Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Cambridge and Derry

For one person, living is cheaper in Cambridge: $2,044 a month against $2,484 in Derry, rent and utilities included – about $5,300 less a year. Rent and utilities account for most of the difference.

99

Cost of Living Index in Cambridge
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Cambridge Living Index
121

Cost of Living Index in Derry
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Derry Living Index

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Cambridge

🇳🇿 New Zealand

$2,044

/mo nomad

Derry

🇮🇪 Ireland

$2,484

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

How much you'll spend in Cambridge and in Derry

Real prices from locals and on-the-ground checks – rent, groceries, transit and the daily extras. Here's what a month in Cambridge and in Derry actually costs, broken down by who's living it.

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $2,044 in Cambridge versus $2,484 in Derry.

Cambridge $2,044
Derry $2,484

Estimated couple costs with rent: $2,830 in Cambridge versus $3,000 in Derry.

Cambridge $2,830
Derry $3,000

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $3,617 in Cambridge versus $3,516 in Derry.

Cambridge $3,617
Derry $3,516

Living in Cambridge costs roughly 18% less than in Derry, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in eating out.

Both cities are pricier than the global median: Cambridge 51% above, Derry 84% above.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$13.75 NZ$24.32

$20.52 €18.25

-32.99%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$68.4 NZ$121

$51.2 €45.58

33.45%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$8.74 NZ$15.45

$9.39 €8.35

-6.92%

Cappuccino

$3.45 NZ$6.10

$4.44 €3.95

-22.30%

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

$1.93 NZ$3.41

$1.64 €1.46

17.68%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.99 NZ$3.52

$1.63 €1.45

22.09%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$6.08 NZ$10.75

$5.17 €4.60

17.60%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$6.63 NZ$11.73

$6.68 €5.94

-0.75%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.51 NZ$2.67

$1.48 €1.31

2.03%

White Bread (500g)

$2.23 NZ$3.94

$1.49 €1.33

49.66%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.89 NZ$3.34

$2.06 €1.83

-8.25%

Eggs

$5.95 NZ$10.53

$3.40 €3.02

75.00%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$8.33 NZ$14.73

$13.23 €11.77

-37.04%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$9.43 NZ$16.68

$10.04 €8.93

-6.08%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$13.01 NZ$23.01

$13.19 €11.73

-1.36%

Apples (1kg)

$2.55 NZ$4.50

$2.93 €2.61

-12.97%

Banana (1kg)

$2.28 NZ$4.04

$1.61 €1.43

41.61%

Oranges (1kg)

$3.02 NZ$5.34

$3.03 €2.70

-0.33%

Tomato (1kg)

$5.65 NZ$9.99

$4.15 €3.69

36.14%

Potato (1kg)

$2.11 NZ$3.73

$1.02 €0.90

106.86%

Onion (1kg)

$1.56 NZ$2.76

$1.42 €1.26

9.86%

Lettuce (1 head)

$2.27 NZ$4.02

$1.02 €0.91

122.55%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$1.08 NZ$1.92

$1.85 €1.65

-41.62%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$25.11 NZ$44.41

$20.71 €18.42

21.25%

Wine (Bottle)

