Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Recklinghausen and Wellington

For one person, living is cheaper in Recklinghausen: $1,980 a month against $2,313 in Wellington, rent and utilities included – about $4,000 less a year. Higher rent and utilities in Wellington outweigh lower spending on other living expenses.

Recklinghausen, Germany
Wellington, New Zealand
Recklinghausen
🇩🇪 Germany
$1,980
/mo nomad
Wellington
🇳🇿 New Zealand
$2,313
/mo nomad
Monthly Cost of Living

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

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $1,980 in Recklinghausen versus $2,313 in Wellington.

  • Recklinghausen $1,980
  • Wellington $2,313

Estimated couple costs with rent: $2,932 in Recklinghausen versus $3,422 in Wellington.

  • Recklinghausen $2,932
  • Wellington $3,422

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $3,885 in Recklinghausen versus $4,530 in Wellington.

  • Recklinghausen $3,885
  • Wellington $4,530

Living in Recklinghausen costs roughly 14% less than in Wellington, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in transport.

Both cities are pricier than the global median: Recklinghausen 45% above, Wellington 70% above.

Currency
🍽 Eating Out
Recklinghausen
Wellington
Difference
Meal at Budget Restaurant
$20.39 €18.26
$14.02 NZ$24.90
45.44%
Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range
$83.3 €74.6
$66.5 NZ$118
25.35%
Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)
$12.20 €10.92
$9.23 NZ$16.38
32.18%
Cappuccino
$3.38 €3.03
$3.41 NZ$6.06
-0.88%
Coke/Pepsi/Fanta/Sprite (0.33 liter bottle)
$2.86 €2.56
$2.43 NZ$4.32
17.70%
Water (0.33 liter bottle)
$2.22 €1.99
$1.69 NZ$3.00
31.36%
Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)
$5.54 €4.96
$7.48 NZ$13.29
-25.94%
Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)
$3.37 €3.02
$6.74 NZ$11.97
-50.00%
🛒 Groceries & Markets
Recklinghausen
Wellington
Difference
Milk (1 liter)
$1.23 €1.10
$1.95 NZ$3.47
-36.92%
White Bread (500g)
$2.11 €1.89
$2.25 NZ$4.00
-6.22%
Rice (white) (1kg)
$3.19 €2.86
$1.85 NZ$3.29
72.43%
Eggs
$3.50 €3.14
$7.10 NZ$12.61
-50.70%
Local Cheese (1kg)
$16.68 €14.94
$9.54 NZ$16.94
74.84%
Chicken Fillets (1kg)
$11.51 €10.31
$9.62 NZ$17.08
19.65%
Beef Round Steak (1kg)
$24.02 €21.51
$15.26 NZ$27.09
57.40%
Apples (1kg)
$3.22 €2.88
$3.09 NZ$5.49
4.21%
Banana (1kg)
$2.01 €1.80
$2.15 NZ$3.83
-6.51%
Oranges (1kg)
$2.26 €2.03
$3.08 NZ$5.47
-26.62%
Tomato (1kg)
$5.06 €4.53
$6.42 NZ$11.40
-21.18%
Potato (1kg)
$1.36 €1.22
$2.10 NZ$3.72
-35.24%
Onion (1kg)
$1.26 €1.13
$1.23 NZ$2.19
2.44%
Lettuce (1 head)
$1.80 €1.62
$2.01 NZ$3.57
-10.45%
Water (1.5 liter bottle)
$1.14 €1.02
$1.16 NZ$2.06
-1.72%
Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)
$9.66 €8.65
$25.37 NZ$45.04
-61.92%
Wine (Bottle)
$6.83 €6.12
$11.48 NZ$20.39
-40.51%
Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)
$1.03 €0.92
$3.12 NZ$5.53
-66.99%
Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)
$1.58 €1.42
$2.89 NZ$5.12
-45.33%
🚌 Getting Around
Recklinghausen
Wellington
Difference
One-way Ticket (Public Transport)
$3.66 €3.28
$2.86 NZ$5.08
27.97%
Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)
$65.7 €58.9
$105 NZ$186
-37.34%
Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)
$3.31 €2.96
$1.88 NZ$3.34
76.06%
Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)
$0.99 €0.89
$1.83 NZ$3.25
-45.90%
Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)
$33.17 €29.70
$34.31 NZ$60.9
-3.32%
Gasoline (1 liter)
$2.25 €2.01
$1.84 NZ$3.27
22.28%
Midsize Hatchback 1.4l (Volkswagen Golf, Toyota Prius, Honda Civic, etc)
$30.9K €27.6K
$28.4K NZ$50.4K
8.72%
Compact Sedan 1.6l (Toyota Corolla, Mazda3, Kia K4, Hyundai Elantra, etc)
$37.8K €33.9K
$23.8K NZ$42.3K
58.91%
🧾 Monthly Utilities & Internet
Recklinghausen
Wellington
Difference
Utilities for 2 People in 2-bedroom Apartment (Heating, Electricity, Gas, Water, Garbage) (85m2)
$374 €335
$201 NZ$357
86.35%
SIM Card Monthly Plan (Calls and 10GB+ Data)
$34.22 €30.65
$33.35 NZ$59.2
2.61%
Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)
$53.2 €47.63
$53.7 NZ$95.3
-0.86%
🎉 Sport & Entertainment
Recklinghausen
Wellington
Difference
Gym Membership (Monthly)
$22.44 €20.10
$35.87 NZ$63.7
-37.44%
Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)
$15.88 €14.22
$16.18 NZ$28.73
-1.85%
Cinema Ticket
$10.75 €9.63
$11.78 NZ$20.92
-8.74%
🧸 Childcare & Education
Recklinghausen
Wellington
Difference
Preschool or Kindergarten, Full Day, Private, 1 Child (Monthly)
$459 €411
$1,065 NZ$1,890
-56.89%
International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)
$9,410 €8,428
$13.3K NZ$23.6K
-29.15%
👕👟 Clothing & Footwear
Recklinghausen
Wellington
Difference
Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)
$95.1 €85.2
$80.4 NZ$143
18.22%
Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)
$33.80 €30.27
$28.04 NZ$49.78
20.54%
Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)
$111 €99.5
$102 NZ$180
9.38%
Men's Leather Business Shoes
$143 €128
$154 NZ$274
-7.18%
🏠 Accommodation & Living
Recklinghausen
Wellington
Difference
1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)
$639 €572
$1,143 NZ$2,029
-44.08%
1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)
$566 €507
$1,078 NZ$1,914
-47.47%
3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)
$950 €851
$2,057 NZ$3,651
-53.80%
3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)
$869 €778
$1,814 NZ$3,220
-52.09%
Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)
-
$6,594 NZ$11.7K
-
Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)
-
$3,655 NZ$6,489
-
💵 Salaries & Financials
Recklinghausen
Wellington
Difference
Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)
$2,801 €2,509
$2,785 NZ$4,945
0.59%
20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)
3.96
5.39
-26.53%

