Cost of Living Comparison Between Wellington and Cromwell Cost of Living Comparison Between Wellington and Cromwell

Monthly Cost of Living

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $2,347 in Wellington versus $1,840 in Cromwell.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $3,521 in Wellington versus $2,818 in Cromwell.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $4,694 in Wellington versus $3,795 in Cromwell.

Living in Wellington is roughly 28% more expensive than Cromwell, driven mainly by Getting Around.

Both cities are pricier than the global median: Wellington 75% above, Cromwell 37% above.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$17.25 NZ$29.32

$12.28 NZ$20.87

40.47%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$83.1 NZ$141

$72.6 NZ$123

14.39%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$9.68 NZ$16.46

$10.98 NZ$18.67

-11.84%

Cappuccino

$3.72 NZ$6.32

$3.47 NZ$5.89

7.20%

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

$2.52 NZ$4.28

$2.27 NZ$3.86

11.01%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.11 NZ$3.59

$2.01 NZ$3.42

4.98%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$7.26 NZ$12.34

$7.10 NZ$12.08

2.25%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$7.45 NZ$12.66

$5.93 NZ$10.09

25.63%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.90 NZ$3.23

$2.11 NZ$3.59

-9.95%

White Bread (500g)

$2.07 NZ$3.52

$1.97 NZ$3.35

5.08%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.86 NZ$3.17

$1.91 NZ$3.24

-2.62%

Eggs

$7.20 NZ$12.23

$5.61 NZ$9.54

28.34%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$8.26 NZ$14.05

$8.24 NZ$14.01

0.24%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$11.03 NZ$18.75

$10.89 NZ$18.51

1.29%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$13.10 NZ$22.27

$13.04 NZ$22.16

0.46%

Apples (1kg)

$3.15 NZ$5.35

$2.98 NZ$5.07

5.70%

Banana (1kg)

$2.34 NZ$3.98

$2.35 NZ$4.00

-0.43%

Oranges (1kg)

$3.02 NZ$5.13

$3.39 NZ$5.75

-10.91%

Tomato (1kg)

$4.81 NZ$8.18

$4.49 NZ$7.63

7.13%

Potato (1kg)

$1.99 NZ$3.38

$1.97 NZ$3.35

1.02%

Onion (1kg)

$1.63 NZ$2.77

$2.02 NZ$3.43

-19.31%

Lettuce (1 head)

$2.20 NZ$3.74

$2.44 NZ$4.15

-9.84%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$1.24 NZ$2.11

$1.08 NZ$1.83

14.81%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$26.81 NZ$45.58

$24.15 NZ$41.05

11.01%

Wine (Bottle)

$10.81 NZ$18.38

$9.08 NZ$15.44

19.05%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$3.50 NZ$5.96

$2.50 NZ$4.26

40.00%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.14 NZ$5.35

$3.69 NZ$6.28

-14.91%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$2.75 NZ$4.67

$2.14 NZ$3.63

28.50%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$106 NZ$181

$63.9 NZ$109

66.40%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$2.76 NZ$4.68

$2.70 NZ$4.58

2.22%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.81 NZ$3.07

$1.15 NZ$1.96

57.39%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$61.4 NZ$104

$29.56 NZ$50.3

107.81%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.73 NZ$2.94

$1.66 NZ$2.82

4.22%

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

$33.5K NZ$56.9K

$19.7K NZ$33.4K

70.23%

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

$25.5K NZ$43.3K

$25.9K NZ$44.0K

-1.52%

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

$158 NZ$269

$100 NZ$170

57.98%

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

$33.45 NZ$56.9

$36.38 NZ$61.8

-8.05%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$52.1 NZ$88.6

$54.9 NZ$93.4

-5.06%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$36.59 NZ$62.2

$37.29 NZ$63.4

-1.88%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$20.68 NZ$35.16

$12.24 NZ$20.80

68.95%

Cinema Ticket

$12.04 NZ$20.47

$9.23 NZ$15.69

30.44%

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

$816 NZ$1,388

$594 NZ$1,010

37.42%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$12.8K NZ$21.8K

$13.0K NZ$22.2K

-1.80%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$71.1 NZ$121

$67.1 NZ$114

6.01%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$52.1 NZ$88.5

$35.35 NZ$60.1

47.27%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$120 NZ$203

$96.6 NZ$164

23.80%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$140 NZ$238

$123 NZ$209

14.08%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,327 NZ$2,256

$973 NZ$1,654

36.39%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,102 NZ$1,874

$783 NZ$1,331

40.80%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$2,156 NZ$3,666

$1,557 NZ$2,647

38.48%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,959 NZ$3,330

$1,404 NZ$2,387

39.51%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$6,752 NZ$11.5K

$4,855 NZ$8,254

39.06%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$3,990 NZ$6,783

$3,419 NZ$5,812

16.70%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$3,088 NZ$5,249

$3,122 NZ$5,307

-1.08%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

6.94

6.6

5.15%

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

Last update for Wellington: April 25, 2026

Last update for Cromwell: April 25, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $1,327 in Wellington and $973 in Cromwell. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Cromwell pays 1% more on average while also being the cheaper of the two. The combined effect is a noticeably stronger local purchasing power.

Dining out: $83.0 in Wellington vs $73.0 in Cromwell for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $340 vs $325 per month, with Cromwell 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 Cromwell: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Cromwell is cheaper overall, especially in Groceries & Markets, Eating Out, Clothing & Footwear, Getting Around, Sport & Entertainment. The 28% gap adds up to real monthly savings that compound significantly over time.

On paper, Cromwell earns 1% 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: $1,327 in Wellington versus $973 in Cromwell. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Supermarket bills run roughly 5% higher in Wellington. For households that cook at home regularly, that difference adds up over a month.

Dining out is cheaper in Cromwell – a meal for two runs $73.0 versus $83.0 in Wellington. If you eat out regularly, this makes a real dent in your monthly spending.

At $1,840 in Cromwell versus $2,347 in Wellington, a $2,500 budget is realistic in Cromwell but tight or insufficient in Wellington. The gap between the two cities makes Cromwell the clear choice for anyone on this budget.

For families, Cromwell is more practical. Housing and childcare are both notably cheaper than in Wellington, and the savings on those two alone free up budget for education, activities, and family trips.

Safety-wise, Wellington and Cromwell 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 Cromwell gentler on the wallet – expenses run 28% less than in Wellington. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.