Cost of Living Comparison Between Castle Rock, CO and Palmerston North Cost of Living Comparison Between Castle Rock, CO and Palmerston North

Monthly Cost of Living

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $1,252 in Castle Rock, CO versus $1,631 in Palmerston North.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $1,966 in Castle Rock, CO versus $2,689 in Palmerston North.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $2,679 in Castle Rock, CO versus $3,747 in Palmerston North.

Living in Castle Rock, CO costs roughly 23% less than in Palmerston North, driven mainly by Getting Around.

The two cities straddle the global median: Castle Rock, CO is 9% below, Palmerston North is 19% above.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$17.91 $17.91

$14.30 NZ$24.30

25.24%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$78.5 $78.5

$69.2 NZ$118

13.38%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$9.37 $9.37

$9.49 NZ$16.13

-1.26%

Cappuccino

$5.44 $5.44

$3.42 NZ$5.82

59.06%

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

$2.44 $2.44

$2.45 NZ$4.17

-0.41%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.89 $1.89

$1.84 NZ$3.12

2.72%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$7.09 $7.09

$6.69 NZ$11.36

5.98%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$6.05 $6.05

$7.13 NZ$12.12

-15.15%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.00 $1.00

$1.96 NZ$3.33

-48.98%

White Bread (500g)

$2.98 $2.98

$2.31 NZ$3.92

29.00%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$2.83 $2.83

$1.40 NZ$2.38

102.14%

Eggs

$4.38 $4.38

$5.38 NZ$9.14

-18.59%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$11.16 $11.16

$7.06 NZ$12.00

58.07%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$10.28 $10.28

$10.10 NZ$17.16

1.78%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$20.75 $20.75

$11.22 NZ$19.06

84.94%

Apples (1kg)

$5.18 $5.18

$2.65 NZ$4.50

95.47%

Banana (1kg)

$1.39 $1.39

$2.26 NZ$3.85

-38.50%

Oranges (1kg)

$3.75 $3.75

$2.30 NZ$3.91

63.04%

Tomato (1kg)

$5.14 $5.14

$5.93 NZ$10.08

-13.32%

Potato (1kg)

$2.87 $2.87

$1.52 NZ$2.58

88.82%

Onion (1kg)

$3.30 $3.30

$0.91 NZ$1.55

262.64%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.26 $1.26

$1.74 NZ$2.96

-27.59%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$1.70 $1.70

$0.75 NZ$1.27

126.67%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$10.11 $10.11

$23.85 NZ$40.51

-57.61%

Wine (Bottle)

$12.09 $12.09

$8.53 NZ$14.48

41.74%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$2.58 $2.58

$2.91 NZ$4.94

-11.34%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.69 $2.69

$2.91 NZ$4.94

-7.56%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$4.22 NZ$7.17

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$85.5 NZ$145

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$2.51 $2.51

$1.96 NZ$3.33

28.06%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.83 $1.83

$1.86 NZ$3.17

-1.61%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$25.10 $25.10

$17.77 NZ$30.19

41.25%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$0.79 $0.79

$1.73 NZ$2.94

-54.34%

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

$35.1K $35.1K

$22.9K NZ$39.0K

52.86%

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

$25.2K $25.2K

$25.5K NZ$43.3K

-1.08%

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

$217 $217

$73.0 NZ$124

197.48%

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

$39.22 $39.22

$33.34 NZ$56.6

17.64%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$69.5 $69.5

$36.98 NZ$62.8

87.83%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$60.6 $60.6

$23.56 NZ$40.02

157.05%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$14.88 NZ$25.27

Cinema Ticket

$12.22 $12.22

$12.33 NZ$20.94

-0.89%

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

$1,316 $1,316

$1,105 NZ$1,876

19.11%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$17.8K $17.8K

$8,727 NZ$14.8K

103.80%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$54.3 $54.3

$73.9 NZ$126

-26.51%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$50.4 $50.4

$29.14 NZ$49.50

73.10%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$80.1 $80.1

$86.6 NZ$147

-7.53%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$117 $117

$88.5 NZ$150

31.77%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,706 $1,706

$955 NZ$1,623

78.57%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$665 NZ$1,129

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,655 NZ$2,811

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,364 NZ$2,317

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$2,196 NZ$3,731

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$1,927 NZ$3,273

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$5,850 $5,850

$2,646 NZ$4,494

121.13%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

6.08

5.39

12.80%

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

Last update for Castle Rock, CO: August 30, 2026

Last update for Palmerston North: August 31, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $1,706 in Castle Rock, CO and $955 in Palmerston North. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Castle Rock, CO pays 121% more on average while also being the cheaper of the two. The combined effect is a noticeably stronger local purchasing power.

Dining out: $78.0 in Castle Rock, CO vs $69.0 in Palmerston North for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $374 vs $301 per month, with Palmerston North 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

Castle Rock, CO vs Palmerston North: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Castle Rock, CO and Palmerston North differ by about 30% in total monthly costs ($1,252 vs $1,631 including rent). Castle Rock, CO is meaningfully more affordable – a gap that matters a lot on a fixed or modest income.

Average pay runs 121% higher in Castle Rock, CO, 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: $1,706 in Castle Rock, CO versus $955 in Palmerston North. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Shoppers in Palmerston North pay roughly 24% less for everyday groceries. It's an unusual reversal that partly offsets higher costs elsewhere.

All in, you'll spend $1,252 per month in Castle Rock, CO versus $1,631 in Palmerston North – a 30% gap that adds up to real savings over time for anyone picking the cheaper option.

At $1,252 in Castle Rock, CO versus $1,631 in Palmerston North, a $2,000 budget is realistic in Castle Rock, CO but tight or insufficient in Palmerston North. The gap between the two cities makes Castle Rock, CO 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, Castle Rock, CO and Palmerston North 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 Castle Rock, CO gentler on the wallet – expenses run 30% less than in Palmerston North. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.