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: $2,436 in Wellington versus $2,314 in Cologne.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $3,489 in Wellington versus $3,568 in Cologne.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $4,542 in Wellington versus $4,822 in Cologne.

Living in Wellington is roughly 5% more expensive than in Cologne, driven mainly by Eating Out.

Both cities are pricier than the global median: Wellington 77% above, Cologne 68% above.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$14.34 NZ$24.66

$17.54 €15.12

-18.24%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$67.3 NZ$116

$89.2 €76.9

-24.57%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$9.72 NZ$16.72

$12.16 €10.49

-20.07%

Cappuccino

$3.41 NZ$5.87

$4.31 €3.71

-20.88%

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

$2.57 NZ$4.42

$3.86 €3.33

-33.42%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.84 NZ$3.17

$3.37 €2.90

-45.40%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$7.61 NZ$13.08

$5.92 €5.11

28.55%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$7.12 NZ$12.24

$5.10 €4.39

39.61%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.92 NZ$3.30

$1.33 €1.15

44.36%

White Bread (500g)

$2.32 NZ$3.99

$2.27 €1.96

2.20%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.93 NZ$3.32

$3.67 €3.16

-47.41%

Eggs

$7.29 NZ$12.53

$3.92 €3.38

85.97%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$9.78 NZ$16.82

$14.26 €12.29

-31.42%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$10.05 NZ$17.27

$12.10 €10.43

-16.94%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$15.73 NZ$27.04

$29.11 €25.09

-45.96%

Apples (1kg)

$3.21 NZ$5.51

$3.01 €2.59

6.64%

Banana (1kg)

$2.31 NZ$3.98

$2.03 €1.75

13.79%

Oranges (1kg)

$3.15 NZ$5.42

$2.52 €2.17

25.00%

Tomato (1kg)

$6.67 NZ$11.47

$4.16 €3.59

60.34%

Potato (1kg)

$2.14 NZ$3.69

$1.35 €1.16

58.52%

Onion (1kg)

$1.31 NZ$2.25

$1.19 €1.03

10.08%

Lettuce (1 head)

$2.19 NZ$3.76

$1.65 €1.42

32.73%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$1.20 NZ$2.07

$1.07 €0.92

12.15%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$26.36 NZ$45.33

$10.05 €8.66

162.29%

Wine (Bottle)

$11.86 NZ$20.39

$5.83 €5.02

103.43%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$3.24 NZ$5.58

$1.35 €1.16

140.00%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.92 NZ$5.01

$1.79 €1.55

63.13%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$3.00 NZ$5.16

$4.06 €3.50

-26.11%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$108 NZ$186

$73.0 €62.9

47.91%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$1.97 NZ$3.38

$5.57 €4.80

-64.63%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.92 NZ$3.30

$2.72 €2.35

-29.41%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$34.88 NZ$60.0

$35.45 €30.56

-1.61%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.98 NZ$3.41

$2.19 €1.89

-9.59%

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

$26.0K NZ$44.7K

$34.2K €29.5K

-24.15%

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

$26.7K NZ$46.0K

$39.6K €34.2K

-32.50%

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

$206 NZ$355

$380 €328

-45.73%

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

$32.99 NZ$56.7

$13.72 €11.83

140.45%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$56.2 NZ$96.7

$38.03 €32.78

47.88%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$40.29 NZ$69.3

$47.41 €40.87

-15.02%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$17.02 NZ$29.26

$35.90 €30.95

-52.59%

Cinema Ticket

$12.98 NZ$22.31

$15.96 €13.76

-18.67%

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

$1,107 NZ$1,904

$1,074 €926

3.09%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$13.5K NZ$23.3K

$22.6K €19.5K

-40.24%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$80.1 NZ$138

$92.0 €79.3

-13.01%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$29.15 NZ$50.1

$42.15 €36.33

-30.84%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$108 NZ$185

$105 €90.6

2.48%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$163 NZ$280

$140 €120

16.54%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,297 NZ$2,230

$1,202 €1,036

7.86%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,210 NZ$2,080

$880 €759

37.43%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$2,278 NZ$3,917

$2,427 €2,092

-6.15%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,759 NZ$3,024

$1,690 €1,457

4.06%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$7,004 NZ$12.0K

$7,814 €6,736

-10.37%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$3,701 NZ$6,364

$5,229 €4,507

-29.21%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$2,914 NZ$5,009

$3,629 €3,128

-19.71%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

5.39

3.79

42.22%

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

Last update for Wellington: September 7, 2026

Last update for Cologne: September 7, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $1,297 in Wellington and $1,202 in Cologne. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Cologne pays 25% more on average while also being the cheaper of the two. The combined effect is a noticeably stronger local purchasing power.

Dining out: $67.0 in Wellington vs $89.0 in Cologne for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $360 vs $363 per month, with Wellington 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

Wellington vs Cologne: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Wellington and Cologne differ by about 5% in total monthly costs ($2,436 vs $2,314 including rent). Cologne is meaningfully more affordable – a gap that matters a lot on a fixed or modest income.

On paper, salaries run 25% lower in Cologne. 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: $1,297 in Wellington versus $1,202 in Cologne. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

A monthly transit pass in Cologne runs roughly 48% less than in Wellington. Both cities have functional networks, but the price difference matters if you're watching your budget.

Childcare runs $1,107 in Wellington versus $1,074 in Cologne. Over years of preschool, even a modest monthly gap compounds into a major financial factor for families.

At $2,314 in Cologne versus $2,436 in Wellington, a $3,000 budget is realistic in Cologne but tight or insufficient in Wellington. The gap between the two cities makes Cologne 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 Cologne gentler on the wallet – expenses run 5% less than in Wellington. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.