Cost of Living Comparison Between Cromwell and Wellington Cost of Living Comparison Between Cromwell and Wellington

Monthly Cost of Living

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $1,904 in Cromwell versus $2,460 in Wellington.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $2,826 in Cromwell versus $3,478 in Wellington.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $3,748 in Cromwell versus $4,495 in Wellington.

Living in Cromwell costs roughly 23% less than in Wellington, driven mainly by Getting Around.

Both cities are pricier than the global median: Cromwell 39% above, Wellington 80% above.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$14.63 NZ$25.44

$14.42 NZ$25.07

1.46%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$63.9 NZ$111

$66.7 NZ$116

-4.24%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$11.45 NZ$19.91

$9.20 NZ$15.99

24.46%

Cappuccino

$3.44 NZ$5.99

$3.37 NZ$5.86

2.08%

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

$2.13 NZ$3.70

$2.47 NZ$4.29

-13.77%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.10 NZ$3.66

$1.78 NZ$3.10

17.98%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$7.12 NZ$12.38

$7.58 NZ$13.19

-6.07%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$6.19 NZ$10.76

$6.76 NZ$11.75

-8.43%

Milk (1 liter)

$2.23 NZ$3.87

$1.90 NZ$3.31

17.37%

White Bread (500g)

$1.98 NZ$3.45

$2.21 NZ$3.85

-10.41%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.73 NZ$3.01

$1.89 NZ$3.29

-8.47%

Eggs

$5.87 NZ$10.21

$7.04 NZ$12.24

-16.62%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$8.39 NZ$14.59

$9.58 NZ$16.66

-12.42%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$9.43 NZ$16.40

$9.68 NZ$16.84

-2.58%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$16.69 NZ$29.02

$15.39 NZ$26.76

8.45%

Apples (1kg)

$3.11 NZ$5.40

$3.20 NZ$5.57

-2.81%

Banana (1kg)

$2.35 NZ$4.09

$2.20 NZ$3.83

6.82%

Oranges (1kg)

$3.30 NZ$5.74

$3.13 NZ$5.44

5.43%

Tomato (1kg)

$5.30 NZ$9.21

$6.58 NZ$11.44

-19.45%

Potato (1kg)

$1.94 NZ$3.37

$2.20 NZ$3.82

-11.82%

Onion (1kg)

$1.82 NZ$3.16

$1.26 NZ$2.19

44.44%

Lettuce (1 head)

$2.34 NZ$4.07

$2.08 NZ$3.61

12.50%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.62 NZ$1.07

$1.22 NZ$2.13

-49.18%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$21.54 NZ$37.44

$26.41 NZ$45.91

-18.44%

Wine (Bottle)

$8.97 NZ$15.60

$11.68 NZ$20.31

-23.20%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$3.21 NZ$5.58

$3.20 NZ$5.56

0.31%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.29 NZ$2.23

$2.82 NZ$4.90

-54.26%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$1.99 NZ$3.46

$2.84 NZ$4.93

-29.93%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$80.9 NZ$141

$102 NZ$178

-20.92%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$2.32 NZ$4.04

$1.95 NZ$3.39

18.97%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.62 NZ$2.82

$1.84 NZ$3.19

-11.96%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$28.30 NZ$49.21

$35.32 NZ$61.4

-19.88%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.75 NZ$3.04

$1.94 NZ$3.37

-9.79%

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

$26.5K NZ$46.0K

$26.1K NZ$45.3K

1.61%

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

$25.8K NZ$44.8K

$26.2K NZ$45.6K

-1.79%

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

$113 NZ$196

$201 NZ$349

-43.79%

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

$29.78 NZ$51.8

$33.20 NZ$57.7

-10.30%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$53.2 NZ$92.5

$54.6 NZ$94.9

-2.55%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$40.40 NZ$70.2

$39.64 NZ$68.9

1.92%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$6.73 NZ$11.71

$16.86 NZ$29.32

-60.08%

Cinema Ticket

$8.89 NZ$15.45

$12.18 NZ$21.18

-27.01%

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

$828 NZ$1,439

$1,109 NZ$1,928

-25.34%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$12.5K NZ$21.7K

$13.4K NZ$23.2K

-6.50%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$59.4 NZ$103

$80.1 NZ$139

-25.90%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$35.45 NZ$61.6

$29.42 NZ$51.2

20.50%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$94.7 NZ$165

$104 NZ$181

-8.93%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$140 NZ$244

$159 NZ$277

-11.92%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$932 NZ$1,620

$1,235 NZ$2,147

-24.53%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$865 NZ$1,504

$1,176 NZ$2,045

-26.47%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,686 NZ$2,930

$2,211 NZ$3,844

-23.76%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,351 NZ$2,349

$1,750 NZ$3,043

-22.79%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$4,999 NZ$8,691

$6,730 NZ$11.7K

-25.72%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$3,434 NZ$5,970

$3,659 NZ$6,361

-6.15%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$3,087 NZ$5,368

$2,864 NZ$4,980

7.79%

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: September 14, 2026

Last update for Wellington: September 13, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $932 in Cromwell and $1,235 in Wellington. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Cromwell pays 8% more on average while also being the cheaper of the two. The combined effect is a noticeably stronger local purchasing power.

Dining out: $64.0 in Cromwell vs $67.0 in Wellington for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $327 vs $352 per month, with Cromwell cheaper across the board.

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 cheaper overall, especially in Groceries & Markets, Clothing & Footwear, Getting Around, Monthly Utilities & Internet, Sport & Entertainment. The 29% gap adds up to real monthly savings that compound significantly over time.

Average pay runs 8% 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: $932 in Cromwell versus $1,235 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 $64.0 versus $67.0 in Wellington. If you eat out regularly, this makes a real dent in your monthly spending.

At $1,904 in Cromwell versus $2,460 in Wellington, a $2,500 budget is realistic in Cromwell but tight or insufficient in Wellington. The gap between the two cities makes Cromwell the clear choice for anyone on this budget.

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

Safety-wise, Cromwell 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 Cromwell gentler on the wallet – expenses run 29% less than in Wellington. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.