Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Jacksonville, FL and Wellington

For one person, living is cheaper in Wellington: $2,313 a month against $2,487 in Jacksonville, FL, rent and utilities included – about $2,100 less a year. Other living expenses account for most of the difference.

Jacksonville, FL, United States
Wellington, New Zealand
Jacksonville, FL
🇺🇸 United States
$2,487
/mo nomad
Wellington
🇳🇿 New Zealand
$2,313
/mo nomad
Monthly Cost of Living

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

A single person spends $2,487 per month in Jacksonville, FL vs $2,313 in Wellington, rent included.

  • Jacksonville, FL $2,487
  • Wellington $2,313

A couple spends around $3,787 per month in Jacksonville, FL vs $3,422 in Wellington, rent included.

  • Jacksonville, FL $3,787
  • Wellington $3,422

A family of three spends $5,087 per month in Jacksonville, FL vs $4,530 in Wellington, rent included.

  • Jacksonville, FL $5,087
  • Wellington $4,530

Jacksonville, FL costs about 7% more than Wellington, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in eating out.

Both Jacksonville, FL and Wellington sit above the global median – Jacksonville, FL by 83%, Wellington by 70%.

Currency
🍽 Eating Out
Jacksonville, FL
Wellington
Difference
Meal at Budget Restaurant
$19.69 $19.69
$14.02 NZ$24.94
40.44%
Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range
$102 $102
$66.5 NZ$118
53.17%
Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)
$11.37 $11.37
$9.23 NZ$16.41
23.19%
Cappuccino
$5.58 $5.58
$3.41 NZ$6.07
63.64%
Coke/Pepsi/Fanta/Sprite (0.33 liter bottle)
$3.11 $3.11
$2.43 NZ$4.32
27.98%
Water (0.33 liter bottle)
$2.18 $2.18
$1.69 NZ$3.01
28.99%
Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)
$4.98 $4.98
$7.48 NZ$13.31
-33.42%
Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)
$7.19 $7.19
$6.74 NZ$11.99
6.68%
🛒 Groceries & Markets
Jacksonville, FL
Wellington
Difference
Milk (1 liter)
$1.00 $1.00
$1.95 NZ$3.47
-48.72%
White Bread (500g)
$3.35 $3.35
$2.25 NZ$4.01
48.89%
Rice (white) (1kg)
$3.73 $3.73
$1.85 NZ$3.30
101.62%
Eggs
$4.40 $4.40
$7.10 NZ$12.64
-38.03%
Local Cheese (1kg)
$13.72 $13.72
$9.54 NZ$16.97
43.82%
Chicken Fillets (1kg)
$9.57 $9.57
$9.62 NZ$17.11
-0.52%
Beef Round Steak (1kg)
$16.24 $16.24
$15.26 NZ$27.14
6.42%
Apples (1kg)
$4.82 $4.82
$3.09 NZ$5.50
55.99%
Banana (1kg)
$1.42 $1.42
$2.15 NZ$3.83
-33.95%
Oranges (1kg)
$3.97 $3.97
$3.08 NZ$5.48
28.90%
Tomato (1kg)
$4.53 $4.53
$6.42 NZ$11.42
-29.44%
Potato (1kg)
$2.93 $2.93
$2.10 NZ$3.73
39.52%
Onion (1kg)
$3.06 $3.06
$1.23 NZ$2.20
148.78%
Lettuce (1 head)
$2.67 $2.67
$2.01 NZ$3.58
32.84%
Water (1.5 liter bottle)
$2.50 $2.50
$1.16 NZ$2.06
115.52%
Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)
$9.34 $9.34
$25.37 NZ$45.12
-63.18%
Wine (Bottle)
$14.63 $14.63
$11.48 NZ$20.42
27.44%
Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)
$2.05 $2.05
$3.12 NZ$5.55
-34.29%
Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)
$3.21 $3.21
$2.89 NZ$5.13
11.07%
🚌 Getting Around
Jacksonville, FL
Wellington
Difference
One-way Ticket (Public Transport)
$1.77 $1.77
$2.86 NZ$5.09
-38.11%
Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)
$64.5 $64.5
$105 NZ$187
-38.49%
Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)
$1.51 $1.51
$1.88 NZ$3.35
-19.68%
Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)
$1.17 $1.17
$1.83 NZ$3.26
-36.07%
Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)
$13.75 $13.75
$34.31 NZ$61.0
-59.92%
Gasoline (1 liter)
$1.04 $1.04
$1.84 NZ$3.27
-43.48%
Midsize Hatchback 1.4l (Volkswagen Golf, Toyota Prius, Honda Civic, etc)
$31.3K $31.3K
$28.4K NZ$50.5K
10.34%
Compact Sedan 1.6l (Toyota Corolla, Mazda3, Kia K4, Hyundai Elantra, etc)
$26.1K $26.1K
$23.8K NZ$42.3K
9.63%
🧾 Monthly Utilities & Internet
Jacksonville, FL
Wellington
Difference
Utilities for 2 People in 2-bedroom Apartment (Heating, Electricity, Gas, Water, Garbage) (85m2)
$218 $218
$201 NZ$357
8.51%
SIM Card Monthly Plan (Calls and 10GB+ Data)
$64.4 $64.4
$33.35 NZ$59.3
93.13%
Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)
$68.2 $68.2
$53.7 NZ$95.4
27.08%
🎉 Sport & Entertainment
Jacksonville, FL
Wellington
Difference
Gym Membership (Monthly)
$35.02 $35.02
$35.87 NZ$63.8
-2.37%
Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)
$6.49 $6.49
$16.18 NZ$28.79
-59.89%
Cinema Ticket
$14.76 $14.76
$11.78 NZ$20.96
25.30%
🧸 Childcare & Education
Jacksonville, FL
Wellington
Difference
Preschool or Kindergarten, Full Day, Private, 1 Child (Monthly)
$1,318 $1,318
$1,065 NZ$1,894
23.77%
International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)
$12.0K $12.0K
$13.3K NZ$23.6K
-9.57%
👕👟 Clothing & Footwear
Jacksonville, FL
Wellington
Difference
Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)
$64.1 $64.1
$80.4 NZ$143
-20.29%
Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)
$47.85 $47.85
$28.04 NZ$49.87
70.65%
Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)
$112 $112
$102 NZ$181
10.10%
Men's Leather Business Shoes
$151 $151
$154 NZ$274
-1.77%
🏠 Accommodation & Living
Jacksonville, FL
Wellington
Difference
1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)
$1,651 $1,651
$1,143 NZ$2,032
44.48%
1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)
$1,118 $1,118
$1,078 NZ$1,918
3.71%
3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)
$2,590 $2,590
$2,057 NZ$3,658
25.95%
3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)
$1,963 $1,963
$1,814 NZ$3,226
8.22%
Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)
$2,356 $2,356
$6,594 NZ$11.7K
-64.27%
Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)
$2,066 $2,066
$3,655 NZ$6,501
-43.48%
💵 Salaries & Financials
Jacksonville, FL
Wellington
Difference
Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)
$4,010 $4,010
$2,785 NZ$4,954
43.99%
20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)
6.69
5.39
24.12%

