A Guide to Cheap Weekly Accommodation in the Wellington Region
The Wellington region is more than just its capital city. From the vineyards of Wairarapa to the stunning sunsets along the Kapiti Coast, there are some appealing places to live in Wellington’s districts. Whether you’re studying in Wellington or perhaps working as part of your working holiday visa, you’re going to need to find cheap long-term accommodation in the Wellington region.
Because Wellington is a pretty huge city, we have put together a quick list of the outer city districts and suburbs where you are likely to find some cheap weekly accommodation. (For inner suburbs and city centre accommodation, just check out our Cheap Long-Term Accommodation Guide to Wellington Central). This cheap weekly accommodation guide to Wellington is also split into accommodation types, so you can find both short-term and long-term stays.
So, find a place to stay in Wellington using our nifty long-term accommodation guide to the Wellington region.
Which Wellington District to Find Long-Term Accommodation?
There is accommodation found all over the Wellington region. Here’s a quick rundown on what to expect in each Wellington district in relation to Wellington’s city centre. For the rest of Wellington’s inner suburbs, read our Long-Term Accommodation Guide to Wellington City.
Note: CBD refers to Central Business District i.e. Wellington’s city centre. For more information on getting around, check out Public Transport in Wellington.
- Lower Hutt – Location: northeast of the city centre. Distance from CBD: 19min drive. Average weekly rent for a room: NZ$220.
- Upper Hutt – Location: north of the city centre. Distance from CBD: 32min drive. Average weekly rent for a room: NZ$200.
- Porirua – Location: northwest of the city centre. Distance from CBD: 21min drive. Average weekly rent for a room: NZ$190.
- Kapiti Coast – Location: north of the city centre. Distance from CBD: 40min drive. Average weekly rent for a room: NZ$220.
- Wairarapa – Location: east of the city centre. Distance from CBD: 1h20min. Average weekly rent for a room: NZ$190.
- Masterton – Location: northeast of the city centre. Distance from CBD: 1h30min drive. Average weekly rent for a room: NZ$220.
Note that prices are approximate and are subject to change.
© NZPocketGuide.comHostels in the Wellington Region
Hostels are a good place to start when looking for cheap long-term accommodation in the Wellington region. Not only do they provide an affordable base for rental-hunting but many offer their own weekly rates.
On the downside, hostels are very limited in the Greater Wellington region. Currently, the hostels outside of Wellington city include:
- Moana Lodge in Plimmerton, Porirua with prices starting from NZ$44 per night.
Note that prices are approximate and are subject to change.
Because of the limited accommodation in the area, we recommend booking your bed a week or two in advance in the Wellington region, especially in summer (the peak season in New Zealand).
You can always keep the cost of living down along with an extended stay by working for accommodation in a Wellington region hostel. For tips, have a look at How to Find Work for Accommodation in New Zealand.
© PixabayRenting a Room in the Wellington Region
Renting a room is common practice in Greater Wellington to keep the price to a minimum when staying in Wellington for the long term, usually done if you have landed a job in Wellington as part of a working holiday or when studying.
Expect a room to rent in the Wellington region to be around NZ$220 per week. That’s a room to yourself in a flatshare or houseshare. You may find cheaper, around the NZ$150 per week mark, for a shared room.
For advice on how to find a room to rent in the Wellington region, have a look at our 6 Resources to Find a Room to Rent in New Zealand. Renting a room involves a more complicated process than staying in short-term accommodation, so get clued up by reading The Paperwork Process of Renting or Flatting in New Zealand.
© pexelsAirbnb in the Wellington Region
Stay with a local in the Wellington region! Airbnb, the online network of people’s spare rooms available for accommodation, is pretty popular in the Wellington region, especially in Lower Hutt, Upper Hutt, Kapiti and Wairarapa.
Like hostels, Airbnb stays can provide a cheap room while finding something long term. Alternatively, some Airbnb hosts offer weekly rates.
Although the average room price is NZ$160 per night, there are plenty of NZ$70-$100 rooms spread out around the districts of Wellington. Note that prices are approximate and are subject to change.
Most of these can be found in Lower Hutt, with limited choice found in the other districts.
For more information on Airbnb, check out Everything You Need to Know About Airbnb in New Zealand and 10 Tips to Make the Most of Airbnb in New Zealand.
© Jucy RentalsCampgrounds and Holiday Parks in the Wellington Region
The Greater Wellington region has a vast choice of camping options, including four council campsites, 11 Department of Conservation (DoC) campsites, and 20+ commercial holiday parks. For a full list, check out Where to Camp in Wellington.
DoC campsites in the Wellington region are either free or have a fee of NZ$8-$20 per person per night. Council-run campsites are NZ$8 per night per adult. Note that prices are approximate and are subject to change. There is a huge range of freedom camping sites for those with a certified self-contained vehicle. Find out more about what to expect from campsites in our guide to Camping in New Zealand.
Extra facilities and a wider range of accommodation can be found in the holiday parks and motor camps throughout the Wellington region. You will be spoiled for choice. More information on holiday park facilities can be found in the Accommodation Guide to Holiday Parks in New Zealand.
More About the Wellington Region
That’s it for our guide to cheap long-term accommodation in the Wellington region. Here’s everything else you need to know about staying in Greater Wellington:
Sources:
The information in this guide has been compiled from our extensive research, travel and experiences across New Zealand and the South Pacific, accumulated over more than a decade of numerous visits to each destination. Additional sources for this guide include the following:
- Tourism New Zealand (General travel advice - Updated [2024])
- Tourism Export Council New Zealand (Tourism trade association - Updated [2024])
- TIA (Independent tourism association - Updated [2024])
- NZ Māori Tourism (Official Māori Tourism platform - Updated [2024])
- Department of Conservation (Tracks, hikes, campsites and more - Updated [2024])
- Council websites and freedom camping maps (Local travel advice region by region - Updated [2024])
- Tiaki Promise (Care for people place and culture - Updated [2024])
Our editorial standards: At NZ Pocket Guide, we uphold strict editorial standards to ensure accurate and quality content.
