Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Ljubljana and Palmerston North

For one person, living is cheaper in Palmerston North: $1,562 a month against $2,073 in Ljubljana, rent and utilities included – about $6,100 less a year. Rent and utilities account for most of the difference.

102

Cost of Living Index in Ljubljana
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Ljubljana Living Index
76

Cost of Living Index in Palmerston North
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Palmerston North Living Index

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Ljubljana

🇸🇮 Slovenia

$2,073

/mo nomad

Palmerston North

🇳🇿 New Zealand

$1,562

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

How much you'll spend in Ljubljana and in Palmerston North

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

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $2,073 in Ljubljana versus $1,562 in Palmerston North.

Ljubljana $2,073
Palmerston North $1,562

Estimated couple costs with rent: $3,059 in Ljubljana versus $2,537 in Palmerston North.

Ljubljana $3,059
Palmerston North $2,537

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $4,045 in Ljubljana versus $3,511 in Palmerston North.

Ljubljana $4,045
Palmerston North $3,511

Living in Ljubljana is roughly 33% more expensive than in Palmerston North, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in clothing.

Both cities are pricier than the global median: Ljubljana 54% above, Palmerston North 16% above.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$15.76 €14.02

$13.50 NZ$23.87

16.74%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$67.0 €59.6

$63.7 NZ$113

5.25%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$11.07 €9.84

$8.80 NZ$15.56

25.80%

Cappuccino

$2.85 €2.53

$3.13 NZ$5.54

-8.95%

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

$3.10 €2.76

$2.36 NZ$4.18

31.36%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.98 €1.76

$1.68 NZ$2.97

17.86%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$4.01 €3.56

$6.43 NZ$11.38

-37.64%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$4.44 €3.95

$6.52 NZ$11.53

-31.90%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.30 €1.16

$1.84 NZ$3.26

-29.35%

White Bread (500g)

$2.17 €1.93

$2.14 NZ$3.78

1.40%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$3.08 €2.74

$1.37 NZ$2.42

124.82%

Eggs

$4.05 €3.60

$4.85 NZ$8.58

-16.49%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$14.79 €13.15

$6.41 NZ$11.34

130.73%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$10.03 €8.92

$9.50 NZ$16.80

5.58%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$14.84 €13.20

$10.78 NZ$19.06

37.66%

Apples (1kg)

$2.19 €1.95

$2.54 NZ$4.48

-13.78%

Banana (1kg)

$1.74 €1.55

$2.23 NZ$3.94

-21.97%

Oranges (1kg)

$2.27 €2.02

$2.30 NZ$4.07

-1.30%

Tomato (1kg)

$3.55 €3.15

$5.53 NZ$9.78

-35.80%

Potato (1kg)

$1.50 €1.34

$1.41 NZ$2.49

6.38%

Onion (1kg)

$1.63 €1.45

$0.86 NZ$1.53

89.53%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.71 €1.52

$1.72 NZ$3.04

-0.58%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.83 €0.74

$0.75 NZ$1.33

10.67%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$6.16 €5.48

$22.06 NZ$39.00

-72.08%

Wine (Bottle)

