Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Lae and Masterton

For one person, living costs are similar in Lae and in Masterton: $840 and $832 a month, rent and utilities included.

40

Cost of Living Index in Masterton
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Masterton Living Index

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Lae

🇵🇬 Papua New Guinea

$840

/mo nomad

Masterton

🇳🇿 New Zealand

$832

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

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

A single person spends $840 per month in Lae vs $832 in Masterton, rent included.

Lae $840
Masterton $832

A couple spends around $1,503 per month in Lae vs $1,432 in Masterton, rent included.

Lae $1,503
Masterton $1,432

A family of three spends $2,166 per month in Lae vs $2,032 in Masterton, rent included.

Lae $2,166
Masterton $2,032

Lae costs about 1% more than Masterton, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in clothing.

Both Lae and Masterton are more affordable than the global median – Lae 38% lower, Masterton 38% lower.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$24.73 PGK 108

$9.54 NZ$16.88

159.22%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$52.0 PGK 228

$64.9 NZ$115

-19.81%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$8.56 NZ$15.14

Cappuccino

$2.71 PGK 11.87

$3.18 NZ$5.62

-14.78%

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

$0.76 PGK 3.34

$2.02 NZ$3.57

-62.38%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.58 PGK 2.53

$1.09 NZ$1.93

-46.79%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$3.32 PGK 14.51

$3.89 NZ$6.88

-14.65%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$5.36 PGK 23.46

$3.28 NZ$5.79

63.41%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.95 PGK 8.55

$1.42 NZ$2.51

37.32%

White Bread (500g)

$1.48 PGK 6.48

$2.21 NZ$3.91

-33.03%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.26 PGK 5.52

$1.03 NZ$1.82

22.33%

Eggs

$4.05 PGK 17.74

$6.32 NZ$11.17

-35.92%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$9.34 PGK 40.89

$8.29 NZ$14.65

12.67%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$9.34 PGK 40.88

$9.48 NZ$16.76

-1.48%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$10.59 PGK 46.37

$15.18 NZ$26.85

-30.24%

Apples (1kg)

$4.40 PGK 19.24

$2.18 NZ$3.85

101.83%

Banana (1kg)

$2.78 PGK 12.16

$1.71 NZ$3.02

62.57%

Oranges (1kg)

$6.13 PGK 26.82

$2.98 NZ$5.27

105.70%

Tomato (1kg)

$1.62 PGK 7.08

$4.58 NZ$8.11

-64.63%

Potato (1kg)

$3.51 PGK 15.39

$1.53 NZ$2.71

129.41%

Onion (1kg)

$2.28 PGK 9.99

$1.08 NZ$1.90

111.11%

Lettuce (1 head)

$0.65 PGK 2.85

$1.70 NZ$3.00

-61.76%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.86 PGK 3.76

$0.52 NZ$0.92

65.38%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$6.63 PGK 29.01

$19.51 NZ$34.50

-66.02%

Wine (Bottle)

$12.12 PGK 53.1

$11.21 NZ$19.83

8.12%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$2.60 PGK 11.39

$0.85 NZ$1.50

205.88%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$4.33 PGK 18.94

$1.14 NZ$2.02

279.82%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.35 PGK 1.54

$2.23 NZ$3.94

-84.30%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$1.81 NZ$3.20

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.75 NZ$3.09

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$34.16 NZ$60.4

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.04 PGK 4.55

$1.77 NZ$3.12

-41.24%

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

$22.0K NZ$39.0K

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

$24.8K NZ$43.9K

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

$55.0 NZ$97.3

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

$29.34 NZ$51.9

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$52.8 NZ$93.3

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$41.79 NZ$73.9

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$8.51 NZ$15.06

Cinema Ticket

$9.68 NZ$17.12

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

$1,056 NZ$1,868

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$12.7K NZ$22.5K

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$55.6 NZ$98.3

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$27.59 NZ$48.79

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$102 NZ$181

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$142 NZ$251

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$447 PGK 1,956

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$269 PGK 1,176

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,248 PGK 5,465

$1,002 NZ$1,773

24.54%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$619 PGK 2,711

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$154 PGK 674

$2,327 NZ$4,115

-93.39%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

5.39

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

Last update for Lae: October 10, 2026

Last update for Masterton: October 13, 2026

Monthly budget structure

Share of the monthly basket for one person, rent included.

Groceries & Markets

Lae

–

Masterton

$288 34.7%

Eating Out

Lae

–

Masterton

$179 21.5%

Clothing & Footwear

Lae

–

Masterton

$147 17.7%

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Lae

–

Masterton

$137 16.5%

Sport & Entertainment

Lae

–

Masterton

$61 7.4%

Getting Around

Lae

–

Masterton

$19 * 2.3%

Accommodation & Living

Lae

–

Masterton

- * 0%

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

Cost Breakdown

Salaries run about 1412% higher in Masterton, which reinforces the cost advantage – you earn more and spend less. Purchasing power leans clearly in its favor.

A mid-range dinner for two costs $52.0 in Lae versus $65.0 in Masterton. Groceries tell a different story – $307 in Lae vs $288 in Masterton – so Masterton wins on supermarket bills even if dining out costs more.

Good to know

🇵🇬 Lae

🇳🇿 Masterton

🕒 Local time

06:10 6:10 AM

09:10 9:10 AM

3 h ahead of Lae

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

250,948

26,800

💱 Currency

Papua New Guinean Kina PGK K

New Zealand Dollar NZD $

📈 Exchange rate

1 PGK = 0.228 USD

1 PGK = 0.203 EUR

1 NZD = 0.565 USD

1 NZD = 0.503 EUR

Exchange rates and currency converter

NZD, USD, EUR to PGK – Papua New Guinean Kina Converter

🇺🇸 United States Dollar ($)

🇵🇬 Papua New Guinean Kina (K)

Papua New Guinean Kina exchange rates as of October 17, 2026: 1 USD = 4.38 PGK (1 PGK = 0.228 USD). 1 EUR = 4.92 PGK (1 PGK = 0.203 EUR).

New Zealand Dollar exchange rates as of October 17, 2026: 1 USD = 1.77 NZD (1 NZD = 0.565 USD). 1 EUR = 1.99 NZD (1 NZD = 0.503 EUR).

USD to PGK in detail →

On the map

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Highest

Between locations

Lae Masterton 4,750 km ≈ 6 h nonstop flight

From you

Lae
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

Lae vs Masterton: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Lae costs about 1% more than Masterton, and outside of rent the gap comes mainly from clothing. That's enough to noticeably affect everyday spending and lifestyle for anyone choosing between the two.

For a comfortable life, plan on about $1,260 per month in Lae and $1,248 in Masterton. That covers rent, food, utilities, transport, and enough left over to feel settled – not just surviving.

Monthly expenses with rent come to $840 in Lae and $832 in Masterton. That's a gap of about 1%.

Groceries cost about 7% more in Lae, though it depends on what you buy. Local produce may be comparable; imported and premium items show the biggest price gap.

A $1,500 monthly budget goes further in Masterton, where all-in costs run around $832, than in Lae at $840. In Masterton it covers expenses comfortably, while in Lae it requires careful planning or may not stretch far enough.

Families tend to lean toward Masterton – lower housing and cheaper childcare make a real difference, especially on a single income or when paying for private education.

Both have safer and rougher neighborhoods, but overall safety is comparable to other large cities. Neighborhood choice matters more than the city-level comparison – central, well-trafficked areas feel secure in both.

If budget matters most, go with Masterton. If higher salaries, better infrastructure, or specific career opportunities are the priority, Lae makes more sense. Both are solid long-term options with distinct trade-offs.