Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Rochester, MN and Wellington

For one person, living is cheaper in Wellington: $2,376 a month against $2,512 in Rochester, MN, rent and utilities included – about $1,600 less a year. Rent and utilities account for most of the difference.

122

Cost of Living Index in Rochester, MN
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Rochester, MN Living Index
115

Cost of Living Index in Wellington
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Wellington Living Index

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Rochester, MN

🇺🇸 United States

$2,512

/mo nomad

Wellington

🇳🇿 New Zealand

$2,376

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

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

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $2,512 in Rochester, MN versus $2,376 in Wellington.

Rochester, MN $2,512
Wellington $2,376

Estimated couple costs with rent: $3,838 in Rochester, MN versus $3,407 in Wellington.

Rochester, MN $3,838
Wellington $3,407

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $5,164 in Rochester, MN versus $4,439 in Wellington.

Rochester, MN $5,164
Wellington $4,439

Living in Rochester, MN is roughly 6% more expensive than in Wellington, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in eating out.

Both cities are pricier than the global median: Rochester, MN 85% above, Wellington 75% above.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$19.97 $19.97

$14.01 NZ$24.78

42.54%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$73.6 $73.6

$65.8 NZ$116

11.83%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$11.06 $11.06

$9.37 NZ$16.56

18.04%

Cappuccino

$5.83 $5.83

$3.40 NZ$6.02

71.47%

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

$2.82 $2.82

$2.46 NZ$4.35

14.63%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.46 $2.46

$1.75 NZ$3.09

40.57%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$5.03 $5.03

$7.27 NZ$12.85

-30.81%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$5.67 $5.67

$6.71 NZ$11.87

-15.50%

Milk (1 liter)

$0.86 $0.86

$1.94 NZ$3.43

-55.67%

White Bread (500g)

$2.88 $2.88

$2.15 NZ$3.81

33.95%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$3.26 $3.26

$1.83 NZ$3.25

78.14%

Eggs

$3.65 $3.65

$6.88 NZ$12.16

-46.95%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$9.31 $9.31

$9.19 NZ$16.26

1.31%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$12.22 $12.22

$9.99 NZ$17.67

22.32%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$18.90 $18.90

$14.97 NZ$26.48

26.25%

Apples (1kg)

$5.20 $5.20

$3.03 NZ$5.36

71.62%

Banana (1kg)

$1.51 $1.51

$2.24 NZ$3.96

-32.59%

Oranges (1kg)

$4.27 $4.27

$3.09 NZ$5.47

38.19%

Tomato (1kg)

$3.84 $3.84

$6.55 NZ$11.59

-41.37%

Potato (1kg)

$2.17 $2.17

$2.16 NZ$3.83

0.46%

Onion (1kg)

$3.60 $3.60

$1.28 NZ$2.27

181.25%

Lettuce (1 head)

$2.72 $2.72

$2.10 NZ$3.71

29.52%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$2.91 $2.91

$1.20 NZ$2.12

142.50%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$9.83 $9.83

$25.79 NZ$45.60

-61.88%

Wine (Bottle)

$15.15 $15.15

$11.27 NZ$19.94

34.43%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.69 $1.69

$3.12 NZ$5.51

-45.83%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.94 $2.94

$2.82 NZ$4.98

4.26%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$1.98 $1.98

$2.76 NZ$4.89

-28.26%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$42.25 $42.25

$104 NZ$184

-59.42%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$2.02 $2.02

$1.88 NZ$3.33

7.45%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.27 $1.27

$1.78 NZ$3.14

-28.65%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$19.82 $19.82

$33.72 NZ$59.6

-41.22%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$0.86 $0.86

$1.85 NZ$3.27

-53.51%

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

$27.2K $27.2K

$28.7K NZ$50.8K

-5.20%

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

$25.8K $25.8K

$23.8K NZ$42.1K

8.24%

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

$169 $169

$194 NZ$344

-12.76%

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

$47.11 $47.11

$33.42 NZ$59.1

40.96%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$44.05 $44.05

$53.5 NZ$94.7

-17.69%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$53.2 $53.2

$38.12 NZ$67.4

39.51%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$20.18 $20.18

$16.15 NZ$28.56

24.95%

Cinema Ticket

$10.09 $10.09

$11.97 NZ$21.17

-15.71%

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

$1,352 $1,352

$1,056 NZ$1,868

28.00%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$11.9K $11.9K

$12.9K NZ$22.9K

-8.13%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$62.4 $62.4

$79.2 NZ$140

-21.21%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$62.7 $62.7

$28.87 NZ$51.1

117.25%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$73.9 $73.9

$103 NZ$182

-28.14%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$86.4 $86.4

$156 NZ$275

-44.54%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,645 $1,645

$1,217 NZ$2,152

35.23%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,284 $1,284

$1,147 NZ$2,028

11.95%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$2,035 $2,035

$2,154 NZ$3,809

-5.52%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$2,380 $2,380

$1,731 NZ$3,061

37.52%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$2,165 $2,165

$6,780 NZ$12.0K

-68.06%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$1,961 $1,961

$3,655 NZ$6,464

-46.34%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$4,617 $4,617

$2,812 NZ$4,972

64.20%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

6.57

5.39

21.89%

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

Last update for Rochester, MN: October 19, 2026

Last update for Wellington: October 18, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Accommodation & Living

Rochester, MN

$1.3K 51.1%

Wellington

$1.1K 48.3% 10.7% $137

Groceries & Markets

Rochester, MN

$386 15.4%

Wellington

$348 14.6% 10% $39

Eating Out

Rochester, MN

$321 12.8%

Wellington

$248 10.4% 22.7% $73

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Rochester, MN

$261 10.4%

Wellington

$281 11.8% 7.9% $21

Clothing & Footwear

Rochester, MN

$128 5.1%

Wellington

$165 6.9% 28.5% $37

Sport & Entertainment

Rochester, MN

$73 2.9%

Wellington

$62 2.6% 15.4% $11

Getting Around

Rochester, MN

$59 2.3%

Wellington

$126 5.3% 115% $67

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $1,645 in Rochester, MN and $1,217 in Wellington. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Rochester, MN pays 64% 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 $66.0 in Wellington for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $386 vs $348 per month, with Wellington cheaper across the board.

Good to know

🇺🇸 Rochester, MN

🇳🇿 Wellington

🕒 Local time

15:38 3:38 PM

09:38 9:38 AM

18 h ahead of Rochester, MN

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

211,328

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 21, 2026: 1 EUR = 1.12 USD (1 USD = 0.89 EUR).

New Zealand Dollar exchange rates as of October 21, 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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Between locations

Rochester, MN Wellington 13,230 km ≈ 17 h nonstop flight

From you

Rochester, MN
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

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

Wellington wins on cost – living expenses run 6% 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 64% 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: $1,645 in Rochester, MN versus $1,217 in Wellington. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Supermarket bills run roughly 11% 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 $66.0 versus $74.0 in Rochester, MN. If you eat out regularly, this makes a real dent in your monthly spending.

At $2,376 in Wellington versus $2,512 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 $2,376 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 6% less than in Rochester, MN. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.