Cost of Living Comparison Between Cologne and Wellington Cost of Living Comparison Between Cologne and Wellington

Monthly Cost of Living

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $2,397 in Cologne versus $2,354 in Wellington.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $3,512 in Cologne versus $3,553 in Wellington.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $4,628 in Cologne versus $4,751 in Wellington.

Living in Cologne is roughly 2% more expensive than Wellington, driven mainly by Getting Around.

Both cities are pricier than the global median: Cologne 79% above, Wellington 76% above.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$16.16 €13.90

$17.30 NZ$29.21

-6.59%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$82.4 €70.9

$84.5 NZ$143

-2.47%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$11.46 €9.86

$9.77 NZ$16.49

17.30%

Cappuccino

$4.32 €3.72

$3.80 NZ$6.41

13.68%

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

$3.19 €2.74

$2.60 NZ$4.40

22.69%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.05 €2.63

$2.18 NZ$3.68

39.91%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$5.35 €4.61

$7.03 NZ$11.88

-23.90%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$4.69 €4.03

$7.45 NZ$12.59

-37.05%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.31 €1.12

$1.87 NZ$3.15

-29.95%

White Bread (500g)

$2.28 €1.96

$2.11 NZ$3.56

8.06%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$3.54 €3.04

$1.95 NZ$3.30

81.54%

Eggs

$4.10 €3.53

$6.88 NZ$11.62

-40.41%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$15.10 €12.99

$8.13 NZ$13.73

85.73%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$16.37 €14.08

$11.06 NZ$18.67

48.01%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$21.37 €18.38

$13.14 NZ$22.19

62.63%

Apples (1kg)

$3.10 €2.67

$3.12 NZ$5.27

-0.64%

Banana (1kg)

$1.93 €1.66

$2.24 NZ$3.78

-13.84%

Oranges (1kg)

$2.32 €1.99

$2.99 NZ$5.05

-22.41%

Tomato (1kg)

$4.71 €4.05

$4.72 NZ$7.97

-0.21%

Potato (1kg)

$1.54 €1.33

$2.07 NZ$3.49

-25.60%

Onion (1kg)

$1.63 €1.40

$1.66 NZ$2.80

-1.81%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.92 €1.66

$2.21 NZ$3.73

-13.12%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$1.10 €0.95

$1.28 NZ$2.17

-14.06%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$9.66 €8.31

$26.87 NZ$45.36

-64.05%

Wine (Bottle)

$5.69 €4.90

$11.74 NZ$19.82

-51.53%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.07 €0.92

$3.52 NZ$5.95

-69.60%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.65 €1.42

$3.18 NZ$5.37

-48.11%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$3.87 €3.33

$2.75 NZ$4.64

40.73%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$63.4 €54.6

$107 NZ$181

-40.76%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$5.64 €4.85

$2.66 NZ$4.50

112.03%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$2.18 €1.88

$1.85 NZ$3.13

17.84%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$34.95 €30.07

$60.4 NZ$102

-42.10%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$2.00 €1.72

$1.71 NZ$2.89

16.96%

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

$31.2K €26.8K

$33.6K NZ$56.7K

-7.16%

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

$35.6K €30.7K

$24.6K NZ$41.5K

44.97%

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

$391 €336

$160 NZ$270

143.91%

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

$25.11 €21.60

$32.55 NZ$55.0

-22.86%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$49.86 €42.89

$51.5 NZ$87.0

-3.18%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$41.59 €35.78

$36.79 NZ$62.1

13.05%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$32.97 €28.36

$20.60 NZ$34.78

60.05%

Cinema Ticket

$13.84 €11.90

$12.17 NZ$20.55

13.72%

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

$936 €805

$800 NZ$1,351

16.94%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$19.2K €16.5K

$12.6K NZ$21.4K

51.72%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$101 €86.8

$73.5 NZ$124

37.27%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$46.24 €39.77

$53.1 NZ$89.7

-12.98%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$118 €102

$119 NZ$201

-0.58%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$149 €129

$142 NZ$239

5.60%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,224 €1,053

$1,339 NZ$2,261

-8.60%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$918 €790

$1,105 NZ$1,865

-16.89%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$2,101 €1,808

$2,103 NZ$3,551

-0.09%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,488 €1,280

$1,888 NZ$3,188

-21.18%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$7,985 €6,868

$6,602 NZ$11.1K

20.95%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$5,382 €4,629

$3,897 NZ$6,579

38.11%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$3,642 €3,133

$3,057 NZ$5,161

19.14%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

3.93

6.94

-43.37%

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

Last update for Cologne: May 31, 2026

Last update for Wellington: May 31, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $1,224 in Cologne and $1,339 in Wellington. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Cologne pays 19% 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: $82.0 in Cologne vs $85.0 in Wellington. Groceries flip the comparison at $366 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

Cologne vs Wellington: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Cologne and Wellington differ by about 2% in total monthly costs ($2,397 vs $2,354 including rent). Wellington is meaningfully more affordable – a gap that matters a lot on a fixed or modest income.

Cologne 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: $1,224 in Cologne 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 Wellington runs roughly 69% less than in Cologne. Both cities have functional networks, but the price difference matters if you're watching your budget.

Childcare runs $936 in Cologne versus $800 in Wellington. Over years of preschool, even a modest monthly gap compounds into a major financial factor for families.

At $2,354 in Wellington versus $2,397 in Cologne, a $2,500 budget is realistic in Wellington but tight or insufficient in Cologne. The gap between the two cities makes Wellington the clear choice for anyone on this budget.

Both cities offer a good standard of living with different trade-offs. Neither is objectively better – the right pick depends on what matters most: affordability, career, cultural scene, or climate.

Safety-wise, Cologne 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 Wellington gentler on the wallet – expenses run 2% less than in Cologne. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.