Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Fox Glacier and Melbourne

For one person, living is cheaper in Fox Glacier: $1,727 a month against $2,821 in Melbourne, rent and utilities included – about $13,100 less a year. Rent and utilities account for most of the difference.

90

Cost of Living Index in Fox Glacier
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Fox Glacier Living Index
138

Cost of Living Index in Melbourne
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Melbourne Living Index

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Fox Glacier

🇳🇿 New Zealand

$1,727

/mo nomad

Melbourne

🇦🇺 Australia

$2,821

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

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

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $1,727 in Fox Glacier versus $2,821 in Melbourne.

Fox Glacier $1,727
Melbourne $2,821

Estimated couple costs with rent: $2,835 in Fox Glacier versus $4,235 in Melbourne.

Fox Glacier $2,835
Melbourne $4,235

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $3,942 in Fox Glacier versus $5,650 in Melbourne.

Fox Glacier $3,942
Melbourne $5,650

Living in Fox Glacier costs roughly 39% less than in Melbourne, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in eating out.

Both cities are pricier than the global median: Fox Glacier 28% above, Melbourne 109% above.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$13.32 NZ$23.55

$17.43 A$25.08

-23.58%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$67.9 NZ$120

$84.6 A$122

-19.67%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$8.34 NZ$14.75

$12.46 A$17.92

-33.07%

Cappuccino

$2.98 NZ$5.27

$4.11 A$5.91

-27.49%

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

$2.21 NZ$3.90

$3.06 A$4.40

-27.78%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.94 NZ$3.43

$2.52 A$3.62

-23.02%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$5.44 NZ$9.62

$9.80 A$14.10

-44.49%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$6.46 NZ$11.42

$8.57 A$12.33

-24.62%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.97 NZ$3.49

$1.48 A$2.14

33.11%

White Bread (500g)

$1.92 NZ$3.40

$2.94 A$4.23

-34.69%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.87 NZ$3.31

$2.66 A$3.82

-29.70%

Eggs

$6.59 NZ$11.66

$5.54 A$7.97

18.95%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$8.57 NZ$15.16

$10.51 A$15.13

-18.46%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$9.56 NZ$16.91

$9.65 A$13.89

-0.93%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$12.70 NZ$22.46

$15.22 A$21.91

-16.56%

Apples (1kg)

$2.26 NZ$3.99

$3.99 A$5.75

-43.36%

Banana (1kg)

$1.90 NZ$3.35

$3.02 A$4.34

-37.09%

Oranges (1kg)

$2.89 NZ$5.11

$3.10 A$4.46

-6.77%

Tomato (1kg)

$5.41 NZ$9.56

$4.82 A$6.93

12.24%

Potato (1kg)

$1.83 NZ$3.24

$3.03 A$4.36

-39.60%

Onion (1kg)

$1.42 NZ$2.51

$2.44 A$3.52

-41.80%

Lettuce (1 head)

$2.17 NZ$3.84

$2.46 A$3.54

-11.79%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.91 NZ$1.60

$1.63 A$2.34

-44.17%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$23.67 NZ$41.86

$44.07 A$63.4

-46.29%

Wine (Bottle)

