Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Barcelona and Masterton

For one person, living is cheaper in Masterton: $841 a month against $2,453 in Barcelona, rent and utilities included – about $19,300 less a year. Rent and utilities account for most of the difference.

Barcelona, Spain
Masterton, New Zealand
Barcelona
🇪🇸 Spain
$2,453
/mo nomad
Masterton
🇳🇿 New Zealand
$841
/mo nomad
Monthly Cost of Living

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

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $2,453 in Barcelona versus $841 in Masterton.

  • Barcelona $2,453
  • Masterton $841

Estimated couple costs with rent: $3,509 in Barcelona versus $1,446 in Masterton.

  • Barcelona $3,509
  • Masterton $1,446

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $4,564 in Barcelona versus $2,051 in Masterton.

  • Barcelona $4,564
  • Masterton $2,051

Living in Barcelona is roughly 191% more expensive than in Masterton, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in eating out.

The two cities straddle the global median: Barcelona is 80% above, Masterton is 38% below.

Currency
🍽 Eating Out
Barcelona
Masterton
Difference
Meal at Budget Restaurant
$17.59 €15.75
$9.26 NZ$16.44
89.96%
Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range
$67.5 €60.5
$65.0 NZ$115
3.91%
Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)
$13.53 €12.12
$8.77 NZ$15.58
54.28%
Cappuccino
$3.19 €2.86
$3.35 NZ$5.95
-4.78%
Coke/Pepsi/Fanta/Sprite (0.33 liter bottle)
$2.91 €2.61
$1.95 NZ$3.46
49.23%
Water (0.33 liter bottle)
$1.89 €1.70
$1.11 NZ$1.97
70.27%
Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)
$4.01 €3.59
$3.96 NZ$7.04
1.26%
Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)
$4.53 €4.06
$3.40 NZ$6.04
33.24%
🛒 Groceries & Markets
Barcelona
Masterton
Difference
Milk (1 liter)
$1.31 €1.17
$1.46 NZ$2.59
-10.27%
White Bread (500g)
$2.02 €1.81
$2.13 NZ$3.77
-5.16%
Rice (white) (1kg)
$1.85 €1.66
$1.10 NZ$1.95
68.18%
Eggs
$4.83 €4.33
$6.49 NZ$11.51
-25.58%
Local Cheese (1kg)
$16.74 €14.99
$8.59 NZ$15.25
94.88%
Chicken Fillets (1kg)
$9.12 €8.17
$9.94 NZ$17.65
-8.25%
Beef Round Steak (1kg)
$19.64 €17.59
$15.03 NZ$26.69
30.67%
Apples (1kg)
$2.98 €2.67
$2.22 NZ$3.93
34.23%
Banana (1kg)
$2.02 €1.81
$1.81 NZ$3.21
11.60%
Oranges (1kg)
$2.70 €2.42
$3.04 NZ$5.40
-11.18%
Tomato (1kg)
$2.80 €2.51
$4.48 NZ$7.95
-37.50%
Potato (1kg)
$2.09 €1.87
$1.51 NZ$2.69
38.41%
Onion (1kg)
$2.07 €1.85
$1.09 NZ$1.94
89.91%
Lettuce (1 head)
$1.46 €1.31
$1.71 NZ$3.04
-14.62%
Water (1.5 liter bottle)
$0.94 €0.84
$0.52 NZ$0.93
80.77%
Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)
$6.87 €6.15
$19.90 NZ$35.33
-65.48%
Wine (Bottle)
$7.89 €7.06
$11.48 NZ$20.39
-31.27%
Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)
$1.41 €1.26
$0.88 NZ$1.56
60.23%
Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)
$2.54 €2.27
$1.22 NZ$2.17
108.20%
🚌 Getting Around
Barcelona
Masterton
Difference
One-way Ticket (Public Transport)
$3.14 €2.82
$2.23 NZ$3.97
40.81%
Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)
$25.45 €22.79
-
-
Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)
$2.99 €2.68
$1.89 NZ$3.36
58.20%
Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)
$1.49 €1.34
$1.80 NZ$3.20
-17.22%
Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)
$33.37 €29.89
$33.98 NZ$60.3
-1.80%
Gasoline (1 liter)
$1.80 €1.61
$1.73 NZ$3.08
4.05%
Midsize Hatchback 1.4l (Volkswagen Golf, Toyota Prius, Honda Civic, etc)
$33.2K €29.7K
$22.9K NZ$40.6K
45.16%
Compact Sedan 1.6l (Toyota Corolla, Mazda3, Kia K4, Hyundai Elantra, etc)
$31.7K €28.4K
$23.9K NZ$42.4K
32.77%
🧾 Monthly Utilities & Internet
Barcelona
Masterton
Difference
Utilities for 2 People in 2-bedroom Apartment (Heating, Electricity, Gas, Water, Garbage) (85m2)
$180 €162
$56.0 NZ$99.5
221.99%
SIM Card Monthly Plan (Calls and 10GB+ Data)
$13.84 €12.39
$29.91 NZ$53.1
-53.73%
Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)
$33.70 €30.18
$53.4 NZ$94.8
-36.87%
🎉 Sport & Entertainment
Barcelona
Masterton
Difference
Gym Membership (Monthly)
$51.5 €46.13
$42.36 NZ$75.2
21.60%
Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)
$15.96 €14.29
$8.22 NZ$14.59
94.16%
Cinema Ticket
$10.99 €9.85
$9.47 NZ$16.81
16.05%
🧸 Childcare & Education
Barcelona
Masterton
Difference
Preschool or Kindergarten, Full Day, Private, 1 Child (Monthly)
$917 €821
$1,038 NZ$1,844
-11.73%
International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)
$16.5K €14.8K
$13.3K NZ$23.6K
23.79%
👕👟 Clothing & Footwear
Barcelona
Masterton
Difference
Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)
$87.0 €77.9
$56.7 NZ$101
53.60%
Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)
$38.51 €34.49
$28.47 NZ$50.6
35.27%
Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)
$106 €94.8
$105 NZ$186
1.19%
Men's Leather Business Shoes
$120 €107
$141 NZ$250
-14.99%
🏠 Accommodation & Living
Barcelona
Masterton
Difference
1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)
$1,699 €1,522
-
-
1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)
$1,355 €1,214
-
-
3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)
$2,603 €2,331
$1,019 NZ$1,809
155.47%
3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)
$2,062 €1,847
-
-
Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)
$6,915 €6,193
-
-
Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)
$5,128 €4,592
-
-
💵 Salaries & Financials
Barcelona
Masterton
Difference
Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)
$2,211 €1,980
$2,339 NZ$4,152
-5.47%
20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)
3.28
5.39
-39.15%

