NZ flag
Nelson

New Zealand

vs
NZ flag
Wellington

New Zealand

Climate

Nelson logs 225 sunny days a year to Wellington's 226 — Wellington wins by 1. Nelson also leads on outdoor-dinner months by 5.

NelsonWellington
Sunny days
225226
Hot days
00
Frost days
00
Rain days
129121
Outdoor dinner months
5/120/12
Avg wind
2.7 m/s7.6 m/s
Sunshine hours
2,5192,496
Darkest month sun
123 hrs/mo122 hrs/mo
UV peak month
9.59.6

Nelson

Feels-like °C

21
20
17
13
9
7
5
8
9
13
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

Nelson is $479/mo cheaper

Nelson runs about $2,187/mo for a balanced lifestyle against Wellington's $2,666/mo — Nelson comes in $479 cheaper each month, roughly 22% less.

Nelson

$2,187

monthly · balanced

Minimalist $1,696Comfort $3,394
Cheaper than 74%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 Nelson's 1.8 (0–5 scale), with the biggest gap on airport accessibility. Nelson still holds an edge on cycling infrastructure.

1.8/5
vs
3.0/5
NelsonWellington
WalkabilityCyclingCar Efficiency
WalkabilityTransitCar EfficiencyFlightsAirport
Wellington leads

Culture

Wellington's culture score of 2.6 sits well above Nelson's 2.0, with the biggest gap on live music venues.

2.0/5
vs
2.6/5
NelsonWellington
TheatreVenues
Wellington leads

Nature & Outdoors

Nelson's nature & outdoors score of 4.8 sits well above Wellington's 4.3, with the biggest gap on rock climbing. Wellington still holds an edge on surfing & watersports.

4.8/5
vs
4.3/5
NelsonWellington
SeaMountainsForestGreen AreasLakesRunningHikingCampingBeachSurfingDivingClimbing
SeaMountainsForestGreen AreasLakesRunningHikingCampingBeachSurfingDivingSkiing
Nelson leads

Safety

Nelson's safety score is ~1.3× Wellington's — near the top of our scale, while Wellington lands in the upper band, with the biggest gap on walking safety. Wellington still holds an edge on wildfire safety.

5.0/5
vs
3.9/5
NelsonWellington
EarthquakeWildfire
Earthquake
Nelson leads

Career

Wellington's career score of 2.9 sits well above Nelson's 1.6, with the biggest gap on career opportunities.

1.6/5
vs
2.9/5
NelsonWellington
JobsCoworking
Wellington leads

Social & Community

Wellington's social & community score of 3.7 sits well above Nelson's 3.3, with the biggest gap on multicultural mix. Nelson still holds an edge on expat integration experience.

3.3/5
vs
3.7/5
NelsonWellington
Everyday EnglishExpat Integration ExperienceStreet AtmosphereLocal-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

On food & dining, Wellington scores 3.6 vs Nelson's 1.4 (0–5 scale), with the biggest gap on food delivery.

1.4/5
vs
3.6/5
NelsonWellington
RestaurantsBrunchVeganDelivery
Wellington leads

Family

On family, Wellington scores 2.9 vs Nelson's 2.1 (0–5 scale), with the biggest gap on universities.

2.1/5
vs
2.9/5
NelsonWellington
AmenitiesPlaygroundsGroceriesSpa
UniversitiesAmenitiesPlaygroundsGroceriesGymYogaSpa
Wellington leads

Healthcare

On healthcare, Wellington scores 3.0 vs Nelson's 2.7 (0–5 scale), with the biggest gap on private healthcare quality.

2.7/5
vs
3.0/5
NelsonWellington
Public Healthcare
Public HealthcarePrivate Healthcare
Wellington leads

Air Quality

Nelson averages 6.3 µg/m³ (good) PM2.5 annually versus Wellington's 6.2 µg/m³ (good) — Wellington breathes ~1% cleaner air (0.1 µg/m³ lower).

Nelson

Wellington

6.3µg/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.

Nelson (55K) and Wellington (154K) are 2.8x in population — Wellington is the larger metro, Nelson the smaller.

2.8x

Wellington is roughly 2.8x the scale of Nelson

Based on population (area data unavailable for some cities)

NZ flagWellington
2.8x
NZ flagNelson
1x

City Scale Rankings

Population
1.NZ flagWellington154K2.8x
2.NZ flagNelson55K1x

Who Thrives Here

Frequently asked about Nelson vs Wellington

Which is cheaper, Nelson or Wellington?
Nelson is approximately $479 per month cheaper. Nelson averages $2,187/mo while Wellington averages $2,666/mo.
How does the climate compare between Nelson and Wellington?
Sunny days: 225 vs 226 d — Similar Annual sunshine: 2,519 vs 2,496 hrs — Similar Winter sunshine: 123 vs 122 hrs/day — Similar Hot days (>30°C): 0 vs 0 d — Similar Frost days: 0 vs 0 d — Similar Rainy days: 129 vs 121 d — Similar
Is Nelson or Wellington safer?
Nelson scores higher on safety. Nelson rates 5.0/5 while Wellington rates 3.9/5, based on street safety, property crime rates, and natural hazard exposure.
Should I move to Nelson or Wellington?
Nelson and Wellington are both popular relocation destinations with distinct characteristics. Nelson is generally more affordable, while Wellington 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 Nelson 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.

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