Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Melbourne and Cambridge

For one person, living is cheaper in Cambridge: $2,044 a month against $2,821 in Melbourne, rent and utilities included – about $9,300 less a year. Rent and utilities account for about half of the difference.

138

Cost of Living Index in Melbourne
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Melbourne Living Index
99

Cost of Living Index in Cambridge
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Cambridge Living Index

Jump to prices

Melbourne

🇦🇺 Australia

$2,821

/mo nomad

Cambridge

🇳🇿 New Zealand

$2,044

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

How much you'll spend in Melbourne and in Cambridge

Real prices from locals and on-the-ground checks – rent, groceries, transit and the daily extras. Here's what a month in Melbourne and in Cambridge actually costs, broken down by who's living it.

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $2,821 in Melbourne versus $2,044 in Cambridge.

Melbourne $2,821
Cambridge $2,044

Estimated couple costs with rent: $4,235 in Melbourne versus $2,830 in Cambridge.

Melbourne $4,235
Cambridge $2,830

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $5,650 in Melbourne versus $3,617 in Cambridge.

Melbourne $5,650
Cambridge $3,617

Living in Melbourne is roughly 38% more expensive than in Cambridge, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in transport.

Both cities are pricier than the global median: Melbourne 109% above, Cambridge 51% above.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$17.43 A$25.08

$13.75 NZ$24.32

26.76%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$84.6 A$122

$68.4 NZ$121

23.65%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$12.46 A$17.92

$8.74 NZ$15.45

42.56%

Cappuccino

$4.11 A$5.91

$3.45 NZ$6.10

19.13%

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

$3.06 A$4.40

$1.93 NZ$3.41

58.55%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.52 A$3.62

$1.99 NZ$3.52

26.63%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$9.80 A$14.10

$6.08 NZ$10.75

61.18%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$8.57 A$12.33

$6.63 NZ$11.73

29.26%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.48 A$2.14

$1.51 NZ$2.67

-1.99%

White Bread (500g)

$2.94 A$4.23

$2.23 NZ$3.94

31.84%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$2.66 A$3.82

$1.89 NZ$3.34

40.74%

Eggs

$5.54 A$7.97

$5.95 NZ$10.53

-6.89%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$10.51 A$15.13

$8.33 NZ$14.73

26.17%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$9.65 A$13.89

$9.43 NZ$16.68

2.33%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$15.22 A$21.91

$13.01 NZ$23.01

16.99%

Apples (1kg)

$3.99 A$5.75

$2.55 NZ$4.50

56.47%

Banana (1kg)

$3.02 A$4.34

$2.28 NZ$4.04

32.46%

Oranges (1kg)

$3.10 A$4.46

$3.02 NZ$5.34

2.65%

Tomato (1kg)

$4.82 A$6.93

$5.65 NZ$9.99

-14.69%

Potato (1kg)

$3.03 A$4.36

$2.11 NZ$3.73

43.60%

Onion (1kg)

$2.44 A$3.52

$1.56 NZ$2.76

56.41%

Lettuce (1 head)

$2.46 A$3.54

$2.27 NZ$4.02

8.37%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$1.63 A$2.34

$1.08 NZ$1.92

50.93%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$44.07 A$63.4

$25.11 NZ$44.41

75.51%

Wine (Bottle)