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

Last update for Barcelona: October 25, 2026

Last update for Masterton: October 25, 2026

Monthly budget structure
Share of the monthly basket for one person, rent included.
Accommodation & Living
Barcelona
$1.4K
Masterton
- * 100%
Groceries & Markets
Barcelona
$322
Masterton
$293 9% $29
Eating Out
Barcelona
$268
Masterton
$179 33% $88
Monthly Utilities & Internet
Barcelona
$228
Masterton
$139 38.9% $89
Clothing & Footwear
Barcelona
$158
Masterton
$149 5.8% $9.2
Sport & Entertainment
Barcelona
$74
Masterton
$61 16.6% $12
Getting Around
Barcelona
$48
Masterton
$20 * 59.1% $29

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

Cost Breakdown

Masterton pays 6% more on average while also being the cheaper of the two. The combined effect is a noticeably stronger local purchasing power.

Dining out: $67 in Barcelona vs $65 in Masterton for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $322 vs $293 per month, with Masterton cheaper across the board.

Good to know
🇪🇸 Barcelona
🇳🇿 Masterton
🕒 Local time
22:13 10:13 PM
10:13 10:13 AM
12 h ahead of Barcelona
🌤 Weather
👥 Population
1,660,122
26,800
💱 Currency
Euro EUR €
Exchange rates and currency converter

NZD, USD to EUR – Euro Converter

Euro exchange rates as of November 1, 2026: 1 USD = 0.896 EUR (1 EUR = 1.12 USD).

New Zealand Dollar exchange rates as of November 1, 2026: 1 USD = 1.78 NZD (1 NZD = 0.563 USD). 1 EUR = 1.98 NZD (1 NZD = 0.504 EUR).

On the map
Between locations
  • Barcelona Masterton 19,470 km ≈ 25 h nonstop flight
From you
  • Barcelona
  • Masterton

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
Barcelona vs Masterton: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions
What is the total cost difference between living in Barcelona and in Masterton?
Total monthly costs including rent come to $2,453 in Barcelona and $841 in Masterton, so Masterton is about 66% cheaper – a gap that matters a lot on a fixed or modest income.
Which city has better-paying jobs?
On paper, salaries run 5% lower in Barcelona. That’s worth factoring in alongside costs, though remote workers earning in a stronger currency may not notice the difference at all.
What is the difference in childcare costs between Barcelona and Masterton?
Childcare runs $917 in Barcelona versus $1,038 in Masterton. Over years of preschool, even a modest monthly gap compounds into a major financial factor for families.
Which city has cheaper restaurants?
Dining out is cheaper in Masterton – a meal for two runs $65 versus $67 in Barcelona. If you eat out regularly, this makes a real dent in your monthly spending.
Which city is more doable on $1,000 per month?
At $841 in Masterton versus $2,453 in Barcelona, a $1,000 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.
How does quality of life compare between Barcelona and Masterton?
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.
Is Barcelona or Masterton safer for residents?
Safety-wise, Barcelona and Masterton are both considered safe, so it’s unlikely to be the deciding factor between them.

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