Cost of Living Comparison Between Wellington and Cologne Cost of Living Comparison Between Wellington and Cologne

Monthly Cost of Living

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $2,354 in Wellington versus $2,397 in Cologne.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $3,553 in Wellington versus $3,512 in Cologne.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $4,751 in Wellington versus $4,628 in Cologne.

Living in Wellington costs roughly 2% less than in Cologne, driven mainly by Getting Around.

Both cities are pricier than the global median: Wellington 76% above, Cologne 79% above.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$17.30 NZ$29.21

$16.16 €13.90

7.05%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$84.5 NZ$143

$82.4 €70.9

2.54%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$9.77 NZ$16.49

$11.46 €9.86

-14.75%

Cappuccino

$3.80 NZ$6.41

$4.32 €3.72

-12.04%

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

$2.60 NZ$4.40

$3.19 €2.74

-18.50%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.18 NZ$3.68

$3.05 €2.63

-28.52%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$7.03 NZ$11.88

$5.35 €4.61

31.40%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$7.45 NZ$12.59

$4.69 €4.03

58.85%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.87 NZ$3.15

$1.31 €1.12

42.75%

White Bread (500g)

$2.11 NZ$3.56

$2.28 €1.96

-7.46%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.95 NZ$3.30

$3.54 €3.04

-44.92%

Eggs

$6.88 NZ$11.62

$4.10 €3.53

67.80%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$8.13 NZ$13.73

$15.10 €12.99

-46.16%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$11.06 NZ$18.67

$16.37 €14.08

-32.44%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$13.14 NZ$22.19

$21.37 €18.38

-38.51%

Apples (1kg)

$3.12 NZ$5.27

$3.10 €2.67

0.65%

Banana (1kg)

$2.24 NZ$3.78

$1.93 €1.66

16.06%

Oranges (1kg)

$2.99 NZ$5.05

$2.32 €1.99

28.88%

Tomato (1kg)

$4.72 NZ$7.97

$4.71 €4.05

0.21%

Potato (1kg)

$2.07 NZ$3.49

$1.54 €1.33

34.42%

Onion (1kg)

$1.66 NZ$2.80

$1.63 €1.40

1.84%

Lettuce (1 head)

$2.21 NZ$3.73

$1.92 €1.66

15.10%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$1.28 NZ$2.17

$1.10 €0.95

16.36%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$26.87 NZ$45.36

$9.66 €8.31

178.16%

Wine (Bottle)

$11.74 NZ$19.82

$5.69 €4.90

106.33%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$3.52 NZ$5.95

$1.07 €0.92

228.97%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.18 NZ$5.37

$1.65 €1.42

92.73%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$2.75 NZ$4.64

$3.87 €3.33

-28.94%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$107 NZ$181

$63.4 €54.6

68.82%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$2.66 NZ$4.50

$5.64 €4.85

-52.84%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.85 NZ$3.13

$2.18 €1.88

-15.14%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$60.4 NZ$102

$34.95 €30.07

72.70%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.71 NZ$2.89

$2.00 €1.72

-14.50%

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

$33.6K NZ$56.7K

$31.2K €26.8K

7.72%

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

$24.6K NZ$41.5K

$35.6K €30.7K

-31.02%

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

$160 NZ$270

$391 €336

-59.00%

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

$32.55 NZ$55.0

$25.11 €21.60

29.63%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$51.5 NZ$87.0

$49.86 €42.89

3.29%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$36.79 NZ$62.1

$41.59 €35.78

-11.54%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$20.60 NZ$34.78

$32.97 €28.36

-37.52%

Cinema Ticket

$12.17 NZ$20.55

$13.84 €11.90

-12.07%

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

$800 NZ$1,351

$936 €805

-14.49%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$12.6K NZ$21.4K

$19.2K €16.5K

-34.09%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$73.5 NZ$124

$101 €86.8

-27.15%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$53.1 NZ$89.7

$46.24 €39.77

14.92%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$119 NZ$201

$118 €102

0.58%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$142 NZ$239

$149 €129

-5.31%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,339 NZ$2,261

$1,224 €1,053

9.41%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,105 NZ$1,865

$918 €790

20.32%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$2,103 NZ$3,551

$2,101 €1,808

0.09%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,888 NZ$3,188

$1,488 €1,280

26.86%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$6,602 NZ$11.1K

$7,985 €6,868

-17.32%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$3,897 NZ$6,579

$5,382 €4,629

-27.59%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$3,057 NZ$5,161

$3,642 €3,133

-16.07%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

6.94

3.93

76.59%

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

Last update for Wellington: May 31, 2026

Last update for Cologne: May 31, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $1,339 in Wellington and $1,224 in Cologne. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Cologne pays 19% 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: $85.0 in Wellington vs $82.0 in Cologne. Groceries flip the comparison at $340 vs $366, with Wellington cheaper for home cooking.

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 Cologne: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Wellington and Cologne differ by about 2% in total monthly costs ($2,354 vs $2,397 including rent). Wellington is meaningfully more affordable – a gap that matters a lot on a fixed or modest income.

On paper, Cologne earns 19% less. 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: $1,339 in Wellington versus $1,224 in Cologne. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

A monthly transit pass in Wellington runs roughly 69% less than in Cologne. Both cities have functional networks, but the price difference matters if you're watching your budget.

Childcare runs $800 in Wellington versus $936 in Cologne. Over years of preschool, even a modest monthly gap compounds into a major financial factor for families.

At $2,354 in Wellington versus $2,397 in Cologne, a $2,500 budget is realistic in Wellington but tight or insufficient in Cologne. The gap between the two cities makes Wellington 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, Wellington and Cologne 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 2% less than in Cologne. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.