Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Auckland and Masterton

For one person, living is cheaper in Masterton: $832 a month against $2,388 in Auckland, rent and utilities included – about $18,700 less a year. Rent and utilities account for most of the difference.

117

Cost of Living Index in Auckland
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Auckland Living Index
40

Cost of Living Index in Masterton
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Masterton Living Index

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Auckland

🇳🇿 New Zealand

$2,388

/mo nomad

Masterton

🇳🇿 New Zealand

$832

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

How much you'll spend in Auckland 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 Auckland and in Masterton actually costs, broken down by who's living it.

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $2,388 in Auckland versus $832 in Masterton.

Auckland $2,388
Masterton $832

Estimated couple costs with rent: $3,355 in Auckland versus $1,432 in Masterton.

Auckland $3,355
Masterton $1,432

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $4,321 in Auckland versus $2,032 in Masterton.

Auckland $4,321
Masterton $2,032

Living in Auckland is roughly 187% more expensive than in Masterton, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in transport.

The two cities straddle the global median: Auckland is 77% above, Masterton is 38% below.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$14.10 NZ$24.93

$9.54 NZ$16.88

47.80%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$65.9 NZ$116

$64.9 NZ$115

1.50%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$8.86 NZ$15.68

$8.56 NZ$15.14

3.50%

Cappuccino

$3.34 NZ$5.91

$3.18 NZ$5.62

5.03%

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

$2.00 NZ$3.54

$2.02 NZ$3.57

-0.99%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.73 NZ$3.05

$1.09 NZ$1.93

58.72%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$6.64 NZ$11.74

$3.89 NZ$6.88

70.69%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$6.56 NZ$11.59

$3.28 NZ$5.79

100.00%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.96 NZ$3.46

$1.42 NZ$2.51

38.03%

White Bread (500g)

$2.22 NZ$3.93

$2.21 NZ$3.91

0.45%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.82 NZ$3.21

$1.03 NZ$1.82

76.70%

Eggs

$6.14 NZ$10.86

$6.32 NZ$11.17

-2.85%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$8.55 NZ$15.12

$8.29 NZ$14.65

3.14%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$9.73 NZ$17.21

$9.48 NZ$16.76

2.64%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$17.27 NZ$30.54

$15.18 NZ$26.85

13.77%

Apples (1kg)

$2.77 NZ$4.90

$2.18 NZ$3.85

27.06%

Banana (1kg)

$2.06 NZ$3.65

$1.71 NZ$3.02

20.47%

Oranges (1kg)

$3.01 NZ$5.31

$2.98 NZ$5.27

1.01%

Tomato (1kg)

$5.79 NZ$10.24

$4.58 NZ$8.11

26.42%

Potato (1kg)

$2.13 NZ$3.77

$1.53 NZ$2.71

39.22%

Onion (1kg)

$1.55 NZ$2.75

$1.08 NZ$1.90

43.52%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.97 NZ$3.48

$1.70 NZ$3.00

15.88%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$1.09 NZ$1.92

$0.52 NZ$0.92

109.62%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$26.91 NZ$47.59

$19.51 NZ$34.50

37.93%

Wine (Bottle)

