Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Wellington and Olympia, WA

For one person, living is cheaper in Wellington: $2,376 a month against $2,983 in Olympia, WA, rent and utilities included – about $7,300 less a year. Rent and utilities account for most of the difference.

115

Cost of Living Index in Wellington
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Wellington Living Index
144

Cost of Living Index in Olympia, WA
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Olympia, WA Living Index

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Wellington

🇳🇿 New Zealand

$2,376

/mo nomad

Olympia, WA

🇺🇸 United States

$2,983

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

How much you'll spend in Wellington and in Olympia, WA

Real prices from locals and on-the-ground checks – rent, groceries, transit and the daily extras. Here's what a month in Wellington and in Olympia, WA actually costs, broken down by who's living it.

A single person spends $2,376 per month in Wellington vs $2,983 in Olympia, WA, rent included.

Wellington $2,376
Olympia, WA $2,983

A couple spends around $3,407 per month in Wellington vs $4,154 in Olympia, WA, rent included.

Wellington $3,407
Olympia, WA $4,154

A family of three spends $4,439 per month in Wellington vs $5,325 in Olympia, WA, rent included.

Wellington $4,439
Olympia, WA $5,325

Wellington is about 20% cheaper than Olympia, WA, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in eating out.

Both Wellington and Olympia, WA sit above the global median – Wellington by 75%, Olympia, WA by 120%.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$14.01 NZ$24.78

$24.52 $24.52

-42.86%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$65.8 NZ$116

$65.0 $65.0

1.20%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$9.37 NZ$16.56

$12.68 $12.68

-26.10%

Cappuccino

$3.40 NZ$6.02

$6.42 $6.42

-47.04%

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

$2.46 NZ$4.35

$2.92 $2.92

-15.75%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.75 NZ$3.09

$1.68 $1.68

4.17%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$7.27 NZ$12.85

$6.90 $6.90

5.36%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$6.71 NZ$11.87

$6.94 $6.94

-3.31%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.94 NZ$3.43

$1.07 $1.07

81.31%

White Bread (500g)

$2.15 NZ$3.81

$4.46 $4.46

-51.79%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.83 NZ$3.25

$3.16 $3.16

-42.09%

Eggs

$6.88 NZ$12.16

$5.03 $5.03

36.78%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$9.19 NZ$16.26

$18.35 $18.35

-49.92%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$9.99 NZ$17.67

$10.41 $10.41

-4.03%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$14.97 NZ$26.48

$16.73 $16.73

-10.52%

Apples (1kg)

$3.03 NZ$5.36

$5.24 $5.24

-42.18%

Banana (1kg)

$2.24 NZ$3.96

$1.62 $1.62

38.27%

Oranges (1kg)

$3.09 NZ$5.47

$3.98 $3.98

-22.36%

Tomato (1kg)

$6.55 NZ$11.59

$4.57 $4.57

43.33%

Potato (1kg)

$2.16 NZ$3.83

$2.61 $2.61

-17.24%

Onion (1kg)

$1.28 NZ$2.27

$2.48 $2.48

-48.39%

Lettuce (1 head)

$2.10 NZ$3.71

$2.34 $2.34

-10.26%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$1.20 NZ$2.12

$2.56 $2.56

-53.13%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$25.79 NZ$45.60

$12.09 $12.09

113.32%

Wine (Bottle)

$11.27 NZ$19.94

$14.85 $14.85

-24.11%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$3.12 NZ$5.51

$2.45 $2.45

27.35%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.82 NZ$4.98

$2.35 $2.35

20.00%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$2.76 NZ$4.89

$0.87 $0.87

217.24%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$104 NZ$184

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$1.88 NZ$3.33

$5.03 $5.03

-62.62%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.78 NZ$3.14

$2.66 $2.66

-33.08%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$33.72 NZ$59.6

$51.7 $51.7

-34.78%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.85 NZ$3.27

$1.36 $1.36

36.03%

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

$28.7K NZ$50.8K

$28.2K $28.2K

1.85%

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

$23.8K NZ$42.1K

$27.1K $27.1K

-12.19%

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

$194 NZ$344

$156 $156

24.67%

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

$33.42 NZ$59.1

$69.6 $69.6

-51.96%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$53.5 NZ$94.7

$95.4 $95.4

-43.91%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$38.12 NZ$67.4

$69.1 $69.1

-44.80%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$16.15 NZ$28.56

$5.06 $5.06

219.17%

Cinema Ticket

$11.97 NZ$21.17

$12.09 $12.09

-0.99%

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

$1,056 NZ$1,868

$1,454 $1,454

-27.35%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$12.9K NZ$22.9K

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$79.2 NZ$140

$45.13 $45.13

75.49%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$28.87 NZ$51.1

$54.5 $54.5

-47.06%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$103 NZ$182

$91.2 $91.2

12.71%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$156 NZ$275

$102 $102

52.10%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,217 NZ$2,152

$1,718 $1,718

-29.20%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,147 NZ$2,028

$1,618 $1,618

-29.11%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$2,154 NZ$3,809

$3,143 $3,143

-31.47%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,731 NZ$3,061

$2,350 $2,350

-26.35%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$6,780 NZ$12.0K

$3,235 $3,235

109.58%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$3,655 NZ$6,464

$3,068 $3,068

19.15%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$2,812 NZ$4,972

$5,106 $5,106

-44.94%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

5.39

6.81

-20.85%

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

Last update for Wellington: October 18, 2026

Last update for Olympia, WA: October 17, 2026

Monthly budget structure

Share of the monthly basket for one person, rent included.

