Cost of Living Comparison Between Ames, IA and Wellington Cost of Living Comparison Between Ames, IA and Wellington

Monthly Cost of Living

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $2,069 in Ames, IA versus $2,354 in Wellington.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $3,199 in Ames, IA versus $3,553 in Wellington.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $4,330 in Ames, IA versus $4,751 in Wellington.

Living in Ames, IA costs roughly 12% less than in Wellington, driven mainly by Getting Around.

Both cities are pricier than the global median: Ames, IA 54% above, Wellington 76% above.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$17.99 $17.99

$17.30 NZ$29.21

3.99%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$45.25 $45.25

$84.5 NZ$143

-46.46%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$8.79 $8.79

$9.77 NZ$16.49

-10.03%

Cappuccino

$5.26 $5.26

$3.80 NZ$6.41

38.42%

Coke/Pepsi/Fanta/Sprite (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.98 $1.98

$2.60 NZ$4.40

-23.85%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.73 $1.73

$2.18 NZ$3.68

-20.64%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$2.92 $2.92

$7.03 NZ$11.88

-58.46%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$7.07 $7.07

$7.45 NZ$12.59

-5.10%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.03 $1.03

$1.87 NZ$3.15

-44.92%

White Bread (500g)

$3.68 $3.68

$2.11 NZ$3.56

74.41%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$3.05 $3.05

$1.95 NZ$3.30

56.41%

Eggs

$3.18 $3.18

$6.88 NZ$11.62

-53.78%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$9.64 $9.64

$8.13 NZ$13.73

18.57%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$11.86 $11.86

$11.06 NZ$18.67

7.23%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$14.56 $14.56

$13.14 NZ$22.19

10.81%

Apples (1kg)

$5.12 $5.12

$3.12 NZ$5.27

64.10%

Banana (1kg)

$1.16 $1.16

$2.24 NZ$3.78

-48.21%

Oranges (1kg)

$5.63 $5.63

$2.99 NZ$5.05

88.29%

Tomato (1kg)

$5.05 $5.05

$4.72 NZ$7.97

6.99%

Potato (1kg)

$3.83 $3.83

$2.07 NZ$3.49

85.02%

Onion (1kg)

$3.74 $3.74

$1.66 NZ$2.80

125.30%

Lettuce (1 head)

$2.04 $2.04

$2.21 NZ$3.73

-7.69%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$1.92 $1.92

$1.28 NZ$2.17

50.00%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$8.87 $8.87

$26.87 NZ$45.36

-66.99%

Wine (Bottle)

$16.01 $16.01

$11.74 NZ$19.82

36.37%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.77 $1.77

$3.52 NZ$5.95

-49.72%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$4.59 $4.59

$3.18 NZ$5.37

44.34%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$1.46 $1.46

$2.75 NZ$4.64

-46.91%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$46.59 $46.59

$107 NZ$181

-56.49%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$4.92 $4.92

$2.66 NZ$4.50

84.96%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.38 $1.38

$1.85 NZ$3.13

-25.41%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$49.12 $49.12

$60.4 NZ$102

-18.62%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$0.82 $0.82

$1.71 NZ$2.89

-52.05%

Midsize Hatchback 1.4l (Volkswagen Golf, Toyota Prius, Honda Civic, etc)

$24.8K $24.8K

$33.6K NZ$56.7K

-26.29%

Compact Sedan 1.6l (Toyota Corolla, Mazda3, Kia K4, Hyundai Elantra, etc)

$25.4K $25.4K

$24.6K NZ$41.5K

3.41%

Utilities for 2 People in 2-bedroom Apartment (Heating, Electricity, Gas, Water, Garbage) (85m2)

$192 $192

$160 NZ$270

20.04%

SIM Card Monthly Plan (Calls and 10GB+ Data)

$48.06 $48.06

$32.55 NZ$55.0

47.65%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$74.1 $74.1

$51.5 NZ$87.0

43.90%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$68.6 $68.6

$36.79 NZ$62.1

86.38%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$20.28 $20.28

$20.60 NZ$34.78

-1.55%

Cinema Ticket

$14.23 $14.23

$12.17 NZ$20.55

16.93%

Preschool or Kindergarten, Full Day, Private, 1 Child (Monthly)

$1,437 $1,437

$800 NZ$1,351

79.49%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$29.8K $29.8K

$12.6K NZ$21.4K

135.96%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$38.59 $38.59

$73.5 NZ$124

-47.50%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$42.61 $42.61

$53.1 NZ$89.7

-19.82%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$85.2 $85.2

$119 NZ$201

-28.46%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$115 $115

$142 NZ$239

-18.92%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$960 $960

$1,339 NZ$2,261

-28.32%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$841 $841

$1,105 NZ$1,865

-23.85%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,930 $1,930

$2,103 NZ$3,551

-8.21%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,632 $1,632

$1,888 NZ$3,188

-13.59%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$2,418 $2,418

$6,602 NZ$11.1K

-63.37%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$2,261 $2,261

$3,897 NZ$6,579

-41.97%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$3,631 $3,631

$3,057 NZ$5,161

18.77%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

6.02

6.94

-13.26%

CityCost data is based on AI and user input – minor inaccuracies may occur.

Last update for Ames, IA: May 31, 2026

Last update for Wellington: May 31, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $960 in Ames, IA and $1,339 in Wellington. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Ames, IA pays 19% more on average while also being the cheaper of the two. The combined effect is a noticeably stronger local purchasing power.

Dining out: $45.00 in Ames, IA vs $85.0 in Wellington. Groceries flip the comparison at $384 vs $340, with Wellington cheaper for home cooking.

City Median Internet Speeds Comparison (Updated April 2026)

The chart highlights the Precision Threshold for mobile and fixed broadband internet speeds, updated quarterly.

Digital Nomad Cost of Living Index

Ames, IA vs Wellington: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Ames, IA wins on cost – living expenses run 14% lower than in Wellington. Housing and daily spending are where you'll feel the difference most, making Ames, IA the obvious pick if budget is a priority.

Ames, IA pays 19% more on average, which matters when comparing affordability. Whether that higher income actually nets you more depends on your spending habits and housing choices.

Rent for a central apartment: $960 in Ames, IA versus $1,339 in Wellington. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

A monthly transit pass in Ames, IA runs roughly 130% less than in Wellington. Both cities have functional networks, but the price difference matters if you're watching your budget.

Childcare runs $1,437 in Ames, IA versus $800 in Wellington. Over years of preschool, even a modest monthly gap compounds into a major financial factor for families.

At $2,069 in Ames, IA versus $2,354 in Wellington, a $2,000 budget is realistic in Ames, IA but tight or insufficient in Wellington. The gap between the two cities makes Ames, IA the clear choice for anyone on this budget.

Both work as nomad bases, but Ames, IA delivers better value – similar infrastructure at $2,069 monthly. If stretching your runway or maximizing savings is the goal, the price difference makes Ames, IA hard to pass up.

Safety-wise, Ames, IA and Wellington are on par. Petty crime is typical for cities this size, and most residents feel comfortable going about their daily routines in either place.

Expats usually find Ames, IA gentler on the wallet – expenses run 14% less than in Wellington. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.