Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Palikir and Masterton

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.

50

Cost of Living Index in Palikir
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Palikir Living Index
40

Cost of Living Index in Masterton
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Masterton Living Index

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Palikir

🇫🇲 Micronesia

$1,035

/mo nomad

Masterton

🇳🇿 New Zealand

$832

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

How much you'll spend in Palikir and in Masterton

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

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

Palikir $1,035
Masterton $832

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

Palikir $1,586
Masterton $1,432

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

Palikir $2,136
Masterton $2,032

Living in Palikir is roughly 24% more expensive than in Masterton, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in utilities.

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

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$29.96 $29.96

$9.54 NZ$16.88

214.05%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$45.50 $45.50

$64.9 NZ$115

-29.87%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$6.06 $6.06

$8.56 NZ$15.14

-29.21%

Cappuccino

$2.99 $2.99

$3.18 NZ$5.62

-5.97%

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

$1.13 $1.13

$2.02 NZ$3.57

-44.06%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.98 $1.98

$1.09 NZ$1.93

81.65%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$1.02 $1.02

$3.89 NZ$6.88

-73.78%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.03 $2.03

$3.28 NZ$5.79

-38.11%

Milk (1 liter)

$0.22 $0.22

$1.42 NZ$2.51

-84.51%

White Bread (500g)

$2.22 $2.22

$2.21 NZ$3.91

0.45%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$2.14 $2.14

$1.03 NZ$1.82

107.77%

Eggs

$2.42 $2.42

$6.32 NZ$11.17

-61.71%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$4.33 $4.33

$8.29 NZ$14.65

-47.77%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$4.39 $4.39

$9.48 NZ$16.76

-53.69%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$6.64 $6.64

$15.18 NZ$26.85

-56.26%

Apples (1kg)

$3.56 $3.56

$2.18 NZ$3.85

63.30%

Banana (1kg)

$2.47 $2.47

$1.71 NZ$3.02

44.44%

Oranges (1kg)

$2.22 $2.22

$2.98 NZ$5.27

-25.50%

Tomato (1kg)

$3.02 $3.02

$4.58 NZ$8.11

-34.06%

Potato (1kg)

$3.30 $3.30

$1.53 NZ$2.71

115.69%

Onion (1kg)

$2.22 $2.22

$1.08 NZ$1.90

105.56%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.94 $1.94

$1.70 NZ$3.00

14.12%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$1.12 $1.12

$0.52 NZ$0.92

115.38%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$18.15 $18.15

$19.51 NZ$34.50

-6.97%

Wine (Bottle)

$6.91 $6.91

$11.21 NZ$19.83

-38.36%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.41 $1.41

$0.85 NZ$1.50

65.88%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.43 $1.43

$1.14 NZ$2.02

25.44%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.76 $0.76

$2.23 NZ$3.94

-65.92%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$34.40 $34.40

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$6.33 $6.33

$1.81 NZ$3.20

249.72%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.66 $1.66

$1.75 NZ$3.09

-5.14%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$4.93 $4.93

$34.16 NZ$60.4

-85.57%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$3.20 $3.20

$1.77 NZ$3.12

80.79%

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

$3,951 $3,951

$22.0K NZ$39.0K

-82.08%

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

$3,951 $3,951

$24.8K NZ$43.9K

-84.08%

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

$39.27 $39.27

$55.0 NZ$97.3

-28.64%

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

$15.02 $15.02

$29.34 NZ$51.9

-48.81%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$270 $270

$52.8 NZ$93.3

411.79%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$40.34 $40.34

$41.79 NZ$73.9

-3.47%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$19.72 $19.72

$8.51 NZ$15.06

131.73%

Cinema Ticket

$7.09 $7.09

$9.68 NZ$17.12

-26.76%

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

$116 $116

$1,056 NZ$1,868

-89.05%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$1,687 $1,687

$12.7K NZ$22.5K

-86.74%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$19.69 $19.69

$55.6 NZ$98.3

-64.57%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$24.94 $24.94

$27.59 NZ$48.79

-9.60%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$68.9 $68.9

$102 NZ$181

-32.77%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$54.9 $54.9

$142 NZ$251

-61.35%

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)

$246 $246

$2,327 NZ$4,115

-89.41%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

380000

5.39

7049992.76%

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

Last update for Palikir: October 10, 2026

Last update for Masterton: October 13, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Palikir

$324 31.3%

Masterton

$137 16.5% 57.7% $187

Eating Out

Palikir

$315 30.5%

Masterton

$179 21.5% 43.4% $137

Groceries & Markets

Palikir

$213 20.6%

Masterton

$288 34.7% 35.2% $75

Clothing & Footwear

Palikir

$76 7.3%

Masterton

$147 17.7% 94.5% $72

Sport & Entertainment

Palikir

$55 5.3%

Masterton

$61 7.4% 12.2% $6.6

Getting Around

Palikir

$52 5%

Masterton

$19 * 2.3% 62.7% $33

Accommodation & Living

Palikir

- * 0%

Masterton

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

Good to know

🇫🇲 Palikir

🇳🇿 Masterton

🕒 Local time

09:42 9:42 AM

11:42 11:42 AM

2 h ahead of Palikir

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

6,942 Capital

26,800

💱 Currency

United States Dollar USD $

New Zealand Dollar NZD $

📈 Exchange rate

1 USD = 0.89 EUR

1 NZD = 0.565 USD

1 NZD = 0.503 EUR

Exchange rates and currency converter

NZD, EUR to USD – United States Dollar Converter

🇳🇿 New Zealand Dollar ($)

🇺🇸 United States Dollar ($)

United States Dollar exchange rates as of October 17, 2026: 1 EUR = 1.12 USD (1 USD = 0.89 EUR).

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).

NZD to USD in detail →

On the map

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Between locations

Palikir Masterton 5,610 km ≈ 8 h nonstop flight

From you

Palikir
Masterton

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

Palikir vs Masterton: 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.

On paper, salaries run 844% lower in Masterton. That's worth factoring in alongside costs, though remote workers earning in a stronger currency may not notice the difference at all.

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 $1,035 per month in Palikir versus $832 in Masterton – 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, Palikir and Masterton 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.