Cost of Living Comparison Between Masterton and Auckland Cost of Living Comparison Between Masterton and Auckland

Monthly Cost of Living

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $1,536 in Masterton versus $2,299 in Auckland.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $2,428 in Masterton versus $3,447 in Auckland.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $3,320 in Masterton versus $4,595 in Auckland.

Living in Masterton costs roughly 33% less than in Auckland, driven mainly by Eating Out.

Both cities are pricier than the global median: Masterton 14% above, Auckland 71% above.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$10.02 NZ$17.11

$15.04 NZ$25.68

-33.38%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$90.7 NZ$155

$77.5 NZ$132

17.13%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$8.88 NZ$15.16

$9.52 NZ$16.26

-6.72%

Cappuccino

$3.29 NZ$5.62

$3.49 NZ$5.96

-5.73%

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

$2.08 NZ$3.54

$2.38 NZ$4.06

-12.61%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.65 NZ$2.82

$2.18 NZ$3.73

-24.31%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$3.67 NZ$6.27

$7.34 NZ$12.53

-50.00%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$4.29 NZ$7.33

$7.13 NZ$12.17

-39.83%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.47 NZ$2.50

$1.74 NZ$2.98

-15.52%

White Bread (500g)

$1.70 NZ$2.90

$2.04 NZ$3.49

-16.67%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.15 NZ$1.96

$2.02 NZ$3.44

-43.07%

Eggs

$6.02 NZ$10.28

$6.96 NZ$11.89

-13.51%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$7.18 NZ$12.25

$8.92 NZ$15.24

-19.51%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$8.92 NZ$15.24

$9.70 NZ$16.57

-8.04%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$12.34 NZ$21.08

$13.13 NZ$22.41

-6.02%

Apples (1kg)

$1.83 NZ$3.12

$2.90 NZ$4.96

-36.90%

Banana (1kg)

$1.82 NZ$3.10

$2.21 NZ$3.78

-17.65%

Oranges (1kg)

$2.42 NZ$4.13

$3.20 NZ$5.47

-24.38%

Tomato (1kg)

$3.44 NZ$5.88

$4.21 NZ$7.19

-18.29%

Potato (1kg)

$1.45 NZ$2.48

$1.99 NZ$3.40

-27.14%

Onion (1kg)

$1.16 NZ$1.98

$1.63 NZ$2.78

-28.83%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.76 NZ$3.01

$1.88 NZ$3.21

-6.38%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.91 NZ$1.55

$1.24 NZ$2.11

-26.61%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$19.98 NZ$34.12

$24.83 NZ$42.40

-19.53%

Wine (Bottle)

$11.81 NZ$20.17

$10.00 NZ$17.07

18.10%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$2.22 NZ$3.79

$3.06 NZ$5.23

-27.45%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.64 NZ$4.51

$3.91 NZ$6.67

-32.48%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$2.38 NZ$4.07

$2.81 NZ$4.81

-15.30%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$64.5 NZ$110

$130 NZ$221

-50.27%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$2.43 NZ$4.15

$2.08 NZ$3.56

16.83%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.84 NZ$3.14

$1.99 NZ$3.40

-7.54%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$41.37 NZ$70.7

$35.76 NZ$61.1

15.69%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.64 NZ$2.80

$1.70 NZ$2.91

-3.53%

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

$23.8K NZ$40.6K

$28.3K NZ$48.3K

-15.88%

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

$23.2K NZ$39.6K

$21.9K NZ$37.4K

5.75%

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

$79.5 NZ$136

$145 NZ$248

-45.15%

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

$31.44 NZ$53.7

$30.10 NZ$51.4

4.45%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$48.94 NZ$83.6

$48.92 NZ$83.5

0.04%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$40.93 NZ$69.9

$35.11 NZ$60.0

16.58%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$9.09 NZ$15.52

$16.27 NZ$27.79

-44.13%

Cinema Ticket

$8.05 NZ$13.75

$14.78 NZ$25.23

-45.53%

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

$405 NZ$691

$894 NZ$1,526

-54.73%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$4,897 NZ$8,363

$13.9K NZ$23.7K

-64.74%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$68.5 NZ$117

$71.2 NZ$122

-3.83%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$30.21 NZ$51.6

$49.58 NZ$84.7

-39.07%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$102 NZ$174

$97.7 NZ$167

4.32%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$114 NZ$195

$123 NZ$210

-7.29%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$783 NZ$1,337

$1,269 NZ$2,167

-38.30%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$607 NZ$1,036

$1,121 NZ$1,915

-45.87%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,261 NZ$2,153

$2,437 NZ$4,162

-48.28%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,094 NZ$1,869

$1,839 NZ$3,140

-40.49%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$8,041 NZ$13.7K

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$5,313 NZ$9,073

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$2,481 NZ$4,237

$3,197 NZ$5,460

-22.39%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

6.69

6.37

5.02%

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

Last update for Masterton: June 8, 2026

Last update for Auckland: June 7, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $783 in Masterton and $1,269 in Auckland. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Auckland pays 29% more on average. The extra income cushions the higher costs, though housing choices and lifestyle decide how much of the gap is truly closed.

Dining out: $91.0 in Masterton vs $77.0 in Auckland. Groceries flip the comparison at $275 vs $325, with Masterton cheaper for home cooking.

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 Auckland: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Masterton wins on cost – living expenses run 50% lower than in Auckland. Housing and daily spending are where you'll feel the difference most, making Masterton the obvious pick if budget is a priority.

On paper, Auckland earns 29% less. That's worth factoring in alongside costs, though remote workers earning in a stronger currency may not notice the difference at all.

Rent for a central apartment: $783 in Masterton versus $1,269 in Auckland. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Childcare runs $405 in Masterton versus $894 in Auckland. Over years of preschool, even a modest monthly gap compounds into a major financial factor for families.

Supermarket bills run roughly 18% higher in Auckland. For households that cook at home regularly, that difference adds up over a month.

At $1,536 in Masterton versus $2,299 in Auckland, a $1,500 budget is realistic in Masterton but tight or insufficient in Auckland. The gap between the two cities makes Masterton the clear choice for anyone on this budget.

Both work as nomad bases, but Masterton delivers better value – similar infrastructure at $1,536 monthly. If stretching your runway or maximizing savings is the goal, the price difference makes Masterton hard to pass up.

Safety-wise, Masterton and Auckland 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 Masterton gentler on the wallet – expenses run 50% less than in Auckland. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.