Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Dayton, OH and Wellington

For one person, living is cheaper in Dayton, OH: $2,214 a month against $2,376 in Wellington, rent and utilities included – about $1,900 less a year. Higher rent and utilities in Wellington outweigh lower spending on other living expenses.

107

Cost of Living Index in Dayton, OH
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Dayton, OH Living Index
115

Cost of Living Index in Wellington
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Wellington Living Index

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Dayton, OH

🇺🇸 United States

$2,214

/mo nomad

Wellington

🇳🇿 New Zealand

$2,376

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

How much you'll spend in Dayton, OH 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 Dayton, OH and in Wellington actually costs, broken down by who's living it.

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $2,214 in Dayton, OH versus $2,376 in Wellington.

Dayton, OH $2,214
Wellington $2,376

Estimated couple costs with rent: $3,280 in Dayton, OH versus $3,407 in Wellington.

Dayton, OH $3,280
Wellington $3,407

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $4,345 in Dayton, OH versus $4,439 in Wellington.

Dayton, OH $4,345
Wellington $4,439

Living in Dayton, OH costs roughly 7% less than in Wellington, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in groceries.

Both cities are pricier than the global median: Dayton, OH 63% above, Wellington 75% above.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$14.47 $14.47

$14.01 NZ$24.78

3.28%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$71.1 $71.1

$65.8 NZ$116

8.09%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$9.90 $9.90

$9.37 NZ$16.56

5.66%

Cappuccino

$4.25 $4.25

$3.40 NZ$6.02

25.00%

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

$2.24 $2.24

$2.46 NZ$4.35

-8.94%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.86 $1.86

$1.75 NZ$3.09

6.29%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$4.62 $4.62

$7.27 NZ$12.85

-36.45%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$5.93 $5.93

$6.71 NZ$11.87

-11.62%

Milk (1 liter)

$0.79 $0.79

$1.94 NZ$3.43

-59.28%

White Bread (500g)

$2.72 $2.72

$2.15 NZ$3.81

26.51%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$3.77 $3.77

$1.83 NZ$3.25

106.01%

Eggs

$3.61 $3.61

$6.88 NZ$12.16

-47.53%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$13.32 $13.32

$9.19 NZ$16.26

44.94%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$24.28 $24.28

$9.99 NZ$17.67

143.04%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$17.25 $17.25

$14.97 NZ$26.48

15.23%

Apples (1kg)

$5.87 $5.87

$3.03 NZ$5.36

93.73%

Banana (1kg)

$1.94 $1.94

$2.24 NZ$3.96

-13.39%

Oranges (1kg)

$7.23 $7.23

$3.09 NZ$5.47

133.98%

Tomato (1kg)

$5.23 $5.23

$6.55 NZ$11.59

-20.15%

Potato (1kg)

$2.70 $2.70

$2.16 NZ$3.83

25.00%

Onion (1kg)

$3.16 $3.16

$1.28 NZ$2.27

146.88%

Lettuce (1 head)

$2.21 $2.21

$2.10 NZ$3.71

5.24%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$2.78 $2.78

$1.20 NZ$2.12

131.67%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$9.68 $9.68

$25.79 NZ$45.60

-62.47%

Wine (Bottle)

