Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Masterton and Lae

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

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Cost of Living Index in Masterton
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Masterton Living Index

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Masterton

🇳🇿 New Zealand

$832

/mo nomad

Lae

🇵🇬 Papua New Guinea

$840

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

How much you'll spend in Masterton and in Lae

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 Lae actually costs, broken down by who's living it.

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

Masterton $832
Lae $840

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

Masterton $1,432
Lae $1,503

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

Masterton $2,032
Lae $2,166

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

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

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$9.54 NZ$16.88

$24.73 PGK 108

-61.42%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$64.9 NZ$115

$52.0 PGK 228

24.70%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$8.56 NZ$15.14

Cappuccino

$3.18 NZ$5.62

$2.71 PGK 11.87

17.34%

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

$2.02 NZ$3.57

$0.76 PGK 3.34

165.79%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.09 NZ$1.93

$0.58 PGK 2.53

87.93%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$3.89 NZ$6.88

$3.32 PGK 14.51

17.17%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.28 NZ$5.79

$5.36 PGK 23.46

-38.81%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.42 NZ$2.51

$1.95 PGK 8.55

-27.18%

White Bread (500g)

$2.21 NZ$3.91

$1.48 PGK 6.48

49.32%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.03 NZ$1.82

$1.26 PGK 5.52

-18.25%

Eggs

$6.32 NZ$11.17

$4.05 PGK 17.74

56.05%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$8.29 NZ$14.65

$9.34 PGK 40.89

-11.24%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$9.48 NZ$16.76

$9.34 PGK 40.88

1.50%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$15.18 NZ$26.85

$10.59 PGK 46.37

43.34%

Apples (1kg)

$2.18 NZ$3.85

$4.40 PGK 19.24

-50.45%

Banana (1kg)

$1.71 NZ$3.02

$2.78 PGK 12.16

-38.49%

Oranges (1kg)

$2.98 NZ$5.27

$6.13 PGK 26.82

-51.39%

Tomato (1kg)

$4.58 NZ$8.11

$1.62 PGK 7.08

182.72%

Potato (1kg)

$1.53 NZ$2.71

$3.51 PGK 15.39

-56.41%

Onion (1kg)

$1.08 NZ$1.90

$2.28 PGK 9.99

-52.63%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.70 NZ$3.00

$0.65 PGK 2.85

161.54%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.52 NZ$0.92

$0.86 PGK 3.76

-39.53%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$19.51 NZ$34.50

$6.63 PGK 29.01

194.27%

Wine (Bottle)

$11.21 NZ$19.83

$12.12 PGK 53.1

-7.51%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$0.85 NZ$1.50

$2.60 PGK 11.39

-67.31%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.14 NZ$2.02

$4.33 PGK 18.94

-73.67%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$2.23 NZ$3.94

$0.35 PGK 1.54

537.14%

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)

$1.77 NZ$3.12

$1.04 PGK 4.55

70.19%

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)

$1,002 NZ$1,773

$1,248 PGK 5,465

-19.71%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$619 PGK 2,711

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$2,327 NZ$4,115

$154 PGK 674

1412.29%

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 Masterton: October 13, 2026

Last update for Lae: October 10, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Groceries & Markets

Masterton

$288 34.7%

Lae

–

Eating Out

Masterton

$179 21.5%

Lae

–

Clothing & Footwear

Masterton

$147 17.7%

Lae

–

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Masterton

$137 16.5%

Lae

–

Sport & Entertainment

Masterton

$61 7.4%

Lae

–

Getting Around

Masterton

$19 * 2.3%

Lae

–

Accommodation & Living

Masterton

- * 0%

Lae

–

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

Good to know

🇳🇿 Masterton

🇵🇬 Lae

🕒 Local time

07:39 7:39 AM

04:39 4:39 AM

3 h behind Masterton

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

26,800

250,948

💱 Currency

New Zealand Dollar NZD $

Papua New Guinean Kina PGK K

📈 Exchange rate

1 NZD = 0.565 USD

1 NZD = 0.503 EUR

1 PGK = 0.228 USD

1 PGK = 0.203 EUR

Exchange rates and currency converter

PGK, USD, EUR to NZD – New Zealand Dollar Converter

🇺🇸 United States Dollar ($)

🇳🇿 New Zealand Dollar ($)

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).

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).

USD to NZD in detail →

On the map

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Between locations

Masterton Lae 4,750 km ≈ 6 h nonstop flight

From you

Masterton
Lae

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 Lae: 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 $1,248 per month in Masterton and $1,260 in Lae. That covers rent, food, utilities, transport, and enough left over to feel settled – not just surviving.

Monthly expenses with rent come to $832 in Masterton and $840 in Lae. 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.