Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Wellington and Carlow

For one person, living is cheaper in Wellington: $2,376 a month against $2,548 in Carlow, rent and utilities included – about $2,100 less a year. Rent and utilities account for most of the difference.

115

Cost of Living Index in Wellington
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Wellington Living Index
124

Cost of Living Index in Carlow
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Carlow Living Index

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Wellington

🇳🇿 New Zealand

$2,376

/mo nomad

Carlow

🇮🇪 Ireland

$2,548

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

How much you'll spend in Wellington and in Carlow

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

A single person spends $2,376 per month in Wellington vs $2,548 in Carlow, rent included.

Wellington $2,376
Carlow $2,548

A couple spends around $3,407 per month in Wellington vs $3,814 in Carlow, rent included.

Wellington $3,407
Carlow $3,814

A family of three spends $4,439 per month in Wellington vs $5,081 in Carlow, rent included.

Wellington $4,439
Carlow $5,081

Wellington is about 7% cheaper than Carlow, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in transport.

Both Wellington and Carlow sit above the global median – Wellington by 75%, Carlow by 88%.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$14.01 NZ$24.78

$21.01 €18.69

-33.32%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$65.8 NZ$116

$90.7 €80.7

-27.46%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$9.37 NZ$16.56

$13.10 €11.65

-28.47%

Cappuccino

$3.40 NZ$6.02

$4.25 €3.78

-20.00%

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

$2.46 NZ$4.35

$2.67 €2.37

-7.87%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.75 NZ$3.09

$2.22 €1.97

-21.17%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$7.27 NZ$12.85

$7.41 €6.59

-1.89%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$6.71 NZ$11.87

$6.54 €5.82

2.60%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.94 NZ$3.43

$1.64 €1.46

18.29%

White Bread (500g)

$2.15 NZ$3.81

$1.99 €1.77

8.04%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.83 NZ$3.25

$1.91 €1.69

-4.19%

Eggs

$6.88 NZ$12.16

$4.35 €3.87

58.16%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$9.19 NZ$16.26

$13.47 €11.98

-31.77%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$9.99 NZ$17.67

$12.81 €11.39

-22.01%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$14.97 NZ$26.48

$14.43 €12.84

3.74%

Apples (1kg)

$3.03 NZ$5.36

$3.19 €2.84

-5.02%

Banana (1kg)

$2.24 NZ$3.96

$3.00 €2.67

-25.33%

Oranges (1kg)

$3.09 NZ$5.47

$3.33 €2.96

-7.21%

Tomato (1kg)

$6.55 NZ$11.59

$3.29 €2.92

99.09%

Potato (1kg)

$2.16 NZ$3.83

$2.37 €2.11

-8.86%

Onion (1kg)

$1.28 NZ$2.27

$1.76 €1.57

-27.27%

Lettuce (1 head)

$2.10 NZ$3.71

$1.44 €1.28

45.83%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$1.20 NZ$2.12

$1.33 €1.19

-9.77%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$25.79 NZ$45.60

$18.84 €16.76

36.89%

Wine (Bottle)

