Nelson at a glance
- Nelson ranks 2nd of 10 priced cities in New Zealand on cost: $1,484 a month in essentials, 26% above Rotorua, the cheapest.
- The average net salary of $2,415 covers that 1.6×.
- 100.9 men per 100 women aged 20–39, measured at territorial authority level.
- PM2.5 averages 3.1 µg/m³ a year, 1× the WHO guideline of 5.
Green is the better side of each figure. Every line is computed from the tables below.
Monthly cost breakdown
Rent outside centre plus utilities, groceries, dining and local transport make up the essentials figure. Not a full lifestyle budget. The middle column is the median across the 10 New Zealand cities we track, so every row says whether Nelson is the cheap side of its own market or the dear one. Green is the better side of each row.
| Essentials, monthlyrent outside centre + bills + food + transit | $1,484 | $1,915 | 1.29× as much |
|---|---|---|---|
| Rent, 1-bed outside centremonthly, USD | $644 | $1,070 | 1.66× as much |
| Rent, 1-bed city centremonthly, USD | $902 | $1,252 | 1.39× as much |
| Groceriesmonthly, one person | $179 | $179 | same |
| Dining outmonthly, one person | $321 | $321 | same |
| Utilitiesmonthly: power, water, heating, internet | $246 | $208 | $38 |
| Local transportmonthly pass or fare equivalent | $94 | $90 | $4 |
| Average net salarymonthly, after tax; average, not median | $2,415 | $3,000 | $585 |
| Rent, 3-bed outside centremonthly, USD | $1,084 | $1,540 | 1.42× as much |
| Rent, 3-bed city centremonthly, USD | $1,186 | $1,699 | 1.43× as much |
Single person, USD. Data updated August 6, 2026.
Everyday prices
What single items cost in Nelson, in USD. The monthly figures above are built from these. Cheaper side of each row in green.
Eating out
| Meal, inexpensive restaurant | $14.35 | $14.50 | $0.15 |
|---|---|---|---|
| Meal for 2, mid-range, three courses | $70.28 | $70.28 | same |
| McMeal at McDonald's | $8.79 | $9.84 | $1.05 |
| Cappuccino, regular | $3.37 | $3.43 | $0.06 |
| Domestic beer, 0.5 L draught | $7.61 | $7.03 | $0.58 |
| Imported beer, 0.33 L bottle | $5.86 | $6.75 | $0.88 |
| Coke/Pepsi, 0.33 L | $1.83 | $2.21 | $0.38 |
| Water, 0.33 L bottle | $1.85 | $1.94 | $0.08 |
Groceries
| Milk, 1 L | $2.05 | $1.90 | $0.15 |
|---|---|---|---|
| White bread, 500 g | $2.21 | $1.90 | $0.31 |
| White rice, 1 kg | $1.96 | $1.80 | $0.16 |
| Eggs, 12 | $5.93 | $6.04 | $0.11 |
| Local cheese, 1 kg | $9.48 | $8.05 | $1.43 |
| Chicken fillets, 1 kg | $7.81 | $9.86 | 1.26× as much |
| Apples, 1 kg | $3.22 | $3.02 | $0.20 |
| Bananas, 1 kg | $2.28 | $2.19 | $0.08 |
| Tomatoes, 1 kg | $5.97 | $5.46 | $0.50 |
| Potatoes, 1 kg | $2.20 | $2.04 | $0.16 |
| Onions, 1 kg | $1.25 | $1.60 | 1.28× as much |
| Water, 1.5 L bottle | $1.09 | $1.18 | $0.09 |
Transport & bills
| One-way ticket, local transport | $2.34 | $1.76 | 1.33× as much |
|---|---|---|---|
| Taxi start | $1.93 | $2.34 | $0.41 |
| Taxi, 1 km | $1.87 | $1.93 | $0.06 |
| Gasoline, 1 L | $1.64 | $1.73 | $0.09 |
| Basic utilities, 85 m² flat | $202.19 | $158.37 | 1.28× as much |
| Internet, 60 Mbps+ | $43.93 | $51.60 | $7.67 |
| Mobile plan, monthly | $31.95 | $28.70 | $3.25 |
Leisure
| Gym, monthly | $59.15 | $40.16 | 1.47× as much |
|---|---|---|---|
| Cinema, one seat | $10.83 | $10.76 | $0.07 |
Dating-age sex ratio
Nelson has 100.9 men per 100 women aged 20–39 (territorial authority level). That is the 4th-highest of 10 New Zealand cities we track. New Zealand's national figure is 103.7, so Nelson runs 3 below the country as a whole.
A supply figure, 20–39. The dating-pool model is in Pro.
How Nelson ranks against every city we track
Nelson sits ahead of 99% of the 898 cities we track on clean air. On salary against local costs it is ahead of 72% of 534. Its weakest measure is cost of living, ahead of only 35% of 542.
Longer is better on every row: bar length is where Nelson sits among all the cities carrying that measure, which is why the count differs by row.
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Photo: Michal Klajban, CC BY-SA 4.0.
