Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Wellington and Ames, IA

For one person, living is cheaper in Ames, IA: $2,142 a month against $2,358 in Wellington, rent and utilities included – about $2,600 less a year. Higher rent and utilities in Wellington outweigh lower spending on other living expenses.

114

Cost of Living Index in Wellington
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Wellington Living Index
104

Cost of Living Index in Ames, IA
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Ames, IA Living Index

Jump to prices

Wellington

🇳🇿 New Zealand

$2,358

/mo nomad

Ames, IA

🇺🇸 United States

$2,142

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

How much you'll spend in Wellington and in Ames, IA

Real prices from locals and on-the-ground checks – rent, groceries, transit and the daily extras. Here's what a month in Wellington and in Ames, IA actually costs, broken down by who's living it.

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $2,358 in Wellington versus $2,142 in Ames, IA.

Wellington $2,358
Ames, IA $2,142

Estimated couple costs with rent: $3,368 in Wellington versus $3,242 in Ames, IA.

Wellington $3,368
Ames, IA $3,242

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $4,378 in Wellington versus $4,342 in Ames, IA.

Wellington $4,378
Ames, IA $4,342

Living in Wellington is roughly 10% more expensive than in Ames, IA, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in groceries.

Both cities are pricier than the global median: Wellington 75% above, Ames, IA 59% above.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$13.72 NZ$24.27

$18.13 $18.13

-24.32%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$63.7 NZ$113

$52.0 $52.0

22.53%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$8.95 NZ$15.83

$12.18 $12.18

-26.52%

Cappuccino

$3.42 NZ$6.05

$4.87 $4.87

-29.77%

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

$2.44 NZ$4.31

$2.60 $2.60

-6.15%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.69 NZ$2.98

$2.25 $2.25

-24.89%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$7.22 NZ$12.76

$4.05 $4.05

78.27%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$6.65 NZ$11.76

$6.81 $6.81

-2.35%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.91 NZ$3.38

$0.89 $0.89

114.61%

White Bread (500g)

$2.20 NZ$3.89

$3.55 $3.55

-38.03%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.83 NZ$3.24

$3.26 $3.26

-43.87%

Eggs

$6.77 NZ$11.97

$3.34 $3.34

102.69%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$9.05 NZ$16.00

$10.08 $10.08

-10.22%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$9.85 NZ$17.43

$13.62 $13.62

-27.68%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$15.19 NZ$26.86

$19.05 $19.05

-20.26%

Apples (1kg)

$3.12 NZ$5.52

$5.88 $5.88

-46.94%

Banana (1kg)

$2.21 NZ$3.91

$1.82 $1.82

21.43%

Oranges (1kg)

$3.07 NZ$5.43

$6.69 $6.69

-54.11%

Tomato (1kg)

$6.59 NZ$11.65

$5.22 $5.22

26.25%

Potato (1kg)

$2.06 NZ$3.64

$4.54 $4.54

-54.63%

Onion (1kg)

$1.23 NZ$2.18

$4.07 $4.07

-69.78%

Lettuce (1 head)

$2.07 NZ$3.66

$2.32 $2.32

-10.78%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$1.15 NZ$2.03

$2.44 $2.44

-52.87%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$24.86 NZ$43.96

$13.03 $13.03

90.79%

Wine (Bottle)

