Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Wellington and Austin, TX

For one person, living is cheaper in Wellington: $2,342 a month against $2,704 in Austin, TX, rent and utilities included – about $4,300 less a year. Rent and utilities account for most of the difference.

114

Cost of Living Index in Wellington
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Wellington Living Index
129

Cost of Living Index in Austin, TX
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Austin, TX Living Index

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Wellington

🇳🇿 New Zealand

$2,342

/mo nomad

Austin, TX

🇺🇸 United States

$2,704

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

How much you'll spend in Wellington and in Austin, TX

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 Austin, TX actually costs, broken down by who's living it.

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $2,342 in Wellington versus $2,704 in Austin, TX.

Wellington $2,342
Austin, TX $2,704

Estimated couple costs with rent: $3,316 in Wellington versus $4,133 in Austin, TX.

Wellington $3,316
Austin, TX $4,133

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $4,291 in Wellington versus $5,562 in Austin, TX.

Wellington $4,291
Austin, TX $5,562

Living in Wellington costs roughly 13% less than in Austin, TX, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in eating out.

Both cities are pricier than the global median: Wellington 75% above, Austin, TX 102% above.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$13.89 NZ$24.77

$20.22 $20.22

-31.31%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$64.2 NZ$114

$85.0 $85.0

-24.56%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$8.95 NZ$15.97

$12.35 $12.35

-27.53%

Cappuccino

$3.29 NZ$5.86

$5.47 $5.47

-39.85%

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

$2.35 NZ$4.20

$3.82 $3.82

-38.48%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.67 NZ$2.98

$2.50 $2.50

-33.20%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$7.24 NZ$12.91

$8.06 $8.06

-10.17%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$6.75 NZ$12.04

$8.99 $8.99

-24.92%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.90 NZ$3.38

$1.13 $1.13

68.14%

White Bread (500g)

$2.15 NZ$3.83

$3.78 $3.78

-43.12%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.82 NZ$3.24

$3.25 $3.25

-44.00%

Eggs

$6.73 NZ$12.00

$4.14 $4.14

62.56%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$9.05 NZ$16.15

$13.08 $13.08

-30.81%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$9.54 NZ$17.02

$14.31 $14.31

-33.33%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$15.30 NZ$27.29

$15.96 $15.96

-4.14%

Apples (1kg)

$3.16 NZ$5.64

$4.38 $4.38

-27.85%

Banana (1kg)

$2.23 NZ$3.98

$1.45 $1.45

53.79%

Oranges (1kg)

$2.97 NZ$5.29

$4.54 $4.54

-34.58%

Tomato (1kg)

$6.33 NZ$11.28

$4.19 $4.19

51.07%

Potato (1kg)

$2.06 NZ$3.67

$2.63 $2.63

-21.67%

Onion (1kg)

$1.24 NZ$2.20

$2.36 $2.36

-47.46%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.99 NZ$3.55

$1.76 $1.76

13.07%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$1.19 NZ$2.13

$2.16 $2.16

-44.91%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$25.37 NZ$45.25

$9.81 $9.81

158.61%

Wine (Bottle)

