Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Masterton and Arecibo

For one person, living is cheaper in Masterton: $841 a month against $1,280 in Arecibo, rent and utilities included – about $5,300 less a year. Rent and utilities account for most of the difference.

41

Cost of Living Index in Masterton
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Masterton Living Index
61

Cost of Living Index in Arecibo
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Arecibo Living Index

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Masterton

🇳🇿 New Zealand

$841

/mo nomad

Arecibo

🇵🇷 Puerto Rico

$1,280

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

How much you'll spend in Masterton and in Arecibo

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

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $841 in Masterton versus $1,280 in Arecibo.

Masterton $841
Arecibo $1,280

Estimated couple costs with rent: $1,446 in Masterton versus $2,006 in Arecibo.

Masterton $1,446
Arecibo $2,006

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $2,051 in Masterton versus $2,732 in Arecibo.

Masterton $2,051
Arecibo $2,732

Living in Masterton costs roughly 34% less than in Arecibo, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in groceries.

Both cities sit below the global median: Masterton 38% lower, Arecibo 6% lower.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$9.26 NZ$16.44

$12.15 $12.15

-23.79%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$65.0 NZ$115

$81.9 $81.9

-20.72%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$8.77 NZ$15.58

$8.48 $8.48

3.42%

Cappuccino

$3.35 NZ$5.95

$3.47 $3.47

-3.46%

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

$1.95 NZ$3.46

$1.90 $1.90

2.63%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.11 NZ$1.97

$1.52 $1.52

-26.97%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$3.96 NZ$7.04

$3.07 $3.07

28.99%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.40 NZ$6.04

$5.09 $5.09

-33.20%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.46 NZ$2.59

$1.84 $1.84

-20.65%

White Bread (500g)

$2.13 NZ$3.77

$3.37 $3.37

-36.80%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.10 NZ$1.95

$2.02 $2.02

-45.54%

Eggs

$6.49 NZ$11.51

$4.49 $4.49

44.54%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$8.59 NZ$15.25

$12.47 $12.47

-31.11%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$9.94 NZ$17.65

$9.74 $9.74

2.05%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$15.03 NZ$26.69

$13.53 $13.53

11.09%

Apples (1kg)

$2.22 NZ$3.93

$5.01 $5.01

-55.69%

Banana (1kg)

$1.81 NZ$3.21

$2.54 $2.54

-28.74%

Oranges (1kg)

$3.04 NZ$5.40

$4.76 $4.76

-36.13%

Tomato (1kg)

$4.48 NZ$7.95

$4.67 $4.67

-4.07%

Potato (1kg)

$1.51 NZ$2.69

$3.77 $3.77

-59.95%

Onion (1kg)

$1.09 NZ$1.94

$3.98 $3.98

-72.61%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.71 NZ$3.04

$3.44 $3.44

-50.29%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.52 NZ$0.93

$1.60 $1.60

-67.50%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$19.90 NZ$35.33

$11.88 $11.88

67.51%

Wine (Bottle)

$11.48 NZ$20.39

$15.58 $15.58

-26.32%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$0.88 NZ$1.56

$2.96 $2.96

-70.27%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.22 NZ$2.17

$3.89 $3.89

-68.64%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$2.23 NZ$3.97

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$40.33 $40.33

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$1.89 NZ$3.36

$2.45 $2.45

-22.86%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.80 NZ$3.20

$1.48 $1.48

21.62%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$33.98 NZ$60.3

$41.70 $41.70

-18.51%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.73 NZ$3.08

$0.98 $0.98

76.53%

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

$22.9K NZ$40.6K

$34.1K $34.1K

-32.90%

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

$23.9K NZ$42.4K

$28.1K $28.1K

-15.08%

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

$56.0 NZ$99.5

$325 $325

-82.74%

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

$29.91 NZ$53.1

$69.7 $69.7

-57.06%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$53.4 NZ$94.8

$66.0 $66.0

-19.16%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$42.36 NZ$75.2

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$8.22 NZ$14.59

Cinema Ticket

$9.47 NZ$16.81

$10.37 $10.37

-8.68%

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

$1,038 NZ$1,844

$831 $831

24.95%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$13.3K NZ$23.6K

$12.4K $12.4K

7.44%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$56.7 NZ$101

$57.2 $57.2

-0.98%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$28.47 NZ$50.6

$60.7 $60.7

-53.07%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$105 NZ$186

$107 $107

-2.68%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$141 NZ$250

$112 $112

25.48%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,019 NZ$1,809

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$2,339 NZ$4,152

$1,186 $1,186

97.18%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

5.39

6.55

-17.71%

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

Last update for Masterton: October 25, 2026

Last update for Arecibo: October 27, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Groceries & Markets

Masterton

$293 34.8%

Arecibo

$393 30.7% 34.3% $101

Eating Out

Masterton

$179 21.3%

Arecibo

$203 15.9% 13.4% $24

Clothing & Footwear

Masterton

$149 17.7%

Arecibo

$152 11.9% 2.1% $3.2

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Masterton

$139 16.6%

Arecibo

$460 36% 230% $321

Sport & Entertainment

Masterton

$61 7.3%

Arecibo

$21 * 1.6% 66.2% $41

Getting Around

Masterton

$20 * 2.4%

Arecibo

$50 * 3.9% 153% $30

Accommodation & Living

Masterton

- * 0%

Arecibo

- * 0%

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

Cost Breakdown

Masterton pays 97% more on average while also being the cheaper of the two. The combined effect is a noticeably stronger local purchasing power.

Dining out: $65 in Masterton vs $82 in Arecibo for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $293 vs $393 per month, with Masterton cheaper across the board.

Good to know

🇳🇿 Masterton

🇵🇷 Arecibo

🕒 Local time

03:12 3:12 AM

10:12 10:12 AM

17 h behind Masterton

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

26,800

39,634

💱 Currency

New Zealand Dollar NZD $

United States Dollar USD $

📈 Exchange rate

1 NZD = 0.563 USD

1 NZD = 0.504 EUR

1 USD = 0.896 EUR

Exchange rates and currency converter

USD, EUR to NZD – New Zealand Dollar Converter

🇺🇸 United States Dollar ($)

🇳🇿 New Zealand Dollar ($)

New Zealand Dollar exchange rates as of October 31, 2026: 1 USD = 1.78 NZD (1 NZD = 0.563 USD). 1 EUR = 1.98 NZD (1 NZD = 0.504 EUR).

United States Dollar exchange rates as of October 31, 2026: 1 EUR = 1.12 USD (1 USD = 0.896 EUR).

USD to NZD in detail →

On the map

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Highest

Between locations

Masterton Arecibo 13,640 km ≈ 18 h nonstop flight

From you

Masterton
Arecibo

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

Masterton vs Arecibo: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Masterton is about 34% cheaper overall, especially in groceries, utilities, and transport. That difference adds up to real monthly savings that compound significantly over time.

Average pay runs 97% higher in Masterton, which matters when comparing affordability. Whether that higher income actually nets you more depends on your spending habits and housing choices.

Supermarket bills run roughly 34% higher in Arecibo. For households that cook at home regularly, that difference adds up over a month.

All in, you’ll spend $841 per month in Masterton versus $1,280 in Arecibo – Masterton is about 34% cheaper, which adds up to real savings over time.

At $841 in Masterton versus $1,280 in Arecibo, a $1,000 budget is realistic in Masterton but tight or insufficient in Arecibo. 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, Masterton and Arecibo are both considered safe, so it’s unlikely to be the deciding factor between them.