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: $2,347 in Wellington versus $1,941 in Recklinghausen.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $3,521 in Wellington versus $2,943 in Recklinghausen.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $4,694 in Wellington versus $3,945 in Recklinghausen.

Living in Wellington is roughly 21% more expensive than Recklinghausen, driven mainly by Getting Around.

Both cities are pricier than the global median: Wellington 75% above, Recklinghausen 45% above.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$17.25 NZ$29.50

$18.76 €16.06

-8.05%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$83.1 NZ$142

$88.4 €75.7

-6.07%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$9.68 NZ$16.55

$13.72 €11.75

-29.45%

Cappuccino

$3.72 NZ$6.36

$3.65 €3.12

1.92%

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

$2.52 NZ$4.30

$2.41 €2.06

4.56%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.11 NZ$3.61

$2.45 €2.09

-13.88%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$7.26 NZ$12.41

$4.78 €4.09

51.88%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$7.45 NZ$12.73

$4.54 €3.89

64.10%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.90 NZ$3.25

$1.30 €1.11

46.15%

White Bread (500g)

$2.07 NZ$3.54

$2.31 €1.98

-10.39%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.86 NZ$3.19

$3.19 €2.73

-41.69%

Eggs

$7.20 NZ$12.30

$3.67 €3.14

96.19%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$8.26 NZ$14.13

$14.64 €12.53

-43.58%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$11.03 NZ$18.86

$14.75 €12.62

-25.22%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$13.10 NZ$22.40

$22.23 €19.03

-41.07%

Apples (1kg)

$3.15 NZ$5.38

$3.29 €2.82

-4.26%

Banana (1kg)

$2.34 NZ$4.01

$1.83 €1.56

27.87%

Oranges (1kg)

$3.02 NZ$5.16

$2.21 €1.89

36.65%

Tomato (1kg)

$4.81 NZ$8.23

$4.87 €4.17

-1.23%

Potato (1kg)

$1.99 NZ$3.40

$1.62 €1.38

22.84%

Onion (1kg)

$1.63 NZ$2.78

$1.69 €1.44

-3.55%

Lettuce (1 head)

$2.20 NZ$3.76

$1.95 €1.67

12.82%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$1.24 NZ$2.12

$1.11 €0.95

11.71%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$26.81 NZ$45.84

$9.58 €8.20

179.85%

Wine (Bottle)

$10.81 NZ$18.49

$5.75 €4.92

88.00%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$3.50 NZ$5.99

$1.01 €0.87

246.53%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.14 NZ$5.38

$1.74 €1.49

80.46%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$2.75 NZ$4.70

$3.49 €2.99

-21.20%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$106 NZ$182

$63.0 €53.9

68.83%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$2.76 NZ$4.71

$4.99 €4.28

-44.69%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.81 NZ$3.09

$1.89 €1.62

-4.23%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$61.4 NZ$105

$39.89 €34.15

54.00%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.73 NZ$2.96

$2.06 €1.76

-16.02%

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

$33.5K NZ$57.2K

$32.0K €27.4K

4.41%

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

$25.5K NZ$43.6K

$36.0K €30.8K

-29.17%

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

$158 NZ$271

$359 €307

-55.89%

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

$33.45 NZ$57.2

$29.02 €24.84

15.27%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$52.1 NZ$89.1

$53.2 €45.56

-2.05%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$36.59 NZ$62.6

$39.84 €34.11

-8.16%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$20.68 NZ$35.37

$22.99 €19.68

-10.05%

Cinema Ticket

$12.04 NZ$20.59

$13.80 €11.81

-12.75%

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

$816 NZ$1,396

$463 €396

76.35%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$12.8K NZ$21.9K

$9,627 €8,241

32.99%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$71.1 NZ$122

$95.7 €81.9

-25.69%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$52.1 NZ$89.0

$47.61 €40.76

9.35%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$120 NZ$204

$102 €87.7

16.68%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$140 NZ$240

$148 €127

-5.53%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,327 NZ$2,270

$627 €537

111.74%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,102 NZ$1,885

$529 €453

108.42%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$2,156 NZ$3,687

$919 €787

134.55%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,959 NZ$3,349

$806 €690

143.13%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$6,752 NZ$11.5K

$5,175 €4,430

30.47%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$3,990 NZ$6,823

$3,146 €2,693

26.85%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$3,088 NZ$5,280

$2,907 €2,488

6.22%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

6.94

3.98

74.37%

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

Last update for Wellington: April 25, 2026

Last update for Recklinghausen: April 27, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $1,327 in Wellington and $627 in Recklinghausen. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Wellington pays 6% more on average. The extra income cushions the higher costs, though housing choices and lifestyle decide how much of the gap is truly closed.

Dining out: $83.0 in Wellington vs $88.0 in Recklinghausen for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $340 vs $358 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, Monthly Utilities & Internet. The 21% gap adds up to real monthly savings that compound significantly over time.

Wellington pays 6% more on average, which matters when comparing affordability. Whether that higher income actually nets you more depends on your spending habits and housing choices.

Rent for a central apartment: $1,327 in Wellington versus $627 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 $88.0 versus $83.0 in Wellington. If you eat out regularly, this makes a real dent in your monthly spending.

All in, you'll spend $2,347 per month in Wellington versus $1,941 in Recklinghausen – a 21% gap that adds up to real savings over time for anyone picking the cheaper option.

At $1,941 in Recklinghausen versus $2,347 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 21% less than in Wellington. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.