Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Ashburton and Agana Heights

For one person, living is cheaper in Agana Heights: $1,006 a month against $1,806 in Ashburton, rent and utilities included – about $9,600 less a year. Rent and utilities account for most of the difference.

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Cost of Living Index in Ashburton
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Ashburton Living Index

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Ashburton

🇳🇿 New Zealand

$1,806

/mo nomad

Agana Heights

🇬🇺 Guam

$1,006

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

How much you'll spend in Ashburton and in Agana Heights

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

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $1,806 in Ashburton versus $1,006 in Agana Heights.

Ashburton $1,806
Agana Heights $1,006

Estimated couple costs with rent: $2,897 in Ashburton versus $1,356 in Agana Heights.

Ashburton $2,897
Agana Heights $1,356

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $3,987 in Ashburton versus $1,707 in Agana Heights.

Ashburton $3,987
Agana Heights $1,707

Living in Ashburton is roughly 80% more expensive than in Agana Heights, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in eating out.

The two cities straddle the global median: Ashburton is 34% above, Agana Heights is 25% below.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$13.93 NZ$24.63

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$67.8 NZ$120

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$8.85 NZ$15.65

Cappuccino

$3.26 NZ$5.77

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

$2.32 NZ$4.10

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.81 NZ$3.21

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$6.89 NZ$12.19

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$6.77 NZ$11.97

Milk (1 liter)

$1.67 NZ$2.95

$1.70 $1.70

-1.76%

White Bread (500g)

$1.88 NZ$3.32

$4.65 $4.65

-59.57%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.50 NZ$2.64

$1.70 $1.70

-11.76%

Eggs

$5.80 NZ$10.26

$4.08 $4.08

42.16%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$7.48 NZ$13.23

$25.94 $25.94

-71.16%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$9.35 NZ$16.53

$6.60 $6.60

41.67%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$13.55 NZ$23.96

$17.90 $17.90

-24.30%

Apples (1kg)

$2.46 NZ$4.35

$3.99 $3.99

-38.35%

Banana (1kg)

$1.98 NZ$3.51

$1.20 $1.20

65.00%

Oranges (1kg)

$2.73 NZ$4.82

$1.92 $1.92

42.19%

Tomato (1kg)

$3.04 NZ$5.37

$6.72 $6.72

-54.76%

Potato (1kg)

$1.50 NZ$2.65

$2.82 $2.82

-46.81%

Onion (1kg)

$1.46 NZ$2.59

$2.85 $2.85

-48.77%

Lettuce (1 head)

$2.17 NZ$3.83

$4.07 $4.07

-46.68%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$1.32 NZ$2.33

$2.02 $2.02

-34.65%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$24.15 NZ$42.70

$9.81 $9.81

146.18%

Wine (Bottle)

$8.45 NZ$14.94

$12.18 $12.18

-30.62%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$3.52 NZ$6.23

$1.84 $1.84

91.30%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$4.26 NZ$7.53

$1.54 $1.54

176.62%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$1.62 NZ$2.86

$2.95 $2.95

-45.08%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$74.4 NZ$132

$60.8 $60.8

22.50%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$2.48 NZ$4.38

$10.08 $10.08

-75.40%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.66 NZ$2.93

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$27.91 NZ$49.35

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.93 NZ$3.41

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

$24.7K NZ$43.7K

$38.9K $38.9K

-36.41%

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

$23.9K NZ$42.3K

$35.7K $35.7K

-33.09%

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

$156 NZ$276

$339 $339

-54.10%

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

$22.75 NZ$40.23

$75.9 $75.9

-70.02%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$44.32 NZ$78.4

$97.4 $97.4

-54.50%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$40.15 NZ$71.0

Cinema Ticket

$11.12 NZ$19.66

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

$659 NZ$1,165

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$21.9K NZ$38.8K

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$57.9 NZ$102

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$39.80 NZ$70.4

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$99.6 NZ$176

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$121 NZ$214

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,013 NZ$1,792

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$745 NZ$1,317

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,417 NZ$2,506

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,600 NZ$2,830

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$4,546 NZ$8,039

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$3,098 NZ$5,479

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

5.91

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

Last update for Ashburton: October 12, 2026

Last update for Agana Heights: October 10, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Accommodation & Living

Ashburton

$745 41.2%

Agana Heights

–

Groceries & Markets

Ashburton

$300 16.6%

Agana Heights

–

Eating Out

Ashburton

$242 13.4%

Agana Heights

–

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Ashburton

$223 12.3%

Agana Heights

–

Clothing & Footwear

Ashburton

$143 7.9%

Agana Heights

–

Getting Around

Ashburton

$92 5.1%

Agana Heights

–

Sport & Entertainment

Ashburton

$62 3.5%

Agana Heights

–

Good to know

🇳🇿 Ashburton

🇬🇺 Agana Heights

🕒 Local time

17:14 5:14 PM

14:14 2:14 PM

3 h behind Ashburton

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

20,500

3,940

💱 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 18, 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 18, 2026: 1 EUR = 1.12 USD (1 USD = 0.89 EUR).

USD to NZD in detail →

On the map

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Between locations

Ashburton Agana Heights 6,940 km ≈ 9 h nonstop flight

From you

Ashburton
Agana Heights

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

Ashburton vs Agana Heights: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Agana Heights wins on cost – living expenses run 80% lower than in Ashburton. Housing and daily spending are where you'll feel the difference most, making Agana Heights the obvious pick if budget is a priority.

You'd need roughly $2,710 in Ashburton and $1,509 in Agana Heights to live well. The gap comes down to housing and overall price levels. Both cities are liveable on less, but these numbers represent actual comfort.

All in, you'll spend $1,806 per month in Ashburton versus $1,006 in Agana Heights – a 80% gap that adds up to real savings over time for anyone picking the cheaper option.

Shoppers in Ashburton pay roughly 37% less for everyday groceries. It's an unusual reversal that partly offsets higher costs elsewhere.

At $1,006 in Agana Heights versus $1,806 in Ashburton, a $1,000 budget is realistic in Agana Heights but tight or insufficient in Ashburton. The gap between the two cities makes Agana Heights 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, Ashburton and Agana Heights 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 Agana Heights gentler on the wallet – expenses run 80% less than in Ashburton. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.