$19.70 $19.70

$11.27 NZ$19.94

74.80%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.76 $1.76

$3.12 NZ$5.51

-43.59%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.56 $3.56

$2.82 NZ$4.98

26.24%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$4.02 $4.02

$2.76 NZ$4.89

45.65%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$49.33 $49.33

$104 NZ$184

-52.62%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$5.07 $5.07

$1.88 NZ$3.33

169.68%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.81 $1.81

$1.78 NZ$3.14

1.69%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$50.9 $50.9

$33.72 NZ$59.6

50.86%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.03 $1.03

$1.85 NZ$3.27

-44.32%

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

$27.5K $27.5K

$28.7K NZ$50.8K

-4.12%

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

$26.8K $26.8K

$23.8K NZ$42.1K

12.52%

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

$205 $205

$194 NZ$344

5.34%

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

$50.2 $50.2

$33.42 NZ$59.1

50.06%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$59.1 $59.1

$53.5 NZ$94.7

10.46%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$32.95 $32.95

$38.12 NZ$67.4

-13.56%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$45.30 $45.30

$16.15 NZ$28.56

180.50%

Cinema Ticket

$14.14 $14.14

$11.97 NZ$21.17

18.13%

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

$529 $529

$1,056 NZ$1,868

-49.91%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$6,520 $6,520

$12.9K NZ$22.9K

-49.54%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$39.13 $39.13

$79.2 NZ$140

-50.59%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$47.07 $47.07

$28.87 NZ$51.1

63.04%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$70.4 $70.4

$103 NZ$182

-31.49%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$122 $122

$156 NZ$275

-21.45%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,194 $1,194

$1,217 NZ$2,152

-1.85%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$901 $901

$1,147 NZ$2,028

-21.47%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,597 $1,597

$2,154 NZ$3,809

-25.86%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,398 $1,398

$1,731 NZ$3,061

-19.24%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$6,780 NZ$12.0K

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$1,451 $1,451

$3,655 NZ$6,464

-60.31%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$3,416 $3,416

$2,812 NZ$4,972

21.49%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

6.74

5.39

25.05%

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

Last update for Dayton, OH: October 19, 2026

Last update for Wellington: October 18, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Accommodation & Living

Dayton, OH

$901 40.7%

Wellington

$1.1K 48.3% 27.3% $246

Groceries & Markets

Dayton, OH

$486 21.9%

Wellington

$348 14.6% 28.5% $138

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Dayton, OH

$314 14.2%

Wellington

$281 11.8% 10.4% $33

Eating Out

Dayton, OH

$248 11.2%

Wellington

$248 10.4% 0.1% $0.2

Clothing & Footwear

Dayton, OH

$126 5.7%

Wellington

$165 6.9% 31.4% $39

Getting Around

Dayton, OH

$80 3.6%

Wellington

$126 5.3% 58.3% $46

Sport & Entertainment

Dayton, OH

$61 2.8%

Wellington

$62 2.6% 1.3% $0.8

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $1,194 in Dayton, OH and $1,217 in Wellington. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Dayton, OH pays 21% more on average while also being the cheaper of the two. The combined effect is a noticeably stronger local purchasing power.

Dining out: $71.0 in Dayton, OH vs $66.0 in Wellington for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $486 vs $348 per month, with Wellington cheaper across the board.

Good to know

🇺🇸 Dayton, OH

🇳🇿 Wellington

🕒 Local time

02:01 2:01 AM

19:01 7:01 PM

17 h ahead of Dayton, OH

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

156,771

215,900 Capital

💱 Currency

United States Dollar USD $

New Zealand Dollar NZD $

📈 Exchange rate

1 USD = 0.89 EUR

1 NZD = 0.565 USD

1 NZD = 0.503 EUR

Exchange rates and currency converter

NZD, EUR to USD – United States Dollar Converter

🇳🇿 New Zealand Dollar ($)

🇺🇸 United States Dollar ($)

United States Dollar exchange rates as of October 22, 2026: 1 EUR = 1.12 USD (1 USD = 0.89 EUR).

New Zealand Dollar exchange rates as of October 22, 2026: 1 USD = 1.77 NZD (1 NZD = 0.565 USD). 1 EUR = 1.99 NZD (1 NZD = 0.503 EUR).

NZD to USD in detail →

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Dayton, OH Wellington 13,590 km ≈ 17 h nonstop flight

From you

Dayton, OH
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

Dayton, OH vs Wellington: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Dayton, OH wins on cost – living expenses run 7% lower than in Wellington. Housing and daily spending are where you'll feel the difference most, making Dayton, OH the obvious pick if budget is a priority.

Average pay runs 21% higher in Dayton, OH, 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: $1,194 in Dayton, OH versus $1,217 in Wellington. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

All in, you'll spend $2,214 per month in Dayton, OH versus $2,376 in Wellington – a 7% gap that adds up to real savings over time for anyone picking the cheaper option.

A monthly transit pass in Dayton, OH runs roughly 111% less than in Wellington. Both cities have functional networks, but the price difference matters if you're watching your budget.

At $2,214 in Dayton, OH versus $2,376 in Wellington, a $2,000 budget is realistic in Dayton, OH but tight or insufficient in Wellington. The gap between the two cities makes Dayton, OH the clear choice for anyone on this budget.

Both work as nomad bases, but Dayton, OH delivers better value – similar infrastructure at $2,214 monthly. If stretching your runway or maximizing savings is the goal, the price difference makes Dayton, OH hard to pass up.

Safety-wise, Dayton, OH 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 Dayton, OH gentler on the wallet – expenses run 7% less than in Wellington. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.