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: $2,218 in Ljubljana versus $1,631 in Palmerston North.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $3,151 in Ljubljana versus $2,689 in Palmerston North.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $4,084 in Ljubljana versus $3,747 in Palmerston North.

Living in Ljubljana is roughly 36% more expensive than in Palmerston North, driven mainly by Clothing & Footwear.

Both cities are pricier than the global median: Ljubljana 61% above, Palmerston North 19% above.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$16.48 €14.17

$14.30 NZ$24.30

15.24%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$69.8 €60.0

$69.2 NZ$118

0.85%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$11.44 €9.83

$9.49 NZ$16.13

20.55%

Cappuccino

$3.12 €2.68

$3.42 NZ$5.82

-8.77%

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

$3.23 €2.77

$2.45 NZ$4.17

31.84%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.04 €1.76

$1.84 NZ$3.12

10.87%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$4.04 €3.47

$6.69 NZ$11.36

-39.61%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$4.73 €4.06

$7.13 NZ$12.12

-33.66%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.40 €1.21

$1.96 NZ$3.33

-28.57%

White Bread (500g)

$2.25 €1.93

$2.31 NZ$3.92

-2.60%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$3.28 €2.82

$1.40 NZ$2.38

134.29%

Eggs

$4.12 €3.54

$5.38 NZ$9.14

-23.42%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$15.17 €13.04

$7.06 NZ$12.00

114.87%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$10.38 €8.92

$10.10 NZ$17.16

2.77%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$14.66 €12.60

$11.22 NZ$19.06

30.66%

Apples (1kg)

$2.37 €2.03

$2.65 NZ$4.50

-10.57%

Banana (1kg)

$1.73 €1.49

$2.26 NZ$3.85

-23.45%

Oranges (1kg)

$2.37 €2.04

$2.30 NZ$3.91

3.04%

Tomato (1kg)

$3.76 €3.23

$5.93 NZ$10.08

-36.59%

Potato (1kg)

$1.58 €1.36

$1.52 NZ$2.58

3.95%

Onion (1kg)

$1.64 €1.41

$0.91 NZ$1.55

80.22%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.86 €1.60

$1.74 NZ$2.96

6.90%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.94 €0.80

$0.75 NZ$1.27

25.33%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$6.57 €5.65

$23.85 NZ$40.51

-72.45%

Wine (Bottle)

$8.32 €7.16

$8.53 NZ$14.48

-2.46%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.46 €1.26

$2.91 NZ$4.94

-49.83%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.19 €1.88

$2.91 NZ$4.94

-24.74%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$1.78 €1.53

$4.22 NZ$7.17

-57.82%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$43.27 €37.20

$85.5 NZ$145

-49.39%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$2.22 €1.91

$1.96 NZ$3.33

13.27%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.34 €1.15

$1.86 NZ$3.17

-27.96%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$19.90 €17.11

$17.77 NZ$30.19

11.99%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.90 €1.64

$1.73 NZ$2.94

9.83%

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

$30.0K €25.8K

$22.9K NZ$39.0K

30.61%

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

$25.3K €21.8K

$25.5K NZ$43.3K

-0.74%

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

$308 €265

$73.0 NZ$124

321.86%

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

$17.64 €15.16

$33.34 NZ$56.6

-47.09%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$45.11 €38.78

$36.98 NZ$62.8

21.98%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$57.0 €49.01

$23.56 NZ$40.02

141.98%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$24.85 €21.37

$14.88 NZ$25.27

67.00%

Cinema Ticket

$10.98 €9.44

$12.33 NZ$20.94

-10.95%

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

$677 €582

$1,105 NZ$1,876

-38.73%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$14.7K €12.6K

$8,727 NZ$14.8K

68.36%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$115 €98.8

$73.9 NZ$126

55.41%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$45.76 €39.34

$29.14 NZ$49.50

57.04%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$114 €98.3

$86.6 NZ$147

32.12%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$149 €128

$88.5 NZ$150

68.57%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,164 €1,001

$955 NZ$1,623

21.85%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$910 €783

$665 NZ$1,129

36.92%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$2,152 €1,850

$1,655 NZ$2,811

30.01%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,444 €1,241

$1,364 NZ$2,317

5.82%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$6,794 €5,841

$2,196 NZ$3,731

209.32%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$5,141 €4,420

$1,927 NZ$3,273

166.85%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$2,017 €1,734

$2,646 NZ$4,494

-23.75%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

3.61

5.39

-33.02%

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

Last update for Ljubljana: September 1, 2026

Last update for Palmerston North: August 31, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $1,164 in Ljubljana and $955 in Palmerston North. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Palmerston North pays 31% more on average while also being the cheaper of the two. The combined effect is a noticeably stronger local purchasing power.

Dining out: $70.0 in Ljubljana vs $69.0 in Palmerston North for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $313 vs $301 per month, with Palmerston North 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 Groceries & Markets, Eating Out, Clothing & Footwear, Sport & Entertainment. The 36% gap adds up to real monthly savings that compound significantly over time.

On paper, salaries run 31% 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: $1,164 in Ljubljana versus $955 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 98% less than in Ljubljana. Both cities have functional networks, but the price difference matters if you're watching your budget.

Childcare runs $677 in Ljubljana versus $1,105 in Palmerston North. Over years of preschool, even a modest monthly gap compounds into a major financial factor for families.

At $1,631 in Palmerston North versus $2,218 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 36% less than in Ljubljana. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.