Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Oamaru and Majuro

For one person, living is cheaper in Oamaru: $1,769 a month against $2,116 in Majuro, rent and utilities included – about $4,200 less a year. Rent and utilities account for about half of the difference.

87

Cost of Living Index in Oamaru
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Oamaru Living Index
104

Cost of Living Index in Majuro
Learn more

Majuro Living Index

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Oamaru

🇳🇿 New Zealand

$1,769

/mo nomad

Majuro

🇲🇭 Marshall Islands

$2,116

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

How much you'll spend in Oamaru and in Majuro

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

A single person spends $1,769 per month in Oamaru vs $2,116 in Majuro, rent included.

Oamaru $1,769
Majuro $2,116

A couple spends around $2,802 per month in Oamaru vs $2,980 in Majuro, rent included.

Oamaru $2,802
Majuro $2,980

A family of three spends $3,834 per month in Oamaru vs $3,845 in Majuro, rent included.

Oamaru $3,834
Majuro $3,845

Oamaru is about 16% cheaper than Majuro, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in groceries.

Both Oamaru and Majuro sit above the global median – Oamaru by 31%, Majuro by 57%.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$13.87 NZ$24.53

$10.14 $10.14

36.79%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$67.7 NZ$120

$29.73 $29.73

127.72%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$9.18 NZ$16.23

$10.35 $10.35

-11.30%

Cappuccino

$3.30 NZ$5.84

$4.21 $4.21

-21.62%

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

$2.33 NZ$4.12

$1.85 $1.85

25.95%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.78 NZ$3.14

$2.01 $2.01

-11.44%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$6.58 NZ$11.63

$4.43 $4.43

48.53%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$6.91 NZ$12.22

$4.88 $4.88

41.60%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.67 NZ$2.94

$2.20 $2.20

-24.09%

White Bread (500g)

$1.28 NZ$2.27

$3.44 $3.44

-62.79%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.50 NZ$2.65

$1.77 $1.77

-15.25%

Eggs

$5.48 NZ$9.70

$5.13 $5.13

6.82%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$7.26 NZ$12.83

$30.62 $30.62

-76.29%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$8.87 NZ$15.69

$11.10 $11.10

-20.09%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$13.60 NZ$24.04

$18.52 $18.52

-26.57%

Apples (1kg)

$2.39 NZ$4.22

$4.47 $4.47

-46.53%

Banana (1kg)

$2.02 NZ$3.58

$7.44 $7.44

-72.85%

Oranges (1kg)

$2.69 NZ$4.76

$8.73 $8.73

-69.19%

Tomato (1kg)

$2.97 NZ$5.25

$12.59 $12.59

-76.41%

Potato (1kg)

$1.50 NZ$2.65

$5.23 $5.23

-71.32%

Onion (1kg)

$1.33 NZ$2.35

$5.51 $5.51

-75.86%

Lettuce (1 head)

$2.06 NZ$3.64

$3.69 $3.69

-44.17%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.70 NZ$1.24

$1.81 $1.81

-61.33%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$24.24 NZ$42.87

$5.83 $5.83

315.78%

Wine (Bottle)

