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: $2,359 in Barcelona versus $1,510 in Masterton.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $3,498 in Barcelona versus $2,430 in Masterton.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $4,638 in Barcelona versus $3,350 in Masterton.

Living in Barcelona is roughly 56% more expensive than in Masterton, driven mainly by Eating Out.

Both cities are pricier than the global median: Barcelona 77% above, Masterton 13% above.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$17.15 €14.86

$10.01 NZ$16.98

71.33%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$68.1 €58.9

$89.1 NZ$151

-23.61%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$13.64 €11.82

$8.82 NZ$14.95

54.65%

Cappuccino

$2.78 €2.41

$3.25 NZ$5.51

-14.46%

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

$2.82 €2.44

$2.07 NZ$3.51

36.23%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.96 €1.70

$1.57 NZ$2.66

24.84%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$4.43 €3.84

$3.60 NZ$6.10

23.06%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$4.61 €3.99

$4.10 NZ$6.95

12.44%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.27 €1.10

$1.49 NZ$2.53

-14.77%

White Bread (500g)

$2.13 €1.85

$1.62 NZ$2.74

31.48%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.99 €1.72

$1.17 NZ$1.98

70.09%

Eggs

$3.37 €2.92

$6.31 NZ$10.70

-46.59%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$18.96 €16.42

$7.27 NZ$12.32

160.80%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$9.53 €8.26

$9.21 NZ$15.61

3.47%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$18.73 €16.22

$12.60 NZ$21.36

48.65%

Apples (1kg)

$2.65 €2.29

$1.78 NZ$3.02

48.88%

Banana (1kg)

$2.35 €2.04

$1.86 NZ$3.16

26.34%

Oranges (1kg)

$2.09 €1.81

$2.56 NZ$4.34

-18.36%

Tomato (1kg)

$2.73 €2.37

$3.42 NZ$5.80

-20.18%

Potato (1kg)

$1.96 €1.70

$1.44 NZ$2.43

36.11%

Onion (1kg)

$1.81 €1.56

$1.21 NZ$2.05

49.59%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.51 €1.31

$1.84 NZ$3.13

-17.93%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.89 €0.77

$0.91 NZ$1.55

-2.20%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$6.78 €5.87

$20.66 NZ$35.02

-67.18%

Wine (Bottle)

$7.92 €6.86

$10.99 NZ$18.63

-27.93%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.37 €1.19

$2.33 NZ$3.95

-41.20%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.40 €2.08

$2.62 NZ$4.45

-8.40%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$2.91 €2.52

$2.45 NZ$4.16

18.78%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$28.66 €24.82

$65.2 NZ$110

-56.02%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$4.58 €3.96

$2.36 NZ$4.00

94.07%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$2.04 €1.77

$1.78 NZ$3.01

14.61%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$28.72 €24.87

$41.16 NZ$69.8

-30.22%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.82 €1.58

$1.63 NZ$2.77

11.66%

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

$39.3K €34.0K

$24.1K NZ$40.8K

63.33%

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

$32.5K €28.1K

$22.8K NZ$38.6K

42.62%

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

$187 €162

$80.0 NZ$136

133.40%

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

$22.29 €19.30

$32.22 NZ$54.6

-30.82%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$36.37 €31.50

$47.35 NZ$80.3

-23.19%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$57.5 €49.82

$39.93 NZ$67.7

44.08%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$20.74 €17.96

$8.97 NZ$15.20

131.22%

Cinema Ticket

$10.77 €9.33

$8.24 NZ$13.97

30.70%

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

$725 €628

$397 NZ$673

82.72%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$15.2K €13.1K

$4,899 NZ$8,305

209.23%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$87.9 €76.1

$70.4 NZ$119

24.82%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$36.81 €31.88

$29.77 NZ$50.5

23.65%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$103 €89.6

$103 NZ$175

0.22%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$119 €103

$116 NZ$196

2.57%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,524 €1,319

$793 NZ$1,345

92.10%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,227 €1,062

$597 NZ$1,012

105.60%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$2,727 €2,362

$1,244 NZ$2,108

119.33%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,984 €1,718

$1,100 NZ$1,864

80.41%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$7,469 €6,468

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$5,243 €4,541

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$2,393 €2,072

$2,400 NZ$4,068

-0.29%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

3.39

6.69

-49.33%

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

Last update for Barcelona: July 27, 2026

Last update for Masterton: July 26, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $1,524 in Barcelona and $793 in Masterton. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Masterton pays 0% more on average while also being the cheaper of the two. The combined effect is a noticeably stronger local purchasing power.

Dining out: $68.0 in Barcelona vs $89.0 in Masterton. Groceries flip the comparison at $319 vs $278, 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

Barcelona vs Masterton: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Barcelona and Masterton differ by about 56% in total monthly costs ($2,359 vs $1,510 including rent). Masterton is meaningfully more affordable – a gap that matters a lot on a fixed or modest income.

On paper, salaries run 0% 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.

Rent for a central apartment: $1,524 in Barcelona versus $793 in Masterton. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Childcare runs $725 in Barcelona versus $397 in Masterton. Over years of preschool, even a modest monthly gap compounds into a major financial factor for families.

Supermarket bills run roughly 15% higher in Barcelona. For households that cook at home regularly, that difference adds up over a month.

At $1,510 in Masterton versus $2,359 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 56% less than in Barcelona. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.