Cost of Living Comparison Between Rochester, MN and Wellington Cost of Living Comparison Between Rochester, MN and Wellington

Monthly Cost of Living

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $2,493 in Rochester, MN versus $2,447 in Wellington.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $3,796 in Rochester, MN versus $3,492 in Wellington.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $5,099 in Rochester, MN versus $4,537 in Wellington.

Living in Rochester, MN is roughly 2% more expensive than in Wellington, driven mainly by Getting Around.

Both cities are pricier than the global median: Rochester, MN 81% above, Wellington 78% above.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$20.26 $20.26

$14.31 NZ$24.33

41.58%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$74.0 $74.0

$67.5 NZ$115

9.72%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$10.83 $10.83

$9.66 NZ$16.43

12.11%

Cappuccino

$6.03 $6.03

$3.43 NZ$5.84

75.80%

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

$2.80 $2.80

$2.51 NZ$4.27

11.55%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.48 $2.48

$1.83 NZ$3.11

35.52%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$4.97 $4.97

$7.75 NZ$13.18

-35.87%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$5.68 $5.68

$7.04 NZ$11.96

-19.32%

Milk (1 liter)

$0.90 $0.90

$1.95 NZ$3.32

-53.85%

White Bread (500g)

$2.89 $2.89

$2.35 NZ$3.99

22.98%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$3.21 $3.21

$1.96 NZ$3.34

63.78%

Eggs

$3.80 $3.80

$7.23 NZ$12.29

-47.44%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$9.63 $9.63

$9.50 NZ$16.14

1.37%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$11.94 $11.94

$10.08 NZ$17.13

18.45%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$18.90 $18.90

$15.65 NZ$26.61

20.77%

Apples (1kg)

$5.45 $5.45

$3.30 NZ$5.61

65.15%

Banana (1kg)

$1.48 $1.48

$2.28 NZ$3.88

-35.09%

Oranges (1kg)

$4.31 $4.31

$3.11 NZ$5.28

38.59%

Tomato (1kg)

$3.80 $3.80

$6.90 NZ$11.73

-44.93%

Potato (1kg)

$2.22 $2.22

$2.28 NZ$3.87

-2.63%

Onion (1kg)

$3.71 $3.71

$1.34 NZ$2.28

176.87%

Lettuce (1 head)

$2.70 $2.70

$2.10 NZ$3.56

28.57%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$3.02 $3.02

$1.25 NZ$2.13

141.60%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$9.11 $9.11

$26.38 NZ$44.85

-65.47%

Wine (Bottle)

$15.28 $15.28

$12.04 NZ$20.47

26.91%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.68 $1.68

$3.29 NZ$5.60

-48.94%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.96 $2.96

$2.91 NZ$4.94

1.72%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$2.02 $2.02

$2.99 NZ$5.08

-32.44%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$41.59 $41.59

$107 NZ$183

-61.26%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$1.95 $1.95

$1.96 NZ$3.34

-0.51%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.21 $1.21

$1.94 NZ$3.31

-37.63%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$19.92 $19.92

$34.91 NZ$59.3

-42.94%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$0.88 $0.88

$1.95 NZ$3.32

-54.87%

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

$36.1K $36.1K

$27.1K NZ$46.2K

33.10%

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

$24.5K $24.5K

$26.2K NZ$44.6K

-6.66%

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

$169 $169

$210 NZ$357

-19.57%

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

$45.56 $45.56

$32.92 NZ$56.0

38.40%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$44.44 $44.44

$57.1 NZ$97.0

-22.13%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$52.8 $52.8

$40.38 NZ$68.7

30.83%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$20.01 $20.01

$17.41 NZ$29.60

14.93%

Cinema Ticket

$14.16 $14.16

$13.14 NZ$22.34

7.76%

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

$1,393 $1,393

$1,097 NZ$1,865

26.96%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$12.0K $12.0K

$13.8K NZ$23.5K

-12.99%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$63.3 $63.3

$82.6 NZ$140

-23.34%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$62.2 $62.2

$29.26 NZ$49.74

112.41%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$73.4 $73.4

$106 NZ$180

-30.72%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$86.5 $86.5

$158 NZ$269

-45.32%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,626 $1,626

$1,305 NZ$2,218

24.58%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,283 $1,283

$1,205 NZ$2,048

6.48%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$2,070 $2,070

$2,293 NZ$3,898

-9.72%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$2,319 $2,319

$1,790 NZ$3,043

29.55%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$2,080 $2,080

$6,973 NZ$11.9K

-70.17%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$2,074 $2,074

$3,721 NZ$6,325

-44.27%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$4,607 $4,607

$2,956 NZ$5,025

55.87%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

6.03

5.39

11.87%

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

Last update for Rochester, MN: August 30, 2026

Last update for Wellington: August 31, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $1,626 in Rochester, MN and $1,305 in Wellington. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Rochester, MN pays 56% more on average. The extra income cushions the higher costs, though housing choices and lifestyle decide how much of the gap is truly closed.

Dining out: $74.0 in Rochester, MN vs $67.0 in Wellington for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $390 vs $362 per month, with Wellington 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

Rochester, MN vs Wellington: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Wellington wins on cost – living expenses run 2% lower than in Rochester, MN. Housing and daily spending are where you'll feel the difference most, making Wellington the obvious pick if budget is a priority.

Average pay runs 56% higher in Rochester, MN, 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: $1,626 in Rochester, MN versus $1,305 in Wellington. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Supermarket bills run roughly 8% higher in Rochester, MN. For households that cook at home regularly, that difference adds up over a month.

Dining out is cheaper in Wellington – a meal for two runs $67.0 versus $74.0 in Rochester, MN. If you eat out regularly, this makes a real dent in your monthly spending.

At $2,447 in Wellington versus $2,493 in Rochester, MN, a $2,500 budget is realistic in Wellington but tight or insufficient in Rochester, MN. The gap between the two cities makes Wellington the clear choice for anyone on this budget.

Both work as nomad bases, but Wellington delivers better value – similar infrastructure at $2,447 monthly. If stretching your runway or maximizing savings is the goal, the price difference makes Wellington hard to pass up.

Safety-wise, Rochester, MN and Wellington 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 Wellington gentler on the wallet – expenses run 2% less than in Rochester, MN. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.