Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Hamilton and Melbourne

For one person, living is cheaper in Hamilton: $1,647 a month against $2,821 in Melbourne, rent and utilities included – about $14,100 less a year. Rent and utilities account for most of the difference.

80

Cost of Living Index in Hamilton
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Hamilton Living Index
138

Cost of Living Index in Melbourne
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Melbourne Living Index

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Hamilton

🇳🇿 New Zealand

$1,647

/mo nomad

Melbourne

🇦🇺 Australia

$2,821

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

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

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $1,647 in Hamilton versus $2,821 in Melbourne.

Hamilton $1,647
Melbourne $2,821

Estimated couple costs with rent: $2,571 in Hamilton versus $4,235 in Melbourne.

Hamilton $2,571
Melbourne $4,235

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $3,496 in Hamilton versus $5,650 in Melbourne.

Hamilton $3,496
Melbourne $5,650

Living in Hamilton costs roughly 42% less than in Melbourne, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in transport.

Both cities are pricier than the global median: Hamilton 22% above, Melbourne 109% above.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$11.78 NZ$20.83

$17.43 A$25.08

-32.42%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$73.6 NZ$130

$84.6 A$122

-13.01%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$8.47 NZ$14.98

$12.46 A$17.92

-32.02%

Cappuccino

$3.32 NZ$5.86

$4.11 A$5.91

-19.22%

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

$2.26 NZ$3.99

$3.06 A$4.40

-26.14%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.38 NZ$4.20

$2.52 A$3.62

-5.56%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$6.24 NZ$11.04

$9.80 A$14.10

-36.33%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$5.44 NZ$9.63

$8.57 A$12.33

-36.52%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.46 NZ$2.59

$1.48 A$2.14

-1.35%

White Bread (500g)

$1.25 NZ$2.20

$2.94 A$4.23

-57.48%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.96 NZ$3.46

$2.66 A$3.82

-26.32%

Eggs

$5.25 NZ$9.29

$5.54 A$7.97

-5.23%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$5.56 NZ$9.84

$10.51 A$15.13

-47.10%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$7.32 NZ$12.95

$9.65 A$13.89

-24.15%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$11.83 NZ$20.92

$15.22 A$21.91

-22.27%

Apples (1kg)

$2.64 NZ$4.68

$3.99 A$5.75

-33.83%

Banana (1kg)

$2.29 NZ$4.05

$3.02 A$4.34

-24.17%

Oranges (1kg)

$3.22 NZ$5.70

$3.10 A$4.46

3.87%

Tomato (1kg)

$6.30 NZ$11.14

$4.82 A$6.93

30.71%

Potato (1kg)

$1.97 NZ$3.48

$3.03 A$4.36

-34.98%

Onion (1kg)

$1.39 NZ$2.46

$2.44 A$3.52

-43.03%

Lettuce (1 head)

$2.56 NZ$4.52

$2.46 A$3.54

4.07%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.96 NZ$1.70

$1.63 A$2.34

-41.10%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$24.97 NZ$44.16

$44.07 A$63.4

-43.34%

Wine (Bottle)

$10.71 NZ$18.95

$12.70 A$18.28

-15.67%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$3.88 NZ$6.87

$5.54 A$7.97

-29.96%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.93 NZ$6.95

$5.23 A$7.52

-24.86%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$1.42 NZ$2.52

$3.74 A$5.38

-62.03%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$40.33 NZ$71.3

$138 A$198

-70.67%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$3.52 NZ$6.22

$4.51 A$6.50

-21.95%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.36 A$1.96

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$30.45 A$43.81

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.70 NZ$3.01

$1.47 A$2.12

15.65%

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

$26.4K NZ$46.6K

$29.0K A$41.7K

-9.12%

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

$23.1K NZ$40.9K

$26.5K A$38.1K

-12.71%

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

$56.1 NZ$99.2

$234 A$336

-76.01%

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

$35.89 NZ$63.5

$27.93 A$40.19

28.50%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$54.2 NZ$95.8

$55.7 A$80.2

-2.83%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$25.00 NZ$44.21

$49.40 A$71.1

-49.39%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$28.03 NZ$49.58

$21.48 A$30.91

30.49%

Cinema Ticket

$13.86 NZ$24.52

$15.09 A$21.72

-8.15%

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

$666 NZ$1,178

$2,371 A$3,412

-71.90%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$22.4K NZ$39.6K

$30.2K A$43.5K

-25.84%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$60.8 NZ$108

$80.0 A$115

-23.97%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$37.29 NZ$65.9

$50.7 A$73.0

-26.45%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$92.0 NZ$163

$121 A$174

-23.70%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$104 NZ$183

$130 A$188

-20.45%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,082 NZ$1,913

$1,759 A$2,531

-38.49%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$751 NZ$1,327

$1,390 A$2,000

-45.99%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,488 NZ$2,632

$3,494 A$5,027

-57.40%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,309 NZ$2,314

$2,493 A$3,588

-47.52%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$3,890 NZ$6,880

$6,926 A$9,967

-43.83%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$4,506 NZ$7,969

$6,445 A$9,274

-30.08%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$2,634 NZ$4,658

$4,383 A$6,307

-39.91%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

6.83

5.9

15.76%

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

Last update for Hamilton: October 10, 2026

Last update for Melbourne: October 10, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Accommodation & Living

Hamilton

$751 45.6%

Melbourne

$1.4K 49.3% 85.1% $639

Groceries & Markets

Hamilton

$295 17.9%

Melbourne

$384 13.6% 30.1% $89

Eating Out

Hamilton

$220 13.4%

Melbourne

$315 11.2% 42.9% $94

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Hamilton

$146 8.9%

Melbourne

$317 11.3% 117% $171

Clothing & Footwear

Hamilton

$132 8%

Melbourne

$172 6.1% 29.9% $40

Sport & Entertainment

Hamilton

$53 3.2%

Melbourne

$80 2.8% 50.9% $27

Getting Around

Hamilton

$50 * 3%

Melbourne

$164 5.8% 231% $114

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 $1,082 in Hamilton and $1,759 in Melbourne. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Melbourne pays 66% 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: $74.0 in Hamilton vs $85.0 in Melbourne for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $295 vs $384 per month, with Hamilton cheaper across the board.

Good to know

🇳🇿 Hamilton

🇦🇺 Melbourne

🕒 Local time

07:50 7:50 AM

05:50 5:50 AM

2 h behind Hamilton

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

169,500

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

Lowest

Highest

Between locations

Hamilton Melbourne 2,650 km ≈ 3 h 45 min nonstop flight

From you

Hamilton
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

Hamilton vs Melbourne: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Hamilton is cheaper overall, especially in groceries, eating out, and clothing. The 71% gap adds up to real monthly savings that compound significantly over time.

On paper, salaries run 66% 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: $1,082 in Hamilton versus $1,759 in Melbourne. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Dining out is cheaper in Hamilton – a meal for two runs $74.0 versus $85.0 in Melbourne. If you eat out regularly, this makes a real dent in your monthly spending.

All in, you'll spend $1,647 per month in Hamilton versus $2,821 in Melbourne – a 71% gap that adds up to real savings over time for anyone picking the cheaper option.

At $1,647 in Hamilton versus $2,821 in Melbourne, a $2,500 budget is realistic in Hamilton but tight or insufficient in Melbourne. The gap between the two cities makes Hamilton 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, Hamilton 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 Hamilton gentler on the wallet – expenses run 71% less than in Melbourne. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.