$11.27 NZ$19.94

$13.53 €12.04

-16.70%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$3.12 NZ$5.51

$4.27 €3.80

-26.93%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.82 NZ$4.98

$3.43 €3.05

-17.78%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$2.76 NZ$4.89

$1.25 €1.11

120.80%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$104 NZ$184

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$1.88 NZ$3.33

$5.11 €4.55

-63.21%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.78 NZ$3.14

$1.54 €1.37

15.58%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$33.72 NZ$59.6

$32.43 €28.85

3.98%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.85 NZ$3.27

$2.09 €1.86

-11.48%

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

$28.7K NZ$50.8K

$38.6K €34.4K

-25.68%

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

$23.8K NZ$42.1K

$38.1K €33.9K

-37.57%

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

$194 NZ$344

$243 €216

-20.04%

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

$33.42 NZ$59.1

$22.26 €19.80

50.13%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$53.5 NZ$94.7

$56.4 €50.2

-5.11%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$38.12 NZ$67.4

$78.8 €70.1

-51.64%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$16.15 NZ$28.56

$56.1 €49.93

-71.23%

Cinema Ticket

$11.97 NZ$21.17

$13.59 €12.09

-11.92%

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

$1,056 NZ$1,868

$1,052 €936

0.38%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$12.9K NZ$22.9K

$5,449 €4,847

137.14%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$79.2 NZ$140

$95.3 €84.8

-16.89%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$28.87 NZ$51.1

$42.63 €37.92

-32.28%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$103 NZ$182

$101 €89.8

1.85%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$156 NZ$275

$102 €90.3

53.36%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,217 NZ$2,152

$1,441 €1,282

-15.59%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,147 NZ$2,028

$1,261 €1,121

-9.02%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$2,154 NZ$3,809

$2,596 €2,310

-17.04%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,731 NZ$3,061

$2,152 €1,914

-19.56%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$6,780 NZ$12.0K

$5,664 €5,038

19.70%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$3,655 NZ$6,464

$6,675 €5,937

-45.24%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$2,812 NZ$4,972

$2,351 €2,091

19.59%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

5.39

34.75%

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

Last update for Wellington: October 18, 2026

Last update for Carlow: October 18, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Accommodation & Living

Wellington

$1.1K 48.3%

Carlow

$1.3K 49.5% 9.9% $114

Groceries & Markets

Wellington

$348 14.6%

Carlow

$361 14.2% 3.7% $13

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Wellington

$281 11.8%

Carlow

$322 12.6% 14.4% $40

Eating Out

Wellington

$248 10.4%

Carlow

$328 12.9% 32.5% $80

Clothing & Footwear

Wellington

$165 6.9%

Carlow

$153 6% 7.1% $12

Getting Around

Wellington

$126 5.3%

Carlow

$18 * 0.7% 85.9% $108

Sport & Entertainment

Wellington

$62 2.6%

Carlow

$106 4.2% 70.8% $44

Categories marked with * are only partly priced – their share counts the items that do have prices.

Cost Breakdown

A central one-bedroom costs $1,217 in Wellington versus $1,441 in Carlow. Rent is usually the largest line item in a monthly budget, so the gap here sets the tone for the overall comparison.

Salaries run about 20% higher in Wellington, which reinforces the cost advantage – you earn more and spend less. Purchasing power leans clearly in its favor.

A mid-range dinner for two costs $66.0 in Wellington versus $91.0 in Carlow. Monthly groceries follow the same trend: $348 vs $361 – making Wellington the more affordable choice for daily food spending.

Good to know

🇳🇿 Wellington

🇮🇪 Carlow

🕒 Local time

23:35 11:35 PM

11:35 11:35 AM

12 h behind Wellington

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

215,900 Capital

27,351

💱 Currency

New Zealand Dollar NZD $

Euro EUR €

📈 Exchange rate

1 NZD = 0.565 USD

1 NZD = 0.503 EUR

1 EUR = 1.12 USD

Exchange rates and currency converter

EUR, USD to NZD – New Zealand Dollar Converter

🇺🇸 United States Dollar ($)

🇳🇿 New Zealand Dollar ($)

New Zealand Dollar exchange rates as of October 24, 2026: 1 USD = 1.77 NZD (1 NZD = 0.565 USD). 1 EUR = 1.99 NZD (1 NZD = 0.503 EUR).

Euro exchange rates as of October 24, 2026: 1 USD = 0.889 EUR (1 EUR = 1.12 USD).

USD to NZD in detail →

On the map

Lowest

Highest

Between locations

Wellington Carlow 18,720 km ≈ 24 h nonstop flight

From you

Wellington
Carlow

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 Carlow: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Yes – Carlow is pricier by about 7%, and outside of rent the gap shows up most in transport.

For a comfortable life, plan on about $3,564 per month in Wellington and $3,822 in Carlow. That covers rent, food, utilities, transport, and enough left over to feel settled – not just surviving.

Rent is clearly cheaper in Wellington, especially for central apartments. Housing is actually the single biggest factor behind the overall cost gap between these two cities.

Monthly expenses with rent come to $2,376 in Wellington and $2,548 in Carlow. That's a gap of about 7%.

Kindergarten costs $1,056 per month in Wellington and $1,052 in Carlow. For families with young kids, this one expense can tip the scales when choosing between the two cities.

A $2,500 monthly budget goes further in Wellington, where all-in costs run around $2,376, than in Carlow at $2,548. In Wellington it covers expenses comfortably, while in Carlow it requires careful planning or may not stretch far enough.

Families tend to lean toward Wellington – lower housing and cheaper childcare make a real difference, especially on a single income or when paying for private education.

Both have safer and rougher neighborhoods, but overall safety is comparable to other large cities. Neighborhood choice matters more than the city-level comparison – central, well-trafficked areas feel secure in both.

If budget matters most, go with Wellington. If higher salaries, better infrastructure, or specific career opportunities are the priority, Carlow makes more sense. Both are solid long-term options with distinct trade-offs.