$11.37 NZ$20.28

$14.72 $14.72

-22.76%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$3.17 NZ$5.66

$2.78 $2.78

14.03%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.76 NZ$4.92

$3.48 $3.48

-20.69%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$2.74 NZ$4.89

$1.49 $1.49

83.89%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$102 NZ$182

$40.51 $40.51

151.72%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$1.82 NZ$3.24

$2.67 $2.67

-31.84%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.77 NZ$3.17

$1.58 $1.58

12.03%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$33.17 NZ$59.2

$35.29 $35.29

-6.01%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.83 NZ$3.27

$0.99 $0.99

84.85%

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

$25.6K NZ$45.7K

$35.8K $35.8K

-28.41%

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

$25.4K NZ$45.3K

$27.2K $27.2K

-6.47%

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

$199 NZ$354

$219 $219

-9.36%

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

$32.79 NZ$58.5

$58.0 $58.0

-43.46%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$53.5 NZ$95.4

$68.4 $68.4

-21.80%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$38.58 NZ$68.8

$57.9 $57.9

-33.37%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$16.40 NZ$29.25

$14.82 $14.82

10.66%

Cinema Ticket

$12.14 NZ$21.66

$14.13 $14.13

-14.08%

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

$1,036 NZ$1,849

$1,509 $1,509

-31.32%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$12.9K NZ$22.9K

$21.5K $21.5K

-40.07%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$78.4 NZ$140

$51.7 $51.7

51.78%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$28.23 NZ$50.4

$44.05 $44.05

-35.91%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$103 NZ$184

$85.1 $85.1

21.27%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$155 NZ$276

$105 $105

47.01%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,228 NZ$2,190

$1,932 $1,932

-36.47%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,139 NZ$2,032

$1,272 $1,272

-10.45%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$2,171 NZ$3,873

$3,670 $3,670

-40.84%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,670 NZ$2,978

$2,525 $2,525

-33.87%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$6,719 NZ$12.0K

$7,617 $7,617

-11.80%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$3,505 NZ$6,252

$3,199 $3,199

9.56%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$2,818 NZ$5,027

$5,105 $5,105

-44.79%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

5.39

6.79

-20.62%

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

Last update for Wellington: October 5, 2026

Last update for Austin, TX: October 5, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Accommodation & Living

Wellington

$1.1K 48.3%

Austin, TX

$1.3K 48.2% 11.7% $133

Groceries & Markets

Wellington

$343 14.5%

Austin, TX

$403 15.3% 17.4% $60

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Wellington

$285 12.1%

Austin, TX

$346 13.1% 21.3% $61

Eating Out

Wellington

$243 10.3%

Austin, TX

$348 13.2% 43.1% $105

Clothing & Footwear

Wellington

$164 7%

Austin, TX

$129 4.9% 21.5% $35

Getting Around

Wellington

$124 5.2%

Austin, TX

$57 2.2% 53.9% $67

Sport & Entertainment

Wellington

$63 2.7%

Austin, TX

$86 3.3% 37% $23

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $1,228 in Wellington and $1,932 in Austin, TX. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Austin, TX pays 81% 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: $64.0 in Wellington vs $85.0 in Austin, TX for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $343 vs $403 per month, with Wellington cheaper across the board.

Good to know

🇳🇿 Wellington

🇺🇸 Austin, TX

🕒 Local time

18:37 6:37 PM

00:37 12:37 AM

18 h behind Wellington

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

215,900 Capital

974,447

💱 Currency

New Zealand Dollar NZD $

United States Dollar USD $

📈 Exchange rate

1 NZD = 0.561 USD

1 NZD = 0.5 EUR

1 USD = 0.892 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 10, 2026: 1 USD = 1.78 NZD (1 NZD = 0.561 USD). 1 EUR = 2 NZD (1 NZD = 0.5 EUR).

United States Dollar exchange rates as of October 10, 2026: 1 EUR = 1.12 USD (1 USD = 0.892 EUR).

USD to NZD in detail →

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Highest

Between locations

Wellington Austin, TX 11,980 km ≈ 15 h nonstop flight

From you

Wellington
Austin, TX

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 Austin, TX: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Wellington wins on cost – living expenses run 15% lower than in Austin, TX. Housing and daily spending are where you'll feel the difference most, making Wellington the obvious pick if budget is a priority.

On paper, salaries run 81% lower in Austin, TX. 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: $1,228 in Wellington versus $1,932 in Austin, TX. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

All in, you'll spend $2,342 per month in Wellington versus $2,704 in Austin, TX – a 15% gap that adds up to real savings over time for anyone picking the cheaper option.

A monthly transit pass in Wellington runs roughly 152% less than in Austin, TX. Both cities have functional networks, but the price difference matters if you're watching your budget.

At $2,342 in Wellington versus $2,704 in Austin, TX, a $2,500 budget is realistic in Wellington but tight or insufficient in Austin, TX. 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 $2,342 monthly. If stretching your runway or maximizing savings is the goal, the price difference makes Wellington hard to pass up.

Safety-wise, Wellington and Austin, TX 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 15% less than in Austin, TX. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.