---
title: "Canberra vs Wellington for digital nomads"
url: https://nostos.navoy.io/compare/canberra-vs-wellington
description: "Under balanced weights Wellington edges it, 62 to 58, winning 5 of the 9 factors. Canberra is stronger on nothing outright; Wellington on internet, cost of living. Change the weights in the ranker to see which one wins for you."
dataset: 2026.09.4 (2026-09-26)
license: CC BY 4.0
---

# Canberra vs Wellington for digital nomads

Under balanced weights Wellington edges it, 62 to 58, winning 5 of the 9 factors. Canberra is stronger on nothing outright; Wellington on internet, cost of living. Change the weights in the ranker to see which one wins for you.

## Factor scores (0–100, balanced weights)

| Metric | Canberra | Wellington | Better |
| --- | --- | --- | --- |
| Cost of living | 14 | 29 | Wellington |
| Safety | 86 | 89 | Wellington |
| Healthcare | 91 | 90 | Canberra |
| Internet | 68 | 86 | Wellington |
| Visa ease | 6 | 6 | tie |
| Getting there & around | 22 | 28 | Wellington |
| Climate | 42 | 33 | Canberra |
| Air quality | 96 | 100 | Wellington |
| Quality of life | 98 | 95 | Canberra |

## Cost

| Metric | Canberra | Wellington | Better |
| --- | --- | --- | --- |
| Monthly cost, one person | $3,350 | $2,396 | Wellington |
| Central one-bedroom rent | no data | $1,576 | — |

## Safety and health (country-level)

| Metric | Canberra | Wellington | Better |
| --- | --- | --- | --- |
| Homicides per 100k | 0.9 | 1.2 | Canberra |
| Political stability (0–100) | 79.4 | 85.5 | Wellington |
| UHC service coverage (0–100) | 89 | 89 | tie |
| Life expectancy | 83.1 yrs | 82.2 yrs | Canberra |

## Internet (M-Lab measured medians)

| Metric | Canberra | Wellington | Better |
| --- | --- | --- | --- |
| Download | 46.7 Mbps | 90.1 Mbps | Wellington |
| Upload | 15.1 Mbps | 68 Mbps | Wellington |

## Visa

| Metric | Canberra | Wellington | Better |
| --- | --- | --- | --- |
| Nomad visa | none listed | none listed | tie |
| Minimum income for the visa | no data | no data | — |
| Visa-free days, US passport | visa or e-visa required | visa or e-visa required | tie |
| Visa-free days, EU passport | visa or e-visa required | visa or e-visa required | tie |
| Visa-free days, UK passport | visa or e-visa required | visa or e-visa required | tie |

## Getting there and around

| Metric | Canberra | Wellington | Better |
| --- | --- | --- | --- |
| Non-stop airport destinations | 12 | 22 | Wellington |
| Walkability (1–5, editorial) | 3 | 4 | Wellington |
| Transit (1–5, editorial) | 3 | 3 | tie |

## Climate and air

| Metric | Canberra | Wellington | Better |
| --- | --- | --- | --- |
| Comfortable months per year | 5 | 4 | Canberra |
| Annual mean PM2.5 | 6.8 µg/m³ | 5 µg/m³ | Wellington |

## FAQ

### Which is cheaper, Canberra or Wellington?

Wellington is cheaper: about $2,396 per month versus $3,350 for one person.

### Is Canberra or Wellington safer?

Wellington scores higher on safety (89 vs 86), based on national homicide rates and World Bank political-stability scores.

### Where is the internet faster, Canberra or Wellington?

Wellington: a measured median of 90.1 Mbps versus 46.7 Mbps (M-Lab, 2024).

City pages: [Canberra](https://nostos.navoy.io/cities/canberra) · [Wellington](https://nostos.navoy.io/cities/wellington). Sources: Cost of Living Global 2026 (city rows); 2026 Cost of Living Index (country level); Digital Nomad Visas 2026; Worldwide Governance Indicators — Political Stability and Absence of Violence (score 0–100); Estimates of rates of homicides per 100 000 population; UHC service coverage index; Life expectancy at birth (years), both sexes; M-Lab NDT statistics (city aggregates, 2024); Airport destinations (Wikipedia airline and destination tables); NASA POWER climatology (2001–2020 monthly means); WHO Ambient Air Quality Database, June 2026 update (V8); Human Development Index (HDR 2025, HDI 2023); EF English Proficiency Index 2024 (band); Walkability and transit ratings (editorial); Passport Index dataset (visa requirements, 199 passports × 199 destinations).

HTML page: https://nostos.navoy.io/compare/canberra-vs-wellington