Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Masterton and Palikir

For one person, living is cheaper in Masterton: $832 a month against $1,035 in Palikir, rent and utilities included – about $2,400 less a year. The total is higher in Palikir despite lower rent and utilities.

40

Cost of Living Index in Masterton
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Masterton Living Index
50

Cost of Living Index in Palikir
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Palikir Living Index

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Masterton

🇳🇿 New Zealand

$832

/mo nomad

Palikir

🇫🇲 Micronesia

$1,035

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

How much you'll spend in Masterton and in Palikir

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

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $832 in Masterton versus $1,035 in Palikir.

Masterton $832
Palikir $1,035

Estimated couple costs with rent: $1,432 in Masterton versus $1,586 in Palikir.

Masterton $1,432
Palikir $1,586

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $2,032 in Masterton versus $2,136 in Palikir.

Masterton $2,032
Palikir $2,136

Living in Masterton costs roughly 20% less than in Palikir, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in utilities.

Both cities sit below the global median: Masterton 38% lower, Palikir 23% lower.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$9.54 NZ$16.88

$29.96 $29.96

-68.16%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$64.9 NZ$115

$45.50 $45.50

42.59%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$8.56 NZ$15.14

$6.06 $6.06

41.25%

Cappuccino

$3.18 NZ$5.62

$2.99 $2.99

6.35%

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

$2.02 NZ$3.57

$1.13 $1.13

78.76%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.09 NZ$1.93

$1.98 $1.98

-44.95%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$3.89 NZ$6.88

$1.02 $1.02

281.37%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.28 NZ$5.79

$2.03 $2.03

61.58%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.42 NZ$2.51

$0.22 $0.22

545.45%

White Bread (500g)

$2.21 NZ$3.91

$2.22 $2.22

-0.45%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.03 NZ$1.82

$2.14 $2.14

-51.87%

Eggs

$6.32 NZ$11.17

$2.42 $2.42

161.16%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$8.29 NZ$14.65

$4.33 $4.33

91.45%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$9.48 NZ$16.76

$4.39 $4.39

115.95%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$15.18 NZ$26.85

$6.64 $6.64

128.61%

Apples (1kg)

$2.18 NZ$3.85

$3.56 $3.56

-38.76%

Banana (1kg)

$1.71 NZ$3.02

$2.47 $2.47

-30.77%

Oranges (1kg)

$2.98 NZ$5.27

$2.22 $2.22

34.23%

Tomato (1kg)

$4.58 NZ$8.11

$3.02 $3.02

51.66%

Potato (1kg)

$1.53 NZ$2.71

$3.30 $3.30

-53.64%

Onion (1kg)

$1.08 NZ$1.90

$2.22 $2.22

-51.35%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.70 NZ$3.00

$1.94 $1.94

-12.37%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.52 NZ$0.92

$1.12 $1.12

-53.57%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$19.51 NZ$34.50

$18.15 $18.15

7.49%

Wine (Bottle)

$11.21 NZ$19.83

$6.91 $6.91

62.23%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$0.85 NZ$1.50

$1.41 $1.41

-39.72%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.14 NZ$2.02

$1.43 $1.43

-20.28%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$2.23 NZ$3.94

$0.76 $0.76

193.42%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$34.40 $34.40

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$1.81 NZ$3.20

$6.33 $6.33

-71.41%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.75 NZ$3.09

$1.66 $1.66

5.42%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$34.16 NZ$60.4

$4.93 $4.93

592.90%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.77 NZ$3.12

$3.20 $3.20

-44.69%

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

$22.0K NZ$39.0K

$3,951 $3,951

457.92%

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

$24.8K NZ$43.9K

$3,951 $3,951

528.33%

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

$55.0 NZ$97.3

$39.27 $39.27

40.13%

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

$29.34 NZ$51.9

$15.02 $15.02

95.34%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$52.8 NZ$93.3

$270 $270

-80.46%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$41.79 NZ$73.9

$40.34 $40.34

3.59%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$8.51 NZ$15.06

$19.72 $19.72

-56.85%

Cinema Ticket

$9.68 NZ$17.12

$7.09 $7.09

36.53%

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

$1,056 NZ$1,868

$116 $116

813.07%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$12.7K NZ$22.5K

$1,687 $1,687

653.90%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$55.6 NZ$98.3

$19.69 $19.69

182.22%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$27.59 NZ$48.79

$24.94 $24.94

10.63%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$102 NZ$181

$68.9 $68.9

48.74%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$142 NZ$251

$54.9 $54.9

158.74%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,002 NZ$1,773

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$852 $852

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$704 $704

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$2,327 NZ$4,115

$246 $246

844.13%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

5.39

380000

-100.00%

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

Last update for Masterton: October 13, 2026

Last update for Palikir: October 10, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Groceries & Markets

Masterton

$288 34.7%

Palikir

$213 20.6% 26% $75

Eating Out

Masterton

$179 21.5%

Palikir

$315 30.5% 76.5% $137

Clothing & Footwear

Masterton

$147 17.7%

Palikir

$76 7.3% 48.6% $72

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Masterton

$137 16.5%

Palikir

$324 31.3% 137% $187

Sport & Entertainment

Masterton

$61 7.4%

Palikir

$55 5.3% 10.8% $6.6

Getting Around

Masterton

$19 * 2.3%

Palikir

$52 5% 168% $33

Accommodation & Living

Masterton

- * 0%

Palikir

- * 0%

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

Cost Breakdown

Masterton pays 844% more on average while also being the cheaper of the two. The combined effect is a noticeably stronger local purchasing power.

Dining out: $65.0 in Masterton vs $46.00 in Palikir for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $288 vs $213 per month, with Palikir cheaper across the board.

Good to know

🇳🇿 Masterton

🇫🇲 Palikir

🕒 Local time

09:04 9:04 AM

07:04 7:04 AM

2 h behind Masterton

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

26,800

6,942 Capital

💱 Currency

New Zealand Dollar NZD $

United States Dollar USD $

📈 Exchange rate

1 NZD = 0.565 USD

1 NZD = 0.503 EUR

1 USD = 0.889 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 17, 2026: 1 USD = 1.77 NZD (1 NZD = 0.565 USD). 1 EUR = 1.99 NZD (1 NZD = 0.503 EUR).

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

USD to NZD in detail →

On the map

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Between locations

Masterton Palikir 5,610 km ≈ 8 h nonstop flight

From you

Masterton
Palikir

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 Palikir: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Masterton is cheaper overall, especially in eating out, utilities, and transport. The 24% gap adds up to real monthly savings that compound significantly over time.

Average pay runs 844% higher in Masterton, which matters when comparing affordability. Whether that higher income actually nets you more depends on your spending habits and housing choices.

Shoppers in Palikir pay roughly 35% less for everyday groceries. It's an unusual reversal that partly offsets higher costs elsewhere.

All in, you'll spend $832 per month in Masterton versus $1,035 in Palikir – a 24% gap that adds up to real savings over time for anyone picking the cheaper option.

Either city works on $1,000 a month, though Masterton gives you more room to save. At this income level, the choice is more about lifestyle than financial pressure.

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 Palikir 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 24% less than in Palikir. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.