$7.62 €6.78

$7.91 NZ$13.99

-3.67%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.42 €1.26

$2.65 NZ$4.69

-46.42%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.16 €1.92

$2.78 NZ$4.91

-22.30%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$1.66 €1.47

$3.93 NZ$6.95

-57.76%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$42.07 €37.42

$82.3 NZ$146

-48.88%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$2.21 €1.97

$1.87 NZ$3.30

18.18%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.29 €1.15

$1.78 NZ$3.14

-27.53%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$19.24 €17.11

$16.63 NZ$29.40

15.69%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.85 €1.65

$1.64 NZ$2.90

12.80%

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

$29.4K €26.1K

$21.6K NZ$38.1K

36.21%

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

$25.0K €22.2K

$23.9K NZ$42.3K

4.44%

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

$278 €248

$68.2 NZ$121

308.02%

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

$16.61 €14.78

$32.09 NZ$56.8

-48.24%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$40.72 €36.22

$34.64 NZ$61.3

17.55%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$53.8 €47.87

$21.79 NZ$38.54

146.99%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$24.04 €21.38

$14.08 NZ$24.90

70.74%

Cinema Ticket

$10.77 €9.58

$11.60 NZ$20.52

-7.16%

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

$658 €585

$1,034 NZ$1,829

-36.37%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$14.1K €12.5K

$8,550 NZ$15.1K

65.01%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$115 €102

$69.5 NZ$123

65.76%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$42.95 €38.20

$27.70 NZ$48.98

55.05%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$108 €95.9

$83.1 NZ$147

29.86%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$145 €129

$82.5 NZ$146

76.26%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,090 €970

$906 NZ$1,602

20.36%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$875 €779

$639 NZ$1,129

37.07%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$2,074 €1,845

$1,587 NZ$2,807

30.68%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,459 €1,298

$1,311 NZ$2,318

11.31%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$6,492 €5,774

$2,023 NZ$3,577

220.94%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$4,815 €4,283

$1,836 NZ$3,247

162.28%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$1,929 €1,716

$2,494 NZ$4,411

-22.68%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

3.52

5.39

-34.69%

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

Last update for Ljubljana: October 11, 2026

Last update for Palmerston North: October 12, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Accommodation & Living

Ljubljana

$875 42.2%

Palmerston North

$639 40.9% 27% $237

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Ljubljana

$336 16.2%

Palmerston North

$135 8.6% 59.8% $201

Groceries & Markets

Ljubljana

$302 14.6%

Palmerston North

$283 18.1% 6.1% $19

Eating Out

Ljubljana

$243 11.7%

Palmerston North

$233 14.9% 3.8% $9.3

Clothing & Footwear

Ljubljana

$185 8.9%

Palmerston North

$118 7.6% 36.1% $67

Sport & Entertainment

Ljubljana

$75 3.6%

Palmerston North

$45 2.9% 40.3% $30

Getting Around

Ljubljana

$57 2.8%

Palmerston North

$109 7% 89.5% $51

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $1,090 in Ljubljana and $906 in Palmerston North. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Palmerston North pays 29% more on average while also being the cheaper of the two. The combined effect is a noticeably stronger local purchasing power.

Dining out: $67.0 in Ljubljana vs $64.0 in Palmerston North for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $302 vs $283 per month, with Palmerston North cheaper across the board.

Good to know

🇸🇮 Ljubljana

🇳🇿 Palmerston North

🕒 Local time

04:04 4:04 AM

15:04 3:04 PM

11 h ahead of Ljubljana

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

285,604 Capital

90,500

💱 Currency

Euro EUR €

New Zealand Dollar NZD $

📈 Exchange rate

1 EUR = 1.12 USD

1 NZD = 0.565 USD

1 NZD = 0.503 EUR

Exchange rates and currency converter

NZD, USD to EUR – Euro Converter

🇺🇸 United States Dollar ($)

🇪🇺 Euro (€)

Euro exchange rates as of October 20, 2026: 1 USD = 0.889 EUR (1 EUR = 1.12 USD).

New Zealand Dollar exchange rates as of October 20, 2026: 1 USD = 1.77 NZD (1 NZD = 0.565 USD). 1 EUR = 1.99 NZD (1 NZD = 0.503 EUR).

USD to EUR in detail →

On the map

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Between locations

Ljubljana Palmerston North 18,360 km ≈ 23 h nonstop flight

From you

Ljubljana
Palmerston North

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

Ljubljana vs Palmerston North: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Palmerston North is cheaper overall, especially in groceries, eating out, and clothing. The 33% gap adds up to real monthly savings that compound significantly over time.

On paper, salaries run 29% lower in Palmerston North. That's worth factoring in alongside costs, though remote workers earning in a stronger currency may not notice the difference at all.

Rent for a central apartment: $1,090 in Ljubljana versus $906 in Palmerston North. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

A monthly transit pass in Palmerston North runs roughly 96% less than in Ljubljana. Both cities have functional networks, but the price difference matters if you're watching your budget.

Childcare runs $658 in Ljubljana versus $1,034 in Palmerston North. Over years of preschool, even a modest monthly gap compounds into a major financial factor for families.

At $1,562 in Palmerston North versus $2,073 in Ljubljana, a $2,000 budget is realistic in Palmerston North but tight or insufficient in Ljubljana. The gap between the two cities makes Palmerston North the clear choice for anyone on this budget.

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

Safety-wise, Ljubljana and Palmerston North 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 Palmerston North gentler on the wallet – expenses run 33% less than in Ljubljana. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.