$5.44 NZ$9.63

$10.16 $10.16

-46.46%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$3.37 NZ$5.96

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$4.29 NZ$7.60

$2.52 $2.52

70.24%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$1.49 NZ$2.64

$2.92 $2.92

-48.97%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$89.0 NZ$157

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$2.55 NZ$4.52

$2.78 $2.78

-8.27%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.70 NZ$3.00

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$27.87 NZ$49.29

$4.86 $4.86

473.46%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.58 NZ$2.79

$1.76 $1.76

-10.23%

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

$25.2K NZ$44.6K

$25.0K $25.0K

1.04%

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

$23.9K NZ$42.2K

$34.8K $34.8K

-31.44%

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

$158 NZ$279

$250 $250

-36.88%

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

$19.36 NZ$34.24

$37.28 $37.28

-48.07%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$45.43 NZ$80.3

$79.5 $79.5

-42.86%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$39.08 NZ$69.1

$37.84 $37.84

3.28%

Cinema Ticket

$9.98 NZ$17.65

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

$668 NZ$1,181

$148 $148

350.61%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$21.7K NZ$38.4K

$2,607 $2,607

732.48%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$56.4 NZ$99.7

$70.6 $70.6

-20.22%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$16.83 NZ$29.77

$39.42 $39.42

-57.31%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$44.83 NZ$79.3

$29.98 $29.98

49.53%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$50.3 NZ$88.9

$50.3 $50.3

0.02%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$973 NZ$1,720

$778 $778

25.07%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$790 NZ$1,398

$861 $861

-8.14%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,725 NZ$3,051

$1,331 $1,331

29.56%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,631 NZ$2,884

$1,281 $1,281

27.35%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$4,751 NZ$8,403

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$3,236 NZ$5,724

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$1,926 NZ$3,405

$995 $995

93.45%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

5.91

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

Last update for Oamaru: October 11, 2026

Last update for Majuro: October 11, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Accommodation & Living

Oamaru

$790 44.7%

Majuro

$861 40.7% 8.9% $70

Groceries & Markets

Oamaru

$274 15.5%

Majuro

$540 * 25.5% 97.1% $266

Eating Out

Oamaru

$241 13.6%

Majuro

$210 9.9% 13% $31

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Oamaru

$223 12.6%

Majuro

$367 17.3% 64.8% $144

Getting Around

Oamaru

$106 6%

Majuro

$14 * 0.7% 86.3% $91

Clothing & Footwear

Oamaru

$76 4.3%

Majuro

$86 4.1% 13.1% $9.9

Sport & Entertainment

Oamaru

$59 3.3%

Majuro

$38 * 1.8% 35.9% $21

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

Cost Breakdown

A central one-bedroom costs $973 in Oamaru versus $778 in Majuro. Rent is usually the largest line item in a monthly budget, so the gap here sets the tone for the overall comparison.

Salaries run about 93% higher in Oamaru, 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 $68.0 in Oamaru versus $30.00 in Majuro. Groceries tell a different story – $274 in Oamaru vs $540 in Majuro – so Oamaru wins on supermarket bills even if dining out costs more.

Good to know

🇳🇿 Oamaru

🇲🇭 Majuro

🕒 Local time

13:47 1:47 PM

12:47 12:47 PM

1 h behind Oamaru

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

13,850

26,000 Capital

💱 Currency

New Zealand Dollar NZD $

United States Dollar USD $

📈 Exchange rate

1 NZD = 0.565 USD

1 NZD = 0.503 EUR

1 USD = 0.89 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 18, 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 18, 2026: 1 EUR = 1.12 USD (1 USD = 0.89 EUR).

USD to NZD in detail →

On the map

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Between locations

Oamaru Majuro 5,800 km ≈ 8 h nonstop flight

From you

Oamaru
Majuro

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

Oamaru vs Majuro: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Yes – Majuro is pricier by about 20%, and outside of rent the gap shows up most in groceries.

For a comfortable life, plan on about $2,654 per month in Oamaru and $3,174 in Majuro. That covers rent, food, utilities, transport, and enough left over to feel settled – not just surviving.

Rent is clearly cheaper in Oamaru, especially for central apartments. Housing is actually the single biggest factor behind the overall cost gap between these two cities.

Monthly expenses with rent come to $1,769 in Oamaru and $2,116 in Majuro. That's a gap of about 20%.

Kindergarten costs $668 per month in Oamaru and $148 in Majuro. For families with young kids, this one expense can tip the scales when choosing between the two cities.

A $2,500 monthly budget goes further in Oamaru, where all-in costs run around $1,769, than in Majuro at $2,116. In Oamaru it covers expenses comfortably, while in Majuro it requires careful planning or may not stretch far enough.

Families tend to lean toward Oamaru – 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 Oamaru. If higher salaries, better infrastructure, or specific career opportunities are the priority, Majuro makes more sense. Both are solid long-term options with distinct trade-offs.