Cost of Living Comparison Between Auckland and Masterton Cost of Living Comparison Between Auckland and Masterton

Monthly Cost of Living

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $2,299 in Auckland versus $1,536 in Masterton.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $3,447 in Auckland versus $2,428 in Masterton.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $4,595 in Auckland versus $3,320 in Masterton.

Living in Auckland is roughly 50% more expensive than Masterton, driven mainly by Eating Out.

Both cities are pricier than the global median: Auckland 71% above, Masterton 14% above.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$15.04 NZ$25.68

$10.02 NZ$17.11

50.10%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$77.5 NZ$132

$90.7 NZ$155

-14.63%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$9.52 NZ$16.26

$8.88 NZ$15.16

7.21%

Cappuccino

$3.49 NZ$5.96

$3.29 NZ$5.62

6.08%

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

$2.38 NZ$4.06

$2.08 NZ$3.54

14.42%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.18 NZ$3.73

$1.65 NZ$2.82

32.12%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$7.34 NZ$12.53

$3.67 NZ$6.27

100.00%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$7.13 NZ$12.17

$4.29 NZ$7.33

66.20%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.74 NZ$2.98

$1.47 NZ$2.50

18.37%

White Bread (500g)

$2.04 NZ$3.49

$1.70 NZ$2.90

20.00%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$2.02 NZ$3.44

$1.15 NZ$1.96

75.65%

Eggs

$6.96 NZ$11.89

$6.02 NZ$10.28

15.61%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$8.92 NZ$15.24

$7.18 NZ$12.25

24.23%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$9.70 NZ$16.57

$8.92 NZ$15.24

8.74%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$13.13 NZ$22.41

$12.34 NZ$21.08

6.40%

Apples (1kg)

$2.90 NZ$4.96

$1.83 NZ$3.12

58.47%

Banana (1kg)

$2.21 NZ$3.78

$1.82 NZ$3.10

21.43%

Oranges (1kg)

$3.20 NZ$5.47

$2.42 NZ$4.13

32.23%

Tomato (1kg)

$4.21 NZ$7.19

$3.44 NZ$5.88

22.38%

Potato (1kg)

$1.99 NZ$3.40

$1.45 NZ$2.48

37.24%

Onion (1kg)

$1.63 NZ$2.78

$1.16 NZ$1.98

40.52%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.88 NZ$3.21

$1.76 NZ$3.01

6.82%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$1.24 NZ$2.11

$0.91 NZ$1.55

36.26%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$24.83 NZ$42.40

$19.98 NZ$34.12

24.27%

Wine (Bottle)

$10.00 NZ$17.07

$11.81 NZ$20.17

-15.33%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$3.06 NZ$5.23

$2.22 NZ$3.79

37.84%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.91 NZ$6.67

$2.64 NZ$4.51

48.11%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$2.81 NZ$4.81

$2.38 NZ$4.07

18.07%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$130 NZ$221

$64.5 NZ$110

101.07%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$2.08 NZ$3.56

$2.43 NZ$4.15

-14.40%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.99 NZ$3.40

$1.84 NZ$3.14

8.15%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$35.76 NZ$61.1

$41.37 NZ$70.7

-13.56%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.70 NZ$2.91

$1.64 NZ$2.80

3.66%

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

$28.3K NZ$48.3K

$23.8K NZ$40.6K

18.88%

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

$21.9K NZ$37.4K

$23.2K NZ$39.6K

-5.44%

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

$145 NZ$248

$79.5 NZ$136

82.32%

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

$30.10 NZ$51.4

$31.44 NZ$53.7

-4.26%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$48.92 NZ$83.5

$48.94 NZ$83.6

-0.04%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$35.11 NZ$60.0

$40.93 NZ$69.9

-14.22%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$16.27 NZ$27.79

$9.09 NZ$15.52

78.99%

Cinema Ticket

$14.78 NZ$25.23

$8.05 NZ$13.75

83.60%

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

$894 NZ$1,526

$405 NZ$691

120.92%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$13.9K NZ$23.7K

$4,897 NZ$8,363

183.60%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$71.2 NZ$122

$68.5 NZ$117

3.99%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$49.58 NZ$84.7

$30.21 NZ$51.6

64.12%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$97.7 NZ$167

$102 NZ$174

-4.14%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$123 NZ$210

$114 NZ$195

7.86%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,269 NZ$2,167

$783 NZ$1,337

62.08%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,121 NZ$1,915

$607 NZ$1,036

84.74%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$2,437 NZ$4,162

$1,261 NZ$2,153

93.34%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,839 NZ$3,140

$1,094 NZ$1,869

68.03%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$8,041 NZ$13.7K

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$5,313 NZ$9,073

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$3,197 NZ$5,460

$2,481 NZ$4,237

28.85%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

6.37

6.69

-4.78%

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

Last update for Auckland: June 7, 2026

Last update for Masterton: June 8, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $1,269 in Auckland and $783 in Masterton. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Auckland pays 29% 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: $77.0 in Auckland vs $91.0 in Masterton. Groceries flip the comparison at $325 vs $275, with Masterton cheaper for home cooking.

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 50% 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.

Auckland pays 29% 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: $1,269 in Auckland versus $783 in Masterton. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Childcare runs $894 in Auckland versus $405 in Masterton. Over years of preschool, even a modest monthly gap compounds into a major financial factor for families.

Supermarket bills run roughly 18% higher in Auckland. For households that cook at home regularly, that difference adds up over a month.

At $1,536 in Masterton versus $2,299 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 $1,536 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 50% less than in Auckland. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.