Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Wellington and Masterton

For one person, living is cheaper in Masterton: $841 a month against $2,313 in Wellington, rent and utilities included – about $17,700 less a year. Rent and utilities account for most of the difference.

110

Cost of Living Index in Wellington
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Wellington Living Index
41

Cost of Living Index in Masterton
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Masterton Living Index

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Wellington

🇳🇿 New Zealand

$2,313

/mo nomad

Masterton

🇳🇿 New Zealand

$841

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

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

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $2,313 in Wellington versus $841 in Masterton.

Wellington $2,313
Masterton $841

Estimated couple costs with rent: $3,422 in Wellington versus $1,446 in Masterton.

Wellington $3,422
Masterton $1,446

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $4,530 in Wellington versus $2,051 in Masterton.

Wellington $4,530
Masterton $2,051

Living in Wellington is roughly 175% more expensive than in Masterton, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in transport.

The two cities straddle the global median: Wellington is 70% above, Masterton is 38% below.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$14.02 NZ$24.90

$9.26 NZ$16.44

51.40%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$66.5 NZ$118

$65.0 NZ$115

2.32%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$9.23 NZ$16.38

$8.77 NZ$15.58

5.25%

Cappuccino

$3.41 NZ$6.06

$3.35 NZ$5.95

1.79%

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

$2.43 NZ$4.32

$1.95 NZ$3.46

24.62%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.69 NZ$3.00

$1.11 NZ$1.97

52.25%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$7.48 NZ$13.29

$3.96 NZ$7.04

88.89%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$6.74 NZ$11.97

$3.40 NZ$6.04

98.24%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.95 NZ$3.47

$1.46 NZ$2.59

33.56%

White Bread (500g)

$2.25 NZ$4.00

$2.13 NZ$3.77

5.63%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.85 NZ$3.29

$1.10 NZ$1.95

68.18%

Eggs

$7.10 NZ$12.61

$6.49 NZ$11.51

9.40%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$9.54 NZ$16.94

$8.59 NZ$15.25

11.06%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$9.62 NZ$17.08

$9.94 NZ$17.65

-3.22%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$15.26 NZ$27.09

$15.03 NZ$26.69

1.53%

Apples (1kg)

$3.09 NZ$5.49

$2.22 NZ$3.93

39.19%

Banana (1kg)

$2.15 NZ$3.83

$1.81 NZ$3.21

18.78%

Oranges (1kg)

$3.08 NZ$5.47

$3.04 NZ$5.40

1.32%

Tomato (1kg)

$6.42 NZ$11.40

$4.48 NZ$7.95

43.30%

Potato (1kg)

$2.10 NZ$3.72

$1.51 NZ$2.69

39.07%

Onion (1kg)

$1.23 NZ$2.19

$1.09 NZ$1.94

12.84%

Lettuce (1 head)

$2.01 NZ$3.57

$1.71 NZ$3.04

17.54%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$1.16 NZ$2.06

$0.52 NZ$0.93

123.08%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$25.37 NZ$45.04

$19.90 NZ$35.33

27.49%

Wine (Bottle)

$11.48 NZ$20.39

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$3.12 NZ$5.53

$0.88 NZ$1.56

254.55%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.89 NZ$5.12

$1.22 NZ$2.17

136.89%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$2.86 NZ$5.08

$2.23 NZ$3.97

28.25%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$105 NZ$186

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$1.88 NZ$3.34

$1.89 NZ$3.36

-0.53%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.83 NZ$3.25

$1.80 NZ$3.20

1.67%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$34.31 NZ$60.9

$33.98 NZ$60.3

0.97%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.84 NZ$3.27

$1.73 NZ$3.08

6.36%

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

$28.4K NZ$50.4K

$22.9K NZ$40.6K

24.16%

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

$23.8K NZ$42.3K

$23.9K NZ$42.4K

-0.32%

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

$201 NZ$357

$56.0 NZ$99.5

258.38%

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

$33.35 NZ$59.2

$29.91 NZ$53.1

11.50%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$53.7 NZ$95.3

$53.4 NZ$94.8

0.51%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$35.87 NZ$63.7

$42.36 NZ$75.2

-15.32%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$16.18 NZ$28.73

$8.22 NZ$14.59

96.84%

Cinema Ticket

$11.78 NZ$20.92

$9.47 NZ$16.81

24.39%

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

$1,065 NZ$1,890

$1,038 NZ$1,844

2.51%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$13.3K NZ$23.6K

-0.23%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$80.4 NZ$143

$56.7 NZ$101

41.93%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$28.04 NZ$49.78

$28.47 NZ$50.6

-1.51%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$102 NZ$180

$105 NZ$186

-2.84%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$154 NZ$274

$141 NZ$250

9.44%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,143 NZ$2,029

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,078 NZ$1,914

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$2,057 NZ$3,651

$1,019 NZ$1,809

101.86%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,814 NZ$3,220

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$6,594 NZ$11.7K

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$3,655 NZ$6,489

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$2,785 NZ$4,945

$2,339 NZ$4,152

19.08%

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 Wellington: October 27, 2026

Last update for Masterton: October 25, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Accommodation & Living

Wellington

$1.1K 46.6%

Masterton

- * 0% 100%

Groceries & Markets

Wellington

$348 15.1%

Masterton

$293 34.8% 15.9% $55

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Wellington

$288 12.4%

Masterton

$139 16.6% 51.6% $148

Eating Out

Wellington

$248 10.7%

Masterton

$179 21.3% 27.7% $69

Clothing & Footwear

Wellington

$164 7.1%

Masterton

$149 17.7% 9.2% $15

Getting Around

Wellington

$127 5.5%

Masterton

$20 * 2.4% 84.4% $108

Sport & Entertainment

Wellington

$59 2.6%

Masterton

$61 7.3% 3.1% $1.9

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

Cost Breakdown

Wellington pays 19% more on average. The extra income cushions the higher costs, though housing choices and lifestyle decide how much of the gap is truly closed.

Dining out: $66 in Wellington vs $65 in Masterton for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $348 vs $293 per month, with Masterton cheaper across the board.

Good to know

🇳🇿 Wellington

🇳🇿 Masterton

🕒 Local time

12:53 12:53 PM

Same time as Wellington

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

215,900 Capital

26,800

💱 Currency

New Zealand Dollar NZD $

📈 Exchange rate

1 NZD = 0.563 USD

1 NZD = 0.504 EUR

1 NZD = 0.563 USD

1 NZD = 0.504 EUR

Exchange rates and currency converter

On the map

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Wellington Masterton 83 km

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Wellington
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

Wellington vs Masterton: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Masterton is about 64% cheaper overall, especially in transport, eating out, and groceries. That difference adds up to real monthly savings that compound significantly over time.

Average pay runs 19% higher in Wellington, which matters when comparing affordability. Whether that higher income actually nets you more depends on your spending habits and housing choices.

Supermarket bills run roughly 19% higher in Wellington. For households that cook at home regularly, that difference adds up over a month.

Childcare runs $1,065 in Wellington versus $1,038 in Masterton. Over years of preschool, even a modest monthly gap compounds into a major financial factor for families.

At $841 in Masterton versus $2,313 in Wellington, a $1,000 budget is realistic in Masterton but tight or insufficient in Wellington. The gap between the two cities makes Masterton 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, Wellington and Masterton are both considered safe, so it’s unlikely to be the deciding factor between them.

It comes down to priorities – Masterton wins on affordability, Wellington on earning potential. Factor in climate, language, visa rules, and proximity to places that matter to you before deciding.