV19Independent

Population and city profile

Who lives hereResidents by nationality, % of population

Calculated from the population and foreign-resident facts on this page.

MetricValuePeriodSource
City area289.9 km²31 Dec 2023Stats NZ12Official
Foreign-resident share34.4 %31 Dec 2023Stats NZ13Official
Foreign residents69,690 people31 Dec 2023Stats NZ place summary — Wellington City14Official
Population density729.9 people/km²31 Dec 2024Stats NZ13Official
Population202,689 people1 Jan 2023Wellington City profile — population and census summary14Official
Population over time30 published observations, 1996–2025

Population rose 29.0% between 1996 and 2025, from 163,400 to 210,800.

Additional context

MetricValuePeriodSource
G09 Work From Home Share Pct18.7 %2023 CensusEstimated resident population at 30 June 202514Official · Wellington City territorial authority; employed usual residents travelling to work
Median age34.9 years2023 CensusEstimated resident population at 30 June 202514Official · Wellington City territorial authority; usual resident population

Alternatives for people set on Wellington

Three places for the three reasons people leave a city on the shortlist: stay in the region, stay in the country, or keep the budget and change the country. A percentage appears only where both cities publish that metric from the same source, period and grain. Distances are straight lines — travel times are not collected yet.

Lisbon as a Wellington alternative in another country

Better on 2 of 3 metrics measured the same way, worse on 1. Foreign residents cannot be compared like for like.

  • Transport pass: €40 Lisbon vs €92 Wellington−57%
  • Foreign residents: 20.2% Lisbon vs 34.4% Wellingtonno percentage
  • A meal out: €15 Lisbon vs €12 Wellington+22%
  • Basic utilities, 85 m²: €150 Lisbon vs €176 Wellington−14%
Full comparisonMore about Lisbon

Alternative cities in New Zealand

Other cities in New Zealand to compare with Wellington, nearest in population first.

All New Zealand cities
Hamilton174,741 residentsTauranga161,000 residentsDunedin132,800 residentsLower Hutt114,200 residentsChristchurch380,079 residentsNew Plymouth90,100 residents

How does Wellington compare?

Pick a city. The answer appears here and the address bar keeps it, so the comparison can be shared; the page stays Wellington's.

Open the full comparison

Wellington in rankings

#2 of 23 in Most international cities in New Zealand #3 of 29 in Largest cities in New Zealand #6 of 13 in Cheapest cities to rent in New Zealand

Which comparable places record less crime than Wellington?

Wellington has the lowest recorded total crime rate in this source-matched cohort, but this is not an absolute safety ranking.

Wellington: 6,591.1 victimisations/100k (2025).

Only the same source family, offence definition, period, grain and denominator method are compared. This is recorded crime, not a claim about personal safety. Official source8

Common questions

Answered from the published values on this page, each with its source and date.

What is the unemployment rate in Wellington?

The unemployment rate is 3 %. Source: Estimated resident population at 30 June 2025.

How many people live in Wellington?

The published population is 202,689 people. Source: Wellington City profile — population and census summary.

How many foreign residents live in Wellington?

69,690 people residents hold a foreign nationality. Source: Stats NZ place summary — Wellington City.

How much is public transport in Wellington?

A monthly transport pass is 92.02 EUR/month. This is a supplemental estimate, not an official municipal measurement. Source: Numbeo.

Is Wellington a good place to live?

Wellington may suit different people for different reasons. The page's profile scores compare published cost, work, housing, safety, healthcare and other available factors; they are a decision aid, not a universal recommendation.

Which comparable places record less crime than Wellington?

Wellington has the lowest recorded total crime rate in this source-matched cohort, but this is not an absolute safety ranking. The comparison uses New Zealand Police RCVS Victimisations Police Stations + Stats NZ POPES_SUB_005 (2025), period 2025, and does not compare across incompatible police definitions.

Cite this page

Open a format to select or copy this ImmigrationDB compilation citation. The native disclosure and text fallback work without JavaScript.

APA citation
ImmigrationDB. (2026, September 19). Wellington, New Zealand: population, rent, cost of living [ImmigrationDB compilation; version 99b2ee33828df57462a12e40dcd429f8]. ImmigrationDB. https://immigrationdb.com/cities/nz/wellington/ Retrieved 2026-09-19. Compilation license: CC BY 4.0, https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/4.0/
BibTeX citation
@misc{immigrationdb_immigrationdb_wellington-new-zealand-population-rent-cost-of-living_da7d1fe5b2ea,
  author = {ImmigrationDB},
  title = {Wellington, New Zealand: population, rent, cost of living},
  publisher = {ImmigrationDB},
  year = {2026},
  date = {2026-09-19},
  version = {99b2ee33828df57462a12e40dcd429f8},
  url = {https://immigrationdb.com/cities/nz/wellington/},
  note = {Retrieved 2026-09-19. ImmigrationDB compilation. Compilation license: CC BY 4.0, https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/4.0/},
}
Markdown citation
[Wellington, New Zealand: population, rent, cost of living](https://immigrationdb.com/cities/nz/wellington/) — ImmigrationDB; ImmigrationDB; version 99b2ee33828df57462a12e40dcd429f8; retrieved 2026-09-19; built 2026-09-19.

This citation identifies the ImmigrationDB compilation/page. Underlying source publishers and datasets retain their own terms; inspect the Sources section and cite those records separately. View the underlying source records.

Sources

JSON Markdown
  1. Certified Public hospital providers CSV health.govt.nz · checked 2026-09-15
  2. datainfoplus.stats.govt.nz recorded crime data datainfoplus.stats.govt.nz · checked 2026-08-28
  3. explore.data.stats.govt.nz recorded crime data explore.data.stats.govt.nz · checked 2026-08-28
  4. Healthpoint General Practice (GP) directory healthpoint.co.nz · checked 2026-09-15
  5. Official public language-service provider/location register tec.govt.nz · checked 2026-09-15
  6. OpenFlights raw.githubusercontent.com · checked 2026-08-03
  7. OurAirports davidmegginson.github.io · checked 2026-08-03
  8. police.govt.nz recorded crime data police.govt.nz · checked 2026-08-28
  9. police.govt.nz recorded crime data police.govt.nz · checked 2026-08-28
  10. public.tableau.com recorded crime data public.tableau.com · checked 2026-08-28
Show 9 more sources
  1. public.tableau.com recorded crime data public.tableau.com · checked 2026-08-28
  2. Stats NZ services2.arcgis.com · checked 2026-08-03
  3. Stats NZ tools.summaries.stats.govt.nz · checked 2026-08-03
  4. Stats NZ place summary — Wellington City Stats NZ place summary · tools.summaries.stats.govt.nz · checked 2026-07-29
  5. Tenancy Services (MBIE) — Detailed monthly rental bond data by territorial authority (median weekly rent) Tenancy Services (MBIE) · tenancy.govt.nz · checked 2026-09-18
  6. Work and Income — Wellington service centre Work and Income · workandincome.govt.nz · checked 2026-09-15
  7. Lebenshaltungskosten in Wellington de.numbeo.com · checked 2026-07-26
  8. Numbeo numbeo.com · checked 2026-08-03
  9. WMO Climatological Normals 1991-2020 station CSV ncei.noaa.gov · checked 2026-07-26

Spotted a number that looks wrong? Every value here carries its source and date — tell us what you found and we will re-check it against the source.