$11.28 NZ$19.95

$16.11 $16.11

-29.98%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$3.09 NZ$5.47

$2.87 $2.87

7.67%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.87 NZ$5.08

$4.98 $4.98

-42.37%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$2.83 NZ$5.01

$0.99 $0.99

185.86%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$102 NZ$180

$35.57 $35.57

185.47%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$1.87 NZ$3.30

$5.09 $5.09

-63.26%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.82 NZ$3.22

$1.69 $1.69

7.69%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$34.15 NZ$60.4

$24.13 $24.13

41.53%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.82 NZ$3.22

$0.96 $0.96

89.58%

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

$25.0K NZ$44.2K

$24.7K $24.7K

1.03%

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

$25.4K NZ$44.9K

$25.1K $25.1K

1.36%

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

$197 NZ$348

$176 $176

11.59%

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

$32.00 NZ$56.6

$54.3 $54.3

-41.09%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$52.4 NZ$92.7

$71.2 $71.2

-26.32%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$37.73 NZ$66.7

$69.0 $69.0

-45.33%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$16.11 NZ$28.50

$19.74 $19.74

-18.39%

Cinema Ticket

$11.93 NZ$21.10

$15.97 $15.97

-25.30%

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

$1,056 NZ$1,867

$1,370 $1,370

-22.92%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$12.8K NZ$22.6K

$36.1K $36.1K

-64.70%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$76.3 NZ$135

$58.4 $58.4

30.72%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$28.23 NZ$49.93

$44.68 $44.68

-36.82%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$99.6 NZ$176

$90.1 $90.1

10.50%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$152 NZ$270

$105 $105

45.74%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,226 NZ$2,169

$1,005 $1,005

22.01%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,141 NZ$2,018

$822 $822

38.77%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$2,143 NZ$3,790

$1,860 $1,860

15.18%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,709 NZ$3,022

$1,505 $1,505

13.56%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$6,578 NZ$11.6K

$2,432 $2,432

170.47%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$3,559 NZ$6,294

$2,185 $2,185

62.88%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$2,785 NZ$4,925

$3,597 $3,597

-22.59%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

5.39

6.41

-15.91%

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

Last update for Wellington: October 10, 2026

Last update for Ames, IA: October 11, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Accommodation & Living

Wellington

$1.1K 48.4%

Ames, IA

$822 38.4% 27.9% $319

Groceries & Markets

Wellington

$346 14.7%

Ames, IA

$436 20.4% 26.1% $90

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Wellington

$281 11.9%

Ames, IA

$302 14.1% 7.3% $21

Eating Out

Wellington

$244 10.3%

Ames, IA

$293 13.7% 20.4% $50

Clothing & Footwear

Wellington

$160 6.8%

Ames, IA

$134 6.3% 16.5% $26

Getting Around

Wellington

$124 5.3%

Ames, IA

$53 2.5% 57.1% $71

Sport & Entertainment

Wellington

$62 2.6%

Ames, IA

$101 4.7% 63.9% $39

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $1,226 in Wellington and $1,005 in Ames, IA. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Ames, IA pays 29% more on average while also being the cheaper of the two. The combined effect is a noticeably stronger local purchasing power.

Dining out: $64.0 in Wellington vs $52.0 in Ames, IA. Groceries flip the comparison at $346 vs $436, with Wellington cheaper for home cooking.

Good to know

🇳🇿 Wellington

🇺🇸 Ames, IA

🕒 Local time

08:36 8:36 AM

14:36 2:36 PM

18 h behind Wellington

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

215,900 Capital

66,427

💱 Currency

New Zealand Dollar NZD $

United States Dollar USD $

📈 Exchange rate

1 NZD = 0.565 USD

1 NZD = 0.503 EUR

1 USD = 0.89 EUR

Exchange rates and currency converter

USD, EUR to NZD – New Zealand Dollar Converter

🇺🇸 United States Dollar ($)

🇳🇿 New Zealand Dollar ($)

New Zealand Dollar exchange rates as of October 18, 2026: 1 USD = 1.77 NZD (1 NZD = 0.565 USD). 1 EUR = 1.99 NZD (1 NZD = 0.503 EUR).

United States Dollar exchange rates as of October 18, 2026: 1 EUR = 1.12 USD (1 USD = 0.89 EUR).

USD to NZD in detail →

On the map

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Highest

Between locations

Wellington Ames, IA 13,030 km ≈ 17 h nonstop flight

From you

Wellington
Ames, IA

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

Wellington vs Ames, IA: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Ames, IA wins on cost – living expenses run 10% lower than in Wellington. Housing and daily spending are where you'll feel the difference most, making Ames, IA the obvious pick if budget is a priority.

On paper, salaries run 29% lower in Ames, IA. That's worth factoring in alongside costs, though remote workers earning in a stronger currency may not notice the difference at all.

Rent for a central apartment: $1,226 in Wellington versus $1,005 in Ames, IA. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

A monthly transit pass in Ames, IA runs roughly 185% less than in Wellington. Both cities have functional networks, but the price difference matters if you're watching your budget.

Childcare runs $1,056 in Wellington versus $1,370 in Ames, IA. Over years of preschool, even a modest monthly gap compounds into a major financial factor for families.

At $2,142 in Ames, IA versus $2,358 in Wellington, a $2,000 budget is realistic in Ames, IA but tight or insufficient in Wellington. The gap between the two cities makes Ames, IA the clear choice for anyone on this budget.

Both work as nomad bases, but Ames, IA delivers better value – similar infrastructure at $2,142 monthly. If stretching your runway or maximizing savings is the goal, the price difference makes Ames, IA hard to pass up.

Safety-wise, Wellington and Ames, IA 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 Ames, IA gentler on the wallet – expenses run 10% less than in Wellington. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.