$12.70 A$18.28

$10.40 NZ$18.39

22.12%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$5.54 A$7.97

$3.44 NZ$6.08

61.05%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$5.23 A$7.52

$3.84 NZ$6.79

36.20%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$3.74 A$5.38

$2.72 NZ$4.81

37.50%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$138 A$198

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$4.51 A$6.50

$2.18 NZ$3.85

106.88%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.36 A$1.96

$1.94 NZ$3.43

-29.90%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$30.45 A$43.81

$31.37 NZ$55.5

-2.93%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.47 A$2.12

$1.70 NZ$3.00

-13.53%

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

$29.0K A$41.7K

$25.1K NZ$44.4K

15.42%

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

$26.5K A$38.1K

$22.1K NZ$39.1K

19.71%

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

$234 A$336

$99.4 NZ$176

135.11%

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

$27.93 A$40.19

$26.44 NZ$46.77

5.64%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$55.7 A$80.2

$50.8 NZ$89.8

9.77%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$49.40 A$71.1

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$21.48 A$30.91

Cinema Ticket

$15.09 A$21.72

$13.51 NZ$23.90

11.70%

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

$2,371 A$3,412

$673 NZ$1,190

252.45%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$30.2K A$43.5K

$19.3K NZ$34.1K

56.42%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$80.0 A$115

$62.0 NZ$110

28.90%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$50.7 A$73.0

$37.37 NZ$66.1

35.67%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$121 A$174

$93.1 NZ$165

29.60%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$130 A$188

$105 NZ$186

23.74%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,759 A$2,531

$584 NZ$1,033

201.09%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,390 A$2,000

$1,122 NZ$1,985

23.83%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$3,494 A$5,027

$1,158 NZ$2,048

201.65%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$2,493 A$3,588

$1,449 NZ$2,563

72.01%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$6,926 A$9,967

$4,539 NZ$8,027

52.59%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$6,445 A$9,274

$3,931 NZ$6,953

63.93%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$4,383 A$6,307

$2,585 NZ$4,571

69.57%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

5.9

-1.67%

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

Last update for Melbourne: October 10, 2026

Last update for Cambridge: October 12, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Accommodation & Living

Melbourne

$1.4K 49.3%

Cambridge

$1.1K 54.9% 19.2% $267

Groceries & Markets

Melbourne

$384 13.6%

Cambridge

$324 15.9% 15.6% $60

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Melbourne

$317 11.3%

Cambridge

$177 8.6% 44.3% $141

Eating Out

Melbourne

$315 11.2%

Cambridge

$237 11.6% 24.7% $78

Clothing & Footwear

Melbourne

$172 6.1%

Cambridge

$134 6.6% 22% $38

Getting Around

Melbourne

$164 5.8%

Cambridge

$23 * 1.1% 86.1% $141

Sport & Entertainment

Melbourne

$80 2.8%

Cambridge

$27 * 1.3% 66.1% $53

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 $1,759 in Melbourne and $584 in Cambridge. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Melbourne pays 70% 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: $85.0 in Melbourne vs $68.0 in Cambridge for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $384 vs $324 per month, with Cambridge cheaper across the board.

Good to know

🇦🇺 Melbourne

🇳🇿 Cambridge

🕒 Local time

09:30 9:30 AM

11:30 11:30 AM

2 h ahead of Melbourne

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

5,031,195

21,400

💱 Currency

Australian Dollar AUD $

New Zealand Dollar NZD $

📈 Exchange rate

1 AUD = 0.695 USD

1 AUD = 0.618 EUR

1 NZD = 0.565 USD

1 NZD = 0.503 EUR

Exchange rates and currency converter

NZD, USD, EUR to AUD – Australian Dollar Converter

🇺🇸 United States Dollar ($)

🇦🇺 Australian Dollar ($)

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).

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).

USD to AUD in detail →

On the map

Lowest

Highest

Between locations

Melbourne Cambridge 2,670 km ≈ 3 h 45 min nonstop flight

From you

Melbourne
Cambridge

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

Melbourne vs Cambridge: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Cambridge is cheaper overall, especially in groceries, eating out, and clothing. The 38% gap adds up to real monthly savings that compound significantly over time.

Average pay runs 70% higher in Melbourne, which matters when comparing affordability. Whether that higher income actually nets you more depends on your spending habits and housing choices.

Rent for a central apartment: $1,759 in Melbourne versus $584 in Cambridge. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Childcare runs $2,371 in Melbourne versus $673 in Cambridge. Over years of preschool, even a modest monthly gap compounds into a major financial factor for families.

Dining out is cheaper in Cambridge – a meal for two runs $68.0 versus $85.0 in Melbourne. If you eat out regularly, this makes a real dent in your monthly spending.

At $2,044 in Cambridge versus $2,821 in Melbourne, a $2,500 budget is realistic in Cambridge but tight or insufficient in Melbourne. The gap between the two cities makes Cambridge 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, Melbourne and Cambridge 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 Cambridge gentler on the wallet – expenses run 38% less than in Melbourne. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.