Cost of Living Comparison Between Ljubljana and Palmerston North Cost of Living Comparison Between Ljubljana and Palmerston North

Monthly Cost of Living

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $2,031 in Ljubljana versus $1,714 in Palmerston North.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $3,021 in Ljubljana versus $2,743 in Palmerston North.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $4,012 in Ljubljana versus $3,773 in Palmerston North.

Living in Ljubljana is roughly 18% more expensive than Palmerston North, driven mainly by Clothing & Footwear.

Both cities are pricier than the global median: Ljubljana 52% above, Palmerston North 28% above.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$17.11 €14.72

$16.49 NZ$27.84

3.76%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$68.5 €58.9

$71.3 NZ$120

-4.00%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$9.34 €8.03

$12.21 NZ$20.62

-23.51%

Cappuccino

$2.55 €2.19

$3.57 NZ$6.03

-28.57%

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

$3.16 €2.72

$2.38 NZ$4.02

32.77%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.99 €1.71

$2.07 NZ$3.49

-3.86%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$3.74 €3.22

$7.15 NZ$12.07

-47.69%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$4.58 €3.94

$6.31 NZ$10.65

-27.42%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.49 €1.28

$2.01 NZ$3.40

-25.87%

White Bread (500g)

$2.08 €1.79

$2.10 NZ$3.54

-0.95%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$2.79 €2.40

$1.75 NZ$2.95

59.43%

Eggs

$3.94 €3.39

$5.23 NZ$8.82

-24.67%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$13.14 €11.30

$8.26 NZ$13.95

59.08%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$10.91 €9.38

$9.23 NZ$15.58

18.20%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$12.90 €11.10

$12.60 NZ$21.27

2.38%

Apples (1kg)

$1.98 €1.70

$2.51 NZ$4.23

-21.12%

Banana (1kg)

$1.71 €1.47

$1.80 NZ$3.04

-5.00%

Oranges (1kg)

$2.13 €1.83

$2.46 NZ$4.15

-13.41%

Tomato (1kg)

$3.40 €2.93

$3.34 NZ$5.63

1.80%

Potato (1kg)

$1.35 €1.16

$2.16 NZ$3.64

-37.50%

Onion (1kg)

$1.64 €1.41

$2.18 NZ$3.68

-24.77%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.65 €1.42

$2.04 NZ$3.45

-19.12%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.94 €0.80

$0.97 NZ$1.65

-3.09%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$5.85 €5.03

$20.54 NZ$34.68

-71.52%

Wine (Bottle)

$8.25 €7.09

$9.04 NZ$15.27

-8.74%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.42 €1.22

$2.52 NZ$4.26

-43.65%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.01 €1.73

$5.41 NZ$9.14

-62.85%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$1.46 €1.26

$4.72 NZ$7.98

-69.07%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$43.46 €37.38

$30.37 NZ$51.3

43.10%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$2.28 €1.96

$2.47 NZ$4.18

-7.69%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.12 €0.96

$1.84 NZ$3.11

-39.13%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$19.97 €17.18

$17.02 NZ$28.73

17.33%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.70 €1.46

$1.73 NZ$2.92

-1.73%

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

$28.5K €24.5K

$18.8K NZ$31.7K

51.49%

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

$28.1K €24.2K

$21.8K NZ$36.7K

29.06%

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

$283 €244

$89.8 NZ$152

215.68%

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

$18.81 €16.18

$37.60 NZ$63.5

-49.97%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$37.61 €32.35

$48.40 NZ$81.7

-22.29%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$50.9 €43.79

$34.74 NZ$58.7

46.52%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$18.03 €15.51

$13.16 NZ$22.22

37.01%

Cinema Ticket

$9.20 €7.91

$9.00 NZ$15.20

2.22%

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

$550 €473

$1,004 NZ$1,694

-45.17%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$14.3K €12.3K

$6,168 NZ$10.4K

131.79%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$102 €87.9

$57.6 NZ$97.3

77.32%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$46.49 €39.99

$37.67 NZ$63.6

23.41%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$104 €89.6

$91.2 NZ$154

14.28%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$136 €117

$93.4 NZ$158

46.10%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,006 €865

$839 NZ$1,416

19.98%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$820 €706

$688 NZ$1,162

19.14%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$2,046 €1,760

$1,548 NZ$2,614

32.14%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,473 €1,267

$1,390 NZ$2,347

5.92%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$6,622 €5,696

$2,200 NZ$3,714

201.00%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$5,097 €4,385

$1,969 NZ$3,324

158.92%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$1,980 €1,703

$2,671 NZ$4,509

-25.87%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

3.84

6.69

-42.60%

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

Last update for Ljubljana: June 1, 2026

Last update for Palmerston North: May 31, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $1,006 in Ljubljana and $839 in Palmerston North. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Palmerston North pays 35% more on average while also being the cheaper of the two. The combined effect is a noticeably stronger local purchasing power.

Dining out: $68.0 in Ljubljana vs $71.0 in Palmerston North for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $294 vs $300 per month, with Ljubljana 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

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

Palmerston North is cheaper overall, especially in Clothing & Footwear, Sport & Entertainment. The 18% gap adds up to real monthly savings that compound significantly over time.

On paper, Palmerston North earns 35% less. 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: $1,006 in Ljubljana versus $839 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 43% less than in Ljubljana. Both cities have functional networks, but the price difference matters if you're watching your budget.

Childcare runs $550 in Ljubljana versus $1,004 in Palmerston North. Over years of preschool, even a modest monthly gap compounds into a major financial factor for families.

At $1,714 in Palmerston North versus $2,031 in Ljubljana, a $3,000 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 18% less than in Ljubljana. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.