Temperature
February has the warmest monthly average (16.9°C); July is coolest (9.8°C). These averages include nights, so daytime highs can be considerably warmer.
New Zealand · Visit or make it home
Wellington, New Zealand
Wellington is a city in New Zealand. Compare its dated local facts and monthly climate before choosing a time to visit or planning a move. Housing references and national earnings describe different populations; verify the costs of your own home and job before deciding.
Get to know Wellington
A sense of the place
Wellington is the capital city of New Zealand. It is located at the southwestern tip of the North Island, between Cook Strait and the Remutaka Range. Wellington is the third-largest city in New Zealand , and is the administrative centre of the Wellington Region. It is the world's southernmost capital of a sovereign state. Wellington features a temperate maritime climate, and is the world's windiest city by average wind speed. Māori oral tradition tells that Kupe discovered and explored the region in about the 10th century. The area was initially settled by Māori iwi such as Rangitāne and Muaūpoko. The disruptions of the Musket Wars led to them being overwhelmed by northern iwi such as Te Āti Awa in the early 19th century. Wellington's current form was originally designed by Captain William Mein Smith, the first Surveyor General for Edward Wakefield's New Zealand Company, in 1840. Smith's plan included a series of interconnected grid plans, expanding along valleys and lower hill slopes, but without actually taking the terrain into account.
Weather through the year
When to visit Wellington
Rain and outdoor plans
June averages about 92 mm of rain, compared with 51 mm in January. Rainfall alone does not identify a single best month; compare temperatures with the activities you plan.
Planning time outdoors
January, February, March, April, May, November, December combine monthly mean temperatures of 12–22°C with less than 100 mm of precipitation. These are useful dates to compare for a walking-focused visit; check daylight, opening times and the forecast for your actual trip.
| Month | Jan | Feb | Mar | Apr | May | Jun | Jul | Aug | Sep | Oct | Nov | Dec |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Average °C | 16.7 | 16.9 | 15.9 | 14.0 | 12.5 | 10.7 | 9.8 | 10.1 | 10.9 | 11.9 | 13.3 | 15.3 |
| Rain, mm | 51 | 58 | 58 | 70 | 80 | 92 | 86 | 82 | 70 | 77 | 64 | 69 |
Source: NASA POWER climatology · Reference period: 2001–2020. Long-term averages for the surrounding grid area. Conditions vary within a city; monthly averages are neither a forecast nor a guarantee of dry days.
Places around Wellington
Build your shortlist for a day out. Distances are straight-line from the city centre; check routes and opening times before setting off.
Beach
Hataitai Beach
2.9 km from the city centre
Compare with another cityBotanical garden
Wellington Botanic Garden
Less than 1 km from the city centre
Compare with another cityMuseum
Wellington Museum
Less than 1 km from the city centre
Compare with another cityPark
Frank Kitts Park
Less than 1 km from the city centre
Compare with another cityAverage rent in Wellington
What is the average rent in Wellington?
NZD 560 per week is the recorded median for new private tenancies across Wellington City, dated 2026-07. A median is not an average, and this provisional rental-bond reference includes all home sizes. Use it as market context, then compare actual listings, home size, utilities and travel costs for your stay.
Source: The Ministry of Business, Innovation and Employment · Reference date: 2026-07-01 · License
Average salary in Wellington
What is the average salary in Wellington?
3,797.9 USD/month is the gross employee-pay reference dated 2022. It describes New Zealand, not average salary in Wellington. Gross pay is before deductions; household earnings depend on the household model. Use a current offer and your own tax circumstances for take-home budgeting.
Source: ILO — Average gross monthly earnings of employees · Reference date: 2022 · CC BY 4.0 (ILO datasets published from 3 May 2023)
How should I compare Wellington with another city?
Compare the same dated measures for both cities, keeping local observations separate from national context. Start with rent, your expected income and the journeys you will make regularly. Then adjust the comparison weights to your priorities. Missing measurements do not prove an advantage; verify decisive costs and services with current local sources.
- Choose a comparison below and read its sources and dates.
- Set priorities for housing, work, transport and climate.
- Check current listings and your own income before making a decision.
Data sources, licences & reuse terms
Plan your stay
Budget and everyday decisions
A holiday budget
Compare accommodation for your actual dates in Wellington, then add the journey here, airport transfers, meals and the activities you want. A cheap room outside the centre can cost more overall if it adds daily transport.
Compare holiday preferences →A relocation budget
Use the planner below to compare housing, daily spending and the cost of your move.
Include the deposit, utilities, internet and commuting. Compare those costs with your own expected take-home income.
Compare with another city →Average gross monthly earnings — country reference
3,797.9 USD/month
Average employee pay before tax and deductions, in US dollars. This country reference is not a city-specific salary or personal take-home pay.
