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: $2,460 in Wellington versus $1,904 in Cromwell.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $3,478 in Wellington versus $2,826 in Cromwell.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $4,495 in Wellington versus $3,748 in Cromwell.

Living in Wellington is roughly 29% more expensive than in Cromwell, driven mainly by Getting Around.

Both cities are pricier than the global median: Wellington 80% above, Cromwell 39% above.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$14.42 NZ$25.07

$14.63 NZ$25.44

-1.44%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$66.7 NZ$116

$63.9 NZ$111

4.43%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$9.20 NZ$15.99

$11.45 NZ$19.91

-19.65%

Cappuccino

$3.37 NZ$5.86

$3.44 NZ$5.99

-2.03%

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

$2.47 NZ$4.29

$2.13 NZ$3.70

15.96%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.78 NZ$3.10

$2.10 NZ$3.66

-15.24%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$7.58 NZ$13.19

$7.12 NZ$12.38

6.46%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$6.76 NZ$11.75

$6.19 NZ$10.76

9.21%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.90 NZ$3.31

$2.23 NZ$3.87

-14.80%

White Bread (500g)

$2.21 NZ$3.85

$1.98 NZ$3.45

11.62%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.89 NZ$3.29

$1.73 NZ$3.01

9.25%

Eggs

$7.04 NZ$12.24

$5.87 NZ$10.21

19.93%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$9.58 NZ$16.66

$8.39 NZ$14.59

14.18%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$9.68 NZ$16.84

$9.43 NZ$16.40

2.65%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$15.39 NZ$26.76

$16.69 NZ$29.02

-7.79%

Apples (1kg)

$3.20 NZ$5.57

$3.11 NZ$5.40

2.89%

Banana (1kg)

$2.20 NZ$3.83

$2.35 NZ$4.09

-6.38%

Oranges (1kg)

$3.13 NZ$5.44

$3.30 NZ$5.74

-5.15%

Tomato (1kg)

$6.58 NZ$11.44

$5.30 NZ$9.21

24.15%

Potato (1kg)

$2.20 NZ$3.82

$1.94 NZ$3.37

13.40%

Onion (1kg)

$1.26 NZ$2.19

$1.82 NZ$3.16

-30.77%

Lettuce (1 head)

$2.08 NZ$3.61

$2.34 NZ$4.07

-11.11%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$1.22 NZ$2.13

$0.62 NZ$1.07

96.77%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$26.41 NZ$45.91

$21.54 NZ$37.44

22.61%

Wine (Bottle)

$11.68 NZ$20.31

$8.97 NZ$15.60

30.21%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$3.20 NZ$5.56

$3.21 NZ$5.58

-0.31%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.82 NZ$4.90

$1.29 NZ$2.23

118.60%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$2.84 NZ$4.93

$1.99 NZ$3.46

42.71%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$102 NZ$178

$80.9 NZ$141

26.45%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$1.95 NZ$3.39

$2.32 NZ$4.04

-15.95%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.84 NZ$3.19

$1.62 NZ$2.82

13.58%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$35.32 NZ$61.4

$28.30 NZ$49.21

24.81%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.94 NZ$3.37

$1.75 NZ$3.04

10.86%

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

$26.1K NZ$45.3K

$26.5K NZ$46.0K

-1.59%

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

$26.2K NZ$45.6K

$25.8K NZ$44.8K

1.82%

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

$201 NZ$349

$113 NZ$196

77.90%

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

$33.20 NZ$57.7

$29.78 NZ$51.8

11.48%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$54.6 NZ$94.9

$53.2 NZ$92.5

2.61%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$39.64 NZ$68.9

$40.40 NZ$70.2

-1.88%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$16.86 NZ$29.32

$6.73 NZ$11.71

150.52%

Cinema Ticket

$12.18 NZ$21.18

$8.89 NZ$15.45

37.01%

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

$1,109 NZ$1,928

$828 NZ$1,439

33.94%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$13.4K NZ$23.2K

$12.5K NZ$21.7K

6.95%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$80.1 NZ$139

$59.4 NZ$103

34.94%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$29.42 NZ$51.2

$35.45 NZ$61.6

-17.01%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$104 NZ$181

$94.7 NZ$165

9.81%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$159 NZ$277

$140 NZ$244

13.53%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,235 NZ$2,147

$932 NZ$1,620

32.50%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,176 NZ$2,045

$865 NZ$1,504

36.01%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$2,211 NZ$3,844

$1,686 NZ$2,930

31.16%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,750 NZ$3,043

$1,351 NZ$2,349

29.52%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$6,730 NZ$11.7K

$4,999 NZ$8,691

34.62%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$3,659 NZ$6,361

$3,434 NZ$5,970

6.56%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$2,864 NZ$4,980

$3,087 NZ$5,368

-7.23%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

5.39

6.6

-18.33%

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

Last update for Wellington: September 13, 2026

Last update for Cromwell: September 14, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $1,235 in Wellington and $932 in Cromwell. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Cromwell pays 8% 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 $64.0 in Cromwell for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $352 vs $327 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, Clothing & Footwear, Getting Around, Monthly Utilities & Internet, Sport & Entertainment. The 29% gap adds up to real monthly savings that compound significantly over time.

On paper, salaries run 8% lower in Cromwell. 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: $1,235 in Wellington versus $932 in Cromwell. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Supermarket bills run roughly 8% 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 $64.0 versus $67.0 in Wellington. If you eat out regularly, this makes a real dent in your monthly spending.

At $1,904 in Cromwell versus $2,460 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 29% less than in Wellington. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.