Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Melbourne and Cromwell

For one person, living is cheaper in Cromwell: $1,877 a month against $2,821 in Melbourne, rent and utilities included – about $11,300 less a year. Rent and utilities account for most of the difference.

138

Cost of Living Index in Melbourne
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Melbourne Living Index
91

Cost of Living Index in Cromwell
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Cromwell Living Index

Jump to prices

Melbourne

🇦🇺 Australia

$2,821

/mo nomad

Cromwell

🇳🇿 New Zealand

$1,877

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

How much you'll spend in Melbourne and in Cromwell

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 Cromwell actually costs, broken down by who's living it.

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $2,821 in Melbourne versus $1,877 in Cromwell.

Melbourne $2,821
Cromwell $1,877

Estimated couple costs with rent: $4,235 in Melbourne versus $2,785 in Cromwell.

Melbourne $4,235
Cromwell $2,785

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $5,650 in Melbourne versus $3,692 in Cromwell.

Melbourne $5,650
Cromwell $3,692

Living in Melbourne is roughly 50% more expensive than in Cromwell, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in eating out.

Both cities are pricier than the global median: Melbourne 109% above, Cromwell 39% above.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$17.43 A$25.08

$13.76 NZ$24.33

26.67%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$84.6 A$122

$60.5 NZ$107

39.71%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$12.46 A$17.92

$11.14 NZ$19.70

11.85%

Cappuccino

$4.11 A$5.91

$3.35 NZ$5.92

22.69%

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

$3.06 A$4.40

$2.12 NZ$3.74

44.34%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.52 A$3.62

$2.09 NZ$3.70

20.57%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$9.80 A$14.10

$6.81 NZ$12.04

43.91%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$8.57 A$12.33

$6.05 NZ$10.69

41.65%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.48 A$2.14

$2.08 NZ$3.68

-28.85%

White Bread (500g)

$2.94 A$4.23

$2.01 NZ$3.55

46.27%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$2.66 A$3.82

$1.69 NZ$2.98

57.40%

Eggs

$5.54 A$7.97

$5.70 NZ$10.08

-2.81%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$10.51 A$15.13

$8.54 NZ$15.10

23.07%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$9.65 A$13.89

$9.35 NZ$16.54

3.21%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$15.22 A$21.91

$16.22 NZ$28.69

-6.17%

Apples (1kg)

$3.99 A$5.75

$2.98 NZ$5.28

33.89%

Banana (1kg)

$3.02 A$4.34

$2.34 NZ$4.13

29.06%

Oranges (1kg)

$3.10 A$4.46

$3.11 NZ$5.51

-0.32%

Tomato (1kg)

$4.82 A$6.93

$5.10 NZ$9.02

-5.49%

Potato (1kg)

$3.03 A$4.36

$1.87 NZ$3.31

62.03%

Onion (1kg)

$2.44 A$3.52

$1.85 NZ$3.28

31.89%

Lettuce (1 head)

$2.46 A$3.54

$2.35 NZ$4.15

4.68%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$1.63 A$2.34

$0.58 NZ$1.03

181.03%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$44.07 A$63.4

$21.18 NZ$37.45

108.07%

Wine (Bottle)

$12.70 A$18.28

$8.89 NZ$15.73

42.86%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$5.54 A$7.97

$3.21 NZ$5.68

72.59%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$5.23 A$7.52

$1.19 NZ$2.10

339.50%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$3.74 A$5.38

$1.73 NZ$3.07

116.18%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$138 A$198

$93.9 NZ$166

46.52%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$4.51 A$6.50

$2.17 NZ$3.85

107.83%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.36 A$1.96

$1.87 NZ$3.31

-27.27%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$30.45 A$43.81

$28.41 NZ$50.2

7.18%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.47 A$2.12

$1.74 NZ$3.07

-15.52%

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

$29.0K A$41.7K

$24.9K NZ$44.1K

16.37%

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

$26.5K A$38.1K

$25.1K NZ$44.3K

5.61%

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

$234 A$336

$110 NZ$194

112.94%

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

$27.93 A$40.19

$28.00 NZ$49.52

-0.25%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$55.7 A$80.2

$51.0 NZ$90.2

9.29%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$49.40 A$71.1

$38.81 NZ$68.6

27.29%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$21.48 A$30.91

$6.76 NZ$11.95

217.75%

Cinema Ticket

$15.09 A$21.72

$8.16 NZ$14.44

84.93%

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

$2,371 A$3,412

$786 NZ$1,389

201.82%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$30.2K A$43.5K

$12.4K NZ$21.9K

144.33%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$80.0 A$115

$59.2 NZ$105

35.06%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$50.7 A$73.0

$35.50 NZ$62.8

42.82%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$121 A$174

$92.1 NZ$163

31.00%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$130 A$188

$132 NZ$233

-1.02%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,759 A$2,531

$955 NZ$1,690

84.11%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,390 A$2,000

$811 NZ$1,434

71.40%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$3,494 A$5,027

$1,602 NZ$2,834

118.04%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$2,493 A$3,588

$1,269 NZ$2,244

96.50%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$6,926 A$9,967

$4,811 NZ$8,509

43.95%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$6,445 A$9,274

$3,361 NZ$5,944

91.76%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$4,383 A$6,307

$2,917 NZ$5,159

50.24%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

5.9

6.6

-10.61%

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

Last update for Melbourne: October 10, 2026

Last update for Cromwell: October 11, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Accommodation & Living

Melbourne

$1.4K 49.3%

Cromwell

$811 43.2% 41.7% $579

Groceries & Markets

Melbourne

$384 13.6%

Cromwell

$320 17.1% 16.6% $64

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Melbourne

$317 11.3%

Cromwell

$189 10.1% 40.5% $129

Eating Out

Melbourne

$315 11.2%

Cromwell

$247 13.1% 21.6% $68

Clothing & Footwear

Melbourne

$172 6.1%

Cromwell

$143 7.6% 16.5% $28

Getting Around

Melbourne

$164 5.8%

Cromwell

$112 6% 31.4% $51

Sport & Entertainment

Melbourne

$80 2.8%

Cromwell

$55 2.9% 30.7% $24

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $1,759 in Melbourne and $955 in Cromwell. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Melbourne pays 50% 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 $61.0 in Cromwell for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $384 vs $320 per month, with Cromwell cheaper across the board.

Good to know

🇦🇺 Melbourne

🇳🇿 Cromwell

🕒 Local time

21:36 9:36 PM

23:36 11:36 PM

2 h ahead of Melbourne

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

5,031,195

5,000

💱 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 18, 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 18, 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

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Between locations

Melbourne Cromwell 2,160 km ≈ 3 h 15 min nonstop flight

From you

Melbourne
Cromwell

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 Cromwell: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Cromwell is cheaper overall, especially in groceries, eating out, and clothing. The 50% gap adds up to real monthly savings that compound significantly over time.

Average pay runs 50% 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 $955 in Cromwell. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Supermarket bills run roughly 20% higher in Melbourne. For households that cook at home regularly, that difference adds up over a month.

Dining out is cheaper in Cromwell – a meal for two runs $61.0 versus $85.0 in Melbourne. If you eat out regularly, this makes a real dent in your monthly spending.

At $1,877 in Cromwell versus $2,821 in Melbourne, a $2,500 budget is realistic in Cromwell but tight or insufficient in Melbourne. The gap between the two cities makes Cromwell 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 Cromwell 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 Cromwell gentler on the wallet – expenses run 50% less than in Melbourne. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.