Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Cromwell and Wellington

For one person, living is cheaper in Cromwell: $2,011 a month against $2,313 in Wellington, rent and utilities included – about $3,600 less a year. Rent and utilities account for most of the difference.

97

Cost of Living Index in Cromwell
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Cromwell Living Index
110

Cost of Living Index in Wellington
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Wellington Living Index

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Cromwell

🇳🇿 New Zealand

$2,011

/mo nomad

Wellington

🇳🇿 New Zealand

$2,313

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

How much you'll spend in Cromwell and in Wellington

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

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $2,011 in Cromwell versus $2,313 in Wellington.

Cromwell $2,011
Wellington $2,313

Estimated couple costs with rent: $2,881 in Cromwell versus $3,422 in Wellington.

Cromwell $2,881
Wellington $3,422

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $3,751 in Cromwell versus $4,530 in Wellington.

Cromwell $3,751
Wellington $4,530

Living in Cromwell costs roughly 13% less than in Wellington, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in groceries.

Both cities are pricier than the global median: Cromwell 48% above, Wellington 70% above.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$14.42 NZ$25.61

$14.02 NZ$24.90

2.85%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$62.5 NZ$111

$66.5 NZ$118

-5.91%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$11.51 NZ$20.43

$9.23 NZ$16.38

24.70%

Cappuccino

$3.26 NZ$5.79

$3.41 NZ$6.06

-4.40%

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

$2.15 NZ$3.81

$2.43 NZ$4.32

-11.52%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.05 NZ$3.65

$1.69 NZ$3.00

21.30%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$6.68 NZ$11.86

$7.48 NZ$13.29

-10.70%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$6.29 NZ$11.16

$6.74 NZ$11.97

-6.68%

Milk (1 liter)

$2.11 NZ$3.75

$1.95 NZ$3.47

8.21%

White Bread (500g)

$1.94 NZ$3.45

$2.25 NZ$4.00

-13.78%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.69 NZ$3.01

$1.85 NZ$3.29

-8.65%

Eggs

$5.81 NZ$10.31

$7.10 NZ$12.61

-18.17%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$8.65 NZ$15.36

$9.54 NZ$16.94

-9.33%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$9.37 NZ$16.64

$9.62 NZ$17.08

-2.60%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$16.61 NZ$29.48

$15.26 NZ$27.09

8.85%

Apples (1kg)

$3.07 NZ$5.45

$3.09 NZ$5.49

-0.65%

Banana (1kg)

$2.32 NZ$4.12

$2.15 NZ$3.83

7.91%

Oranges (1kg)

$3.18 NZ$5.64

$3.08 NZ$5.47

3.25%

Tomato (1kg)

$5.02 NZ$8.91

$6.42 NZ$11.40

-21.81%

Potato (1kg)

$1.85 NZ$3.29

$2.10 NZ$3.72

-11.90%

Onion (1kg)

$1.81 NZ$3.21

$1.23 NZ$2.19

47.15%

Lettuce (1 head)

$2.28 NZ$4.05

$2.01 NZ$3.57

13.43%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.60 NZ$1.06

$1.16 NZ$2.06

-48.28%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$21.12 NZ$37.50

$25.37 NZ$45.04

-16.75%

Wine (Bottle)

