Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Cromwell and Melbourne

For one person, living is cheaper in Cromwell: $1,877 a month against $2,821 in Melbourne, rent and utilities included – about $11,300 less a year. Rent and utilities account for most of the difference.

91

Cost of Living Index in Cromwell
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Cromwell Living Index
138

Cost of Living Index in Melbourne
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Melbourne Living Index

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Cromwell

🇳🇿 New Zealand

$1,877

/mo nomad

Melbourne

🇦🇺 Australia

$2,821

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

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

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $1,877 in Cromwell versus $2,821 in Melbourne.

Cromwell $1,877
Melbourne $2,821

Estimated couple costs with rent: $2,785 in Cromwell versus $4,235 in Melbourne.

Cromwell $2,785
Melbourne $4,235

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $3,692 in Cromwell versus $5,650 in Melbourne.

Cromwell $3,692
Melbourne $5,650

Living in Cromwell costs roughly 33% less than in Melbourne, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in eating out.

Both cities are pricier than the global median: Cromwell 39% above, Melbourne 109% above.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$13.76 NZ$24.33

$17.43 A$25.08

-21.06%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$60.5 NZ$107

$84.6 A$122

-28.42%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$11.14 NZ$19.70

$12.46 A$17.92

-10.59%

Cappuccino

$3.35 NZ$5.92

$4.11 A$5.91

-18.49%

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

$2.12 NZ$3.74

$3.06 A$4.40

-30.72%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.09 NZ$3.70

$2.52 A$3.62

-17.06%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$6.81 NZ$12.04

$9.80 A$14.10

-30.51%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$6.05 NZ$10.69

$8.57 A$12.33

-29.40%

Milk (1 liter)

$2.08 NZ$3.68

$1.48 A$2.14

40.54%

White Bread (500g)

$2.01 NZ$3.55

$2.94 A$4.23

-31.63%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.69 NZ$2.98

$2.66 A$3.82

-36.47%

Eggs

$5.70 NZ$10.08

$5.54 A$7.97

2.89%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$8.54 NZ$15.10

$10.51 A$15.13

-18.74%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$9.35 NZ$16.54

$9.65 A$13.89

-3.11%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$16.22 NZ$28.69

$15.22 A$21.91

6.57%

Apples (1kg)

$2.98 NZ$5.28

$3.99 A$5.75

-25.31%

Banana (1kg)

$2.34 NZ$4.13

$3.02 A$4.34

-22.52%

Oranges (1kg)

$3.11 NZ$5.51

$3.10 A$4.46

0.32%

Tomato (1kg)

$5.10 NZ$9.02

$4.82 A$6.93

5.81%

Potato (1kg)

$1.87 NZ$3.31

$3.03 A$4.36

-38.28%

Onion (1kg)

$1.85 NZ$3.28

$2.44 A$3.52

-24.18%

Lettuce (1 head)

$2.35 NZ$4.15

$2.46 A$3.54

-4.47%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.58 NZ$1.03

$1.63 A$2.34

-64.42%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$21.18 NZ$37.45

$44.07 A$63.4

-51.94%

Wine (Bottle)

$8.89 NZ$15.73

$12.70 A$18.28

-30.00%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$3.21 NZ$5.68

$5.54 A$7.97

-42.06%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.19 NZ$2.10

$5.23 A$7.52

-77.25%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$1.73 NZ$3.07

$3.74 A$5.38

-53.74%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$93.9 NZ$166

$138 A$198

-31.75%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$2.17 NZ$3.85

$4.51 A$6.50

-51.88%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.87 NZ$3.31

$1.36 A$1.96

37.50%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$28.41 NZ$50.2

$30.45 A$43.81

-6.70%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.74 NZ$3.07

$1.47 A$2.12

18.37%

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

$24.9K NZ$44.1K

$29.0K A$41.7K

-14.06%

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

$25.1K NZ$44.3K

$26.5K A$38.1K

-5.31%

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

$110 NZ$194

$234 A$336

-53.04%

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

$28.00 NZ$49.52

$27.93 A$40.19

0.25%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$51.0 NZ$90.2

$55.7 A$80.2

-8.50%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$38.81 NZ$68.6

$49.40 A$71.1

-21.44%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$6.76 NZ$11.95

$21.48 A$30.91

-68.53%

Cinema Ticket

$8.16 NZ$14.44

$15.09 A$21.72

-45.92%

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

$786 NZ$1,389

$2,371 A$3,412

-66.87%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$12.4K NZ$21.9K

$30.2K A$43.5K

-59.07%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$59.2 NZ$105

$80.0 A$115

-25.96%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$35.50 NZ$62.8

$50.7 A$73.0

-29.98%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$92.1 NZ$163

$121 A$174

-23.66%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$132 NZ$233

$130 A$188

1.04%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$955 NZ$1,690

$1,759 A$2,531

-45.68%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$811 NZ$1,434

$1,390 A$2,000

-41.66%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,602 NZ$2,834

$3,494 A$5,027

-54.14%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,269 NZ$2,244

$2,493 A$3,588

-49.11%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$4,811 NZ$8,509

$6,926 A$9,967

-30.53%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$3,361 NZ$5,944

$6,445 A$9,274

-47.85%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$2,917 NZ$5,159

$4,383 A$6,307

-33.44%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

6.6

5.9

11.86%

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

Last update for Cromwell: October 11, 2026

Last update for Melbourne: October 10, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Accommodation & Living

Cromwell

$811 43.2%

Melbourne

$1.4K 49.3% 71.4% $579

Groceries & Markets

Cromwell

$320 17.1%

Melbourne

$384 13.6% 19.9% $64

Eating Out

Cromwell

$247 13.1%

Melbourne

$315 11.2% 27.5% $68

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Cromwell

$189 10.1%

Melbourne

$317 11.3% 68.1% $129

Clothing & Footwear

Cromwell

$143 7.6%

Melbourne

$172 6.1% 19.8% $28

Getting Around

Cromwell

$112 6%

Melbourne

$164 5.8% 45.8% $51

Sport & Entertainment

Cromwell

$55 2.9%

Melbourne

$80 2.8% 44.3% $24

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $955 in Cromwell and $1,759 in Melbourne. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Melbourne pays 50% 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: $61.0 in Cromwell vs $85.0 in Melbourne for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $320 vs $384 per month, with Cromwell cheaper across the board.

Good to know

🇳🇿 Cromwell

🇦🇺 Melbourne

🕒 Local time

19:34 7:34 PM

17:34 5:34 PM

2 h behind Cromwell

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

5,000

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

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Between locations

Cromwell Melbourne 2,160 km ≈ 3 h 15 min nonstop flight

From you

Cromwell
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

Cromwell vs Melbourne: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Cromwell is cheaper overall, especially in groceries, eating out, and clothing. The 50% gap adds up to real monthly savings that compound significantly over time.

On paper, salaries run 50% 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: $955 in Cromwell versus $1,759 in Melbourne. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Supermarket bills run roughly 20% higher in Melbourne. For households that cook at home regularly, that difference adds up over a month.

Dining out is cheaper in Cromwell – a meal for two runs $61.0 versus $85.0 in Melbourne. If you eat out regularly, this makes a real dent in your monthly spending.

At $1,877 in Cromwell versus $2,821 in Melbourne, a $2,500 budget is realistic in Cromwell but tight or insufficient in Melbourne. The gap between the two cities makes Cromwell 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, Cromwell 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 Cromwell gentler on the wallet – expenses run 50% less than in Melbourne. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.