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

Last update for Jacksonville, FL: 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
Jacksonville, FL
$1.1K
Wellington
$1.1K 3.6% $40
Groceries & Markets
Jacksonville, FL
$386
Wellington
$348 9.9% $38
Monthly Utilities & Internet
Jacksonville, FL
$350
Wellington
$288 17.9% $63
Eating Out
Jacksonville, FL
$319
Wellington
$248 22.2% $71
Clothing & Footwear
Jacksonville, FL
$169
Wellington
$164 2.9% $5
Getting Around
Jacksonville, FL
$79
Wellington
$127 61.3% $48
Sport & Entertainment
Jacksonville, FL
$65
Wellington
$59 7.9% $5.1

Cost Breakdown

A central one-bedroom costs $1,651 in Jacksonville, FL versus $1,143 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 44% higher in Jacksonville, FL. Purchasing power depends on which expenses matter most to you.

A mid-range dinner for two costs $102 in Jacksonville, FL versus $66 in Wellington. Monthly groceries follow the same trend: $386 vs $348 – making Wellington the more affordable choice for daily food spending.

Good to know
🇺🇸 Jacksonville, FL
🇳🇿 Wellington
🕒 Local time
10:13 10:13 AM
04:13 4:13 AM
18 h ahead of Jacksonville, FL
🌤 Weather
👥 Population
949,611
215,900 Capital
Exchange rates and currency converter

NZD, EUR to USD – United States Dollar Converter

United States Dollar exchange rates as of November 2, 2026: 1 EUR = 1.12 USD (1 USD = 0.896 EUR).

New Zealand Dollar exchange rates as of November 2, 2026: 1 USD = 1.78 NZD (1 NZD = 0.562 USD). 1 EUR = 1.99 NZD (1 NZD = 0.504 EUR).

On the map
Between locations
  • Jacksonville, FL Wellington 13,240 km ≈ 17 h nonstop flight
From you
  • Jacksonville, FL
  • 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
Jacksonville, FL vs Wellington: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions
Which city is more expensive, Jacksonville, FL or Wellington?
Jacksonville, FL costs about 7% more than Wellington, and outside of rent the gap comes mainly from eating out. That’s enough to noticeably affect everyday spending and lifestyle for anyone choosing between the two.
How much do you need to earn to live comfortably in Jacksonville, FL and in Wellington?
For a comfortable life, plan on about $3,730 per month in Jacksonville, FL and $3,470 in Wellington. That covers rent, food, utilities, transport, and enough left over to feel settled – not just surviving.
Where is rent cheaper, Jacksonville, FL or Wellington?
Rent is clearly cheaper in Wellington, especially for central apartments: a one-bedroom in the center costs $1,143 there versus $1,651 in Jacksonville, FL.
How do dining costs compare in Jacksonville, FL and in Wellington?
A mid-range dinner for two costs $102 in Jacksonville, FL and $66 in Wellington. That’s a good indicator of the overall restaurant and café pricing gap between the two cities.
How much does it cost to live in Jacksonville, FL compared to Wellington?
Monthly expenses with rent come to $2,487 in Jacksonville, FL and $2,313 in Wellington. That makes Wellington about 7% cheaper.
Which city is better for families?
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.
Should I move to Jacksonville, FL or to Wellington?
If budget matters most, go with Wellington. If higher salaries or specific career opportunities are the priority, Jacksonville, FL makes more sense. Both are solid long-term options with distinct trade-offs.

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