Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Majuro and Timaru

For one person, living is cheaper in Timaru: $1,980 a month against $2,116 in Majuro, rent and utilities included – about $1,600 less a year. Other living expenses account for most of the difference.

104

Cost of Living Index in Majuro
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Majuro Living Index
90

Cost of Living Index in Timaru
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Timaru Living Index

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Majuro

🇲🇭 Marshall Islands

$2,116

/mo nomad

Timaru

🇳🇿 New Zealand

$1,980

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

How much you'll spend in Majuro and in Timaru

Real prices from locals and on-the-ground checks – rent, groceries, transit and the daily extras. Here's what a month in Majuro and in Timaru actually costs, broken down by who's living it.

A single person spends $2,116 per month in Majuro vs $1,980 in Timaru, rent included.

Majuro $2,116
Timaru $1,980

A couple spends around $2,980 per month in Majuro vs $2,925 in Timaru, rent included.

Majuro $2,980
Timaru $2,925

A family of three spends $3,845 per month in Majuro vs $3,870 in Timaru, rent included.

Majuro $3,845
Timaru $3,870

Majuro costs about 7% more than Timaru, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in groceries.

Both Majuro and Timaru sit above the global median – Majuro by 57%, Timaru by 47%.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$10.14 $10.14

$13.80 NZ$24.41

-26.52%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$29.73 $29.73

$62.1 NZ$110

-52.09%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$10.35 $10.35

$10.70 NZ$18.93

-3.27%

Cappuccino

$4.21 $4.21

$3.37 NZ$5.95

24.93%

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

$1.85 $1.85

$2.03 NZ$3.59

-8.87%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.01 $2.01

$1.81 NZ$3.20

11.05%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$4.43 $4.43

$5.72 NZ$10.11

-22.55%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$4.88 $4.88

$6.12 NZ$10.81

-20.26%

Milk (1 liter)

$2.20 $2.20

$1.11 NZ$1.96

98.20%

White Bread (500g)

$3.44 $3.44

$1.82 NZ$3.22

89.01%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.77 $1.77

$1.09 NZ$1.93

62.39%

Eggs

$5.13 $5.13

$5.69 NZ$10.06

-9.84%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$30.62 $30.62

$8.24 NZ$14.57

271.60%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$11.10 $11.10

$9.13 NZ$16.15

21.58%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$18.52 $18.52

$16.33 NZ$28.89

13.41%

Apples (1kg)

$4.47 $4.47

$2.92 NZ$5.17

53.08%

Banana (1kg)

$7.44 $7.44

$2.33 NZ$4.12

219.31%

Oranges (1kg)

$8.73 $8.73

$3.24 NZ$5.72

169.44%

Tomato (1kg)

$12.59 $12.59

$5.19 NZ$9.18

142.58%

Potato (1kg)

$5.23 $5.23

$1.87 NZ$3.30

179.68%

Onion (1kg)

$5.51 $5.51

$1.78 NZ$3.14

209.55%

Lettuce (1 head)

$3.69 $3.69

$2.25 NZ$3.98

64.00%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$1.81 $1.81

$0.55 NZ$0.97

229.09%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$5.83 $5.83

$20.75 NZ$36.70

-71.90%

Wine (Bottle)

