Moving to Washington from New Zealand
What to Expect
Everything you need to know before relocating from New Zealand to Washington — costs, safety, healthcare, and practical first steps.
If you moved from New Zealand to Washington, you would find that Washington is 37.8% more expensive than New Zealand overall. A NZ$131,360 salary in New Zealand would need to be roughly $91,435 in Washington to maintain the same lifestyle. You’ll also switch from driving on the left to the right.
Planning this move? Get up to 5 free, no-obligation quotes from vetted international movers. Get free quotes ↓How Far Will Your Money Go?
What to expect for your wallet after moving from New Zealand to Washington.
What does your salary buy?
NZ$131,360 → $91,435
To maintain the same standard of living in Washington
Calculate with your salary →Where you'll feel the difference day-to-day
Restaurants
pay 24.4% more
Groceries
pay 39.4% more
Transportation
pay 0.5% less
Housing
pay 64.2% more
Childcare
pay 2.2 times more
Entertainment and Sports
pay 19.8% more
Data: MyLifeElsewhere's crowdsourced cost of living database, with prices submitted and updated by users worldwide. Exchange rates are refreshed regularly from public sources.
Cost of living by city
Cost of living varies a lot by city. Each figure is a city's overall cost of living as a percentage of New York City (the priciest, = 100%).
On average, cities in Washington cost about 61% more than cities in New Zealand.
Compare cities head-to-head
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Who Else Is Making This Move?
How many people actually move from New Zealand to Washington, based on official data.
people moved from New Zealand to United States · OECD (latest data available)
Who's moving to United States?
Top countries of origin for United States's foreign-born residents.
- 10,853,105
- 2,723,764
- 2,184,110
- 2,061,178
- 1,829,251
- 1,410,659
- · · ·
-
93.49,640
New Zealand
Key Indicator Comparison
Key indicators for anyone considering a move from New Zealand to Washington.
How's the healthcare?
share of adults with obesity
New Zealand performs better than Washington across all health & wellbeing metrics.
Will I have good infrastructure?
share of households with internet
New Zealand performs better than Washington across all infrastructure metrics.
What are the job prospects?
percentage of the labour force without work
a broad measure of economic output per person
New Zealand generally does better on employment & economy, though Washington leads in gdp per capita.
Is it good for families?
average years of life at birth
New Zealand performs better than Washington across all family life metrics.
Data: The World Factbook
What's the Climate Like?
Monthly averages — select a city to compare.
Avg. annual high / low
Avg. annual high / low
| Months | Wellington | Olympia |
|---|---|---|
| Jan–Mar | 69°/58°F (21°/14°C) | 50°/34°F (10°/1°C) |
| Apr–Jun | 59°/49°F (15°/10°C) | 65°/43°F (18°/6°C) |
| Jul–Sep | 56°/46°F (13°/8°C) | 76°/49°F (24°/10°C) |
| Oct–Dec | 64°/53°F (18°/12°C) | 51°/36°F (11°/2°C) |
View all months
| Month | Wellington | Olympia |
|---|---|---|
| Jan | 70°/58°F (21.2°/14.7°C) | 46°/34°F (7.7°/0.9°C) |
| Feb | 70°/59°F (21.3°/14.8°C) | 49°/33°F (9.6°/0.4°C) |
| Mar | 68°/56°F (19.8°/13.5°C) | 54°/35°F (12.2°/1.7°C) |
| Apr | 63°/53°F (17.4°/11.5°C) | 59°/38°F (14.9°/3.2°C) |
| May | 59°/49°F (15.2°/9.7°C) | 65°/43°F (18.5°/6.2°C) |
| Jun | 56°/46°F (13.1°/7.9°C) | 71°/48°F (21.4°/8.7°C) |
| Jul | 54°/44°F (12.3°/6.9°C) | 77°/51°F (24.9°/10.4°C) |
| Aug | 55°/45°F (12.9°/7.4°C) | 78°/51°F (25.4°/10.3°C) |
| Sep | 58°/48°F (14.5°/8.8°C) | 72°/46°F (22.1°/7.8°C) |
| Oct | 60°/50°F (15.8°/10.0°C) | 60°/40°F (15.7°/4.7°C) |
| Nov | 64°/53°F (17.5°/11.4°C) | 50°/36°F (10.1°/2.4°C) |
| Dec | 67°/56°F (19.6°/13.5°C) | 44°/33°F (6.8°/0.3°C) |
Data:
New Zealand National Meteorological Service,
National Weather Service
Visitor Visa Requirements
Short-stay tourist visa rules between New Zealand and United States. To live, work, or study long-term in United States, you'll need a separate residence or work visa — check United States's immigration authority.
New Zealand passport holder visiting United States
Electronic Travel Authorisation
United States passport holder visiting New Zealand
Electronic Travel AuthorisationData: Henley Passport Index. Check with the destination country's embassy for the most current requirements.
Frequently Asked Questions
Is it cheaper to live in Washington than New Zealand?
No — Washington is on average about 22% more expensive than New Zealand. City-level variation matters.
How much money do I need to move to Washington?
Plan for at least 3 months of living expenses — roughly $22,859 in Washington on a NZ$131,360 comparable salary — plus one-off moving costs (flights, shipping, a rental deposit, and visa fees).
Can I work remotely from Washington?
Usually fine from major cities in Washington. The harder questions are legal — digital nomad visa eligibility, your employer's overseas-work policy, and tax residency in both countries.
How is healthcare in Washington compared to New Zealand?
New Zealand performs better than Washington across all health & wellbeing metrics.
What's the weather like in Washington compared to New Zealand?
The average high temperature in Olympia is 60°F, compared to 62°F in Wellington. Olympia receives around 50.0 in of rainfall per year, while Wellington gets 37.7 in.
What language do they speak in Washington?
The official language in Washington is English. In New Zealand, the official languages are English, Māori and New Zealand Sign Language.
