Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Timaru and Majuro

For one person, living is cheaper in Timaru: $1,980 a month against $2,116 in Majuro, rent and utilities included – about $1,600 less a year. Other living expenses account for most of the difference.

90

Cost of Living Index in Timaru
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Timaru Living Index
104

Cost of Living Index in Majuro
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Majuro Living Index

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Timaru

🇳🇿 New Zealand

$1,980

/mo nomad

Majuro

🇲🇭 Marshall Islands

$2,116

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

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

A single person spends $1,980 per month in Timaru vs $2,116 in Majuro, rent included.

Timaru $1,980
Majuro $2,116

A couple spends around $2,925 per month in Timaru vs $2,980 in Majuro, rent included.

Timaru $2,925
Majuro $2,980

A family of three spends $3,870 per month in Timaru vs $3,845 in Majuro, rent included.

Timaru $3,870
Majuro $3,845

Timaru is about 6% cheaper than Majuro, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in groceries.

Both Timaru and Majuro sit above the global median – Timaru by 47%, Majuro by 57%.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$13.80 NZ$24.41

$10.14 $10.14

36.09%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$62.1 NZ$110

$29.73 $29.73

108.71%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$10.70 NZ$18.93

$10.35 $10.35

3.38%

Cappuccino

$3.37 NZ$5.95

$4.21 $4.21

-19.95%

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

$2.03 NZ$3.59

$1.85 $1.85

9.73%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.81 NZ$3.20

$2.01 $2.01

-9.95%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$5.72 NZ$10.11

$4.43 $4.43

29.12%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$6.12 NZ$10.81

$4.88 $4.88

25.41%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.11 NZ$1.96

$2.20 $2.20

-49.55%

White Bread (500g)

$1.82 NZ$3.22

$3.44 $3.44

-47.09%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.09 NZ$1.93

$1.77 $1.77

-38.42%

Eggs

$5.69 NZ$10.06

$5.13 $5.13

10.92%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$8.24 NZ$14.57

$30.62 $30.62

-73.09%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$9.13 NZ$16.15

$11.10 $11.10

-17.75%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$16.33 NZ$28.89

$18.52 $18.52

-11.83%

Apples (1kg)

$2.92 NZ$5.17

$4.47 $4.47

-34.68%

Banana (1kg)

$2.33 NZ$4.12

$7.44 $7.44

-68.68%

Oranges (1kg)

$3.24 NZ$5.72

$8.73 $8.73

-62.89%

Tomato (1kg)

$5.19 NZ$9.18

$12.59 $12.59

-58.78%

Potato (1kg)

$1.87 NZ$3.30

$5.23 $5.23

-64.24%

Onion (1kg)

$1.78 NZ$3.14

$5.51 $5.51

-67.70%

Lettuce (1 head)

$2.25 NZ$3.98

$3.69 $3.69

-39.02%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.55 NZ$0.97

$1.81 $1.81

-69.61%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$20.75 NZ$36.70

$5.83 $5.83

255.92%

Wine (Bottle)

$5.63 NZ$9.96

$10.16 $10.16

-44.59%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$3.07 NZ$5.42

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.18 NZ$2.09

$2.52 $2.52

-53.17%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$1.65 NZ$2.91

$2.92 $2.92

-43.49%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$92.4 NZ$163

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$2.29 NZ$4.04

$2.78 $2.78

-17.63%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$2.08 NZ$3.68

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$27.65 NZ$48.90

$4.86 $4.86

468.93%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.48 NZ$2.61

$1.76 $1.76

-15.91%

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

$24.8K NZ$43.9K

$25.0K $25.0K

-0.56%

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

$24.9K NZ$44.1K

$34.8K $34.8K

-28.37%

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

$110 NZ$194

$250 $250

-56.12%

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

$22.70 NZ$40.15

$37.28 $37.28

-39.11%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$51.4 NZ$90.9

$79.5 $79.5

-35.35%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$38.87 NZ$68.7

$37.84 $37.84

2.72%

Cinema Ticket

$10.17 NZ$17.98

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

$579 NZ$1,025

$148 $148

290.87%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$17.1K NZ$30.3K

$2,607 $2,607

556.20%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$59.1 NZ$105

$70.6 $70.6

-16.31%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$34.65 NZ$61.3

$39.42 $39.42

-12.10%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$91.0 NZ$161

$29.98 $29.98

203.44%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$132 NZ$234

$50.3 $50.3

163.12%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$877 NZ$1,550

$778 $778

12.69%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$946 NZ$1,674

$861 $861

9.98%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,616 NZ$2,857

$1,331 $1,331

21.34%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,510 NZ$2,670

$1,281 $1,281

17.90%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$4,303 NZ$7,610

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$3,018 NZ$5,337

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$995 $995

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

7.07

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

Last update for Timaru: 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

Timaru

$946 47.8%

Majuro

$861 40.7% 9.1% $86

Groceries & Markets

Timaru

$297 15%

Majuro

$540 * 25.5% 82% $243

Eating Out

Timaru

$239 12.1%

Majuro

$210 9.9% 12.2% $29

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Timaru

$184 9.3%

Majuro

$367 17.3% 99.6% $183

Clothing & Footwear

Timaru

$143 7.2%

Majuro

$86 4.1% 40% $57

Getting Around

Timaru

$112 5.6%

Majuro

$14 * 0.7% 87% $97

Sport & Entertainment

Timaru

$59 3%

Majuro

$38 * 1.8% 36.1% $21

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

Cost Breakdown

A central one-bedroom costs $877 in Timaru 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.

A mid-range dinner for two costs $62.0 in Timaru versus $30.00 in Majuro. Groceries tell a different story – $297 in Timaru vs $540 in Majuro – so Timaru wins on supermarket bills even if dining out costs more.

Good to know

🇳🇿 Timaru

🇲🇭 Majuro

🕒 Local time

09:11 9:11 AM

08:11 8:11 AM

1 h behind Timaru

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

28,600

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

Timaru Majuro 5,720 km ≈ 8 h nonstop flight

From you

Timaru
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

Timaru vs Majuro: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Yes – Majuro is pricier by about 7%, and outside of rent the gap shows up most in groceries.

For a comfortable life, plan on about $2,970 per month in Timaru 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 Timaru, 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 $1,980 in Timaru and $2,116 in Majuro. That's a gap of about 7%.

Kindergarten costs $579 per month in Timaru 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 Timaru, where all-in costs run around $1,980, than in Majuro at $2,116. In Timaru it covers expenses comfortably, while in Majuro it requires careful planning or may not stretch far enough.

Families tend to lean toward Timaru – 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 Timaru. 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.