Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Arecibo and Masterton

For one person, living is cheaper in Masterton: $841 a month against $1,280 in Arecibo, rent and utilities included – about $5,300 less a year. Rent and utilities account for most of the difference.

61

Cost of Living Index in Arecibo
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Arecibo Living Index
41

Cost of Living Index in Masterton
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Masterton Living Index

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Arecibo

🇵🇷 Puerto Rico

$1,280

/mo nomad

Masterton

🇳🇿 New Zealand

$841

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

How much you'll spend in Arecibo and in Masterton

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

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $1,280 in Arecibo versus $841 in Masterton.

Arecibo $1,280
Masterton $841

Estimated couple costs with rent: $2,006 in Arecibo versus $1,446 in Masterton.

Arecibo $2,006
Masterton $1,446

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $2,732 in Arecibo versus $2,051 in Masterton.

Arecibo $2,732
Masterton $2,051

Living in Arecibo is roughly 52% more expensive than in Masterton, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in groceries.

Both cities sit below the global median: Arecibo 6% lower, Masterton 38% lower.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$12.15 $12.15

$9.26 NZ$16.50

31.21%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$81.9 $81.9

$65.0 NZ$116

26.13%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$8.48 $8.48

$8.77 NZ$15.64

-3.31%

Cappuccino

$3.47 $3.47

$3.35 NZ$5.97

3.58%

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

$1.90 $1.90

$1.95 NZ$3.47

-2.56%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.52 $1.52

$1.11 NZ$1.98

36.94%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$3.07 $3.07

$3.96 NZ$7.06

-22.47%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$5.09 $5.09

$3.40 NZ$6.06

49.71%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.84 $1.84

$1.46 NZ$2.60

26.03%

White Bread (500g)

$3.37 $3.37

$2.13 NZ$3.79

58.22%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$2.02 $2.02

$1.10 NZ$1.96

83.64%

Eggs

$4.49 $4.49

$6.49 NZ$11.56

-30.82%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$12.47 $12.47

$8.59 NZ$15.31

45.17%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$9.74 $9.74

$9.94 NZ$17.72

-2.01%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$13.53 $13.53

$15.03 NZ$26.79

-9.98%

Apples (1kg)

$5.01 $5.01

$2.22 NZ$3.95

125.68%

Banana (1kg)

$2.54 $2.54

$1.81 NZ$3.22

40.33%

Oranges (1kg)

$4.76 $4.76

$3.04 NZ$5.42

56.58%

Tomato (1kg)

$4.67 $4.67

$4.48 NZ$7.98

4.24%

Potato (1kg)

$3.77 $3.77

$1.51 NZ$2.70

149.67%

Onion (1kg)

$3.98 $3.98

$1.09 NZ$1.94

265.14%

Lettuce (1 head)

$3.44 $3.44

$1.71 NZ$3.05

101.17%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$1.60 $1.60

$0.52 NZ$0.93

207.69%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$11.88 $11.88

$19.90 NZ$35.47

-40.30%

Wine (Bottle)

