Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Canterbury and Melbourne

For one person, living is cheaper in Canterbury: $899 a month against $2,821 in Melbourne, rent and utilities included – about $23,100 less a year. Rent and utilities account for most of the difference.

44

Cost of Living Index in Canterbury
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Canterbury Living Index
138

Cost of Living Index in Melbourne
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Melbourne Living Index

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Canterbury

🇳🇿 New Zealand

$899

/mo nomad

Melbourne

🇦🇺 Australia

$2,821

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

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

A single person spends $899 per month in Canterbury vs $2,821 in Melbourne, rent included.

Canterbury $899
Melbourne $2,821

A couple spends around $1,491 per month in Canterbury vs $4,235 in Melbourne, rent included.

Canterbury $1,491
Melbourne $4,235

A family of three spends $2,083 per month in Canterbury vs $5,650 in Melbourne, rent included.

Canterbury $2,083
Melbourne $5,650

Canterbury is about 68% cheaper than Melbourne, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in transport.

Canterbury sits 33% below the global median, while Melbourne is 109% above – they fall on opposite sides of the world average.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$14.25 NZ$25.20

$17.43 A$25.08

-18.24%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$60.4 NZ$107

$84.6 A$122

-28.61%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$11.29 NZ$19.97

$12.46 A$17.92

-9.39%

Cappuccino

$2.99 NZ$5.29

$4.11 A$5.91

-27.25%

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

$2.11 NZ$3.74

$3.06 A$4.40

-31.05%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.04 NZ$3.61

$2.52 A$3.62

-19.05%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$3.88 NZ$6.87

$9.80 A$14.10

-60.41%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$6.29 NZ$11.12

$8.57 A$12.33

-26.60%

Milk (1 liter)

$2.16 NZ$3.82

$1.48 A$2.14

45.95%

White Bread (500g)

$1.99 NZ$3.52

$2.94 A$4.23

-32.31%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.74 NZ$3.07

$2.66 A$3.82

-34.59%

Eggs

$5.43 NZ$9.61

$5.54 A$7.97

-1.99%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$8.55 NZ$15.12

$10.51 A$15.13

-18.65%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$8.96 NZ$15.84

$9.65 A$13.89

-7.15%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$15.90 NZ$28.12

$15.22 A$21.91

4.47%

Apples (1kg)

$3.01 NZ$5.33

$3.99 A$5.75

-24.56%

Banana (1kg)

$2.26 NZ$3.99

$3.02 A$4.34

-25.17%

Oranges (1kg)

$3.20 NZ$5.66

$3.10 A$4.46

3.23%

Tomato (1kg)

$5.14 NZ$9.09

$4.82 A$6.93

6.64%

Potato (1kg)

$1.81 NZ$3.19

$3.03 A$4.36

-40.26%

Onion (1kg)

$1.77 NZ$3.13

$2.44 A$3.52

-27.46%

Lettuce (1 head)

$2.27 NZ$4.01

$2.46 A$3.54

-7.72%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.55 NZ$0.96

$1.63 A$2.34

-66.26%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$21.04 NZ$37.20

$44.07 A$63.4

-52.26%

Wine (Bottle)

