Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Olympia, WA and Wellington

For one person, living is cheaper in Wellington: $2,376 a month against $2,983 in Olympia, WA, rent and utilities included – about $7,300 less a year. Rent and utilities account for most of the difference.

144

Cost of Living Index in Olympia, WA
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Olympia, WA Living Index
115

Cost of Living Index in Wellington
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Wellington Living Index

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Olympia, WA

🇺🇸 United States

$2,983

/mo nomad

Wellington

🇳🇿 New Zealand

$2,376

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

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

A single person spends $2,983 per month in Olympia, WA vs $2,376 in Wellington, rent included.

Olympia, WA $2,983
Wellington $2,376

A couple spends around $4,154 per month in Olympia, WA vs $3,407 in Wellington, rent included.

Olympia, WA $4,154
Wellington $3,407

A family of three spends $5,325 per month in Olympia, WA vs $4,439 in Wellington, rent included.

Olympia, WA $5,325
Wellington $4,439

Olympia, WA costs about 26% more than Wellington, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in eating out.

Both Olympia, WA and Wellington sit above the global median – Olympia, WA by 120%, Wellington by 75%.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$24.52 $24.52

$14.01 NZ$24.78

75.02%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$65.0 $65.0

$65.8 NZ$116

-1.19%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$12.68 $12.68

$9.37 NZ$16.56

35.33%

Cappuccino

$6.42 $6.42

$3.40 NZ$6.02

88.82%

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

$2.92 $2.92

$2.46 NZ$4.35

18.70%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.68 $1.68

$1.75 NZ$3.09

-4.00%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$6.90 $6.90

$7.27 NZ$12.85

-5.09%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$6.94 $6.94

$6.71 NZ$11.87

3.43%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.07 $1.07

$1.94 NZ$3.43

-44.85%

White Bread (500g)

$4.46 $4.46

$2.15 NZ$3.81

107.44%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$3.16 $3.16

$1.83 NZ$3.25

72.68%

Eggs

$5.03 $5.03

$6.88 NZ$12.16

-26.89%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$18.35 $18.35

$9.19 NZ$16.26

99.67%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$10.41 $10.41

$9.99 NZ$17.67

4.20%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$16.73 $16.73

$14.97 NZ$26.48

11.76%

Apples (1kg)

$5.24 $5.24

$3.03 NZ$5.36

72.94%

Banana (1kg)

$1.62 $1.62

$2.24 NZ$3.96

-27.68%

Oranges (1kg)

$3.98 $3.98

$3.09 NZ$5.47

28.80%

Tomato (1kg)

$4.57 $4.57

$6.55 NZ$11.59

-30.23%

Potato (1kg)

$2.61 $2.61

$2.16 NZ$3.83

20.83%

Onion (1kg)

$2.48 $2.48

$1.28 NZ$2.27

93.75%

Lettuce (1 head)

$2.34 $2.34

$2.10 NZ$3.71

11.43%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$2.56 $2.56

$1.20 NZ$2.12

113.33%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$12.09 $12.09

$25.79 NZ$45.60

-53.12%

Wine (Bottle)

