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

Monthly Cost of Living

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

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

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

Living in Palmerston North costs roughly 16% less than in Ljubljana, driven mainly by Clothing & Footwear.

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

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$16.49 NZ$27.84

$17.11 €14.72

-3.62%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$71.3 NZ$120

$68.5 €58.9

4.16%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$12.21 NZ$20.62

$9.34 €8.03

30.73%

Cappuccino

$3.57 NZ$6.03

$2.55 €2.19

40.00%

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

$2.38 NZ$4.02

$3.16 €2.72

-24.68%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.07 NZ$3.49

$1.99 €1.71

4.02%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$7.15 NZ$12.07

$3.74 €3.22

91.18%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$6.31 NZ$10.65

$4.58 €3.94

37.77%

Milk (1 liter)

$2.01 NZ$3.40

$1.49 €1.28

34.90%

White Bread (500g)

$2.10 NZ$3.54

$2.08 €1.79

0.96%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.75 NZ$2.95

$2.79 €2.40

-37.28%

Eggs

$5.23 NZ$8.82

$3.94 €3.39

32.74%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$8.26 NZ$13.95

$13.14 €11.30

-37.14%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$9.23 NZ$15.58

$10.91 €9.38

-15.40%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$12.60 NZ$21.27

$12.90 €11.10

-2.33%

Apples (1kg)

$2.51 NZ$4.23

$1.98 €1.70

26.77%

Banana (1kg)

$1.80 NZ$3.04

$1.71 €1.47

5.26%

Oranges (1kg)

$2.46 NZ$4.15

$2.13 €1.83

15.49%

Tomato (1kg)

$3.34 NZ$5.63

$3.40 €2.93

-1.76%

Potato (1kg)

$2.16 NZ$3.64

$1.35 €1.16

60.00%

Onion (1kg)

$2.18 NZ$3.68

$1.64 €1.41

32.93%

Lettuce (1 head)

$2.04 NZ$3.45

$1.65 €1.42

23.64%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.97 NZ$1.65

$0.94 €0.80

3.19%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$20.54 NZ$34.68

$5.85 €5.03

251.11%

Wine (Bottle)

$9.04 NZ$15.27

$8.25 €7.09

9.58%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$2.52 NZ$4.26

$1.42 €1.22

77.46%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$5.41 NZ$9.14

$2.01 €1.73

169.15%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$4.72 NZ$7.98

$1.46 €1.26

223.29%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$30.37 NZ$51.3

$43.46 €37.38

-30.12%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$2.47 NZ$4.18

$2.28 €1.96

8.33%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.84 NZ$3.11

$1.12 €0.96

64.29%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$17.02 NZ$28.73

$19.97 €17.18

-14.77%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.73 NZ$2.92

$1.70 €1.46

1.76%

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

$18.8K NZ$31.7K

$28.5K €24.5K

-33.99%

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

$21.8K NZ$36.7K

$28.1K €24.2K

-22.52%

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

$89.8 NZ$152

$283 €244

-68.32%

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

$37.60 NZ$63.5

$18.81 €16.18

99.89%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$48.40 NZ$81.7

$37.61 €32.35

28.69%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$34.74 NZ$58.7

$50.9 €43.79

-31.75%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$13.16 NZ$22.22

$18.03 €15.51

-27.01%

Cinema Ticket

$9.00 NZ$15.20

$9.20 €7.91

-2.17%

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

$1,004 NZ$1,694

$550 €473

82.39%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$6,168 NZ$10.4K

$14.3K €12.3K

-56.86%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$57.6 NZ$97.3

$102 €87.9

-43.60%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$37.67 NZ$63.6

$46.49 €39.99

-18.97%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$91.2 NZ$154

$104 €89.6

-12.50%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$93.4 NZ$158

$136 €117

-31.56%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$839 NZ$1,416

$1,006 €865

-16.65%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$688 NZ$1,162

$820 €706

-16.07%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,548 NZ$2,614

$2,046 €1,760

-24.32%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,390 NZ$2,347

$1,473 €1,267

-5.59%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$2,200 NZ$3,714

$6,622 €5,696

-66.78%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$1,969 NZ$3,324

$5,097 €4,385

-61.38%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$2,671 NZ$4,509

$1,980 €1,703

34.89%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

6.69

3.84

74.22%

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

Last update for Palmerston North: May 31, 2026

Last update for Ljubljana: June 1, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $839 in Palmerston North and $1,006 in Ljubljana. 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: $71.0 in Palmerston North vs $68.0 in Ljubljana for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $300 vs $294 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

Palmerston North vs Ljubljana: 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.

Palmerston North pays 35% more on average, which matters when comparing affordability. Whether that higher income actually nets you more depends on your spending habits and housing choices.

Rent for a central apartment: $839 in Palmerston North versus $1,006 in Ljubljana. 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 $1,004 in Palmerston North versus $550 in Ljubljana. 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, Palmerston North and Ljubljana 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.