Travel Budget for Wellington Visit Wellington on a Budget or Travel in Style

Wellington, Wellington, New Zealand

How much does it cost to travel to Wellington?

You should plan to spend around $106 (NZ$174) per day on your vacation in Wellington. This is the average daily price based on the expenses of other visitors.

Past travelers have spent, on average for one day:

  • $30 (NZ$50) on meals
  • $12 (NZ$20) on local transportation
  • $124 (NZ$203) on hotels

A one week trip to Wellington for two people costs, on average, $1,484 (NZ$2,431). This includes accommodation, food, local transportation, and sightseeing.

All of these average travel prices have been collected from other travelers to help you plan your own travel budget.

  • Average Daily Cost Per person, per day
    $106
    NZ$174
  • One Week Per person
    $742
    NZ$1,215
  • 2 Weeks Per person
    $1,484
    NZ$2,431
  • One Month Per person
    $3,181
    NZ$5,209
  • One Week For a couple
    $1,484
    NZ$2,431
  • 2 Weeks For a couple
    $2,968
    NZ$4,862
  • One Month For a couple
    $6,361
    NZ$10,418
This data comes from the travel budgets of real travelers - How it works. Put these numbers on your website.


How much does a one week, two week, or one month trip to Wellington cost?

A one week trip to Wellington usually costs around $742 (NZ$1,215) for one person and $1,484 (NZ$2,431) for two people. This includes accommodation, food, local transportation, and sightseeing.

A two week trip to Wellington on average costs around $1,484 (NZ$2,431) for one person and $2,968 (NZ$4,862) for two people. This cost includes accommodation, food, local transportation, and sightseeing.

Please note, prices can vary based on your travel style, speed, and other variables. If you're traveling as a family of three or four people, the price per person often goes down because kid's tickets are cheaper and hotel rooms can be shared. If you travel slower over a longer period of time then your daily budget will also go down. Two people traveling together for one month in Wellington will often have a lower daily budget per person than one person traveling alone for one week.

A one month trip to Wellington on average costs around $3,181 (NZ$5,209) for one person and $6,361 (NZ$10,418) for two people. The more places you visit, the higher the daily price will become due to increased transportation costs.




Independent Travel

Traveling Independently to Wellington has many benefits including affordabilty, freedom, flexibility, and the opportunity to control your own experiences.

All of the travel costs below are based on the experiences of other independent travelers.

Is Wellington expensive to visit?

Prices in Wellington are reasonable and comparable to your average travel destination. Hotels, food, and sightseeing are generally within normal price ranges.

Within the Pacific, which is known to be an expensive region, Wellington is a reasonably affordable destination compared to other places. It is in the top 25% of cities in the Pacific for its affordability. You can find more affordable cities such as Lake Tekapo, but there are also more expensive cities, such as Sydney.

For more details, and to find out if it's within your travel budget, see Is Wellington Expensive?

How much money do I need for a trip to Wellington?

The average Wellington trip cost is broken down by category here for independent travelers. All of these Wellington travel prices are calculated from the budgets of real travelers.


Category Cost
Accommodation 1 (Double Occupancy) NZ$203 ($124)
Local Transportation 1 NZ$20 ($12)
Food 2 NZ$50 ($30)
Entertainment 1 NZ$27 ($17)
Alcohol 2 NZ$10 - 31 ($6 - 19)
Accommodation Budget in Wellington
Average Daily Costs

Calculated from travelers like you

The average price paid for one person for accommodation in Wellington is $62 (NZ$101). For two people sharing a typical double-occupancy hotel room, the average price paid for a hotel room in Wellington is $124 (NZ$203). This cost is from the reported spending of actual travelers.


  • Accommodation1 Hotel or hostel for one person
    $62
    NZ$101
  • Accommodation1 Typical double-occupancy room
    $124
    NZ$203

Hotel Prices in Wellington

Looking for a hotel in Wellington? Prices vary by location, date, season, and the level of luxury. See below for options.

Find the best hotel for your travel style.

 

Actual Hotel Prices
The average hotel room price in Wellington based on data provided by Kayak for actual hotel rooms is $102. (Prices in U.S. Dollars, before taxes & fees.)

Kayak helps you find the best prices for hotels, flights, and rental cars for destinations around the world.


Recommended Properties


Transportation Budget in Wellington
Average Daily Costs

Calculated from travelers like you

  • The cost of a taxi ride in Wellington is significantly more than public transportation. On average, past travelers have spent $12 (NZ$20) per person, per day, on local transportation in Wellington.


  • Transportation1 Taxis, local buses, subway, etc.
    $12
    NZ$20

Recommended Services


Flights to Wellington
How much does it cost to go to Wellington? Naturally, it depends on the dates. We recommend Kayak because they can find the best deals across all airlines.

Rental Cars in Wellington
The price of renting a car in Wellington will depends on dates, the type of car, the location, and your age. We recommend Kayak because they can find the best deals across all car rental companies.



Food Budget in Wellington
Average Daily Costs

Calculated from travelers like you

  • While meal prices in Wellington can vary, the average cost of food in Wellington is $30 (NZ$50) per day. Based on the spending habits of previous travelers, when dining out an average meal in Wellington should cost around $12 (NZ$20) per person. Breakfast prices are usually a little cheaper than lunch or dinner. The price of food in sit-down restaurants in Wellington is often higher than fast food prices or street food prices.


  • Food2 Meals for one day
    $30
    NZ$50

Recommended

What did other people spend on Food in Wellington?

Typical prices for Food in Wellington are listed below. These actual costs are from real travelers and can give you an idea of the prices in Wellington, but your costs will vary based on your travel style and the place where the purchase was made.


