Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Invercargill and Melbourne

For one person, living is cheaper in Invercargill: $1,412 a month against $2,821 in Melbourne, rent and utilities included – about $16,900 less a year. Rent and utilities account for most of the difference.

68

Cost of Living Index in Invercargill
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Invercargill Living Index
138

Cost of Living Index in Melbourne
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Melbourne Living Index

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Invercargill

🇳🇿 New Zealand

$1,412

/mo nomad

Melbourne

🇦🇺 Australia

$2,821

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

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

A single person spends $1,412 per month in Invercargill vs $2,821 in Melbourne, rent included.

Invercargill $1,412
Melbourne $2,821

A couple spends around $2,099 per month in Invercargill vs $4,235 in Melbourne, rent included.

Invercargill $2,099
Melbourne $4,235

A family of three spends $2,785 per month in Invercargill vs $5,650 in Melbourne, rent included.

Invercargill $2,785
Melbourne $5,650

Invercargill is about 50% cheaper than Melbourne, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in transport.

Both Invercargill and Melbourne sit above the global median – Invercargill by 5%, Melbourne by 109%.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$14.04 NZ$24.83

$17.43 A$25.08

-19.45%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$61.2 NZ$108

$84.6 A$122

-27.58%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$8.32 NZ$14.71

$12.46 A$17.92

-33.23%

Cappuccino

$3.12 NZ$5.52

$4.11 A$5.91

-24.09%

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

$1.65 NZ$2.92

$3.06 A$4.40

-46.08%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.03 NZ$3.60

$2.52 A$3.62

-19.44%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$2.74 NZ$4.85

$9.80 A$14.10

-72.04%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.74 NZ$4.85

$8.57 A$12.33

-68.03%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.68 NZ$2.96

$1.48 A$2.14

13.51%

White Bread (500g)

$1.85 NZ$3.27

$2.94 A$4.23

-37.07%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.76 NZ$3.11

$2.66 A$3.82

-33.83%

Eggs

$5.58 NZ$9.87

$5.54 A$7.97

0.72%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$8.23 NZ$14.55

$10.51 A$15.13

-21.69%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$8.83 NZ$15.61

$9.65 A$13.89

-8.50%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$12.12 NZ$21.44

$15.22 A$21.91

-20.37%

Apples (1kg)

$2.55 NZ$4.50

$3.99 A$5.75

-36.09%

Banana (1kg)

$2.36 NZ$4.17

$3.02 A$4.34

-21.85%

Oranges (1kg)

$2.66 NZ$4.70

$3.10 A$4.46

-14.19%

Tomato (1kg)

$3.52 NZ$6.23

$4.82 A$6.93

-26.97%

Potato (1kg)

$3.21 NZ$5.68

$3.03 A$4.36

5.94%

Onion (1kg)

$1.61 NZ$2.85

$2.44 A$3.52

-34.02%

Lettuce (1 head)

$2.33 NZ$4.13

$2.46 A$3.54

-5.28%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$1.04 NZ$1.84

$1.63 A$2.34

-36.20%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$20.39 NZ$36.06

$44.07 A$63.4

-53.73%

Wine (Bottle)

$8.56 NZ$15.14

$12.70 A$18.28

-32.60%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$2.86 NZ$5.06

$5.54 A$7.97

-48.38%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.39 NZ$5.99

$5.23 A$7.52

-35.18%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$1.41 NZ$2.49

$3.74 A$5.38

-62.30%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$138 A$198

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$2.27 NZ$4.01

$4.51 A$6.50

-49.67%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.94 NZ$3.42

$1.36 A$1.96

42.65%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$27.73 NZ$49.04

$30.45 A$43.81

-8.93%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.59 NZ$2.81

$1.47 A$2.12

8.16%

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

$23.8K NZ$42.1K

$29.0K A$41.7K

-17.94%

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

$18.2K NZ$32.3K

$26.5K A$38.1K

-31.10%

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

$109 NZ$192

$234 A$336

-53.47%

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

$32.30 NZ$57.1

$27.93 A$40.19

15.65%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$42.46 NZ$75.1

$55.7 A$80.2

-23.82%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$27.87 NZ$49.29

$49.40 A$71.1

-43.58%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$13.77 NZ$24.34

$21.48 A$30.91

-35.89%

Cinema Ticket

$8.82 NZ$15.60

$15.09 A$21.72

-41.55%

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

$589 NZ$1,042

$2,371 A$3,412

-75.15%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$30.2K A$43.5K

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$57.4 NZ$102

$80.0 A$115

-28.19%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$35.07 NZ$62.0

$50.7 A$73.0

-30.83%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$70.0 NZ$124

$121 A$174

-42.00%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$79.0 NZ$140

$130 A$188

-39.44%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$594 NZ$1,050

$1,759 A$2,531

-66.24%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$551 NZ$974

$1,390 A$2,000

-60.37%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$831 NZ$1,470

$3,494 A$5,027

-76.21%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$764 NZ$1,350

$2,493 A$3,588

-69.37%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$5,482 NZ$9,695

$6,926 A$9,967

-20.85%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$5,034 NZ$8,902

$6,445 A$9,274

-21.90%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$2,729 NZ$4,826

$4,383 A$6,307

-37.74%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

6.72

5.9

13.90%

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

Last update for Invercargill: 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

Invercargill

$551 39%

Melbourne

$1.4K 49.3% 152% $839

Groceries & Markets

Invercargill

$298 21.1%

Melbourne

$384 13.6% 28.9% $86

Eating Out

Invercargill

$209 14.8%

Melbourne

$315 11.2% 50.7% $106

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Invercargill

$183 13%

Melbourne

$317 11.3% 73% $134

Clothing & Footwear

Invercargill

$109 7.7%

Melbourne

$172 6.1% 58.1% $63

Sport & Entertainment

Invercargill

$46 3.2%

Melbourne

$80 2.8% 74.9% $34

Getting Around

Invercargill

$18 * 1.2%

Melbourne

$164 5.8% 832% $146

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

Cost Breakdown

A central one-bedroom costs $594 in Invercargill 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 $61.0 in Invercargill versus $85.0 in Melbourne. Monthly groceries follow the same trend: $298 vs $384 – making Invercargill the more affordable choice for daily food spending.

Good to know

🇳🇿 Invercargill

🇦🇺 Melbourne

🕒 Local time

07:04 7:04 AM

05:04 5:04 AM

2 h behind Invercargill

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

56,200

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 →

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Between locations

Invercargill Melbourne 2,140 km ≈ 3 h 15 min nonstop flight

From you

Invercargill
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

Invercargill vs Melbourne: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Melbourne costs about 100% more than Invercargill, and outside of rent the gap comes mainly from transport. That's enough to noticeably affect everyday spending and lifestyle for anyone choosing between the two.

For a comfortable life, plan on about $2,119 per month in Invercargill 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 Invercargill, 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 $1,412 in Invercargill and $2,821 in Melbourne. That's a gap of about 100%.

Kindergarten costs $589 per month in Invercargill and $2,371 in Melbourne. For families with young kids, this one expense can tip the scales when choosing between the two cities.

A $1,000 monthly budget goes further in Invercargill, where all-in costs run around $1,412, than in Melbourne at $2,821. In Invercargill it covers expenses comfortably, while in Melbourne it requires careful planning or may not stretch far enough.

Families tend to lean toward Invercargill – 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 Invercargill. 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.