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: $2,341 in Barcelona versus $1,485 in Masterton.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $3,462 in Barcelona versus $2,448 in Masterton.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $4,582 in Barcelona versus $3,411 in Masterton.

Living in Barcelona is roughly 58% more expensive than Masterton, driven mainly by Eating Out.

Both cities are pricier than the global median: Barcelona 75% above, Masterton 11% above.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$17.61 €15.08

$9.82 NZ$16.79

79.33%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$68.7 €58.8

$90.0 NZ$154

-23.68%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$13.75 €11.77

$9.28 NZ$15.86

48.17%

Cappuccino

$2.76 €2.36

$3.15 NZ$5.38

-12.38%

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

$2.78 €2.38

$2.08 NZ$3.55

33.65%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.05 €1.75

$1.66 NZ$2.83

23.49%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$4.61 €3.94

$3.71 NZ$6.34

24.26%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$4.59 €3.93

$4.31 NZ$7.38

6.50%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.28 €1.10

$1.49 NZ$2.54

-14.09%

White Bread (500g)

$2.11 €1.81

$1.69 NZ$2.88

24.85%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.97 €1.69

$1.16 NZ$1.99

69.83%

Eggs

$3.44 €2.95

$6.00 NZ$10.26

-42.67%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$18.83 €16.12

$7.33 NZ$12.54

156.89%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$9.45 €8.09

$9.43 NZ$16.12

0.21%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$19.01 €16.27

$12.14 NZ$20.76

56.59%

Apples (1kg)

$2.72 €2.33

$1.86 NZ$3.18

46.24%

Banana (1kg)

$2.37 €2.03

$1.86 NZ$3.18

27.42%

Oranges (1kg)

$2.08 €1.78

$2.56 NZ$4.38

-18.75%

Tomato (1kg)

$2.76 €2.36

$3.33 NZ$5.70

-17.12%

Potato (1kg)

$1.97 €1.69

$1.45 NZ$2.48

35.86%

Onion (1kg)

$1.79 €1.53

$1.18 NZ$2.01

51.69%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.51 €1.29

$1.77 NZ$3.03

-14.69%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.90 €0.77

$0.90 NZ$1.55

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$6.76 €5.79

$20.04 NZ$34.26

-66.27%

Wine (Bottle)

$7.55 €6.46

$10.74 NZ$18.37

-29.70%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.44 €1.23

$2.32 NZ$3.97

-37.93%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.41 €2.06

$2.59 NZ$4.43

-6.95%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$3.03 €2.59

$2.36 NZ$4.03

28.39%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$28.39 €24.30

$64.0 NZ$109

-55.61%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$4.43 €3.79

$2.37 NZ$4.06

86.92%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$2.05 €1.76

$1.78 NZ$3.04

15.17%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$29.33 €25.11

$40.81 NZ$69.8

-28.13%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.89 €1.62

$1.68 NZ$2.87

12.50%

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

$38.7K €33.2K

$24.1K NZ$41.3K

60.49%

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

$32.4K €27.7K

$23.4K NZ$40.0K

38.48%

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

$189 €161

$79.5 NZ$136

137.19%

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

$22.21 €19.01

$31.57 NZ$54.0

-29.65%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$36.82 €31.52

$48.75 NZ$83.4

-24.47%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$58.0 €49.64

$40.52 NZ$69.3

43.11%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$20.99 €17.97

$8.89 NZ$15.21

136.11%

Cinema Ticket

$11.05 €9.46

$8.13 NZ$13.89

35.92%

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

$726 €622

$397 NZ$678

83.10%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$15.2K €13.0K

$4,896 NZ$8,371

211.00%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$88.3 €75.6

$70.2 NZ$120

25.90%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$36.98 €31.66

$30.07 NZ$51.4

22.98%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$103 €87.8

$104 NZ$178

-1.65%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$119 €102

$113 NZ$194

5.27%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,526 €1,307

$785 NZ$1,342

94.45%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,218 €1,043

$612 NZ$1,046

99.15%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$2,794 €2,392

$1,269 NZ$2,169

120.24%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$2,027 €1,735

$1,072 NZ$1,833

89.17%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$7,094 €6,073

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$4,849 €4,151

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$2,404 €2,058

$2,456 NZ$4,200

-2.12%

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: April 27, 2026

Last update for Masterton: April 26, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $1,526 in Barcelona and $785 in Masterton. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Masterton pays 2% 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 $90.0 in Masterton. Groceries flip the comparison at $320 vs $276, 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 58% in total monthly costs ($2,341 vs $1,485 including rent). Masterton is meaningfully more affordable – a gap that matters a lot on a fixed or modest income.

On paper, Masterton earns 2% less. 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: $1,526 in Barcelona versus $785 in Masterton. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Childcare runs $726 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 16% higher in Barcelona. For households that cook at home regularly, that difference adds up over a month.

At $1,485 in Masterton versus $2,341 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 58% less than in Barcelona. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.