$10.31 NZ$18.24

$11.21 NZ$19.83

-8.03%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$2.72 NZ$4.82

$0.85 NZ$1.50

220.00%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.24 NZ$5.74

$1.14 NZ$2.02

184.21%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$2.47 NZ$4.37

$2.23 NZ$3.94

10.76%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$123 NZ$218

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$2.27 NZ$4.01

$1.81 NZ$3.20

25.41%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.92 NZ$3.40

$1.75 NZ$3.09

9.71%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$32.31 NZ$57.1

$34.16 NZ$60.4

-5.42%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.86 NZ$3.29

$1.77 NZ$3.12

5.08%

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

$25.2K NZ$44.6K

$22.0K NZ$39.0K

14.40%

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

$22.0K NZ$38.8K

$24.8K NZ$43.9K

-11.59%

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

$179 NZ$316

$55.0 NZ$97.3

225.04%

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

$26.64 NZ$47.12

$29.34 NZ$51.9

-9.20%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$51.4 NZ$90.8

$52.8 NZ$93.3

-2.65%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$45.16 NZ$79.9

$41.79 NZ$73.9

8.06%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$18.06 NZ$31.95

$8.51 NZ$15.06

112.22%

Cinema Ticket

$12.77 NZ$22.59

$9.68 NZ$17.12

31.92%

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

$1,134 NZ$2,005

$1,056 NZ$1,868

7.37%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$19.2K NZ$34.0K

$12.7K NZ$22.5K

51.32%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$80.2 NZ$142

$55.6 NZ$98.3

44.34%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$40.05 NZ$70.8

$27.59 NZ$48.79

45.16%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$93.7 NZ$166

$102 NZ$181

-8.53%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$109 NZ$193

$142 NZ$251

-23.00%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,290 NZ$2,281

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,191 NZ$2,107

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$2,209 NZ$3,906

$1,002 NZ$1,773

120.34%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,659 NZ$2,934

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$7,466 NZ$13.2K

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$5,346 NZ$9,455

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$2,881 NZ$5,095

$2,327 NZ$4,115

23.81%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

5.37

5.39

-0.37%

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

Last update for Auckland: October 12, 2026

Last update for Masterton: October 13, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Accommodation & Living

Auckland

$1.2K 49.9%

Masterton

- * 0% 100%

Groceries & Markets

Auckland

$338 14.2%

Masterton

$288 34.7% 14.7% $50

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Auckland

$257 10.8%

Masterton

$137 16.5% 46.6% $120

Eating Out

Auckland

$241 10.1%

Masterton

$179 21.5% 25.8% $62

Clothing & Footwear

Auckland

$146 6.1%

Masterton

$147 17.7% 1.3% $1.9

Getting Around

Auckland

$145 6.1%

Masterton

$19 * 2.3% 86.6% $126

Sport & Entertainment

Auckland

$71 3%

Masterton

$61 7.4% 13.5% $9.6

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

Cost Breakdown

Auckland pays 24% 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: $66.0 in Auckland vs $65.0 in Masterton for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $338 vs $288 per month, with Masterton cheaper across the board.

Good to know

🇳🇿 Auckland

🇳🇿 Masterton

🕒 Local time

06:35 6:35 AM

Same time as Auckland

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

1,463,000

26,800

💱 Currency

New Zealand Dollar NZD $

📈 Exchange rate

1 NZD = 0.565 USD

1 NZD = 0.503 EUR

1 NZD = 0.565 USD

1 NZD = 0.503 EUR

Exchange rates and currency converter

On the map

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Auckland Masterton 460 km

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Auckland
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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

Auckland vs Masterton: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Masterton wins on cost – living expenses run 187% lower than in Auckland. Housing and daily spending are where you'll feel the difference most, making Masterton the obvious pick if budget is a priority.

Average pay runs 24% higher in Auckland, which matters when comparing affordability. Whether that higher income actually nets you more depends on your spending habits and housing choices.

Childcare runs $1,134 in Auckland versus $1,056 in Masterton. Over years of preschool, even a modest monthly gap compounds into a major financial factor for families.

Dining out is cheaper in Masterton – a meal for two runs $65.0 versus $66.0 in Auckland. If you eat out regularly, this makes a real dent in your monthly spending.

At $832 in Masterton versus $2,388 in Auckland, a $1,500 budget is realistic in Masterton but tight or insufficient in Auckland. The gap between the two cities makes Masterton the clear choice for anyone on this budget.

Both work as nomad bases, but Masterton delivers better value – similar infrastructure at $832 monthly. If stretching your runway or maximizing savings is the goal, the price difference makes Masterton hard to pass up.

Safety-wise, Auckland and Masterton 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 Masterton gentler on the wallet – expenses run 187% less than in Auckland. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.