Accommodation & Living

Wellington

$1.1K 48.3%

Olympia, WA

$1.6K 54.2% 41.1% $471

Groceries & Markets

Wellington

$348 14.6%

Olympia, WA

$420 14.1% 20.7% $72

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Wellington

$281 11.8%

Olympia, WA

$321 10.8% 14.1% $40

Eating Out

Wellington

$248 10.4%

Olympia, WA

$378 12.7% 52.7% $130

Clothing & Footwear

Wellington

$165 6.9%

Olympia, WA

$132 4.4% 20% $33

Getting Around

Wellington

$126 5.3%

Olympia, WA

$22 * 0.7% 82.7% $104

Sport & Entertainment

Wellington

$62 2.6%

Olympia, WA

$93 3.1% 50.2% $31

Categories marked with * are only partly priced – their share counts the items that do have prices.

Cost Breakdown

A central one-bedroom costs $1,217 in Wellington versus $1,718 in Olympia, WA. Rent is usually the largest line item in a monthly budget, so the gap here sets the tone for the overall comparison.

Salaries run about 82% higher in Olympia, WA, which partly offsets the higher cost of living there. Purchasing power depends on which expenses matter most to you.

A mid-range dinner for two costs $66.0 in Wellington versus $65.0 in Olympia, WA. Groceries tell a different story – $348 in Wellington vs $420 in Olympia, WA – so Wellington wins on supermarket bills even if dining out costs more.

Good to know

🇳🇿 Wellington

🇺🇸 Olympia, WA

🕒 Local time

19:01 7:01 PM

23:01 11:01 PM

20 h behind Wellington

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

215,900 Capital

55,605

💱 Currency

New Zealand Dollar NZD $

United States Dollar USD $

📈 Exchange rate

1 NZD = 0.565 USD

1 NZD = 0.503 EUR

1 USD = 0.89 EUR

Exchange rates and currency converter

USD, EUR to NZD – New Zealand Dollar Converter

🇺🇸 United States Dollar ($)

🇳🇿 New Zealand Dollar ($)

New Zealand Dollar exchange rates as of October 22, 2026: 1 USD = 1.77 NZD (1 NZD = 0.565 USD). 1 EUR = 1.99 NZD (1 NZD = 0.503 EUR).

United States Dollar exchange rates as of October 22, 2026: 1 EUR = 1.12 USD (1 USD = 0.89 EUR).

USD to NZD in detail →

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Wellington Olympia, WA 11,590 km ≈ 15 h nonstop flight

From you

Wellington
Olympia, WA

Distances are measured in a straight line. Your location is detected approximately.

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 Olympia, WA: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Olympia, WA costs about 26% more than Wellington, and outside of rent the gap comes mainly from eating out. That's enough to noticeably affect everyday spending and lifestyle for anyone choosing between the two.

For a comfortable life, plan on about $3,564 per month in Wellington and $4,475 in Olympia, WA. That covers rent, food, utilities, transport, and enough left over to feel settled – not just surviving.

Rent is clearly cheaper in Wellington, especially for central apartments. Housing is actually the single biggest factor behind the overall cost gap between these two cities.

Monthly expenses with rent come to $2,376 in Wellington and $2,983 in Olympia, WA. That's a gap of about 26%.

Kindergarten costs $1,056 per month in Wellington and $1,454 in Olympia, WA. For families with young kids, this one expense can tip the scales when choosing between the two cities.

A $2,500 monthly budget goes further in Wellington, where all-in costs run around $2,376, than in Olympia, WA at $2,983. In Wellington it covers expenses comfortably, while in Olympia, WA it requires careful planning or may not stretch far enough.

For digital nomads, it depends on budget. Wellington costs $2,376 versus $2,983 in Olympia, WA. Both have workable remote work infrastructure, but the cost gap matters when income varies month to month.

Both have safer and rougher neighborhoods, but overall safety is comparable to other large cities. Neighborhood choice matters more than the city-level comparison – central, well-trafficked areas feel secure in both.

If budget matters most, go with Wellington. If higher salaries, better infrastructure, or specific career opportunities are the priority, Olympia, WA makes more sense. Both are solid long-term options with distinct trade-offs.