Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Nelson and Agana Heights

For one person, living is cheaper in Agana Heights: $1,006 a month against $1,833 in Nelson, rent and utilities included – about $9,900 less a year. Rent and utilities account for most of the difference.

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Cost of Living Index in Nelson
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Nelson Living Index

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Nelson

🇳🇿 New Zealand

$1,833

/mo nomad

Agana Heights

🇬🇺 Guam

$1,006

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

How much you'll spend in Nelson and in Agana Heights

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

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $1,833 in Nelson versus $1,006 in Agana Heights.

Nelson $1,833
Agana Heights $1,006

Estimated couple costs with rent: $2,842 in Nelson versus $1,356 in Agana Heights.

Nelson $2,842
Agana Heights $1,356

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $3,852 in Nelson versus $1,707 in Agana Heights.

Nelson $3,852
Agana Heights $1,707

Living in Nelson is roughly 82% more expensive than in Agana Heights, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in eating out.

The two cities straddle the global median: Nelson is 36% above, Agana Heights is 25% below.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$13.86 NZ$24.51

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$64.6 NZ$114

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$8.53 NZ$15.08

Cappuccino

$3.24 NZ$5.74

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

$1.72 NZ$3.04

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.65 NZ$2.91

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$7.13 NZ$12.61

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$5.53 NZ$9.79

Milk (1 liter)

$1.90 NZ$3.36

$1.70 $1.70

11.76%

White Bread (500g)

$2.05 NZ$3.63

$4.65 $4.65

-55.91%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.83 NZ$3.24

$1.70 $1.70

7.65%

Eggs

$5.70 NZ$10.08

$4.08 $4.08

39.71%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$9.09 NZ$16.08

$25.94 $25.94

-64.96%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$7.34 NZ$12.98

$6.60 $6.60

11.21%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$13.70 NZ$24.22

$17.90 $17.90

-23.46%

Apples (1kg)

$3.08 NZ$5.45

$3.99 $3.99

-22.81%

Banana (1kg)

$2.19 NZ$3.88

$1.20 $1.20

82.50%

Oranges (1kg)

$3.06 NZ$5.41

$1.92 $1.92

59.38%

Tomato (1kg)

$5.61 NZ$9.92

$6.72 $6.72

-16.52%

Potato (1kg)

$2.05 NZ$3.63

$2.82 $2.82

-27.30%

Onion (1kg)

$1.28 NZ$2.27

$2.85 $2.85

-55.09%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.97 NZ$3.48

$4.07 $4.07

-51.60%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$1.01 NZ$1.79

$2.02 $2.02

-50.00%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$24.79 NZ$43.85

$9.81 $9.81

152.70%

Wine (Bottle)

$9.44 NZ$16.69

$12.18 $12.18

-22.50%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$3.06 NZ$5.41

$1.84 $1.84

66.30%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.75 NZ$4.86

$1.54 $1.54

78.57%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$2.22 NZ$3.92

$2.95 $2.95

-24.75%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$60.8 $60.8

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$1.82 NZ$3.21

$10.08 $10.08

-81.94%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.78 NZ$3.14

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$33.41 NZ$59.1

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.61 NZ$2.85

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

$17.1K NZ$30.2K

$38.9K $38.9K

-56.04%

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

$21.9K NZ$38.7K

$35.7K $35.7K

-38.70%

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

$131 NZ$231

$339 $339

-61.55%

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

$32.95 NZ$58.3

$75.9 $75.9

-56.58%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$41.79 NZ$73.9

$97.4 $97.4

-57.09%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$99.3 NZ$176

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$33.61 NZ$59.4

Cinema Ticket

$11.01 NZ$19.48

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

$440 NZ$777

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$12.7K NZ$22.4K

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$52.4 NZ$92.6

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$27.78 NZ$49.13

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$101 NZ$179

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$138 NZ$245

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,000 NZ$1,769

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$795 NZ$1,406

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,704 NZ$3,014

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,456 NZ$2,574

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$1,374 NZ$2,430

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$827 NZ$1,462

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$2,017 NZ$3,568

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

5.39

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

Last update for Nelson: October 12, 2026

Last update for Agana Heights: October 10, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Accommodation & Living

Nelson

$795 43.4%

Agana Heights

–

Groceries & Markets

Nelson

$312 17%

Agana Heights

–

Eating Out

Nelson

$236 12.9%

Agana Heights

–

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Nelson

$205 11.2%

Agana Heights

–

Clothing & Footwear

Nelson

$144 7.9%

Agana Heights

–

Sport & Entertainment

Nelson

$121 6.6%

Agana Heights

–

Getting Around

Nelson

$20 * 1.1%

Agana Heights

–

Categories marked with * are only partly priced – their share counts the items that do have prices.

Good to know

🇳🇿 Nelson

🇬🇺 Agana Heights

🕒 Local time

11:27 11:27 AM

08:27 8:27 AM

3 h behind Nelson

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

51,100

3,940

💱 Currency

New Zealand Dollar NZD $

United States Dollar USD $

📈 Exchange rate

1 NZD = 0.565 USD

1 NZD = 0.503 EUR

1 USD = 0.89 EUR

Exchange rates and currency converter

USD, EUR to NZD – New Zealand Dollar Converter

🇺🇸 United States Dollar ($)

🇳🇿 New Zealand Dollar ($)

New Zealand Dollar exchange rates as of October 17, 2026: 1 USD = 1.77 NZD (1 NZD = 0.565 USD). 1 EUR = 1.99 NZD (1 NZD = 0.503 EUR).

United States Dollar exchange rates as of October 17, 2026: 1 EUR = 1.12 USD (1 USD = 0.89 EUR).

USD to NZD in detail →

On the map

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Between locations

Nelson Agana Heights 6,760 km ≈ 9 h nonstop flight

From you

Nelson
Agana Heights

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

Nelson vs Agana Heights: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Agana Heights wins on cost – living expenses run 82% lower than in Nelson. Housing and daily spending are where you'll feel the difference most, making Agana Heights the obvious pick if budget is a priority.

You'd need roughly $2,749 in Nelson and $1,509 in Agana Heights to live well. The gap comes down to housing and overall price levels. Both cities are liveable on less, but these numbers represent actual comfort.

Shoppers in Nelson pay roughly 32% less for everyday groceries. It's an unusual reversal that partly offsets higher costs elsewhere.

All in, you'll spend $1,833 per month in Nelson versus $1,006 in Agana Heights – a 82% gap that adds up to real savings over time for anyone picking the cheaper option.

At $1,006 in Agana Heights versus $1,833 in Nelson, a $1,000 budget is realistic in Agana Heights but tight or insufficient in Nelson. The gap between the two cities makes Agana Heights the clear choice for anyone on this budget.

Both cities offer a good standard of living with different trade-offs. Neither is objectively better – the right pick depends on what matters most: affordability, career, cultural scene, or climate.

Safety-wise, Nelson and Agana Heights 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 Agana Heights gentler on the wallet – expenses run 82% less than in Nelson. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.