Climate
New Plymouth logs 232 sunny days a year to Wellington's 226 — New Plymouth wins by 6. New Plymouth also leads on outdoor-dinner months by 3.
New Plymouth
Feels-like °C
Dinner outside
Wellington
Feels-like °C
Dinner outside
Cost of Living
New Plymouth is $538/mo cheaperNew Plymouth runs about $2,128/mo for a balanced lifestyle against Wellington's $2,666/mo — New Plymouth comes in $538 cheaper each month, roughly 25% less.
New Plymouth
$2,128monthly · balanced
Wellington
$2,666monthly · balanced
Mobility
On mobility, Wellington scores 3.0 vs New Plymouth's 1.2 (0–5 scale), with the biggest gap on flight connectivity.
Culture
Wellington's culture score of 2.6 sits well above New Plymouth's 0.6, with the biggest gap on live music venues.
Nature & Outdoors
New Plymouth's nature & outdoors score of 5.0 sits well above Wellington's 4.3, with the biggest gap on rock climbing.
Safety
New Plymouth's safety score of 4.3 sits well above Wellington's 3.9, with the biggest gap on walking safety.
Career
Wellington's career score of 2.9 sits well above New Plymouth's 2.0, with the biggest gap on career opportunities.
Social & Community
Wellington's social & community score is ~1.2× New Plymouth's — in the upper band, while New Plymouth lands in the middle of the scale, with the biggest gap on expat-first community. New Plymouth still holds an edge on expat integration experience.
Food & Dining
On food & dining, Wellington scores 3.6 vs New Plymouth's 1.8 (0–5 scale), with the biggest gap on restaurant variety.
Family
On family, Wellington scores 2.9 vs New Plymouth's 2.4 (0–5 scale), with the biggest gap on universities. New Plymouth still holds an edge on tennis/pickleball.
Healthcare
On healthcare, Wellington scores 3.0 vs New Plymouth's 2.7 (0–5 scale), with the biggest gap on private healthcare quality.
Air Quality
New Plymouth averages 6.0 µg/m³ (good) PM2.5 annually versus Wellington's 6.2 µg/m³ (good) — New Plymouth breathes ~4% cleaner air (0.2 µg/m³ lower).
New Plymouth
Wellington
PM2.5 annual average
WHO classification
City Scale
Both maps at the same real-world scale — 1 cm on either map is the same distance.
New Plymouth (87K) and Wellington (154K) are 1.8x in population — Wellington is the larger metro, New Plymouth the smaller.
Wellington is roughly 1.8x the scale of New Plymouth
Based on population (area data unavailable for some cities)
WellingtonNew PlymouthCity Scale Rankings
Wellington154K1.8xNew Plymouth87K1xWho Thrives Here
New Plymouth favours the budget-conscious, while Wellington suits the foodie. Both cities work well for the english speaker.
Also compared
Frequently asked about New Plymouth vs Wellington
▶Which is cheaper, New Plymouth or Wellington?
▶How does the climate compare between New Plymouth and Wellington?
▶Is New Plymouth or Wellington safer?
▶Should I move to New Plymouth or Wellington?
The best city depends on what matters to you
This comparison shows how New Plymouth 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 diagnostic10 minutes, no account needed