Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Palmerston North and Majuro

For one person, living is cheaper in Palmerston North: $1,562 a month against $2,116 in Majuro, rent and utilities included – about $6,600 less a year. Rent and utilities account for most of the difference.

76

Cost of Living Index in Palmerston North
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Palmerston North Living Index
104

Cost of Living Index in Majuro
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Majuro Living Index

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Palmerston North

🇳🇿 New Zealand

$1,562

/mo nomad

Majuro

🇲🇭 Marshall Islands

$2,116

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

How much you'll spend in Palmerston North 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 Palmerston North and in Majuro actually costs, broken down by who's living it.

A single person spends $1,562 per month in Palmerston North vs $2,116 in Majuro, rent included.

Palmerston North $1,562
Majuro $2,116

A couple spends around $2,537 per month in Palmerston North vs $2,980 in Majuro, rent included.

Palmerston North $2,537
Majuro $2,980

A family of three spends $3,511 per month in Palmerston North vs $3,845 in Majuro, rent included.

Palmerston North $3,511
Majuro $3,845

Palmerston North is about 26% cheaper than Majuro, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in groceries.

Both Palmerston North and Majuro sit above the global median – Palmerston North by 16%, Majuro by 57%.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$13.50 NZ$23.87

$10.14 $10.14

33.14%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$63.7 NZ$113

$29.73 $29.73

114.09%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$8.80 NZ$15.56

$10.35 $10.35

-14.98%

Cappuccino

$3.13 NZ$5.54

$4.21 $4.21

-25.65%

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

$2.36 NZ$4.18

$1.85 $1.85

27.57%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.68 NZ$2.97

$2.01 $2.01

-16.42%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$6.43 NZ$11.38

$4.43 $4.43

45.15%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$6.52 NZ$11.53

$4.88 $4.88

33.61%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.84 NZ$3.26

$2.20 $2.20

-16.36%

White Bread (500g)

$2.14 NZ$3.78

$3.44 $3.44

-37.79%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.37 NZ$2.42

$1.77 $1.77

-22.60%

Eggs

$4.85 NZ$8.58

$5.13 $5.13

-5.46%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$6.41 NZ$11.34

$30.62 $30.62

-79.07%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$9.50 NZ$16.80

$11.10 $11.10

-14.41%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$10.78 NZ$19.06

$18.52 $18.52

-41.79%

Apples (1kg)

$2.54 NZ$4.48

$4.47 $4.47

-43.18%

Banana (1kg)

$2.23 NZ$3.94

$7.44 $7.44

-70.03%

Oranges (1kg)

$2.30 NZ$4.07

$8.73 $8.73

-73.65%

Tomato (1kg)

$5.53 NZ$9.78

$12.59 $12.59

-56.08%

Potato (1kg)

$1.41 NZ$2.49

$5.23 $5.23

-73.04%

Onion (1kg)

$0.86 NZ$1.53

$5.51 $5.51

-84.39%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.72 NZ$3.04

$3.69 $3.69

-53.39%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.75 NZ$1.33

$1.81 $1.81

-58.56%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$22.06 NZ$39.00

$5.83 $5.83

278.39%

Wine (Bottle)

$7.91 NZ$13.99

$10.16 $10.16

-22.15%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$2.65 NZ$4.69

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.78 NZ$4.91

$2.52 $2.52

10.32%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$3.93 NZ$6.95

$2.92 $2.92

34.59%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$82.3 NZ$146

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$1.87 NZ$3.30

$2.78 $2.78

-32.73%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.78 NZ$3.14

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$16.63 NZ$29.40

$4.86 $4.86

242.18%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.64 NZ$2.90

$1.76 $1.76

-6.82%

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

$21.6K NZ$38.1K

$25.0K $25.0K

-13.69%

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

$23.9K NZ$42.3K

$34.8K $34.8K

-31.29%

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

$68.2 NZ$121

$250 $250

-72.73%

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

$32.09 NZ$56.8

$37.28 $37.28

-13.92%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$34.64 NZ$61.3

$79.5 $79.5

-56.43%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$21.79 NZ$38.54

$37.84 $37.84

-42.42%

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

$148 $148

597.55%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$8,550 NZ$15.1K

$2,607 $2,607

227.91%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$69.5 NZ$123

$70.6 $70.6

-1.60%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$27.70 NZ$48.98

$39.42 $39.42

-29.73%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$83.1 NZ$147

$29.98 $29.98

177.02%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$82.5 NZ$146

$50.3 $50.3

64.13%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$906 NZ$1,602

$778 $778

16.43%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$639 NZ$1,129

$861 $861

-25.78%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,587 NZ$2,807

$1,331 $1,331

19.23%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,311 NZ$2,318

$1,281 $1,281

2.35%

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

$995 $995

150.60%

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 Majuro: October 11, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Accommodation & Living

Palmerston North

$639 40.9%

Majuro

$861 40.7% 34.7% $222

Groceries & Markets

Palmerston North

$283 18.1%

Majuro

$540 * 25.5% 90.8% $257

Eating Out

Palmerston North

$233 14.9%

Majuro

$210 9.9% 10% $23

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Palmerston North

$135 8.6%

Majuro

$367 17.3% 172% $232

Clothing & Footwear

Palmerston North

$118 7.6%

Majuro

$86 4.1% 27.6% $33

Getting Around

Palmerston North

$109 7%

Majuro

$14 * 0.7% 86.7% $94

Sport & Entertainment

Palmerston North

$45 2.9%

Majuro

$38 * 1.8% 15.9% $7.2

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

Cost Breakdown

A central one-bedroom costs $906 in Palmerston North 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 151% higher in Palmerston North, 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 $64.0 in Palmerston North versus $30.00 in Majuro. Groceries tell a different story – $283 in Palmerston North vs $540 in Majuro – so Palmerston North wins on supermarket bills even if dining out costs more.

Good to know

🇳🇿 Palmerston North

🇲🇭 Majuro

🕒 Local time

08:14 8:14 AM

07:14 7:14 AM

1 h behind Palmerston North

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

90,500

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 = 0.889 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 Majuro 5,290 km ≈ 7 h nonstop flight

From you

Palmerston North
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

Palmerston North vs Majuro: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Yes – Majuro is pricier by about 35%, and outside of rent the gap shows up most in groceries.

For a comfortable life, plan on about $2,343 per month in Palmerston North 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 Palmerston North, 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 $1,562 in Palmerston North and $2,116 in Majuro. That's a gap of about 35%.

Kindergarten costs $1,034 per month in Palmerston North and $148 in Majuro. For families with young kids, this one expense can tip the scales when choosing between the two cities.

A $2,000 monthly budget goes further in Palmerston North, where all-in costs run around $1,562, than in Majuro at $2,116. In Palmerston North it covers expenses comfortably, while in Majuro it requires careful planning or may not stretch far enough.

Families tend to lean toward Palmerston North – 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 Palmerston North. 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.