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: $2,830 in Rochester, MN versus $2,354 in Wellington.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $4,078 in Rochester, MN versus $3,553 in Wellington.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $5,327 in Rochester, MN versus $4,751 in Wellington.

Living in Rochester, MN is roughly 20% more expensive than Wellington, driven mainly by Getting Around.

Both cities are pricier than the global median: Rochester, MN 111% above, Wellington 76% above.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$16.08 $16.08

$17.30 NZ$29.84

-7.05%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$74.9 $74.9

$84.5 NZ$146

-11.33%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$10.81 $10.81

$9.77 NZ$16.84

10.64%

Cappuccino

$6.24 $6.24

$3.80 NZ$6.55

64.21%

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

$2.64 $2.64

$2.60 NZ$4.49

1.54%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.24 $2.24

$2.18 NZ$3.76

2.75%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$4.88 $4.88

$7.03 NZ$12.13

-30.58%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$7.02 $7.02

$7.45 NZ$12.86

-5.77%

Milk (1 liter)

$0.91 $0.91

$1.87 NZ$3.22

-51.34%

White Bread (500g)

$2.53 $2.53

$2.11 NZ$3.63

19.91%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$2.18 $2.18

$1.95 NZ$3.37

11.79%

Eggs

$3.69 $3.69

$6.88 NZ$11.87

-46.37%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$12.50 $12.50

$8.13 NZ$14.03

53.75%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$11.90 $11.90

$11.06 NZ$19.07

7.59%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$16.21 $16.21

$13.14 NZ$22.67

23.36%

Apples (1kg)

$4.40 $4.40

$3.12 NZ$5.38

41.03%

Banana (1kg)

$1.58 $1.58

$2.24 NZ$3.86

-29.46%

Oranges (1kg)

$3.58 $3.58

$2.99 NZ$5.16

19.73%

Tomato (1kg)

$3.60 $3.60

$4.72 NZ$8.15

-23.73%

Potato (1kg)

$2.06 $2.06

$2.07 NZ$3.56

-0.48%

Onion (1kg)

$3.09 $3.09

$1.66 NZ$2.86

86.14%

Lettuce (1 head)

$3.07 $3.07

$2.21 NZ$3.81

38.91%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$2.98 $2.98

$1.28 NZ$2.22

132.81%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$9.19 $9.19

$26.87 NZ$46.34

-65.80%

Wine (Bottle)

$15.02 $15.02

$11.74 NZ$20.25

27.94%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.78 $1.78

$3.52 NZ$6.08

-49.43%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.07 $3.07

$3.18 NZ$5.48

-3.46%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$1.95 $1.95

$2.75 NZ$4.74

-29.09%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$42.19 $42.19

$107 NZ$185

-60.60%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$2.06 $2.06

$2.66 NZ$4.60

-22.56%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$2.21 $2.21

$1.85 NZ$3.20

19.46%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$20.32 $20.32

$60.4 NZ$104

-66.34%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$0.79 $0.79

$1.71 NZ$2.95

-53.80%

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

$25.5K $25.5K

$33.6K NZ$58.0K

-24.11%

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

$24.4K $24.4K

$24.6K NZ$42.4K

-0.57%

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

$124 $124

$160 NZ$276

-22.37%

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

$51.3 $51.3

$32.55 NZ$56.2

57.51%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$59.6 $59.6

$51.5 NZ$88.8

15.77%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$69.2 $69.2

$36.79 NZ$63.5

88.15%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$20.60 NZ$35.53

Cinema Ticket

$12.10 $12.10

$12.17 NZ$21.00

-0.58%

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

$1,354 $1,354

$800 NZ$1,380

69.17%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$11.7K $11.7K

$12.6K NZ$21.8K

-7.13%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$64.5 $64.5

$73.5 NZ$127

-12.27%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$62.1 $62.1

$53.1 NZ$91.7

16.88%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$73.2 $73.2

$119 NZ$205

-38.53%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$84.9 $84.9

$142 NZ$244

-40.05%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,439 $1,439

$1,339 NZ$2,310

7.47%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,604 $1,604

$1,105 NZ$1,905

45.25%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$2,111 $2,111

$2,103 NZ$3,628

0.36%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$2,628 $2,628

$1,888 NZ$3,257

39.18%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$2,053 $2,053

$6,602 NZ$11.4K

-68.91%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$2,133 $2,133

$3,897 NZ$6,722

-45.27%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$4,598 $4,598

$3,057 NZ$5,273

50.41%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

6.4

6.94

-7.78%

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

Last update for Rochester, MN: June 1, 2026

Last update for Wellington: May 31, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $1,439 in Rochester, MN and $1,339 in Wellington. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Rochester, MN pays 50% 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: $75.0 in Rochester, MN vs $85.0 in Wellington. Groceries flip the comparison at $373 vs $340, with Wellington cheaper for home cooking.

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 20% 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.

Rochester, MN pays 50% 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: $1,439 in Rochester, MN versus $1,339 in Wellington. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Supermarket bills run roughly 10% 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 $85.0 versus $75.0 in Rochester, MN. If you eat out regularly, this makes a real dent in your monthly spending.

At $2,354 in Wellington versus $2,830 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 $2,354 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 20% less than in Rochester, MN. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.