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

Last update for Recklinghausen: October 24, 2026

Last update for Wellington: October 27, 2026

Monthly budget structure
Share of the monthly basket for one person, rent included.
Accommodation & Living
Recklinghausen
$566
Wellington
$1.1K 90.4% $512
Monthly Utilities & Internet
Recklinghausen
$462
Wellington
$288 37.7% $174
Groceries & Markets
Recklinghausen
$352
Wellington
$348 1% $3.5
Eating Out
Recklinghausen
$295
Wellington
$248 15.9% $47
Clothing & Footwear
Recklinghausen
$172
Wellington
$164 4.9% $8.5
Getting Around
Recklinghausen
$89
Wellington
$127 43.7% $39
Sport & Entertainment
Recklinghausen
$44
Wellington
$59 35.3% $15

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $639 in Recklinghausen and $1,143 in Wellington. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Dining out: $83 in Recklinghausen vs $66 in Wellington for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $352 vs $348 per month, with Wellington cheaper across the board.

Good to know
🇩🇪 Recklinghausen
🇳🇿 Wellington
🕒 Local time
01:04 1:04 AM
13:04 1:04 PM
12 h ahead of Recklinghausen
🌤 Weather
👥 Population
115,320
215,900 Capital
💱 Currency
Euro EUR €
Exchange rates and currency converter

NZD, USD to EUR – Euro Converter

Euro exchange rates as of November 2, 2026: 1 USD = 0.896 EUR (1 EUR = 1.12 USD).

New Zealand Dollar exchange rates as of November 2, 2026: 1 USD = 1.78 NZD (1 NZD = 0.563 USD). 1 EUR = 1.98 NZD (1 NZD = 0.504 EUR).

On the map
Between locations
  • Recklinghausen Wellington 18,530 km ≈ 24 h nonstop flight
From you
  • Recklinghausen
  • 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
Recklinghausen vs Wellington: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions
Is Recklinghausen cheaper than Wellington?
Recklinghausen is about 14% cheaper overall, especially in transport and leisure. That difference adds up to real monthly savings that compound significantly over time.
What income do you need for each city?
You’d need roughly $2,970 in Recklinghausen and $3,470 in Wellington 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.
What is the rent difference between Recklinghausen and Wellington?
Rent for a central apartment: $639 in Recklinghausen versus $1,143 in Wellington. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.
Which city has cheaper public transport?
A monthly transit pass in Recklinghausen runs roughly 37% less than in Wellington. The price difference matters if you commute daily and watch your budget.
What are total monthly expenses in Recklinghausen and in Wellington?
All in, you’ll spend $1,980 per month in Recklinghausen versus $2,313 in Wellington – Recklinghausen is about 14% cheaper, which adds up to real savings over time.
Is it better to live in Recklinghausen or in Wellington?
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.
Which city is safer, Recklinghausen or Wellington?
Safety-wise, Recklinghausen and Wellington are both considered safe, so it’s unlikely to be the deciding factor between them.

Recklinghausen vs other spots: cost of living compared

Similar cities

Show times on the 12-hour clock, temperatures in °F and distances in miles?