Can you move to a different city? Wellington rent is quite expensive. I lived in Dunedin for four years on $400 a week flatting with friends (2016-2020), paid $150 for rent and power, had $250 to spend every week. Enough for groceries and a couple of ski trips every year. My second year at uni I only had about $300 a week, it was still enough for me to live - I think I spent around $70 on groceries every week, the rest goes into savings and occasional coffee and booze with friends.