Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Palmerston North and Agana Heights

For one person, living is cheaper in Agana Heights: $1,006 a month against $1,562 in Palmerston North, rent and utilities included – about $6,700 less a year. Rent and utilities account for most of the difference.

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Cost of Living Index in Palmerston North
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Palmerston North Living Index

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Palmerston North

🇳🇿 New Zealand

$1,562

/mo nomad

Agana Heights

🇬🇺 Guam

$1,006

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

How much you'll spend in Palmerston North and in Agana Heights

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

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $1,562 in Palmerston North versus $1,006 in Agana Heights.

Palmerston North $1,562
Agana Heights $1,006

Estimated couple costs with rent: $2,537 in Palmerston North versus $1,356 in Agana Heights.

Palmerston North $2,537
Agana Heights $1,356

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $3,511 in Palmerston North versus $1,707 in Agana Heights.

Palmerston North $3,511
Agana Heights $1,707

Living in Palmerston North is roughly 55% more expensive than in Agana Heights, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in eating out.

The two cities straddle the global median: Palmerston North is 16% above, Agana Heights is 25% below.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$13.50 NZ$23.87

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$63.7 NZ$113

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$8.80 NZ$15.56

Cappuccino

$3.13 NZ$5.54

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

$2.36 NZ$4.18

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.68 NZ$2.97

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$6.43 NZ$11.38

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$6.52 NZ$11.53

Milk (1 liter)

$1.84 NZ$3.26

$1.70 $1.70

8.24%

White Bread (500g)

$2.14 NZ$3.78

$4.65 $4.65

-53.98%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.37 NZ$2.42

$1.70 $1.70

-19.41%

Eggs

$4.85 NZ$8.58

$4.08 $4.08

18.87%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$6.41 NZ$11.34

$25.94 $25.94

-75.29%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$9.50 NZ$16.80

$6.60 $6.60

43.94%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$10.78 NZ$19.06

$17.90 $17.90

-39.78%

Apples (1kg)

$2.54 NZ$4.48

$3.99 $3.99

-36.34%

Banana (1kg)

$2.23 NZ$3.94

$1.20 $1.20

85.83%

Oranges (1kg)

$2.30 NZ$4.07

$1.92 $1.92

19.79%

Tomato (1kg)

$5.53 NZ$9.78

$6.72 $6.72

-17.71%

Potato (1kg)

$1.41 NZ$2.49

$2.82 $2.82

-50.00%

Onion (1kg)

$0.86 NZ$1.53

$2.85 $2.85

-69.82%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.72 NZ$3.04

$4.07 $4.07

-57.74%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.75 NZ$1.33

$2.02 $2.02

-62.87%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$22.06 NZ$39.00

$9.81 $9.81

124.87%

Wine (Bottle)

$7.91 NZ$13.99

$12.18 $12.18

-35.06%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$2.65 NZ$4.69

$1.84 $1.84

44.02%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.78 NZ$4.91

$1.54 $1.54

80.52%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$3.93 NZ$6.95

$2.95 $2.95

33.22%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$82.3 NZ$146

$60.8 $60.8

35.43%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$1.87 NZ$3.30

$10.08 $10.08

-81.45%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.78 NZ$3.14

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$16.63 NZ$29.40

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.64 NZ$2.90

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

$21.6K NZ$38.1K

$38.9K $38.9K

-44.51%

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

$23.9K NZ$42.3K

$35.7K $35.7K

-33.06%

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

$68.2 NZ$121

$339 $339

-79.90%

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

$32.09 NZ$56.8

$75.9 $75.9

-57.72%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$34.64 NZ$61.3

$97.4 $97.4

-64.44%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$21.79 NZ$38.54

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$14.08 NZ$24.90

Cinema Ticket

$11.60 NZ$20.52

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

$1,034 NZ$1,829

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$8,550 NZ$15.1K

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$69.5 NZ$123

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$27.70 NZ$48.98

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$83.1 NZ$147

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$82.5 NZ$146

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$906 NZ$1,602

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$639 NZ$1,129

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,587 NZ$2,807

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,311 NZ$2,318

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$2,023 NZ$3,577

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$1,836 NZ$3,247

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$2,494 NZ$4,411

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 Palmerston North: October 12, 2026

Last update for Agana Heights: October 10, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Accommodation & Living

Palmerston North

$639 40.9%

Agana Heights

–

Groceries & Markets

Palmerston North

$283 18.1%

Agana Heights

–

Eating Out

Palmerston North

$233 14.9%

Agana Heights

–

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Palmerston North

$135 8.6%

Agana Heights

–

Clothing & Footwear

Palmerston North

$118 7.6%

Agana Heights

–

Getting Around

Palmerston North

$109 7%

Agana Heights

–

Sport & Entertainment

Palmerston North

$45 2.9%

Agana Heights

–

Good to know

🇳🇿 Palmerston North

🇬🇺 Agana Heights

🕒 Local time

09:33 9:33 AM

06:33 6:33 AM

3 h behind Palmerston North

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

90,500

3,940

💱 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

Palmerston North Agana Heights 6,780 km ≈ 9 h nonstop flight

From you

Palmerston North
Agana Heights

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

Palmerston North vs Agana Heights: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Agana Heights wins on cost – living expenses run 55% lower than in Palmerston North. Housing and daily spending are where you'll feel the difference most, making Agana Heights the obvious pick if budget is a priority.

You'd need roughly $2,343 in Palmerston North and $1,509 in Agana Heights to live well. The gap comes down to housing and overall price levels. Both cities are liveable on less, but these numbers represent actual comfort.

All in, you'll spend $1,562 per month in Palmerston North versus $1,006 in Agana Heights – a 55% gap that adds up to real savings over time for anyone picking the cheaper option.

Shoppers in Palmerston North pay roughly 45% less for everyday groceries. It's an unusual reversal that partly offsets higher costs elsewhere.

At $1,006 in Agana Heights versus $1,562 in Palmerston North, a $1,000 budget is realistic in Agana Heights but tight or insufficient in Palmerston North. The gap between the two cities makes Agana Heights 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, Palmerston North and Agana Heights 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 Agana Heights gentler on the wallet – expenses run 55% less than in Palmerston North. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.