  • Dinner
    NZ$15


Entertainment Budget in Wellington
Average Daily Costs

Calculated from travelers like you

  • Entertainment and activities in Wellington typically cost an average of $17 (NZ$27) per person, per day based on the spending of previous travelers. This includes fees paid for admission tickets to museums and attractions, day tours, and other sightseeing expenses.


  • Entertainment1 Entrance tickets, shows, etc.
    $17
    NZ$27

Recommended Activities


Alcohol Budget in Wellington
Average Daily Costs

Calculated from travelers like you

  • The average person spends about $13 (NZ$21) on alcoholic beverages in Wellington per day. The more you spend on alcohol, the more fun you might be having despite your higher budget.


  • Alcohol2 Drinks for one day
    $13
    NZ$21

Recommended


Water Budget in Wellington
Average Daily Costs

Calculated from travelers like you

  • On average, people spend $0.84 (NZ$1.38) on bottled water in Wellington per day. The public water in Wellington is considered safe to drink.


  • Water2 Bottled water for one day
    $0.84
    NZ$1.38


Last Updated: Jan 23, 2024
Wellington On a Budget
Wellington Wellington, New Zealand
Wellington is the capital and second largest city in New Zealand. It sits on the southwestern edge of the North Island between Cook Strait and the Rimutaka Range. It's a beautiful setting that is encircled by mountains giving it a beautiful backdrop. There are also many cultural sights and attractions around town. Wellington really is the perfect mix of New Zealand's natural beauty and a vibrant urban core. The film industry is also prevelant in the city. The city's production centers have helped create Lord of the Rings, The Hobbit trilogies, Avatar, Tin Tin, and District 9.

Wellington's climate is temperate marine. The temperatures remain moderate year around and the highs rarely climb above 77 degrees Fahrenheit and the lows rarely drop below 40 degrees Fahrenheit. Despite the mild winters, the wind can make it feel surprisingly cold. June and July are the wettest months.
Sights
Wellington has a large number of cultural sights and attractions around town. If you're interested in musuems, then popular places to visit include the City Gallery, Te Papa (the national museum), The Museum of Wellington City & Sea, the National Library, and Carter Observatory. Impressive architecture around town includes Futuna Chapel, Plimmer's Ark, and Turnbull House. A great park to visit is Frank Kitts Park and Karori Cemetary is a nice place to have a picnic. If you're looking for the best views around town head to Mount Victoria, Mount Kaukau, Wrights Hill, the Brooklyn Wind Turbine, or Massey Memorial.
Neighborhoods
Wellington's city center is compact and active. The area is very linear with the most commericialized area being the Golden Mile. This area is between the Railway Station down Lambton Quay to Willis Street and on to Courtenay Place. Manners Mall is a pedestrianized area with many shops. The Waterfront is from Kumutoto in the north, past Queen's Wharf to Frank Kitts Park and then on to the Lagoon and City-to-Sea Bridge and Waitangi Park. Oriental Bay has a nice beach and promenade as well.

Wellington's suburbs include Lower Hutt, Upper Hutt and Porirua.

Activities
If you want to do a day trip, Wellington has many options as it is surrounded by a ruggedly beautiful coastline and rolling hills. There is also a beautiful harbour. You can easily venture out of town and you'll find some wonderful hiking trails and vineyards that offer some of New Zealand's wonderful scenery right at your doorstep. If you're not sure where to begin you can head over to the Wellington Visitor Information Centre in Civic Square at the intersection of Corner Victoria and Wakefield Streets. They can give you some great ideas as far as sights within Wellington and great day trips to the surrounding areas.

If you end up in Wellington at the right time of year, you visit one of the city's many festivals. Some great options include the Festival of the Arts in February and Beck's Incredible Film Festival which highlights some strange but interesting very low budget films. The quality is questionable, but it's an entertaining way to pass some time.
Food and Dining
There are a variety of wonderful food options in Wellington. You'll find some traditional restaurants as well as countless cafes around town, but you'll also find international restaurants ranging from Malaysian to Indian or Chinese. If you're traveling on a budget and looking for the best deal, fish and chips is the best way to go and you'll usually find the best options out in the suburbs.

Transportation
Wellington is a compact city that is easy to enjoy on foot. You can easily reach the many restaurants, museums and activities around town by walking, but if you're not interested in a stroll or the weather isn't ideal, then your best alternative is to take a bus. There is an elaborate network of buses that also include electric trolley buses. The area between the Railway Station and Courtenay Place has the highest concentration of routes.

The Kelburn cable car is a quintessential part of Wellington. There is service between Lambton Quay and Kelburn and it runs every ten minutes.

There is also ferry service between Queens Wharf and Days Bay in Eastbourne. The ferry stops at Somes Island as well. There is also less frequent service to Seatoun and Petone.

There are trains that travel between the central city and Johnsonville, Hutt Valley, Porirua and the Kapiti Coast.


Related:

Looking for a party in Auckland or somewhere else in New Zealand?
Traveling alone or with a group?

We've been gathering travel costs from tens of thousands of actual travelers since 2010, and we use the data to calculate average daily travel costs for destinations around the world. We also systematically analyze the prices of hotels, hostels, and tours from travel providers such as Kayak, HostelWorld, TourRadar, Viator, and others. This combination of expenses from actual travelers, combined with pricing data from major travel companies, gives us a uniqe insight into the overall cost of travel for thousands of cities in countries around the world. You can see more here: How it Works.



1 Categories averaged on a per-item basis.
2 Categories averaged on a per-day basis.
For example, the Food2 daily average is for all meals for an entire day, while Entertainment1 is for each individual purchase. Thus, the overall daily average cost is not a summation of the individual categories.