$10.40 NZ$18.39

$10.27 €9.14

1.27%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$3.44 NZ$6.08

$2.24 €1.99

53.57%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.84 NZ$6.79

$2.62 €2.33

46.56%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$2.72 NZ$4.81

$2.60 €2.32

4.62%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$2.18 NZ$3.85

$5.20 €4.63

-58.08%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.94 NZ$3.43

$1.41 €1.26

37.59%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$31.37 NZ$55.5

$56.0 €49.78

-43.94%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.70 NZ$3.00

$1.97 €1.75

-13.71%

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

$25.1K NZ$44.4K

$38.6K €34.3K

-34.87%

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

$22.1K NZ$39.1K

$36.9K €32.8K

-39.99%

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

$99.4 NZ$176

$243 €216

-59.04%

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

$26.44 NZ$46.77

$21.14 €18.81

25.07%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$50.8 NZ$89.8

$50.5 €44.90

0.59%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$35.93 €31.96

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$25.84 €22.99

Cinema Ticket

$13.51 NZ$23.90

$13.02 €11.58

3.76%

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

$673 NZ$1,190

$1,196 €1,064

-43.74%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$19.3K NZ$34.1K

$5,163 €4,592

273.90%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$62.0 NZ$110

$101 €89.9

-38.65%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$37.37 NZ$66.1

$48.64 €43.26

-23.17%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$93.1 NZ$165

$98.9 €87.9

-5.87%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$105 NZ$186

$72.9 €64.8

44.68%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$584 NZ$1,033

$1,574 €1,400

-62.88%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,122 NZ$1,985

$1,335 €1,187

-15.92%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,158 NZ$2,048

$1,322 €1,176

-12.41%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,449 NZ$2,563

$1,085 €965

33.58%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$4,539 NZ$8,027

$2,310 €2,055

96.47%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$3,931 NZ$6,953

$1,702 €1,514

131.03%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$2,585 NZ$4,571

$2,599 €2,312

-0.56%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

3.68

63.04%

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

Last update for Cambridge: October 12, 2026

Last update for Derry: October 12, 2026

Monthly budget structure

Share of the monthly basket for one person, rent included.

Accommodation & Living

Cambridge

$1.1K 54.9%

Derry

$1.3K 53.8% 18.9% $212

Groceries & Markets

Cambridge

$324 15.9%

Derry

$307 12.4% 5.1% $17

Eating Out

Cambridge

$237 11.6%

Derry

$298 12% 25.8% $61

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Cambridge

$177 8.6%

Derry

$314 12.7% 78% $138

Clothing & Footwear

Cambridge

$134 6.6%

Derry

$145 5.8% 7.9% $11

Sport & Entertainment

Cambridge

$27 * 1.3%

Derry

$62 2.5% 129% $35

Getting Around

Cambridge

$23 * 1.1%

Derry

$23 * 0.9% 0.4% $0.1

Categories marked with * are only partly priced – their share counts the items that do have prices.

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $584 in Cambridge and $1,574 in Derry. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Derry pays 1% more on average. The extra income cushions the higher costs, though housing choices and lifestyle decide how much of the gap is truly closed.

Dining out: $68.0 in Cambridge vs $51.0 in Derry for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $324 vs $307 per month, with Derry cheaper across the board.

Good to know

🇳🇿 Cambridge

🇮🇪 Derry

🕒 Local time

06:28 6:28 AM

18:28 6:28 PM

12 h behind Cambridge

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

21,400

85,016

💱 Currency

New Zealand Dollar NZD $

Euro EUR €

📈 Exchange rate

1 NZD = 0.565 USD

1 NZD = 0.503 EUR

1 EUR = 1.12 USD

Exchange rates and currency converter

EUR, USD to NZD – New Zealand Dollar Converter

🇺🇸 United States Dollar ($)

🇳🇿 New Zealand Dollar ($)

New Zealand Dollar exchange rates as of October 17, 2026: 1 USD = 1.77 NZD (1 NZD = 0.565 USD). 1 EUR = 1.99 NZD (1 NZD = 0.503 EUR).

Euro exchange rates as of October 17, 2026: 1 USD = 0.889 EUR (1 EUR = 1.12 USD).

USD to NZD in detail →

On the map

Lowest

Highest

Between locations

Cambridge Derry 18,100 km ≈ 23 h nonstop flight

From you

Cambridge
Derry

Distances are measured in a straight line. Your location is detected approximately.

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

Cambridge vs Derry: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Cambridge is cheaper overall, especially in eating out, clothing, and leisure. The 22% gap adds up to real monthly savings that compound significantly over time.

On paper, salaries run 1% lower in Derry. That's worth factoring in alongside costs, though remote workers earning in a stronger currency may not notice the difference at all.

Rent for a central apartment: $584 in Cambridge versus $1,574 in Derry. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Childcare runs $673 in Cambridge versus $1,196 in Derry. Over years of preschool, even a modest monthly gap compounds into a major financial factor for families.

Dining out is cheaper in Cambridge – a meal for two runs $68.0 versus $51.0 in Derry. If you eat out regularly, this makes a real dent in your monthly spending.

At $2,044 in Cambridge versus $2,484 in Derry, a $2,500 budget is realistic in Cambridge but tight or insufficient in Derry. The gap between the two cities makes Cambridge the clear choice for anyone on this budget.

For families, Cambridge is more practical. Housing and childcare are both notably cheaper than in Derry, and the savings on those two alone free up budget for education, activities, and family trips.

Safety-wise, Cambridge and Derry 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 Cambridge gentler on the wallet – expenses run 22% less than in Derry. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.