$8.82 NZ$15.60

$12.70 A$18.28

-30.55%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$3.09 NZ$5.46

$5.54 A$7.97

-44.22%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.19 NZ$2.11

$5.23 A$7.52

-77.25%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$3.74 A$5.38

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$138 A$198

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$5.66 NZ$10.00

$4.51 A$6.50

25.50%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.36 A$1.96

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$27.93 NZ$49.39

$30.45 A$43.81

-8.28%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.61 NZ$2.84

$1.47 A$2.12

9.52%

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

$24.7K NZ$43.7K

$29.0K A$41.7K

-14.89%

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

$25.4K NZ$45.0K

$26.5K A$38.1K

-3.93%

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

$109 NZ$192

$234 A$336

-53.44%

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

$28.43 NZ$50.3

$27.93 A$40.19

1.79%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$51.1 NZ$90.3

$55.7 A$80.2

-8.36%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$49.40 A$71.1

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$21.48 A$30.91

Cinema Ticket

$10.13 NZ$17.92

$15.09 A$21.72

-32.87%

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

$570 NZ$1,008

$2,371 A$3,412

-75.96%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$30.2K A$43.5K

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$58.6 NZ$104

$80.0 A$115

-26.76%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$21.87 NZ$38.67

$50.7 A$73.0

-56.86%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$90.3 NZ$160

$121 A$174

-25.11%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$134 NZ$238

$130 A$188

3.04%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$902 NZ$1,595

$1,759 A$2,531

-48.74%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,390 A$2,000

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$3,494 A$5,027

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$2,493 A$3,588

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$6,926 A$9,967

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$6,445 A$9,274

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$2,721 NZ$4,813

$4,383 A$6,307

-37.91%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

5.9

-32.20%

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

Last update for Canterbury: October 11, 2026

Last update for Melbourne: October 10, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Groceries & Markets

Canterbury

$315 35.1%

Melbourne

$384 13.6% 21.7% $69

Eating Out

Canterbury

$232 25.8%

Melbourne

$315 11.2% 35.4% $82

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Canterbury

$188 20.9%

Melbourne

$317 11.3% 68.5% $129

Clothing & Footwear

Canterbury

$137 15.3%

Melbourne

$172 6.1% 25.1% $34

Sport & Entertainment

Canterbury

$20 * 2.3%

Melbourne

$80 2.8% 293% $59

Getting Around

Canterbury

$5.7 * 0.6%

Melbourne

$164 5.8% 2794% $158

Accommodation & Living

Canterbury

- * 0%

Melbourne

$1.4K 49.3%

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

Cost Breakdown

A central one-bedroom costs $902 in Canterbury versus $1,759 in Melbourne. 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 61% higher in Melbourne, which partly offsets the higher cost of living there. Purchasing power depends on which expenses matter most to you.

A mid-range dinner for two costs $60.0 in Canterbury versus $85.0 in Melbourne. Monthly groceries follow the same trend: $315 vs $384 – making Canterbury the more affordable choice for daily food spending.

Good to know

🇳🇿 Canterbury

🇦🇺 Melbourne

🕒 Local time

21:54 9:54 PM

19:54 7:54 PM

2 h behind Canterbury

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

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 18, 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 18, 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

Lowest

Highest

Between locations

Canterbury Melbourne 2,350 km ≈ 3 h 30 min nonstop flight

From you

Canterbury
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

Canterbury vs Melbourne: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Monthly costs with rent: $899 in Canterbury, $2,821 in Melbourne – roughly 214% apart. Outside of rent, the biggest gap is in transport.

For a comfortable life, plan on about $1,349 per month in Canterbury and $4,231 in Melbourne. That covers rent, food, utilities, transport, and enough left over to feel settled – not just surviving.

Rent is clearly cheaper in Canterbury, especially for central apartments. Housing is actually the single biggest factor behind the overall cost gap between these two cities.

A mid-range dinner for two costs $60.0 in Canterbury and $85.0 in Melbourne. That's a good indicator of the overall restaurant and café pricing gap between the two cities.

Groceries cost about 22% more in Melbourne, though it depends on what you buy. Local produce may be comparable; imported and premium items show the biggest price gap.

A $2,000 monthly budget goes further in Canterbury, where all-in costs run around $899, than in Melbourne at $2,821. In Canterbury it covers expenses comfortably, while in Melbourne it requires careful planning or may not stretch far enough.

Families tend to lean toward Canterbury – 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 Canterbury. If higher salaries, better infrastructure, or specific career opportunities are the priority, Melbourne makes more sense. Both are solid long-term options with distinct trade-offs.