$10.13 NZ$17.91

$12.70 A$18.28

-20.24%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$3.15 NZ$5.57

$5.54 A$7.97

-43.14%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.10 NZ$5.48

$5.23 A$7.52

-40.73%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$1.56 NZ$2.75

$3.74 A$5.38

-58.29%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$76.2 NZ$135

$138 A$198

-44.58%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$2.54 NZ$4.49

$4.51 A$6.50

-43.68%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.83 NZ$3.24

$1.36 A$1.96

34.56%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$31.31 NZ$55.4

$30.45 A$43.81

2.82%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.48 NZ$2.61

$1.47 A$2.12

0.68%

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

$28.5K NZ$50.5K

$29.0K A$41.7K

-1.63%

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

$21.9K NZ$38.8K

$26.5K A$38.1K

-17.10%

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

$107 NZ$189

$234 A$336

-54.24%

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

$27.78 NZ$49.14

$27.93 A$40.19

-0.54%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$50.4 NZ$89.1

$55.7 A$80.2

-9.58%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$41.29 NZ$73.0

$49.40 A$71.1

-16.42%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$21.48 A$30.91

Cinema Ticket

$9.70 NZ$17.15

$15.09 A$21.72

-35.72%

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

$629 NZ$1,112

$2,371 A$3,412

-73.47%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$18.4K NZ$32.6K

$30.2K A$43.5K

-39.01%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$61.9 NZ$109

$80.0 A$115

-22.63%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$36.19 NZ$64.0

$50.7 A$73.0

-28.62%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$104 NZ$183

$121 A$174

-14.05%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$119 NZ$211

$130 A$188

-8.51%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$971 NZ$1,716

$1,759 A$2,531

-44.82%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$703 NZ$1,243

$1,390 A$2,000

-49.42%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,594 NZ$2,819

$3,494 A$5,027

-54.38%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,576 NZ$2,786

$2,493 A$3,588

-36.81%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$5,130 NZ$9,072

$6,926 A$9,967

-25.94%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$3,096 NZ$5,476

$6,445 A$9,274

-51.95%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$4,383 A$6,307

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

5.57

5.9

-5.59%

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

Last update for Fox Glacier: 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

Fox Glacier

$703 40.7%

Melbourne

$1.4K 49.3% 97.7% $687

Groceries & Markets

Fox Glacier

$316 18.3%

Melbourne

$384 13.6% 21.6% $68

Eating Out

Fox Glacier

$224 13%

Melbourne

$315 11.2% 40.4% $90

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Fox Glacier

$185 10.7%

Melbourne

$317 11.3% 71.4% $132

Clothing & Footwear

Fox Glacier

$144 8.4%

Melbourne

$172 6.1% 18.9% $27

Getting Around

Fox Glacier

$94 5.5%

Melbourne

$164 5.8% 74% $70

Sport & Entertainment

Fox Glacier

$61 3.5%

Melbourne

$80 2.8% 31.2% $19

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $971 in Fox Glacier and $1,759 in Melbourne. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Dining out: $68.0 in Fox Glacier vs $85.0 in Melbourne for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $316 vs $384 per month, with Fox Glacier cheaper across the board.

Good to know

🇳🇿 Fox Glacier

🇦🇺 Melbourne

🕒 Local time

18:56 6:56 PM

16:56 4:56 PM

2 h behind Fox Glacier

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

300

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 →

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Fox Glacier Melbourne 2,210 km ≈ 3 h 15 min nonstop flight

From you

Fox Glacier
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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

Fox Glacier vs Melbourne: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Fox Glacier and Melbourne differ by about 63% in total monthly costs ($1,727 vs $2,821 including rent). Fox Glacier is meaningfully more affordable – a gap that matters a lot on a fixed or modest income.

You'd need roughly $2,591 in Fox Glacier and $4,231 in Melbourne to live well. The gap comes down to housing and overall price levels. Both cities are liveable on less, but these numbers represent actual comfort.

Rent for a central apartment: $971 in Fox Glacier versus $1,759 in Melbourne. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

A monthly transit pass in Fox Glacier runs roughly 80% less than in Melbourne. Both cities have functional networks, but the price difference matters if you're watching your budget.

Childcare runs $629 in Fox Glacier versus $2,371 in Melbourne. Over years of preschool, even a modest monthly gap compounds into a major financial factor for families.

At $1,727 in Fox Glacier versus $2,821 in Melbourne, a $3,000 budget is realistic in Fox Glacier but tight or insufficient in Melbourne. The gap between the two cities makes Fox Glacier 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, Fox Glacier 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 Fox Glacier gentler on the wallet – expenses run 63% less than in Melbourne. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.