Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Melbourne and Hamilton

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.

138

Cost of Living Index in Melbourne
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Melbourne Living Index
80

Cost of Living Index in Hamilton
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Hamilton Living Index

Jump to prices

Melbourne

🇦🇺 Australia

$2,821

/mo nomad

Hamilton

🇳🇿 New Zealand

$1,647

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

How much you'll spend in Melbourne and in Hamilton

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

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

Melbourne $2,821
Hamilton $1,647

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

Melbourne $4,235
Hamilton $2,571

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

Melbourne $5,650
Hamilton $3,496

Living in Melbourne is roughly 71% more expensive than in Hamilton, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in transport.

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

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$17.43 A$25.08

$11.78 NZ$20.83

47.96%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$84.6 A$122

$73.6 NZ$130

14.96%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$12.46 A$17.92

$8.47 NZ$14.98

47.11%

Cappuccino

$4.11 A$5.91

$3.32 NZ$5.86

23.80%

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

$3.06 A$4.40

$2.26 NZ$3.99

35.40%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.52 A$3.62

$2.38 NZ$4.20

5.88%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$9.80 A$14.10

$6.24 NZ$11.04

57.05%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$8.57 A$12.33

$5.44 NZ$9.63

57.54%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.48 A$2.14

$1.46 NZ$2.59

1.37%

White Bread (500g)

$2.94 A$4.23

$1.25 NZ$2.20

135.20%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$2.66 A$3.82

$1.96 NZ$3.46

35.71%

Eggs

$5.54 A$7.97

$5.25 NZ$9.29

5.52%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$10.51 A$15.13

$5.56 NZ$9.84

89.03%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$9.65 A$13.89

$7.32 NZ$12.95

31.83%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$15.22 A$21.91

$11.83 NZ$20.92

28.66%

Apples (1kg)

$3.99 A$5.75

$2.64 NZ$4.68

51.14%

Banana (1kg)

$3.02 A$4.34

$2.29 NZ$4.05

31.88%

Oranges (1kg)

$3.10 A$4.46

$3.22 NZ$5.70

-3.73%

Tomato (1kg)

$4.82 A$6.93

$6.30 NZ$11.14

-23.49%

Potato (1kg)

$3.03 A$4.36

$1.97 NZ$3.48

53.81%

Onion (1kg)

$2.44 A$3.52

$1.39 NZ$2.46

75.54%

Lettuce (1 head)

$2.46 A$3.54

$2.56 NZ$4.52

-3.91%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$1.63 A$2.34

$0.96 NZ$1.70

69.79%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$44.07 A$63.4

$24.97 NZ$44.16

76.49%

Wine (Bottle)

$12.70 A$18.28

$10.71 NZ$18.95

18.58%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$5.54 A$7.97

$3.88 NZ$6.87

42.78%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$5.23 A$7.52

$3.93 NZ$6.95

33.08%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$3.74 A$5.38

$1.42 NZ$2.52

163.38%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$138 A$198

$40.33 NZ$71.3

240.99%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$4.51 A$6.50

$3.52 NZ$6.22

28.12%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.36 A$1.96

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$30.45 A$43.81

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.47 A$2.12

$1.70 NZ$3.01

-13.53%

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

$29.0K A$41.7K

$26.4K NZ$46.6K

10.04%

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

$26.5K A$38.1K

$23.1K NZ$40.9K

14.57%

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

$234 A$336

$56.1 NZ$99.2

316.76%

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

$27.93 A$40.19

$35.89 NZ$63.5

-22.18%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$55.7 A$80.2

$54.2 NZ$95.8

2.92%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$49.40 A$71.1

$25.00 NZ$44.21

97.60%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$21.48 A$30.91

$28.03 NZ$49.58

-23.37%

Cinema Ticket

$15.09 A$21.72

$13.86 NZ$24.52

8.87%

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

$2,371 A$3,412

$666 NZ$1,178

255.89%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$30.2K A$43.5K

$22.4K NZ$39.6K

34.85%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$80.0 A$115

$60.8 NZ$108

31.53%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$50.7 A$73.0

$37.29 NZ$65.9

35.96%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$121 A$174

$92.0 NZ$163

31.06%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$130 A$188

$104 NZ$183

25.71%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,759 A$2,531

$1,082 NZ$1,913

62.58%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,390 A$2,000

$751 NZ$1,327

85.14%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$3,494 A$5,027

$1,488 NZ$2,632

134.74%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$2,493 A$3,588

$1,309 NZ$2,314

90.54%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$6,926 A$9,967

$3,890 NZ$6,880

78.04%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$6,445 A$9,274

$4,506 NZ$7,969

43.03%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$4,383 A$6,307

$2,634 NZ$4,658

66.42%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

5.9

6.83

-13.62%

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

Last update for Melbourne: October 10, 2026

Last update for Hamilton: October 10, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Accommodation & Living

Melbourne

$1.4K 49.3%

Hamilton

$751 45.6% 46% $639

Groceries & Markets

Melbourne

$384 13.6%

Hamilton

$295 17.9% 23.1% $89

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Melbourne

$317 11.3%

Hamilton

$146 8.9% 54% $171

Eating Out

Melbourne

$315 11.2%

Hamilton

$220 13.4% 30% $94

Clothing & Footwear

Melbourne

$172 6.1%

Hamilton

$132 8% 23% $40

Getting Around

Melbourne

$164 5.8%

Hamilton

$50 * 3% 69.8% $114

Sport & Entertainment

Melbourne

$80 2.8%

Hamilton

$53 3.2% 33.7% $27

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 $1,082 in Hamilton. 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: $85.0 in Melbourne vs $74.0 in Hamilton for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $384 vs $295 per month, with Hamilton cheaper across the board.

Good to know

🇦🇺 Melbourne

🇳🇿 Hamilton

🕒 Local time

08:27 8:27 AM

10:27 10:27 AM

2 h ahead of Melbourne

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

5,031,195

169,500

💱 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

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Between locations

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

From you

Melbourne
Hamilton

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 Hamilton: 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.

Average pay runs 66% 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 $1,082 in Hamilton. 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 $2,821 per month in Melbourne versus $1,647 in Hamilton – 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, Melbourne and Hamilton 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.