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: $2,352 in Wellington versus $1,813 in Cromwell.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $3,549 in Wellington versus $2,837 in Cromwell.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $4,746 in Wellington versus $3,862 in Cromwell.

Living in Wellington is roughly 30% more expensive than Cromwell, driven mainly by Getting Around.

Both cities are pricier than the global median: Wellington 75% above, Cromwell 35% above.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$17.58 NZ$30.02

$12.12 NZ$20.70

45.05%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$84.0 NZ$143

$71.1 NZ$121

18.19%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$9.76 NZ$16.66

$10.64 NZ$18.16

-8.27%

Cappuccino

$3.63 NZ$6.19

$3.50 NZ$5.97

3.71%

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

$2.52 NZ$4.30

$2.23 NZ$3.80

13.00%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.20 NZ$3.75

$2.01 NZ$3.44

9.45%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$7.07 NZ$12.07

$7.09 NZ$12.11

-0.28%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$7.22 NZ$12.33

$5.99 NZ$10.22

20.53%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.90 NZ$3.25

$2.08 NZ$3.55

-8.65%

White Bread (500g)

$2.10 NZ$3.59

$1.92 NZ$3.29

9.38%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.96 NZ$3.34

$1.89 NZ$3.24

3.70%

Eggs

$6.93 NZ$11.83

$5.71 NZ$9.75

21.37%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$8.17 NZ$13.95

$8.41 NZ$14.36

-2.85%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$11.14 NZ$19.02

$10.52 NZ$17.97

5.89%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$12.93 NZ$22.08

$13.10 NZ$22.37

-1.30%

Apples (1kg)

$3.02 NZ$5.16

$2.99 NZ$5.11

1.00%

Banana (1kg)

$2.36 NZ$4.02

$2.25 NZ$3.84

4.89%

Oranges (1kg)

$3.02 NZ$5.16

$3.34 NZ$5.71

-9.58%

Tomato (1kg)

$4.67 NZ$7.97

$4.65 NZ$7.94

0.43%

Potato (1kg)

$2.03 NZ$3.46

$1.98 NZ$3.38

2.53%

Onion (1kg)

$1.65 NZ$2.82

$2.06 NZ$3.52

-19.90%

Lettuce (1 head)

$2.21 NZ$3.77

$2.58 NZ$4.40

-14.34%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$1.24 NZ$2.12

$1.11 NZ$1.89

11.71%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$27.01 NZ$46.13

$24.54 NZ$41.91

10.07%

Wine (Bottle)

$11.62 NZ$19.84

$8.80 NZ$15.02

32.05%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$3.58 NZ$6.11

$2.58 NZ$4.41

38.76%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.27 NZ$5.58

$3.61 NZ$6.16

-9.42%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$2.78 NZ$4.75

$2.06 NZ$3.51

34.95%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$108 NZ$184

$64.4 NZ$110

67.42%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$2.63 NZ$4.50

$2.76 NZ$4.71

-4.71%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.85 NZ$3.17

$1.15 NZ$1.96

60.87%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$60.4 NZ$103

$29.74 NZ$50.8

102.93%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.67 NZ$2.85

$1.71 NZ$2.92

-2.34%

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

$33.3K NZ$56.8K

$19.9K NZ$34.1K

66.89%

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

$24.6K NZ$42.0K

$25.6K NZ$43.7K

-4.06%

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

$156 NZ$266

$102 NZ$174

52.59%

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

$32.71 NZ$55.9

$36.51 NZ$62.3

-10.41%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$51.0 NZ$87.0

$54.7 NZ$93.4

-6.89%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$35.71 NZ$61.0

$37.27 NZ$63.7

-4.19%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$20.14 NZ$34.39

$12.19 NZ$20.81

65.22%

Cinema Ticket

$12.11 NZ$20.69

$9.17 NZ$15.66

32.06%

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

$800 NZ$1,365

$594 NZ$1,014

34.65%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$12.9K NZ$22.1K

$13.4K NZ$23.0K

-3.94%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$73.4 NZ$125

$67.1 NZ$115

9.41%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$52.8 NZ$90.1

$35.86 NZ$61.2

47.13%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$121 NZ$206

$93.8 NZ$160

28.46%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$144 NZ$246

$120 NZ$205

19.73%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,307 NZ$2,232

$973 NZ$1,661

34.40%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,110 NZ$1,896

$773 NZ$1,320

43.65%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$2,163 NZ$3,693

$1,595 NZ$2,724

35.57%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,925 NZ$3,286

$1,395 NZ$2,382

37.97%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$7,075 NZ$12.1K

$4,372 NZ$7,466

61.82%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$3,769 NZ$6,436

$3,370 NZ$5,755

11.82%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$3,021 NZ$5,159

$3,036 NZ$5,183

-0.46%

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: June 8, 2026

Last update for Cromwell: June 8, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $1,307 in Wellington and $973 in Cromwell. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Cromwell pays 0% more on average while also being the cheaper of the two. The combined effect is a noticeably stronger local purchasing power.

Dining out: $84.0 in Wellington vs $71.0 in Cromwell for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $340 vs $324 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 30% gap adds up to real monthly savings that compound significantly over time.

On paper, Cromwell earns 0% 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: $1,307 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 $71.0 versus $84.0 in Wellington. If you eat out regularly, this makes a real dent in your monthly spending.

At $1,813 in Cromwell versus $2,352 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 30% less than in Wellington. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.