$14.85 $14.85

$11.27 NZ$19.94

31.77%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$2.45 $2.45

$3.12 NZ$5.51

-21.47%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.35 $2.35

$2.82 NZ$4.98

-16.67%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.87 $0.87

$2.76 NZ$4.89

-68.48%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$104 NZ$184

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$5.03 $5.03

$1.88 NZ$3.33

167.55%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$2.66 $2.66

$1.78 NZ$3.14

49.44%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$51.7 $51.7

$33.72 NZ$59.6

53.32%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.36 $1.36

$1.85 NZ$3.27

-26.49%

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

$28.2K $28.2K

$28.7K NZ$50.8K

-1.82%

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

$27.1K $27.1K

$23.8K NZ$42.1K

13.88%

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

$156 $156

$194 NZ$344

-19.79%

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

$69.6 $69.6

$33.42 NZ$59.1

108.14%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$95.4 $95.4

$53.5 NZ$94.7

78.27%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$69.1 $69.1

$38.12 NZ$67.4

81.16%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$5.06 $5.06

$16.15 NZ$28.56

-68.67%

Cinema Ticket

$12.09 $12.09

$11.97 NZ$21.17

1.00%

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

$1,454 $1,454

$1,056 NZ$1,868

37.65%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$12.9K NZ$22.9K

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$45.13 $45.13

$79.2 NZ$140

-43.02%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$54.5 $54.5

$28.87 NZ$51.1

88.88%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$91.2 $91.2

$103 NZ$182

-11.27%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$102 $102

$156 NZ$275

-34.25%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,718 $1,718

$1,217 NZ$2,152

41.23%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,618 $1,618

$1,147 NZ$2,028

41.06%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$3,143 $3,143

$2,154 NZ$3,809

45.93%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$2,350 $2,350

$1,731 NZ$3,061

35.77%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$3,235 $3,235

$6,780 NZ$12.0K

-52.29%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$3,068 $3,068

$3,655 NZ$6,464

-16.07%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$5,106 $5,106

$2,812 NZ$4,972

81.61%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

6.81

5.39

26.35%

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

Last update for Olympia, WA: October 17, 2026

Last update for Wellington: October 18, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Accommodation & Living

Olympia, WA

$1.6K 54.2%

Wellington

$1.1K 48.3% 29.1% $471

Groceries & Markets

Olympia, WA

$420 14.1%

Wellington

$348 14.6% 17.2% $72

Eating Out

Olympia, WA

$378 12.7%

Wellington

$248 10.4% 34.5% $130

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Olympia, WA

$321 10.8%

Wellington

$281 11.8% 12.3% $40

Clothing & Footwear

Olympia, WA

$132 4.4%

Wellington

$165 6.9% 25% $33

Sport & Entertainment

Olympia, WA

$93 3.1%

Wellington

$62 2.6% 33.4% $31

Getting Around

Olympia, WA

$22 * 0.7%

Wellington

$126 5.3% 478% $104

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

Cost Breakdown

A central one-bedroom costs $1,718 in Olympia, WA versus $1,217 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 82% higher in Olympia, WA, which partly offsets the higher cost of living there. Purchasing power depends on which expenses matter most to you.

A mid-range dinner for two costs $65.0 in Olympia, WA versus $66.0 in Wellington. Groceries tell a different story – $420 in Olympia, WA vs $348 in Wellington – so Wellington wins on supermarket bills even if dining out costs more.

Good to know

🇺🇸 Olympia, WA

🇳🇿 Wellington

🕒 Local time

20:18 8:18 PM

16:18 4:18 PM

20 h ahead of Olympia, WA

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

55,605

215,900 Capital

💱 Currency

United States Dollar USD $

New Zealand Dollar NZD $

📈 Exchange rate

1 USD = 0.89 EUR

1 NZD = 0.565 USD

1 NZD = 0.503 EUR

Exchange rates and currency converter

NZD, EUR to USD – United States Dollar Converter

🇳🇿 New Zealand Dollar ($)

🇺🇸 United States Dollar ($)

United States Dollar exchange rates as of October 22, 2026: 1 EUR = 1.12 USD (1 USD = 0.89 EUR).

New Zealand Dollar exchange rates as of October 22, 2026: 1 USD = 1.77 NZD (1 NZD = 0.565 USD). 1 EUR = 1.99 NZD (1 NZD = 0.503 EUR).

NZD to USD in detail →

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Olympia, WA Wellington 11,590 km ≈ 15 h nonstop flight

From you

Olympia, WA
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

Olympia, WA vs Wellington: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Olympia, WA costs about 26% 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.

For a comfortable life, plan on about $4,475 per month in Olympia, WA and $3,564 in Wellington. That covers rent, food, utilities, transport, and enough left over to feel settled – not just surviving.

Rent is clearly cheaper in Wellington, especially for central apartments. Housing is actually the single biggest factor behind the overall cost gap between these two cities.

Monthly expenses with rent come to $2,983 in Olympia, WA and $2,376 in Wellington. That's a gap of about 26%.

Kindergarten costs $1,454 per month in Olympia, WA and $1,056 in Wellington. For families with young kids, this one expense can tip the scales when choosing between the two cities.

A $2,500 monthly budget goes further in Wellington, where all-in costs run around $2,376, than in Olympia, WA at $2,983. In Wellington it covers expenses comfortably, while in Olympia, WA it requires careful planning or may not stretch far enough.

For digital nomads, it depends on budget. Wellington costs $2,376 versus $2,983 in Olympia, WA. Both have workable remote work infrastructure, but the cost gap matters when income varies month to month.

Both have safer and rougher neighborhoods, but overall safety is comparable to other large cities. Neighborhood choice matters more than the city-level comparison – central, well-trafficked areas feel secure in both.

If budget matters most, go with Wellington. If higher salaries, better infrastructure, or specific career opportunities are the priority, Olympia, WA makes more sense. Both are solid long-term options with distinct trade-offs.