NZ flag
Auckland

New Zealand

vs
NZ flag
Wellington

New Zealand

Climate

Auckland logs 222 sunny days a year to Wellington's 226 — Wellington wins by 4. Auckland also leads on outdoor-dinner months by 5.

AucklandWellington
Sunny days
222226
Hot days
00
Frost days
00
Rain days
150121
Outdoor dinner months
5/120/12
Avg wind
4.8 m/s7.6 m/s
Sunshine hours
2,4092,496
Darkest month sun
142 hrs/mo122 hrs/mo
UV peak month
9.89.6

Auckland

Feels-like °C

21
22
18
14
10
8
6
7
8
12
16
19

Dinner outside

J
F
M
A
M
J
J
A
S
O
N
D

Wellington

Feels-like °C

17
15
12
10
6
3
1
1
3
7
11
13

Dinner outside

J
F
M
A
M
J
J
A
S
O
N
D

Cost of Living

Wellington is $319/mo cheaper

Auckland runs about $2,985/mo for a balanced lifestyle against Wellington's $2,666/mo — Wellington comes in $319 cheaper each month, roughly 12% less.

Auckland

$2,985

monthly · balanced

Minimalist $2,324Comfort $4,358
Top 91%in Among 23 Oceania cities

Wellington

$2,666

monthly · balanced

Minimalist $2,083Comfort $4,125
Top 65%in Among 23 Oceania cities

Mobility

On mobility, Wellington scores 3.0 vs Auckland's 2.6 (0–5 scale), with the biggest gap on car efficiency.

2.6/5
vs
3.0/5
AucklandWellington
FlightsAirport
WalkabilityTransitCar EfficiencyFlightsAirport
Wellington leads

Culture

Auckland's culture score of 3.5 sits well above Wellington's 2.6, with the biggest gap on theatre & performing arts. Wellington still holds an edge on live music venues.

3.5/5
vs
2.6/5
AucklandWellington
TheatreVenues
TheatreVenues
Auckland leads

Nature & Outdoors

Auckland and Wellington score neck-and-neck on nature & outdoors (4.3 vs 4.3, 0–5 scale).

4.3/5
vs
4.3/5
AucklandWellington
SeaMountainsForestGreen AreasLakesRunningHikingCampingBeachSurfingDivingClimbing
SeaMountainsForestGreen AreasLakesRunningHikingCampingBeachSurfingDivingSkiing

Safety

Auckland and Wellington score neck-and-neck on safety (4.0 vs 3.9, 0–5 scale).

4.0/5
vs
3.9/5
AucklandWellington
Earthquake

Career

Auckland's career score of 3.6 sits well above Wellington's 2.9, with the biggest gap on career opportunities.

3.6/5
vs
2.9/5
AucklandWellington
JobsEconomyStartupsCoworking
JobsCoworking
Auckland leads

Social & Community

Auckland and Wellington score neck-and-neck on social & community (3.6 vs 3.7, 0–5 scale).

3.6/5
vs
3.7/5
AucklandWellington
Everyday EnglishExpat-First CommunityMulticultural MixExpat Integration ExperienceLocal-First CommunityGovernment Immigration FriendlinessAdmin English Support
Everyday EnglishExpat-First CommunityMulticultural MixExpat Integration ExperienceUrban EnergyStreet AtmosphereLocal-First CommunityGovernment Immigration FriendlinessAdmin English Support
Wellington leads

Food & Dining

Auckland and Wellington score neck-and-neck on food & dining (3.6 vs 3.6, 0–5 scale).

3.6/5
vs
3.6/5
AucklandWellington
RestaurantsBrunchVeganDelivery
RestaurantsBrunchVeganDelivery

Family

On family, Auckland scores 3.4 vs Wellington's 2.9 (0–5 scale), with the biggest gap on international schools.

3.4/5
vs
2.9/5
AucklandWellington
Intl SchoolsUniversitiesAmenitiesSportPlaygroundsGroceriesGymYogaSpaTennis
UniversitiesAmenitiesPlaygroundsGroceriesGymYogaSpa
Auckland leads

Healthcare

Auckland and Wellington score neck-and-neck on healthcare (3.0 vs 3.0, 0–5 scale).

3.0/5
vs
3.0/5
AucklandWellington
Public HealthcarePrivate Healthcare
Public HealthcarePrivate Healthcare

Air Quality

Auckland averages 5.9 µg/m³ (good) PM2.5 annually versus Wellington's 6.2 µg/m³ (good) — Auckland breathes ~5% cleaner air (0.3 µg/m³ lower).

Auckland

Wellington

5.9µg/m³
6.2µg/m³

PM2.5 annual average

Good
Good

WHO classification

City Scale

Both maps at the same real-world scale — 1 cm on either map is the same distance.

Auckland (1.6M) and Wellington (154K) are 11x in population — Auckland is the larger metro, Wellington the smaller; on land area Auckland spans roughly 10.0x more ground.

10x

Auckland is roughly 10x the scale of Wellington

Combined population & area comparison

NZ flagAuckland
10x
NZ flagWellington
1x

City Scale Rankings

Population
1.NZ flagAuckland1.6M11x
2.NZ flagWellington154K1x
Area
1.NZ flagAuckland638 km²10.0x
2.NZ flagWellington64 km²1x
© Stadia Maps, © OpenMapTiles, © OpenStreetMap contributors
37 km44 km

NZ flagAuckland

© Stadia Maps, © OpenMapTiles, © OpenStreetMap contributors
12 km11 km

NZ flagWellington

Who Thrives Here

Frequently asked about Auckland vs Wellington

Which is cheaper, Auckland or Wellington?
Wellington is approximately $319 per month cheaper. Auckland averages $2,985/mo while Wellington averages $2,666/mo.
How does the climate compare between Auckland and Wellington?
Sunny days: 222 vs 226 d — Similar Annual sunshine: 2,409 vs 2,496 hrs — Similar Winter sunshine: 142 vs 122 hrs/day — Auckland higher Hot days (>30°C): 0 vs 0 d — Similar Frost days: 0 vs 0 d — Similar Rainy days: 150 vs 121 d — Wellington lower
Is Auckland or Wellington safer?
Both cities have similar safety profiles, scoring around 4.0/5 on our aggregate safety index covering street safety, property crime, and natural hazards.
Should I move to Auckland or Wellington?
Auckland and Wellington are both popular relocation destinations with distinct characteristics. Wellington is generally more affordable, while Auckland may offer different lifestyle advantages. The best choice depends on your priorities — climate preferences, career opportunities, cost constraints, and lifestyle needs. Take the personalized quiz to find your ideal match, or explore the map to compare cities by region and lifestyle factors.

The best city depends on what matters to you

This comparison shows how Auckland and Wellington stack up on the data. But your climate preferences, budget, career needs, and lifestyle priorities can shift the picture entirely. A personalized diagnostic finds what fits your life.

Take the free diagnostic

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