$15.58 $15.58

$11.48 NZ$20.46

35.71%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$2.96 $2.96

$0.88 NZ$1.57

236.36%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.89 $3.89

$1.22 NZ$2.18

218.85%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$2.23 NZ$3.98

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$40.33 $40.33

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$2.45 $2.45

$1.89 NZ$3.37

29.63%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.48 $1.48

$1.80 NZ$3.21

-17.78%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$41.70 $41.70

$33.98 NZ$60.6

22.72%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$0.98 $0.98

$1.73 NZ$3.09

-43.35%

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

$34.1K $34.1K

$22.9K NZ$40.8K

49.02%

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

$28.1K $28.1K

$23.9K NZ$42.5K

17.76%

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

$325 $325

$56.0 NZ$99.9

479.37%

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

$69.7 $69.7

$29.91 NZ$53.3

132.87%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$66.0 $66.0

$53.4 NZ$95.1

23.70%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$42.36 NZ$75.5

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$8.22 NZ$14.65

Cinema Ticket

$10.37 $10.37

$9.47 NZ$16.87

9.50%

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

$831 $831

$1,038 NZ$1,851

-19.97%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$12.4K $12.4K

$13.3K NZ$23.7K

-6.92%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$57.2 $57.2

$56.7 NZ$101

0.99%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$60.7 $60.7

$28.47 NZ$50.7

113.10%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$107 $107

$105 NZ$186

2.75%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$112 $112

$141 NZ$251

-20.30%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,019 NZ$1,816

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$1,186 $1,186

$2,339 NZ$4,168

-49.29%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

6.55

5.39

21.52%

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

Last update for Arecibo: October 27, 2026

Last update for Masterton: October 25, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Arecibo

$460 36%

Masterton

$139 16.6% 69.7% $321

Groceries & Markets

Arecibo

$393 30.7%

Masterton

$293 34.8% 25.6% $101

Eating Out

Arecibo

$203 15.9%

Masterton

$179 21.3% 11.8% $24

Clothing & Footwear

Arecibo

$152 11.9%

Masterton

$149 17.7% 2.1% $3.2

Getting Around

Arecibo

$50 * 3.9%

Masterton

$20 * 2.4% 60.5% $30

Sport & Entertainment

Arecibo

$21 * 1.6%

Masterton

$61 7.3% 196% $41

Accommodation & Living

Arecibo

- * 0%

Masterton

- * 0%

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

Cost Breakdown

Masterton pays 97% more on average while also being the cheaper of the two. The combined effect is a noticeably stronger local purchasing power.

Dining out: $82 in Arecibo vs $65 in Masterton for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $393 vs $293 per month, with Masterton cheaper across the board.

Good to know

🇵🇷 Arecibo

🇳🇿 Masterton

🕒 Local time

16:21 4:21 PM

09:21 9:21 AM

17 h ahead of Arecibo

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

39,634

26,800

💱 Currency

United States Dollar USD $

New Zealand Dollar NZD $

📈 Exchange rate

1 USD = 0.898 EUR

1 NZD = 0.561 USD

1 NZD = 0.504 EUR

Exchange rates and currency converter

NZD, EUR to USD – United States Dollar Converter

🇳🇿 New Zealand Dollar ($)

🇺🇸 United States Dollar ($)

United States Dollar exchange rates as of October 28, 2026: 1 EUR = 1.11 USD (1 USD = 0.898 EUR).

New Zealand Dollar exchange rates as of October 28, 2026: 1 USD = 1.78 NZD (1 NZD = 0.561 USD). 1 EUR = 1.98 NZD (1 NZD = 0.504 EUR).

NZD to USD in detail →

On the map

Lowest

Highest

Between locations

Arecibo Masterton 13,640 km ≈ 18 h nonstop flight

From you

Arecibo
Masterton

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

Arecibo vs Masterton: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Masterton is about 34% cheaper overall, especially in groceries, utilities, and transport. That difference adds up to real monthly savings that compound significantly over time.

On paper, salaries run 49% lower in Arecibo. That’s worth factoring in alongside costs, though remote workers earning in a stronger currency may not notice the difference at all.

Supermarket bills run roughly 34% higher in Arecibo. For households that cook at home regularly, that difference adds up over a month.

All in, you’ll spend $1,280 per month in Arecibo versus $841 in Masterton – Masterton is about 34% cheaper, which adds up to real savings over time.

At $841 in Masterton versus $1,280 in Arecibo, a $1,000 budget is realistic in Masterton but tight or insufficient in Arecibo. The gap between the two cities makes Masterton the clear choice for anyone on this budget.

Both cities offer a good standard of living with different trade-offs. Neither is objectively better – the right pick depends on what matters most: affordability, career, cultural scene, or climate.

Safety-wise, Arecibo and Masterton are both considered safe, so it’s unlikely to be the deciding factor between them.