Cost of Living Comparison Between Barcelona and Masterton Cost of Living Comparison Between Barcelona and Masterton

Monthly Cost of Living

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $2,476 in Barcelona versus $867 in Masterton.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $3,545 in Barcelona versus $1,478 in Masterton.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $4,613 in Barcelona versus $2,089 in Masterton.

Living in Barcelona is roughly 186% more expensive than in Masterton, driven mainly by Eating Out.

The two cities straddle the global median: Barcelona is 81% above, Masterton is 37% below.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$18.74 €16.33

$9.94 NZ$17.38

88.53%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$69.5 €60.6

$66.8 NZ$117

4.03%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$13.77 €12.00

$8.59 NZ$15.01

60.30%

Cappuccino

$3.10 €2.70

$3.30 NZ$5.77

-6.06%

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

$2.83 €2.47

$2.07 NZ$3.62

36.71%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.88 €1.64

$1.18 NZ$2.06

59.32%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$3.98 €3.47

$3.94 NZ$6.89

1.02%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$4.53 €3.95

$3.53 NZ$6.18

28.33%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.27 €1.11

$1.48 NZ$2.59

-14.19%

White Bread (500g)

$2.16 €1.88

$2.25 NZ$3.93

-4.00%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.76 €1.53

$1.07 NZ$1.87

64.49%

Eggs

$5.13 €4.47

$6.32 NZ$11.04

-18.83%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$17.88 €15.59

$8.78 NZ$15.36

103.64%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$9.65 €8.41

$10.24 NZ$17.90

-5.76%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$20.15 €17.56

$15.78 NZ$27.59

27.69%

Apples (1kg)

$3.25 €2.84

$2.36 NZ$4.12

37.71%

Banana (1kg)

$2.23 €1.94

$1.79 NZ$3.12

24.58%

Oranges (1kg)

$2.60 €2.27

$3.16 NZ$5.53

-17.72%

Tomato (1kg)

$2.76 €2.40

$4.70 NZ$8.21

-41.28%

Potato (1kg)

$2.21 €1.93

$1.55 NZ$2.71

42.58%

Onion (1kg)

$2.12 €1.85

$1.16 NZ$2.02

82.76%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.55 €1.35

$1.78 NZ$3.11

-12.92%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.95 €0.83

$0.50 NZ$0.87

90.00%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$7.34 €6.40

$19.84 NZ$34.69

-63.00%

Wine (Bottle)

$8.05 €7.01

$11.37 NZ$19.87

-29.20%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.54 €1.35

$0.90 NZ$1.57

71.11%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.79 €2.43

$1.19 NZ$2.08

134.45%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$3.11 €2.71

$2.36 NZ$4.12

31.78%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$25.86 €22.54

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$3.27 €2.85

$1.87 NZ$3.26

74.87%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.48 €1.29

$1.81 NZ$3.16

-18.23%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$34.27 €29.88

$34.33 NZ$60.0

-0.17%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.73 €1.51

$1.74 NZ$3.04

-0.57%

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

$36.4K €31.7K

$23.4K NZ$41.0K

55.25%

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

$30.5K €26.6K

$25.5K NZ$44.5K

19.96%

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

$187 €163

$57.7 NZ$101

224.06%

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

$15.14 €13.20

$31.00 NZ$54.2

-51.16%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$37.69 €32.85

$54.6 NZ$95.4

-30.97%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$55.9 €48.76

$43.22 NZ$75.6

29.43%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$17.08 €14.89

$8.33 NZ$14.56

105.04%

Cinema Ticket

$11.41 €9.95

$9.70 NZ$16.96

17.63%

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

$997 €869

$1,069 NZ$1,869

-6.77%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$16.5K €14.4K

$13.3K NZ$23.3K

24.29%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$92.6 €80.8

$57.0 NZ$99.6

62.54%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$41.22 €35.93

$28.98 NZ$50.7

42.24%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$111 €96.9

$104 NZ$183

6.49%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$125 €109

$142 NZ$248

-11.92%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,707 €1,488

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,286 €1,121

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$2,565 €2,236

$1,032 NZ$1,804

148.54%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,942 €1,693

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$7,647 €6,666

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$5,167 €4,504

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$2,348 €2,047

$2,429 NZ$4,247

-3.33%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

3.16

5.39

-41.37%

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

Last update for Barcelona: September 13, 2026

Last update for Masterton: September 13, 2026

Cost Breakdown

Masterton pays 3% more on average while also being the cheaper of the two. The combined effect is a noticeably stronger local purchasing power.

Dining out: $69.0 in Barcelona vs $67.0 in Masterton for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $336 vs $300 per month, with Masterton cheaper across the board.

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

Barcelona vs Masterton: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Barcelona and Masterton differ by about 186% in total monthly costs ($2,476 vs $867 including rent). Masterton is meaningfully more affordable – a gap that matters a lot on a fixed or modest income.

On paper, salaries run 3% lower in Masterton. That's worth factoring in alongside costs, though remote workers earning in a stronger currency may not notice the difference at all.

Childcare runs $997 in Barcelona versus $1,069 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 $67.0 versus $69.0 in Barcelona. If you eat out regularly, this makes a real dent in your monthly spending.

At $867 in Masterton versus $2,476 in Barcelona, a $1,500 budget is realistic in Masterton but tight or insufficient in Barcelona. 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, Barcelona 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 186% less than in Barcelona. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.