Data period: 2022. Limited confidence. Source: ILO — Average gross monthly earnings of employees · CC BY 4.0 (ILO datasets published from 3 May 2023)Compare with another city →Rental market in Wellington City
NZD 440–NZD 695 / week
The middle half of recorded new private tenancies falls in this range, with a median of NZD 560 per week. It covers all home sizes across Wellington City, rather than a central one-bedroom apartment.
2026-07 · Provisional rental-bond data. Use this as a starting point for comparing homes.Compare with another cityYour relocation planning budget
Build a monthly budget for Wellington in euros. Totals are calculated from the amounts below, not live quotes. Enter a housing amount for your chosen home.
Monthly total:
First month including move:
Compare with another city →Compare the details
Wellington at a glance
Annual precipitation
856 mm/year
Annual precipitation gives a broad climate comparison. Its distribution through the year matters more for a short visit.
Source: NASA POWER — climatology (T2M temperature; PRECTOTCORR precipitation) · NASA scientific-data policy; source-specific notices applyCompare with another city →Average annual temperature
13.2 C
Long-term average including days and nights. Use the monthly breakdown to choose dates; this is not a weather forecast.
Source: NASA POWER — climatology (T2M temperature; PRECTOTCORR precipitation) · NASA scientific-data policy; source-specific notices applyCompare with another city →Nearest listed airport (straight-line distance)
5.2 km
Straight-line distance to a listed airport, not transfer time or confirmation of scheduled flights. Check the airport serving your actual route before booking.
Data period: 2026-08-30. Source: OurAirports — airport locations · Public domainCompare with another city →New Zealand: the wider context
These are country-level figures, not measurements of Wellington. Use them to compare national conditions; neighbourhoods, salaries and individual services can differ substantially.
See 10 national indicators
Income level — GNI per capita, PPP (gross)
53,600 international dollars (PPP)
Purchasing-power-adjusted national income per person is not a salary or take-home pay.
Data period: 2025. Source: World Bank — GNI per capita, PPP (NY.GNP.PCAP.PP.CD) · CC BY 4.0 with World Bank additional termsCompare with another city →Fixed broadband / internet quality
93.5 percent
Data period: 2024. Source: World Bank / ITU — Individuals using the Internet, % (IT.NET.USER.ZS) · CC BY 4.0 with World Bank additional termsCompare with another city →English / language accessibility
100 ordinal_0_100
Data period: 2026-08-30. Source: Wikidata — coordinates, population, timezone, ISO codes, official languages · CC0 1.0Compare with another city →Healthcare / health outcome (life expectancy at birth)
82 years
Life expectancy describes population health outcomes; it does not measure the quality or availability of a particular hospital.
Data period: 2024. Source: World Bank — Life expectancy at birth (SP.DYN.LE00.IN) · CC BY 4.0 with World Bank additional termsCompare with another city →Average gross monthly earnings — country reference
3,797.9 USD/month
Average employee pay before tax and deductions, in US dollars. This country reference is not a city-specific salary or personal take-home pay.
Data period: 2022. Limited confidence. Source: ILO — Average gross monthly earnings of employees · CC BY 4.0 (ILO datasets published from 3 May 2023)Compare with another city →Overall tax burden (taxes + social contributions, % of GDP)
29.5 percent_gdp
Taxes and social contributions as a share of the economy, not your personal income-tax rate.
Data period: 2024. Source: World Bank — Tax revenue % of GDP (GC.TAX.TOTL.GD.ZS) · CC BY 4.0 with World Bank additional termsCompare with another city →Intentional homicide rate
1.5 per 100,000 people
Homicide rates are a narrow safety indicator. They do not describe petty crime or the safety of an individual neighbourhood.
Data period: 2022. Source: World Bank / UNODC — Intentional homicides per 100k (VC.IHR.PSRC.P5) · CC BY 4.0 with World Bank additional termsCompare with another city →Comparative price level (household consumption)
119.2 (EU average = 100)
Data period: 2025. Limited confidence. Source: World Bank — Price level index, household consumption (PA.NUS.PRVT.PLI) · CC BY 4.0 with World Bank additional termsCompare with another city →Air quality — annual mean PM2.5
6.9 µg/m³
Data period: 2023. Limited confidence. Source: World Bank — PM2.5 mean annual exposure (EN.ATM.PM25.MC.M3) · CC BY 4.0 with World Bank additional termsCompare with another city →Education system (national)
155 points (0–188)
Data period: 2025. Estimate. Source: World Bank HCI+ education pillar (2025) · CC BY 4.0 with World Bank additional termsCompare with another city →Other places to compare in New Zealand
What to check before deciding
Comparable figures are not available here for: Seismic hazard (ordinal 0 very-low to 4 high); Public-transport provision (ordinal proxy); Distance to nearest sea / coastline; Distance to nearest mountains (>1500 m); Annual sunshine hours; Monthly rent, 1-bedroom, city centre. Check the items that affect your plans with local providers. They are not treated as zero or as an advantage in recommendations.
Compare Wellington with other cities
Read the source dates, choose your priorities and keep unavailable values separate from costs you know.
All maintained comparisons →