Cost of Living Comparison Between Wellington and Recklinghausen Cost of Living Comparison Between Wellington and Recklinghausen

Monthly Cost of Living

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $2,460 in Wellington versus $2,065 in Recklinghausen.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $3,478 in Wellington versus $3,027 in Recklinghausen.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $4,495 in Wellington versus $3,989 in Recklinghausen.

Living in Wellington is roughly 19% more expensive than in Recklinghausen, driven mainly by Eating Out.

Both cities are pricier than the global median: Wellington 80% above, Recklinghausen 51% above.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$14.42 NZ$25.21

$20.96 €18.27

-31.20%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$66.7 NZ$117

$86.6 €75.5

-22.92%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$9.20 NZ$16.08

$12.49 €10.89

-26.34%

Cappuccino

$3.37 NZ$5.89

$3.61 €3.15

-6.65%

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

$2.47 NZ$4.31

$2.83 €2.46

-12.72%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.78 NZ$3.12

$2.28 €1.99

-21.93%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$7.58 NZ$13.26

$5.66 €4.94

33.92%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$6.76 NZ$11.81

$3.52 €3.07

92.05%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.90 NZ$3.33

$1.36 €1.19

39.71%

White Bread (500g)

$2.21 NZ$3.87

$2.24 €1.96

-1.34%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.89 NZ$3.31

$3.45 €3.01

-45.22%

Eggs

$7.04 NZ$12.31

$3.79 €3.31

85.75%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$9.58 NZ$16.75

$17.13 €14.93

-44.07%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$9.68 NZ$16.93

$11.93 €10.40

-18.86%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$15.39 NZ$26.90

$25.58 €22.29

-39.84%

Apples (1kg)

$3.20 NZ$5.60

$3.33 €2.91

-3.90%

Banana (1kg)

$2.20 NZ$3.85

$2.00 €1.74

10.00%

Oranges (1kg)

$3.13 NZ$5.47

$2.22 €1.93

40.99%

Tomato (1kg)

$6.58 NZ$11.51

$5.36 €4.67

22.76%

Potato (1kg)

$2.20 NZ$3.84

$1.42 €1.24

54.93%

Onion (1kg)

$1.26 NZ$2.20

$1.33 €1.16

-5.26%

Lettuce (1 head)

$2.08 NZ$3.63

$1.78 €1.55

16.85%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$1.22 NZ$2.14

$1.20 €1.05

1.67%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$26.41 NZ$46.17

$9.98 €8.70

164.63%

Wine (Bottle)

$11.68 NZ$20.42

$6.81 €5.94

71.51%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$3.20 NZ$5.59

$1.02 €0.89

213.73%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.82 NZ$4.93

$1.71 €1.49

64.91%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$2.84 NZ$4.96

$3.72 €3.24

-23.66%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$102 NZ$179

$66.7 €58.1

53.44%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$1.95 NZ$3.41

$3.35 €2.92

-41.79%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.84 NZ$3.21

$1.06 €0.92

73.58%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$35.32 NZ$61.7

$34.44 €30.02

2.56%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.94 NZ$3.39

$2.16 €1.88

-10.19%

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

$26.1K NZ$45.6K

$31.4K €27.4K

-16.99%

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

$26.2K NZ$45.9K

$39.3K €34.2K

-33.23%

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

$201 NZ$351

$395 €345

-49.24%

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

$33.20 NZ$58.0

$37.31 €32.52

-11.02%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$54.6 NZ$95.4

$54.9 €47.82

-0.49%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$39.64 NZ$69.3

$23.32 €20.33

69.98%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$16.86 NZ$29.48

$15.90 €13.86

6.04%

Cinema Ticket

$12.18 NZ$21.30

$11.18 €9.75

8.94%

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

$1,109 NZ$1,938

$482 €420

130.15%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$13.4K NZ$23.4K

$9,555 €8,329

39.88%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$80.1 NZ$140

$99.9 €87.1

-19.81%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$29.42 NZ$51.4

$35.27 €30.74

-16.59%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$104 NZ$182

$115 €99.9

-9.24%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$159 NZ$278

$153 €133

4.04%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,235 NZ$2,159

$667 €581

85.16%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,176 NZ$2,057

$567 €494

107.44%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$2,211 NZ$3,865

$981 €856

125.25%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,750 NZ$3,060

$885 €771

97.82%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$6,730 NZ$11.8K

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$3,659 NZ$6,396

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$2,864 NZ$5,007

$2,895 €2,523

-1.05%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

5.39

3.96

36.11%

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

Last update for Wellington: September 13, 2026

Last update for Recklinghausen: September 15, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $1,235 in Wellington and $667 in Recklinghausen. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Recklinghausen 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: $67.0 in Wellington vs $87.0 in Recklinghausen for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $352 vs $368 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 Recklinghausen: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Recklinghausen is cheaper overall, especially in Getting Around, Sport & Entertainment. The 19% gap adds up to real monthly savings that compound significantly over time.

On paper, salaries run 1% lower in Recklinghausen. 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 $667 in Recklinghausen. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Dining out is cheaper in Recklinghausen – a meal for two runs $87.0 versus $67.0 in Wellington. If you eat out regularly, this makes a real dent in your monthly spending.

All in, you'll spend $2,460 per month in Wellington versus $2,065 in Recklinghausen – a 19% gap that adds up to real savings over time for anyone picking the cheaper option.

At $2,065 in Recklinghausen versus $2,460 in Wellington, a $2,500 budget is realistic in Recklinghausen but tight or insufficient in Wellington. The gap between the two cities makes Recklinghausen the clear choice for anyone on this budget.

For families, Recklinghausen 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 Recklinghausen 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 Recklinghausen gentler on the wallet – expenses run 19% less than in Wellington. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.