Cost of Living Comparison Between Solihull and Nelson Cost of Living Comparison Between Solihull and Nelson

Monthly Cost of Living

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $2,387 in Solihull versus $2,065 in Nelson.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $3,545 in Solihull versus $3,086 in Nelson.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $4,702 in Solihull versus $4,108 in Nelson.

Living in Solihull is roughly 16% more expensive than in Nelson, driven mainly by Groceries & Markets.

Both cities are pricier than the global median: Solihull 79% above, Nelson 55% above.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$20.73 £15.43

$21.48 NZ$36.69

-3.49%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$78.2 £58.2

$83.4 NZ$142

-6.20%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$10.47 £7.80

$9.66 NZ$16.50

8.39%

Cappuccino

$4.69 £3.49

$3.29 NZ$5.63

42.55%

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

$2.39 £1.78

$2.59 NZ$4.43

-7.72%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.79 £1.33

$2.69 NZ$4.59

-33.46%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$6.72 £5.00

$7.36 NZ$12.58

-8.70%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$6.05 £4.50

$5.99 NZ$10.24

1.00%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.73 £1.28

$2.39 NZ$4.08

-27.62%

White Bread (500g)

$1.61 £1.20

$2.22 NZ$3.80

-27.48%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$2.68 £1.99

$2.34 NZ$4.00

14.53%

Eggs

$5.30 £3.95

$6.09 NZ$10.41

-12.97%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$10.11 £7.53

$9.83 NZ$16.79

2.85%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$8.32 £6.19

$7.79 NZ$13.31

6.80%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$14.29 £10.64

$15.86 NZ$27.10

-9.90%

Apples (1kg)

$4.11 £3.06

$3.61 NZ$6.16

13.85%

Banana (1kg)

$1.57 £1.17

$2.62 NZ$4.48

-40.08%

Oranges (1kg)

$1.98 £1.47

$3.14 NZ$5.36

-36.94%

Tomato (1kg)

$5.55 £4.13

$6.68 NZ$11.41

-16.92%

Potato (1kg)

$1.66 £1.23

$3.81 NZ$6.51

-56.43%

Onion (1kg)

$1.48 £1.10

$2.56 NZ$4.37

-42.19%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.34 £1.00

$2.54 NZ$4.34

-47.24%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$1.31 £0.98

$1.28 NZ$2.18

2.34%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$19.40 £14.44

$29.98 NZ$51.2

-35.29%

Wine (Bottle)

$9.61 £7.16

$9.66 NZ$16.51

-0.52%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$3.35 £2.50

$3.11 NZ$5.31

7.72%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$4.22 £3.14

$4.63 NZ$7.91

-8.86%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$3.21 £2.39

$2.38 NZ$4.07

34.87%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$88.0 £65.5

$64.4 NZ$110

36.55%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$6.86 £5.10

$4.14 NZ$7.08

65.70%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.43 £1.06

$1.77 NZ$3.03

-19.21%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$23.18 £17.25

$35.34 NZ$60.4

-34.41%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.99 £1.48

$1.71 NZ$2.92

16.37%

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

$38.2K £28.5K

$18.2K NZ$31.1K

110.25%

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

$39.1K £29.1K

$22.5K NZ$38.4K

73.83%

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

$292 £217

$217 NZ$371

34.37%

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

$18.57 £13.83

$36.21 NZ$61.9

-48.72%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$47.16 £35.11

$49.46 NZ$84.5

-4.65%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$54.6 £40.61

$48.81 NZ$83.4

11.76%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$20.79 NZ$35.52

Cinema Ticket

$14.79 £11.01

$10.11 NZ$17.26

46.29%

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

$1,691 £1,259

$486 NZ$830

248.25%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$19.4K £14.5K

$12.3K NZ$21.0K

58.02%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$94.9 £70.7

$60.5 NZ$103

57.01%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$47.89 £35.65

$66.1 NZ$113

-27.59%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$121 £90.2

$132 NZ$226

-8.28%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$119 £88.7

$109 NZ$186

9.46%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,208 £899

$989 NZ$1,689

22.17%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$982 £731

$735 NZ$1,255

33.68%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$2,035 £1,515

$1,396 NZ$2,384

45.79%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,666 £1,240

$1,193 NZ$2,037

39.67%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$5,560 £4,140

$3,818 NZ$6,522

45.65%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$3,621 £2,696

$3,099 NZ$5,293

16.87%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$4,740 £3,529

$2,325 NZ$3,971

103.92%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

5.74

6.82

-15.84%

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

Last update for Solihull: July 13, 2026

Last update for Nelson: July 12, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $1,208 in Solihull and $989 in Nelson. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Solihull pays 104% 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: $78.0 in Solihull vs $83.0 in Nelson for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $319 vs $362 per month, with Solihull 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

Solihull vs Nelson: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Nelson wins on cost – living expenses run 16% lower than in Solihull. Housing and daily spending are where you'll feel the difference most, making Nelson the obvious pick if budget is a priority.

Average pay runs 104% higher in Solihull, 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: $1,208 in Solihull versus $989 in Nelson. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Shoppers in Solihull pay roughly 13% less for everyday groceries. It's an unusual reversal that partly offsets higher costs elsewhere.

Dining out is cheaper in Nelson – a meal for two runs $83.0 versus $78.0 in Solihull. If you eat out regularly, this makes a real dent in your monthly spending.

At $2,065 in Nelson versus $2,387 in Solihull, a $2,000 budget is realistic in Nelson but tight or insufficient in Solihull. The gap between the two cities makes Nelson the clear choice for anyone on this budget.

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.

Safety-wise, Solihull and Nelson 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 Nelson gentler on the wallet – expenses run 16% less than in Solihull. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.