$10.16 $10.16

$5.63 NZ$9.96

80.46%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$3.07 NZ$5.42

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.52 $2.52

$1.18 NZ$2.09

113.56%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$2.92 $2.92

$1.65 NZ$2.91

76.97%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$92.4 NZ$163

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$2.78 $2.78

$2.29 NZ$4.04

21.40%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$2.08 NZ$3.68

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$4.86 $4.86

$27.65 NZ$48.90

-82.42%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.76 $1.76

$1.48 NZ$2.61

18.92%

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

$25.0K $25.0K

$24.8K NZ$43.9K

0.57%

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

$34.8K $34.8K

$24.9K NZ$44.1K

39.60%

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

$250 $250

$110 NZ$194

127.90%

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

$37.28 $37.28

$22.70 NZ$40.15

64.23%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$79.5 $79.5

$51.4 NZ$90.9

54.69%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$37.84 $37.84

$38.87 NZ$68.7

-2.65%

Cinema Ticket

$10.17 NZ$17.98

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

$148 $148

$579 NZ$1,025

-74.42%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$2,607 $2,607

$17.1K NZ$30.3K

-84.76%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$70.6 $70.6

$59.1 NZ$105

19.49%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$39.42 $39.42

$34.65 NZ$61.3

13.77%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$29.98 $29.98

$91.0 NZ$161

-67.04%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$50.3 $50.3

$132 NZ$234

-61.99%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$778 $778

$877 NZ$1,550

-11.26%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$861 $861

$946 NZ$1,674

-9.07%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,331 $1,331

$1,616 NZ$2,857

-17.59%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,281 $1,281

$1,510 NZ$2,670

-15.18%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$4,303 NZ$7,610

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$3,018 NZ$5,337

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$995 $995

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

7.07

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

Last update for Majuro: October 11, 2026

Last update for Timaru: October 11, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Accommodation & Living

Majuro

$861 40.7%

Timaru

$946 47.8% 10% $86

Groceries & Markets

Majuro

$540 * 25.5%

Timaru

$297 15% 45% $243

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Majuro

$367 17.3%

Timaru

$184 9.3% 49.9% $183

Eating Out

Majuro

$210 9.9%

Timaru

$239 12.1% 13.9% $29

Clothing & Footwear

Majuro

$86 4.1%

Timaru

$143 7.2% 66.6% $57

Sport & Entertainment

Majuro

$38 * 1.8%

Timaru

$59 3% 56.4% $21

Getting Around

Majuro

$14 * 0.7%

Timaru

$112 5.6% 672% $97

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

Cost Breakdown

A central one-bedroom costs $778 in Majuro versus $877 in Timaru. Rent is usually the largest line item in a monthly budget, so the gap here sets the tone for the overall comparison.

A mid-range dinner for two costs $30.00 in Majuro versus $62.0 in Timaru. Groceries tell a different story – $540 in Majuro vs $297 in Timaru – so Timaru wins on supermarket bills even if dining out costs more.

Good to know

🇲🇭 Majuro

🇳🇿 Timaru

🕒 Local time

08:05 8:05 AM

09:05 9:05 AM

1 h ahead of Majuro

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

26,000 Capital

28,600

💱 Currency

United States Dollar USD $

New Zealand Dollar NZD $

📈 Exchange rate

1 USD = 0.889 EUR

1 NZD = 0.565 USD

1 NZD = 0.503 EUR

Exchange rates and currency converter

NZD, EUR to USD – United States Dollar Converter

🇳🇿 New Zealand Dollar ($)

🇺🇸 United States Dollar ($)

United States Dollar exchange rates as of October 17, 2026: 1 EUR = 1.12 USD (1 USD = 0.889 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).

NZD to USD in detail →

On the map

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Between locations

Majuro Timaru 5,720 km ≈ 8 h nonstop flight

From you

Majuro
Timaru

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

Majuro vs Timaru: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Yes – Majuro is pricier by about 7%, and outside of rent the gap shows up most in groceries.

For a comfortable life, plan on about $3,174 per month in Majuro and $2,970 in Timaru. That covers rent, food, utilities, transport, and enough left over to feel settled – not just surviving.

Rent is clearly cheaper in Timaru, especially for central apartments. Housing is actually the single biggest factor behind the overall cost gap between these two cities.

Monthly expenses with rent come to $2,116 in Majuro and $1,980 in Timaru. That's a gap of about 7%.

Kindergarten costs $148 per month in Majuro and $579 in Timaru. For families with young kids, this one expense can tip the scales when choosing between the two cities.

A $2,000 monthly budget goes further in Timaru, where all-in costs run around $1,980, than in Majuro at $2,116. In Timaru it covers expenses comfortably, while in Majuro it requires careful planning or may not stretch far enough.

Families tend to lean toward Timaru – 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 Timaru. If higher salaries, better infrastructure, or specific career opportunities are the priority, Majuro makes more sense. Both are solid long-term options with distinct trade-offs.