NZ flag
Wellington

New Zealand

vs
NZ flag
Whanganui

New Zealand

Climate

Wellington logs 226 sunny days a year to Whanganui's 218 — Wellington wins by 8. Wellington and Whanganui match on outdoor-dinner months (0 vs 0).

WellingtonWhanganui
Sunny days
226218
Hot days
00
Frost days
00
Rainy days
121149
Outdoor dinner months
0/120/12
Avg wind
7.6 m/s5.9 m/s
Sunshine hours
2,4962,426
Darkest month sun
122 hrs/mo131 hrs/mo
UV peak month
9.68.7

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

Whanganui

Feels-like °C

19
18
15
11
7
5
3
4
6
11
13
17

Dinner outside

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

Cost of Living

Wellington averages $2,666/mo for balanced living; Whanganui has no cost baseline yet.

Wellington

$2,666

monthly · balanced

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

Whanganui

monthly · balanced

Mobility

Wellington scores 3.0 on mobility (0–5 scale); Whanganui has no mobility baseline.

3.0/5
vs
/5
WellingtonWhanganui
WalkabilityTransitCar EfficiencyFlightsAirport

Culture

Wellington's culture score of 2.6 sits well above Whanganui's 0.0.

2.6/5
vs
0.0/5
WellingtonWhanganui
TheatreVenues
Wellington leads

Nature & Outdoors

Wellington scores 4.3 on nature & outdoors (0–5 scale); Whanganui has no nature & outdoors baseline.

4.3/5
vs
/5
WellingtonWhanganui
SeaMountainsForestGreen AreasLakesRunningHikingCampingBeachSurfingDivingSkiing

Safety

Wellington scores 3.9 on safety (0–5 scale); Whanganui has no safety baseline.

3.9/5
vs
/5
WellingtonWhanganui
Earthquake

Career

Wellington scores 2.9 on career (0–5 scale); Whanganui has no career baseline.

2.9/5
vs
/5
WellingtonWhanganui
JobsCoworking

Social & Community

Wellington scores 3.7 on social & community (0–5 scale); Whanganui has no social & community baseline.

3.7/5
vs
/5
WellingtonWhanganui
Everyday EnglishExpat-First CommunityMulticultural MixExpat Integration ExperienceUrban EnergyStreet AtmosphereLocal-First CommunityGovernment Immigration FriendlinessAdmin English Support

Food & Dining

Wellington scores 3.6 on food & dining (0–5 scale); Whanganui has no food & dining baseline.

3.6/5
vs
/5
WellingtonWhanganui
RestaurantsBrunchVeganDelivery

Family

Wellington scores 2.9 on family (0–5 scale); Whanganui has no family baseline.

2.9/5
vs
/5
WellingtonWhanganui
UniversitiesAmenitiesPlaygroundsGroceriesGymYogaSpa

Healthcare

Wellington scores 3.0 on healthcare (0–5 scale); Whanganui has no healthcare baseline.

3.0/5
vs
/5
WellingtonWhanganui
Public HealthcarePrivate Healthcare

Air Quality

Wellington averages 6.2 µg/m³ (good) PM2.5 annually versus Whanganui's 6.1 µg/m³ (good) — Whanganui breathes ~2% cleaner air (0.1 µg/m³ lower).

Wellington

Whanganui

6.2µg/m³
6.1µg/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.

Wellington (154K) and Whanganui (49K) are 3.2x in population — Wellington is the larger metro, Whanganui the smaller.

3.2x

Wellington is roughly 3.2x the scale of Whanganui

Based on population (area data unavailable for some cities)

NZ flagWellington
3.2x
NZ flagWhanganui
1x

City Scale Rankings

Population
1.NZ flagWellington154K3.2x
2.NZ flagWhanganui49K1x

Who Thrives Here

Frequently asked about Wellington vs Whanganui

Which is cheaper, Wellington or Whanganui?
Wellington has an estimated monthly cost of $2,666.
How does the climate compare between Wellington and Whanganui?
Sunny days: 226 vs 218 d — Similar Annual sunshine: 2,496 vs 2,426 hrs — Similar Winter sunshine: 122 vs 131 hrs/day — Similar Hot days (>30°C): 0 vs 0 d — Similar Frost days: 0 vs 0 d — Similar Rainy days: 121 vs 149 d — Wellington lower
Is Wellington or Whanganui safer?
Wellington has a safety score of 3.9/5.
Should I move to Wellington or Whanganui?
Wellington and Whanganui are both popular relocation destinations with distinct characteristics. 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 Wellington and Whanganui 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

10 minutes, no account needed

Wellington vs Whanganui: Cost, Climate, Safety