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: $2,330 in Solihull versus $2,031 in Nelson.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $3,492 in Solihull versus $3,093 in Nelson.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $4,654 in Solihull versus $4,155 in Nelson.

Living in Solihull is roughly 15% more expensive than Nelson, driven mainly by Groceries & Markets.

Both cities are pricier than the global median: Solihull 74% above, Nelson 52% above.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$20.20 £15.05

$21.08 NZ$35.90

-4.17%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$79.2 £59.0

$85.8 NZ$146

-7.73%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$10.38 £7.73

$9.88 NZ$16.83

5.06%

Cappuccino

$4.60 £3.43

$3.30 NZ$5.63

39.39%

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

$2.36 £1.76

$2.62 NZ$4.47

-9.92%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.83 £1.36

$2.74 NZ$4.66

-33.21%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$6.98 £5.20

$7.21 NZ$12.28

-3.19%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$6.17 £4.60

$6.08 NZ$10.36

1.48%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.73 £1.29

$2.35 NZ$4.00

-26.38%

White Bread (500g)

$1.67 £1.25

$2.24 NZ$3.81

-25.45%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$2.56 £1.91

$2.26 NZ$3.86

13.27%

Eggs

$5.46 £4.07

$6.09 NZ$10.37

-10.34%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$10.40 £7.75

$9.98 NZ$17.00

4.21%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$8.57 £6.38

$7.88 NZ$13.43

8.76%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$13.99 £10.42

$15.70 NZ$26.74

-10.89%

Apples (1kg)

$4.03 £3.00

$3.50 NZ$5.96

15.14%

Banana (1kg)

$1.55 £1.16

$2.52 NZ$4.29

-38.49%

Oranges (1kg)

$2.00 £1.49

$3.01 NZ$5.12

-33.55%

Tomato (1kg)

$5.68 £4.23

$6.68 NZ$11.37

-14.97%

Potato (1kg)

$1.70 £1.27

$3.68 NZ$6.27

-53.80%

Onion (1kg)

$1.48 £1.10

$2.60 NZ$4.43

-43.08%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.34 £1.00

$2.60 NZ$4.43

-48.46%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$1.36 £1.01

$1.29 NZ$2.20

5.43%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$18.67 £13.91

$29.83 NZ$50.8

-37.41%

Wine (Bottle)

$9.61 £7.16

$9.97 NZ$16.98

-3.61%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$3.48 £2.59

$3.07 NZ$5.23

13.36%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$4.11 £3.06

$4.53 NZ$7.72

-9.27%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$3.21 £2.39

$2.38 NZ$4.05

34.87%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$90.2 £67.2

$64.9 NZ$111

38.89%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$6.72 £5.01

$4.24 NZ$7.23

58.49%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.37 £1.02

$1.79 NZ$3.05

-23.46%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$23.07 £17.19

$34.87 NZ$59.4

-33.84%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.93 £1.44

$1.72 NZ$2.93

12.21%

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

$38.9K £29.0K

$18.5K NZ$31.6K

109.72%

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

$40.2K £29.9K

$22.0K NZ$37.4K

82.88%

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

$299 £222

$221 NZ$376

35.18%

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

$18.66 £13.90

$35.09 NZ$59.8

-46.82%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$47.69 £35.53

$48.83 NZ$83.2

-2.33%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$53.9 £40.14

$48.04 NZ$81.8

12.16%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$21.48 NZ$36.59

Cinema Ticket

$15.03 £11.20

$9.89 NZ$16.85

51.97%

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

$1,679 £1,251

$487 NZ$829

245.13%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$19.2K £14.3K

$12.0K NZ$20.4K

60.48%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$92.4 £68.8

$60.6 NZ$103

52.45%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$48.64 £36.24

$66.5 NZ$113

-26.85%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$119 £88.9

$130 NZ$222

-8.44%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$118 £88.2

$110 NZ$187

7.84%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,237 £921

$989 NZ$1,685

25.05%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,015 £756

$742 NZ$1,263

36.89%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$2,065 £1,538

$1,424 NZ$2,425

44.99%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,710 £1,274

$1,193 NZ$2,033

43.28%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$5,581 £4,158

$3,920 NZ$6,678

42.37%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$3,718 £2,770

$3,214 NZ$5,476

15.66%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$4,735 £3,527

$2,429 NZ$4,137

94.93%

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: May 31, 2026

Last update for Nelson: June 2, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $1,237 in Solihull and $989 in Nelson. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Solihull pays 95% 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: $79.0 in Solihull vs $86.0 in Nelson for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $322 vs $360 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 15% 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.

Solihull pays 95% 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: $1,237 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 12% 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 $86.0 versus $79.0 in Solihull. If you eat out regularly, this makes a real dent in your monthly spending.

At $2,031 in Nelson versus $2,330 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 15% less than in Solihull. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.