$8.94 NZ$15.87

$11.48 NZ$20.39

-22.13%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$3.15 NZ$5.59

$3.12 NZ$5.53

0.96%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.21 NZ$2.15

$2.89 NZ$5.12

-58.13%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$1.88 NZ$3.33

$2.86 NZ$5.08

-34.27%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$93.3 NZ$166

$105 NZ$186

-11.08%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$2.22 NZ$3.94

$1.88 NZ$3.34

18.09%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$2.09 NZ$3.71

$1.83 NZ$3.25

14.21%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$28.85 NZ$51.2

$34.31 NZ$60.9

-15.91%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.83 NZ$3.25

$1.84 NZ$3.27

-0.54%

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

$28.2K NZ$50.0K

$28.4K NZ$50.4K

-0.76%

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

$22.8K NZ$40.5K

$23.8K NZ$42.3K

-4.20%

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

$110 NZ$195

$201 NZ$357

-45.18%

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

$28.58 NZ$50.7

$33.35 NZ$59.2

-14.30%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$52.9 NZ$93.9

$53.7 NZ$95.3

-1.42%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$39.41 NZ$70.0

$35.87 NZ$63.7

9.87%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$7.00 NZ$12.43

$16.18 NZ$28.73

-56.74%

Cinema Ticket

$8.35 NZ$14.82

$11.78 NZ$20.92

-29.12%

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

$796 NZ$1,413

$1,065 NZ$1,890

-25.22%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$12.4K NZ$22.1K

$13.3K NZ$23.6K

-6.26%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$59.8 NZ$106

$80.4 NZ$143

-25.68%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$35.97 NZ$63.9

$28.04 NZ$49.78

28.28%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$90.7 NZ$161

$102 NZ$180

-10.77%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$134 NZ$237

$154 NZ$274

-13.25%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,013 NZ$1,798

$1,143 NZ$2,029

-11.36%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$932 NZ$1,655

$1,078 NZ$1,914

-13.56%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,638 NZ$2,908

$2,057 NZ$3,651

-20.35%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,292 NZ$2,293

$1,814 NZ$3,220

-28.79%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$4,771 NZ$8,470

$6,594 NZ$11.7K

-27.65%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$3,354 NZ$5,955

$3,655 NZ$6,489

-8.23%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$3,034 NZ$5,387

$2,785 NZ$4,945

8.94%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

6.6

5.39

22.45%

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

Last update for Cromwell: October 26, 2026

Last update for Wellington: October 27, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Accommodation & Living

Cromwell

$932 46.4%

Wellington

$1.1K 46.6% 15.7% $146

Groceries & Markets

Cromwell

$322 16%

Wellington

$348 15.1% 8.2% $27

Eating Out

Cromwell

$252 12.5%

Wellington

$248 10.7% 1.4% $3.6

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Cromwell

$192 9.5%

Wellington

$288 12.4% 50.2% $96

Clothing & Footwear

Cromwell

$144 7.2%

Wellington

$164 7.1% 13.8% $20

Getting Around

Cromwell

$113 5.6%

Wellington

$127 5.5% 12.3% $14

Sport & Entertainment

Cromwell

$56 2.8%

Wellington

$59 2.6% 5.9% $3.3

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $1,013 in Cromwell and $1,143 in Wellington. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Cromwell pays 9% more on average while also being the cheaper of the two. The combined effect is a noticeably stronger local purchasing power.

Dining out: $63 in Cromwell vs $66 in Wellington for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $322 vs $348 per month, with Cromwell cheaper across the board.

Good to know

🇳🇿 Cromwell

🇳🇿 Wellington

🕒 Local time

04:55 4:55 AM

Same time as Cromwell

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

5,000

215,900 Capital

💱 Currency

New Zealand Dollar NZD $

📈 Exchange rate

1 NZD = 0.563 USD

1 NZD = 0.504 EUR

1 NZD = 0.563 USD

1 NZD = 0.504 EUR

Exchange rates and currency converter

On the map

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Between locations

Cromwell Wellington 610 km ≈ 1 h 15 min nonstop flight

From you

Cromwell
Wellington

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

Cromwell vs Wellington: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Cromwell is about 13% cheaper overall, especially in groceries, clothing, and transport. That difference adds up to real monthly savings that compound significantly over time.

Average pay runs 9% higher in Cromwell, 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: $1,013 in Cromwell versus $1,143 in Wellington. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Supermarket bills run roughly 8% higher in Wellington. For households that cook at home regularly, that difference adds up over a month.

Dining out is cheaper in Cromwell – a meal for two runs $63 versus $66 in Wellington. If you eat out regularly, this makes a real dent in your monthly spending.

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, Cromwell and Wellington are both considered safe, so it’s unlikely to be the deciding factor between them.

Expats usually find Cromwell gentler on the wallet – expenses run 13% less than in Wellington. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.