Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Greymouth and Melbourne

For one person, living is cheaper in Greymouth: $1,847 a month against $2,821 in Melbourne, rent and utilities included – about $11,700 less a year. Rent and utilities account for most of the difference.

92

Cost of Living Index in Greymouth
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Greymouth Living Index
138

Cost of Living Index in Melbourne
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Melbourne Living Index

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Greymouth

🇳🇿 New Zealand

$1,847

/mo nomad

Melbourne

🇦🇺 Australia

$2,821

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

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

A single person spends $1,847 per month in Greymouth vs $2,821 in Melbourne, rent included.

Greymouth $1,847
Melbourne $2,821

A couple spends around $2,772 per month in Greymouth vs $4,235 in Melbourne, rent included.

Greymouth $2,772
Melbourne $4,235

A family of three spends $3,696 per month in Greymouth vs $5,650 in Melbourne, rent included.

Greymouth $3,696
Melbourne $5,650

Greymouth is about 35% cheaper than Melbourne, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in groceries.

Both Greymouth and Melbourne sit above the global median – Greymouth by 37%, Melbourne by 109%.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$13.92 NZ$24.61

$17.43 A$25.08

-20.14%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$67.4 NZ$119

$84.6 A$122

-20.33%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$8.72 NZ$15.42

$12.46 A$17.92

-30.02%

Cappuccino

$3.30 NZ$5.83

$4.11 A$5.91

-19.71%

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

$2.28 NZ$4.03

$3.06 A$4.40

-25.49%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.78 NZ$3.14

$2.52 A$3.62

-29.37%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$6.76 NZ$11.96

$9.80 A$14.10

-31.02%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$6.89 NZ$12.18

$8.57 A$12.33

-19.60%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.74 NZ$3.07

$1.48 A$2.14

17.57%

White Bread (500g)

$1.79 NZ$3.16

$2.94 A$4.23

-39.12%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.50 NZ$2.66

$2.66 A$3.82

-43.61%

Eggs

$5.66 NZ$10.01

$5.54 A$7.97

2.17%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$7.35 NZ$13.00

$10.51 A$15.13

-30.07%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$9.00 NZ$15.92

$9.65 A$13.89

-6.74%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$13.65 NZ$24.15

$15.22 A$21.91

-10.32%

Apples (1kg)

$2.54 NZ$4.49

$3.99 A$5.75

-36.34%

Banana (1kg)

$2.30 NZ$4.07

$3.02 A$4.34

-23.84%

Oranges (1kg)

$2.66 NZ$4.71

$3.10 A$4.46

-14.19%

Tomato (1kg)

$3.91 NZ$6.91

$4.82 A$6.93

-18.88%

Potato (1kg)

$1.54 NZ$2.73

$3.03 A$4.36

-49.17%

Onion (1kg)

$1.47 NZ$2.59

$2.44 A$3.52

-39.75%

Lettuce (1 head)

$2.14 NZ$3.78

$2.46 A$3.54

-13.01%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$1.38 NZ$2.44

$1.63 A$2.34

-15.34%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$23.97 NZ$42.39

$44.07 A$63.4

-45.61%

Wine (Bottle)

$8.45 NZ$14.94

$12.70 A$18.28

-33.46%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$3.51 NZ$6.21

$5.54 A$7.97

-36.64%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$4.22 NZ$7.47

$5.23 A$7.52

-19.31%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$1.70 NZ$3.01

$3.74 A$5.38

-54.55%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$82.4 NZ$146

$138 A$198

-40.08%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$2.54 NZ$4.49

$4.51 A$6.50

-43.68%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.67 NZ$2.95

$1.36 A$1.96

22.79%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$28.32 NZ$50.1

$30.45 A$43.81

-7.00%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.64 NZ$2.90

$1.47 A$2.12

11.56%

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

$25.6K NZ$45.2K

$29.0K A$41.7K

-11.80%

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

$24.7K NZ$43.7K

$26.5K A$38.1K

-6.56%

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

$160 NZ$282

$234 A$336

-31.72%

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

$22.47 NZ$39.74

$27.93 A$40.19

-19.55%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$44.31 NZ$78.4

$55.7 A$80.2

-20.51%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$33.10 NZ$58.6

$49.40 A$71.1

-33.00%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$21.48 A$30.91

Cinema Ticket

$11.21 NZ$19.83

$15.09 A$21.72

-25.71%

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

$657 NZ$1,162

$2,371 A$3,412

-72.30%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$21.5K NZ$38.0K

$30.2K A$43.5K

-28.81%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$59.4 NZ$105

$80.0 A$115

-25.71%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$39.24 NZ$69.4

$50.7 A$73.0

-22.60%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$100 NZ$177

$121 A$174

-16.90%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$125 NZ$222

$130 A$188

-3.87%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,027 NZ$1,817

$1,759 A$2,531

-41.60%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$774 NZ$1,370

$1,390 A$2,000

-44.27%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,434 NZ$2,536

$3,494 A$5,027

-58.96%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,289 NZ$2,280

$2,493 A$3,588

-48.30%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$4,206 NZ$7,439

$6,926 A$9,967

-39.27%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$3,212 NZ$5,681

$6,445 A$9,274

-50.16%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$4,383 A$6,307

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

5.91

5.9

0.17%

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

Last update for Greymouth: 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

Greymouth

$774 41.9%

Melbourne

$1.4K 49.3% 79.4% $615

Groceries & Markets

Greymouth

$304 16.5%

Melbourne

$384 13.6% 26.2% $80

Eating Out

Greymouth

$241 13%

Melbourne

$315 11.2% 30.6% $74

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Greymouth

$226 12.3%

Melbourne

$317 11.3% 40.2% $91

Clothing & Footwear

Greymouth

$146 7.9%

Melbourne

$172 6.1% 17.7% $26

Getting Around

Greymouth

$100 5.4%

Melbourne

$164 5.8% 63.6% $64

Sport & Entertainment

Greymouth

$56 3%

Melbourne

$80 2.8% 43.3% $24

Cost Breakdown

A central one-bedroom costs $1,027 in Greymouth 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.

A mid-range dinner for two costs $67.0 in Greymouth versus $85.0 in Melbourne. Monthly groceries follow the same trend: $304 vs $384 – making Greymouth the more affordable choice for daily food spending.

Good to know

🇳🇿 Greymouth

🇦🇺 Melbourne

🕒 Local time

18:07 6:07 PM

16:07 4:07 PM

2 h behind Greymouth

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

4,000

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

Greymouth Melbourne 2,280 km ≈ 3 h 15 min nonstop flight

From you

Greymouth
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

Greymouth vs Melbourne: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Monthly costs with rent: $1,847 in Greymouth, $2,821 in Melbourne – roughly 53% apart. Outside of rent, the biggest gap is in groceries.

For a comfortable life, plan on about $2,771 per month in Greymouth 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 Greymouth, 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 $1,847 in Greymouth and $2,821 in Melbourne. That's a gap of about 53%.

Public transport costs about 67% less in Greymouth. For daily commuters, that gap adds up to noticeable savings over a year.

A $3,000 monthly budget goes further in Greymouth, where all-in costs run around $1,847, than in Melbourne at $2,821. In Greymouth it covers expenses comfortably, while in Melbourne it requires careful planning or may not stretch far enough.

Families tend to lean toward Greymouth – 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 Greymouth. 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.