Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Cambridge and Melbourne

For one person, living is cheaper in Cambridge: $2,044 a month against $2,821 in Melbourne, rent and utilities included – about $9,300 less a year. Rent and utilities account for about half of the difference.

99

Cost of Living Index in Cambridge
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Cambridge Living Index
138

Cost of Living Index in Melbourne
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Melbourne Living Index

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Cambridge

🇳🇿 New Zealand

$2,044

/mo nomad

Melbourne

🇦🇺 Australia

$2,821

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

How much you'll spend in Cambridge and in Melbourne

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

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $2,044 in Cambridge versus $2,821 in Melbourne.

Cambridge $2,044
Melbourne $2,821

Estimated couple costs with rent: $2,830 in Cambridge versus $4,235 in Melbourne.

Cambridge $2,830
Melbourne $4,235

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $3,617 in Cambridge versus $5,650 in Melbourne.

Cambridge $3,617
Melbourne $5,650

Living in Cambridge costs roughly 28% less than in Melbourne, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in transport.

Both cities are pricier than the global median: Cambridge 51% above, Melbourne 109% above.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$13.75 NZ$24.32

$17.43 A$25.08

-21.11%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$68.4 NZ$121

$84.6 A$122

-19.12%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$8.74 NZ$15.45

$12.46 A$17.92

-29.86%

Cappuccino

$3.45 NZ$6.10

$4.11 A$5.91

-16.06%

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

$1.93 NZ$3.41

$3.06 A$4.40

-36.93%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.99 NZ$3.52

$2.52 A$3.62

-21.03%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$6.08 NZ$10.75

$9.80 A$14.10

-37.96%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$6.63 NZ$11.73

$8.57 A$12.33

-22.64%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.51 NZ$2.67

$1.48 A$2.14

2.03%

White Bread (500g)

$2.23 NZ$3.94

$2.94 A$4.23

-24.15%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.89 NZ$3.34

$2.66 A$3.82

-28.95%

Eggs

$5.95 NZ$10.53

$5.54 A$7.97

7.40%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$8.33 NZ$14.73

$10.51 A$15.13

-20.74%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$9.43 NZ$16.68

$9.65 A$13.89

-2.28%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$13.01 NZ$23.01

$15.22 A$21.91

-14.52%

Apples (1kg)

$2.55 NZ$4.50

$3.99 A$5.75

-36.09%

Banana (1kg)

$2.28 NZ$4.04

$3.02 A$4.34

-24.50%

Oranges (1kg)

$3.02 NZ$5.34

$3.10 A$4.46

-2.58%

Tomato (1kg)

$5.65 NZ$9.99

$4.82 A$6.93

17.22%

Potato (1kg)

$2.11 NZ$3.73

$3.03 A$4.36

-30.36%

Onion (1kg)

$1.56 NZ$2.76

$2.44 A$3.52

-36.07%

Lettuce (1 head)

$2.27 NZ$4.02

$2.46 A$3.54

-7.72%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$1.08 NZ$1.92

$1.63 A$2.34

-33.74%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$25.11 NZ$44.41

$44.07 A$63.4

-43.02%

Wine (Bottle)

