Cost of Living Comparison Between Masterton and Barcelona Cost of Living Comparison Between Masterton and Barcelona

Monthly Cost of Living

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $1,485 in Masterton versus $2,341 in Barcelona.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $2,448 in Masterton versus $3,462 in Barcelona.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $3,411 in Masterton versus $4,582 in Barcelona.

Living in Masterton costs roughly 37% less than in Barcelona, driven mainly by Eating Out.

Both cities are pricier than the global median: Masterton 11% above, Barcelona 75% above.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$9.82 NZ$16.69

$17.61 €15.04

-44.24%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$90.0 NZ$153

$68.7 €58.7

31.03%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$9.28 NZ$15.77

$13.75 €11.74

-32.51%

Cappuccino

$3.15 NZ$5.35

$2.76 €2.36

14.13%

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

$2.08 NZ$3.53

$2.78 €2.38

-25.18%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.66 NZ$2.81

$2.05 €1.75

-19.02%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$3.71 NZ$6.31

$4.61 €3.93

-19.52%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$4.31 NZ$7.33

$4.59 €3.92

-6.10%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.49 NZ$2.53

$1.28 €1.09

16.41%

White Bread (500g)

$1.69 NZ$2.87

$2.11 €1.80

-19.91%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.16 NZ$1.98

$1.97 €1.68

-41.12%

Eggs

$6.00 NZ$10.20

$3.44 €2.94

74.42%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$7.33 NZ$12.47

$18.83 €16.08

-61.07%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$9.43 NZ$16.02

$9.45 €8.07

-0.21%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$12.14 NZ$20.64

$19.01 €16.24

-36.14%

Apples (1kg)

$1.86 NZ$3.16

$2.72 €2.32

-31.62%

Banana (1kg)

$1.86 NZ$3.16

$2.37 €2.03

-21.52%

Oranges (1kg)

$2.56 NZ$4.36

$2.08 €1.77

23.08%

Tomato (1kg)

$3.33 NZ$5.67

$2.76 €2.36

20.65%

Potato (1kg)

$1.45 NZ$2.47

$1.97 €1.68

-26.40%

Onion (1kg)

$1.18 NZ$2.00

$1.79 €1.53

-34.08%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.77 NZ$3.01

$1.51 €1.29

17.22%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.90 NZ$1.54

$0.90 €0.77

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$20.04 NZ$34.06

$6.76 €5.77

196.45%

Wine (Bottle)

$10.74 NZ$18.26

$7.55 €6.44

42.25%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$2.32 NZ$3.94

$1.44 €1.23

61.11%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.59 NZ$4.40

$2.41 €2.06

7.47%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$2.36 NZ$4.01

$3.03 €2.59

-22.11%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$64.0 NZ$109

$28.39 €24.25

125.26%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$2.37 NZ$4.04

$4.43 €3.78

-46.50%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.78 NZ$3.03

$2.05 €1.75

-13.17%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$40.81 NZ$69.4

$29.33 €25.05

39.14%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.68 NZ$2.86

$1.89 €1.61

-11.11%

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

$24.1K NZ$41.0K

$38.7K €33.1K

-37.69%

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

$23.4K NZ$39.7K

$32.4K €27.6K

-27.79%

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

$79.5 NZ$135

$189 €161

-57.84%

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

$31.57 NZ$53.7

$22.21 €18.96

42.14%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$48.75 NZ$82.9

$36.82 €31.44

32.40%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$40.52 NZ$68.9

$58.0 €49.52

-30.13%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$8.89 NZ$15.12

$20.99 €17.93

-57.65%

Cinema Ticket

$8.13 NZ$13.81

$11.05 €9.44

-26.43%

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

$397 NZ$675

$726 €620

-45.38%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$4,896 NZ$8,323

$15.2K €13.0K

-67.85%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$70.2 NZ$119

$88.3 €75.4

-20.57%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$30.07 NZ$51.1

$36.98 €31.58

-18.69%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$104 NZ$177

$103 €87.6

1.68%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$113 NZ$193

$119 €102

-5.01%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$785 NZ$1,334

$1,526 €1,304

-48.57%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$612 NZ$1,040

$1,218 €1,040

-49.79%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,269 NZ$2,157

$2,794 €2,386

-54.60%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,072 NZ$1,822

$2,027 €1,731

-47.14%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$7,094 €6,058

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$4,849 €4,141

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$2,456 NZ$4,176

$2,404 €2,053

2.17%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

6.69

3.39

97.35%

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

Last update for Masterton: April 26, 2026

Last update for Barcelona: April 27, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $785 in Masterton and $1,526 in Barcelona. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Masterton pays 2% more on average while also being the cheaper of the two. The combined effect is a noticeably stronger local purchasing power.

Dining out: $90.0 in Masterton vs $69.0 in Barcelona. Groceries flip the comparison at $276 vs $320, 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 Barcelona: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Masterton and Barcelona differ by about 58% in total monthly costs ($1,485 vs $2,341 including rent). Masterton is meaningfully more affordable – a gap that matters a lot on a fixed or modest income.

Masterton pays 2% more on average, 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: $785 in Masterton versus $1,526 in Barcelona. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Childcare runs $397 in Masterton versus $726 in Barcelona. Over years of preschool, even a modest monthly gap compounds into a major financial factor for families.

Supermarket bills run roughly 16% higher in Barcelona. For households that cook at home regularly, that difference adds up over a month.

At $1,485 in Masterton versus $2,341 in Barcelona, a $1,500 budget is realistic in Masterton but tight or insufficient in Barcelona. 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 Barcelona 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 58% less than in Barcelona. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.