Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Whakatane and Majuro

For one person, living is cheaper in Whakatane: $1,775 a month against $2,116 in Majuro, rent and utilities included – about $4,100 less a year. Rent and utilities account for most of the difference.

88

Cost of Living Index in Whakatane
Learn more

Whakatane Living Index
104

Cost of Living Index in Majuro
Learn more

Majuro Living Index

Jump to prices

Whakatane

🇳🇿 New Zealand

$1,775

/mo nomad

Majuro

🇲🇭 Marshall Islands

$2,116

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

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

A single person spends $1,775 per month in Whakatane vs $2,116 in Majuro, rent included.

Whakatane $1,775
Majuro $2,116

A couple spends around $2,684 per month in Whakatane vs $2,980 in Majuro, rent included.

Whakatane $2,684
Majuro $2,980

A family of three spends $3,594 per month in Whakatane vs $3,845 in Majuro, rent included.

Whakatane $3,594
Majuro $3,845

Whakatane is about 16% cheaper than Majuro, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in groceries.

Both Whakatane and Majuro sit above the global median – Whakatane by 31%, Majuro by 57%.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$13.79 NZ$24.39

$10.14 $10.14

36.00%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$67.1 NZ$119

$29.73 $29.73

125.77%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$8.84 NZ$15.63

$10.35 $10.35

-14.59%

Cappuccino

$3.10 NZ$5.48

$4.21 $4.21

-26.37%

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

$2.00 NZ$3.54

$1.85 $1.85

8.11%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.75 NZ$3.09

$2.01 $2.01

-12.94%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$6.06 NZ$10.73

$4.43 $4.43

36.79%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$6.01 NZ$10.63

$4.88 $4.88

23.16%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.93 NZ$3.41

$2.20 $2.20

-12.27%

White Bread (500g)

$0.98 NZ$1.74

$3.44 $3.44

-71.51%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.86 NZ$3.29

$1.77 $1.77

5.08%

Eggs

$5.58 NZ$9.87

$5.13 $5.13

8.77%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$8.34 NZ$14.75

$30.62 $30.62

-72.76%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$8.45 NZ$14.95

$11.10 $11.10

-23.87%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$15.54 NZ$27.48

$18.52 $18.52

-16.09%

Apples (1kg)

$2.42 NZ$4.28

$4.47 $4.47

-45.86%

Banana (1kg)

$2.16 NZ$3.82

$7.44 $7.44

-70.97%

Oranges (1kg)

$2.88 NZ$5.10

$8.73 $8.73

-67.01%

Tomato (1kg)

$5.87 NZ$10.38

$12.59 $12.59

-53.38%

Potato (1kg)

$2.04 NZ$3.60

$5.23 $5.23

-60.99%

Onion (1kg)

$1.56 NZ$2.76

$5.51 $5.51

-71.69%

Lettuce (1 head)

$2.04 NZ$3.62

$3.69 $3.69

-44.72%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$1.08 NZ$1.90

$1.81 $1.81

-40.33%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$27.44 NZ$48.52

$5.83 $5.83

370.67%

Wine (Bottle)

$8.54 NZ$15.10

$10.16 $10.16

-15.94%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.41 NZ$2.49

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.11 NZ$1.96

$2.52 $2.52

-55.95%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$1.51 NZ$2.66

$2.92 $2.92

-48.29%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$83.7 NZ$148

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$2.30 NZ$4.07

$2.78 $2.78

-17.27%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.94 NZ$3.43

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$32.44 NZ$57.4

$4.86 $4.86

567.49%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.58 NZ$2.79

$1.76 $1.76

-10.23%

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

$24.7K NZ$43.7K

$25.0K $25.0K

-1.22%

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

$9,072 NZ$16.0K

$34.8K $34.8K

-73.95%

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

$116 NZ$206

$250 $250

-53.46%

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

$26.75 NZ$47.30

$37.28 $37.28

-28.25%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$41.24 NZ$72.9

$79.5 $79.5

-48.13%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$38.19 NZ$67.5

$37.84 $37.84

0.92%

Cinema Ticket

$8.61 NZ$15.23

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

$1,123 NZ$1,986

$148 $148

657.50%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$19.4K NZ$34.2K

$2,607 $2,607

642.28%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$66.4 NZ$117

$70.6 $70.6

-6.00%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$39.67 NZ$70.2

$39.42 $39.42

0.63%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$83.7 NZ$148

$29.98 $29.98

179.22%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$72.0 NZ$127

$50.3 $50.3

43.15%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,102 NZ$1,950

$778 $778

41.73%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$788 NZ$1,394

$861 $861

-8.37%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,611 NZ$2,849

$1,331 $1,331

20.98%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,306 NZ$2,310

$1,281 $1,281

1.97%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$4,734 NZ$8,373

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$3,330 NZ$5,890

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$3,884 NZ$6,868

$995 $995

290.16%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

5.37

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

Last update for Whakatane: October 10, 2026

Last update for Majuro: October 11, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Accommodation & Living

Whakatane

$788 44.4%

Majuro

$861 40.7% 9.1% $72

Groceries & Markets

Whakatane

$295 16.6%

Majuro

$540 * 25.5% 83% $245

Eating Out

Whakatane

$231 13%

Majuro

$210 9.9% 9.3% $21

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Whakatane

$184 10.4%

Majuro

$367 17.3% 99% $183

Clothing & Footwear

Whakatane

$118 6.6%

Majuro

$86 4.1% 27.3% $32

Getting Around

Whakatane

$102 5.7%

Majuro

$14 * 0.7% 85.8% $87

Sport & Entertainment

Whakatane

$55 3.1%

Majuro

$38 * 1.8% 31.7% $18

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

Cost Breakdown

A central one-bedroom costs $1,102 in Whakatane 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 290% higher in Whakatane, 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 $67.0 in Whakatane versus $30.00 in Majuro. Groceries tell a different story – $295 in Whakatane vs $540 in Majuro – so Whakatane wins on supermarket bills even if dining out costs more.

Good to know

🇳🇿 Whakatane

🇲🇭 Majuro

🕒 Local time

10:38 10:38 AM

09:38 9:38 AM

1 h behind Whakatane

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

16,700

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 = 0.89 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 = 0.89 EUR).

USD to NZD in detail →

On the map

Lowest

Highest

Between locations

Whakatane Majuro 5,040 km ≈ 7 h nonstop flight

From you

Whakatane
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

Whakatane vs Majuro: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Yes – Majuro is pricier by about 19%, and outside of rent the gap shows up most in groceries.

For a comfortable life, plan on about $2,662 per month in Whakatane 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 Whakatane, 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 $1,775 in Whakatane and $2,116 in Majuro. That's a gap of about 19%.

Kindergarten costs $1,123 per month in Whakatane 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 Whakatane, where all-in costs run around $1,775, than in Majuro at $2,116. In Whakatane it covers expenses comfortably, while in Majuro it requires careful planning or may not stretch far enough.

Families tend to lean toward Whakatane – 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 Whakatane. 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.