$10.40 NZ$18.39

$12.70 A$18.28

-18.11%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$3.44 NZ$6.08

$5.54 A$7.97

-37.91%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.84 NZ$6.79

$5.23 A$7.52

-26.58%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$2.72 NZ$4.81

$3.74 A$5.38

-27.27%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$138 A$198

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$2.18 NZ$3.85

$4.51 A$6.50

-51.66%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.94 NZ$3.43

$1.36 A$1.96

42.65%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$31.37 NZ$55.5

$30.45 A$43.81

3.02%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.70 NZ$3.00

$1.47 A$2.12

15.65%

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

$25.1K NZ$44.4K

$29.0K A$41.7K

-13.36%

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

$22.1K NZ$39.1K

$26.5K A$38.1K

-16.47%

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

$99.4 NZ$176

$234 A$336

-57.47%

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

$26.44 NZ$46.77

$27.93 A$40.19

-5.33%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$50.8 NZ$89.8

$55.7 A$80.2

-8.90%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$49.40 A$71.1

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$21.48 A$30.91

Cinema Ticket

$13.51 NZ$23.90

$15.09 A$21.72

-10.47%

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

$673 NZ$1,190

$2,371 A$3,412

-71.63%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$19.3K NZ$34.1K

$30.2K A$43.5K

-36.07%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$62.0 NZ$110

$80.0 A$115

-22.42%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$37.37 NZ$66.1

$50.7 A$73.0

-26.29%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$93.1 NZ$165

$121 A$174

-22.84%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$105 NZ$186

$130 A$188

-19.18%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$584 NZ$1,033

$1,759 A$2,531

-66.79%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,122 NZ$1,985

$1,390 A$2,000

-19.25%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,158 NZ$2,048

$3,494 A$5,027

-66.85%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,449 NZ$2,563

$2,493 A$3,588

-41.86%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$4,539 NZ$8,027

$6,926 A$9,967

-34.47%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$3,931 NZ$6,953

$6,445 A$9,274

-39.00%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$2,585 NZ$4,571

$4,383 A$6,307

-41.03%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

5.9

1.69%

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

Last update for Cambridge: October 12, 2026

Last update for Melbourne: October 10, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Accommodation & Living

Cambridge

$1.1K 54.9%

Melbourne

$1.4K 49.3% 23.8% $267

Groceries & Markets

Cambridge

$324 15.9%

Melbourne

$384 13.6% 18.5% $60

Eating Out

Cambridge

$237 11.6%

Melbourne

$315 11.2% 32.7% $78

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Cambridge

$177 8.6%

Melbourne

$317 11.3% 79.7% $141

Clothing & Footwear

Cambridge

$134 6.6%

Melbourne

$172 6.1% 28.1% $38

Sport & Entertainment

Cambridge

$27 * 1.3%

Melbourne

$80 2.8% 195% $53

Getting Around

Cambridge

$23 * 1.1%

Melbourne

$164 5.8% 619% $141

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

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $584 in Cambridge and $1,759 in Melbourne. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Melbourne pays 70% 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: $68.0 in Cambridge vs $85.0 in Melbourne for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $324 vs $384 per month, with Cambridge cheaper across the board.

Good to know

🇳🇿 Cambridge

🇦🇺 Melbourne

🕒 Local time

10:35 10:35 AM

08:35 8:35 AM

2 h behind Cambridge

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

21,400

5,031,195

💱 Currency

New Zealand Dollar NZD $

Australian Dollar AUD $

📈 Exchange rate

1 NZD = 0.565 USD

1 NZD = 0.503 EUR

1 AUD = 0.695 USD

1 AUD = 0.618 EUR

Exchange rates and currency converter

AUD, 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).

Australian Dollar exchange rates as of October 17, 2026: 1 USD = 1.44 AUD (1 AUD = 0.695 USD). 1 EUR = 1.62 AUD (1 AUD = 0.618 EUR).

USD to NZD in detail →

On the map

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Highest

Between locations

Cambridge Melbourne 2,670 km ≈ 3 h 45 min nonstop flight

From you

Cambridge
Melbourne

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

Cambridge vs Melbourne: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Cambridge is cheaper overall, especially in groceries, eating out, and clothing. The 38% gap adds up to real monthly savings that compound significantly over time.

On paper, salaries run 70% lower in Melbourne. That's worth factoring in alongside costs, though remote workers earning in a stronger currency may not notice the difference at all.

Rent for a central apartment: $584 in Cambridge versus $1,759 in Melbourne. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Childcare runs $673 in Cambridge versus $2,371 in Melbourne. Over years of preschool, even a modest monthly gap compounds into a major financial factor for families.

Dining out is cheaper in Cambridge – a meal for two runs $68.0 versus $85.0 in Melbourne. If you eat out regularly, this makes a real dent in your monthly spending.

At $2,044 in Cambridge versus $2,821 in Melbourne, a $2,500 budget is realistic in Cambridge but tight or insufficient in Melbourne. The gap between the two cities makes Cambridge 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, Cambridge and Melbourne 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 Cambridge gentler on the wallet – expenses run 38% less than in Melbourne. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.