Cost of Living Comparison Between Carlow and Wellington Cost of Living Comparison Between Carlow and Wellington

Monthly Cost of Living

A single person spends $2,503 per month in Carlow vs $2,306 in Wellington, rent included.

A couple spends around $3,769 per month in Carlow vs $3,563 in Wellington, rent included.

A family of three spends $5,036 per month in Carlow vs $4,819 in Wellington, rent included.

Carlow costs about 9% more than Wellington, driven mainly by Clothing & Footwear.

Both Carlow and Wellington sit above the global median – Carlow by 87%, Wellington by 72%.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$20.90 €17.83

$17.55 NZ$29.65

19.09%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$93.8 €80.0

$83.0 NZ$140

13.05%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$10.26 €8.75

$9.70 NZ$16.40

5.77%

Cappuccino

$4.27 €3.64

$3.67 NZ$6.20

16.35%

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

$2.56 €2.19

$2.56 NZ$4.32

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.23 €1.90

$2.13 NZ$3.60

4.69%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$6.81 €5.81

$7.10 NZ$11.99

-4.08%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$6.74 €5.75

$7.07 NZ$11.96

-4.67%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.56 €1.33

$1.84 NZ$3.11

-15.22%

White Bread (500g)

$2.09 €1.78

$2.12 NZ$3.58

-1.42%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$2.26 €1.92

$1.89 NZ$3.20

19.58%

Eggs

$4.40 €3.76

$7.25 NZ$12.25

-39.31%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$11.90 €10.15

$8.25 NZ$13.95

44.24%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$13.01 €11.10

$10.98 NZ$18.56

18.49%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$15.10 €12.88

$13.22 NZ$22.34

14.22%

Apples (1kg)

$2.70 €2.30

$3.12 NZ$5.28

-13.46%

Banana (1kg)

$1.52 €1.30

$2.35 NZ$3.96

-35.32%

Oranges (1kg)

$3.43 €2.93

$3.09 NZ$5.23

11.00%

Tomato (1kg)

$3.62 €3.09

$4.89 NZ$8.27

-25.97%

Potato (1kg)

$1.41 €1.20

$2.09 NZ$3.54

-32.54%

Onion (1kg)

$1.03 €0.88

$1.59 NZ$2.69

-35.22%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.23 €1.05

$2.25 NZ$3.80

-45.33%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$1.32 €1.12

$1.31 NZ$2.21

0.76%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$19.44 €16.58

$26.84 NZ$45.35

-27.57%

Wine (Bottle)

$14.39 €12.28

$10.51 NZ$17.77

36.92%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$2.33 €1.99

$3.54 NZ$5.99

-34.18%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.68 €3.14

$3.27 NZ$5.53

12.54%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$1.24 €1.05

$2.65 NZ$4.48

-53.21%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$99.1 €84.5

$109 NZ$184

-9.16%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$2.36 €2.01

$2.66 NZ$4.49

-11.28%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.32 €1.13

$1.83 NZ$3.10

-27.87%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$35.63 €30.39

$61.4 NZ$104

-42.00%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$2.08 €1.78

$1.64 NZ$2.78

26.83%

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

$38.8K €33.1K

$33.3K NZ$56.3K

16.28%

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

$33.2K €28.4K

$25.5K NZ$43.1K

30.24%

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

$247 €211

$158 NZ$267

56.75%

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

$21.42 €18.27

$32.92 NZ$55.6

-34.93%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$49.39 €42.13

$51.1 NZ$86.4

-3.38%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$71.7 €61.2

$35.78 NZ$60.5

100.42%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$58.1 €49.58

$20.29 NZ$34.29

186.45%

Cinema Ticket

$13.43 €11.45

$12.29 NZ$20.78

9.28%

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

$1,359 €1,159

$792 NZ$1,338

71.70%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$7,394 €6,307

$12.5K NZ$21.1K

-40.83%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$70.2 €59.9

$71.5 NZ$121

-1.86%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$46.21 €39.42

$52.4 NZ$88.5

-11.73%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$81.7 €69.7

$118 NZ$200

-31.03%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$86.4 €73.7

$144 NZ$243

-39.86%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,474 €1,258

$1,318 NZ$2,227

11.87%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,224 €1,044

$1,095 NZ$1,850

11.76%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$2,687 €2,292

$2,159 NZ$3,649

24.44%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$2,032 €1,734

$1,898 NZ$3,207

7.09%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$2,443 €2,084

$6,861 NZ$11.6K

-64.39%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$2,375 €2,026

$3,929 NZ$6,640

-39.54%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$3,060 €2,610

$3,103 NZ$5,244

-1.39%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

4.6

6.94

-33.72%

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

Last update for Carlow: April 21, 2026

Last update for Wellington: April 22, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A central one-bedroom costs $1,474 in Carlow versus $1,318 in Wellington. Rent is usually the largest line item in a monthly budget, so the gap here sets the tone for the overall comparison.

Salaries run about 1% higher in Wellington, which reinforces the cost advantage – you earn more and spend less. Purchasing power leans clearly in its favor.

A mid-range dinner for two costs $94 in Carlow versus $83 in Wellington. Groceries tell a different story – $338 in Carlow vs $341 in Wellington – so Carlow wins on supermarket bills even if dining out costs more.

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

Carlow vs Wellington: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Yes – Carlow is pricier by about 9%, and the gap shows up most in Clothing & Footwear. It's not just housing either; the difference applies across most spending categories.

For a comfortable life, plan on about $3,754 per month in Carlow and $3,459 in Wellington. That covers rent, food, utilities, transport, and enough left over to feel settled – not just surviving.

Rent is clearly cheaper in Wellington, especially for central apartments. Housing is actually the single biggest factor behind the overall cost gap between these two cities.

A mid-range dinner for two costs $94.0 in Carlow and $83.0 in Wellington. That's a good indicator of the overall restaurant and café pricing gap between the two cities.

Monthly expenses with rent come to $2,503 in Carlow and $2,306 in Wellington. The difference isn't just one category – it shows up across housing, food, transport, and services.

A $2,500 monthly budget goes further in Wellington, where all-in costs run around $2,306, than in Carlow at $2,503. In Wellington it covers expenses comfortably, while in Carlow it requires careful planning or may not stretch far enough.

Families tend to lean toward Wellington – lower housing and cheaper childcare make a real difference, especially on a single income or when paying for private education.

Both have safer and rougher neighborhoods, but overall safety is comparable to other large cities. Neighborhood choice matters more than the city-level comparison – central, well-trafficked areas feel secure in both.

If budget matters most, go with Wellington. If higher salaries, better infrastructure, or specific career opportunities are the priority, Carlow makes more sense. Both are solid long-term options with distinct trade-offs.