Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Melbourne and Levin

For one person, living is cheaper in Levin: $1,859 a month against $2,821 in Melbourne, rent and utilities included – about $11,500 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
90

Cost of Living Index in Levin
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Levin Living Index

Jump to prices

Melbourne

🇦🇺 Australia

$2,821

/mo nomad

Levin

🇳🇿 New Zealand

$1,859

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

How much you'll spend in Melbourne and in Levin

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

A single person spends $2,821 per month in Melbourne vs $1,859 in Levin, rent included.

Melbourne $2,821
Levin $1,859

A couple spends around $4,235 per month in Melbourne vs $2,784 in Levin, rent included.

Melbourne $4,235
Levin $2,784

A family of three spends $5,650 per month in Melbourne vs $3,710 in Levin, rent included.

Melbourne $5,650
Levin $3,710

Melbourne costs about 52% more than Levin, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in groceries.

Both Melbourne and Levin sit above the global median – Melbourne by 109%, Levin by 38%.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$17.43 A$25.08

$13.55 NZ$23.97

28.63%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$84.6 A$122

$64.9 NZ$115

30.36%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$12.46 A$17.92

$8.89 NZ$15.72

40.16%

Cappuccino

$4.11 A$5.91

$2.87 NZ$5.08

43.21%

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

$3.06 A$4.40

$2.46 NZ$4.35

24.39%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.52 A$3.62

$1.66 NZ$2.93

51.81%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$9.80 A$14.10

$7.09 NZ$12.54

38.22%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$8.57 A$12.33

$6.58 NZ$11.63

30.24%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.48 A$2.14

$1.85 NZ$3.28

-20.00%

White Bread (500g)

$2.94 A$4.23

$0.90 NZ$1.60

226.67%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$2.66 A$3.82

$1.72 NZ$3.05

54.65%

Eggs

$5.54 A$7.97

$6.99 NZ$12.37

-20.74%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$10.51 A$15.13

$6.37 NZ$11.27

64.99%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$9.65 A$13.89

$7.00 NZ$12.38

37.86%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$15.22 A$21.91

$9.46 NZ$16.73

60.89%

Apples (1kg)

$3.99 A$5.75

$1.67 NZ$2.95

138.92%

Banana (1kg)

$3.02 A$4.34

$2.14 NZ$3.78

41.12%

Oranges (1kg)

$3.10 A$4.46

$2.99 NZ$5.29

3.68%

Tomato (1kg)

$4.82 A$6.93

$1.75 NZ$3.09

175.43%

Potato (1kg)

$3.03 A$4.36

$1.90 NZ$3.36

59.47%

Onion (1kg)

$2.44 A$3.52

$1.23 NZ$2.17

98.37%

Lettuce (1 head)

$2.46 A$3.54

$1.86 NZ$3.30

32.26%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$1.63 A$2.34

$0.53 NZ$0.94

207.55%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$44.07 A$63.4

$17.98 NZ$31.80

145.11%

Wine (Bottle)

$12.70 A$18.28

$11.36 NZ$20.10

11.80%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$5.54 A$7.97

$3.22 NZ$5.69

72.05%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$5.23 A$7.52

$2.78 NZ$4.91

88.13%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$3.74 A$5.38

$1.72 NZ$3.04

117.44%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$138 A$198

$81.0 NZ$143

69.76%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$4.51 A$6.50

$1.85 NZ$3.28

143.78%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.36 A$1.96

$1.76 NZ$3.11

-22.73%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$30.45 A$43.81

$33.04 NZ$58.4

-7.84%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.47 A$2.12

$1.60 NZ$2.82

-8.13%

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

$29.0K A$41.7K

$25.5K NZ$45.1K

13.81%

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

$26.5K A$38.1K

$24.9K NZ$44.1K

6.19%

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

$234 A$336

$198 NZ$349

18.31%

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

$27.93 A$40.19

$21.86 NZ$38.65

27.77%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$55.7 A$80.2

$52.4 NZ$92.6

6.46%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$49.40 A$71.1

$38.09 NZ$67.4

29.69%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$21.48 A$30.91

Cinema Ticket

$15.09 A$21.72

$10.01 NZ$17.70

50.75%

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

$2,371 A$3,412

$1,036 NZ$1,832

128.85%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$30.2K A$43.5K

$13.0K NZ$23.1K

131.50%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$80.0 A$115

$76.7 NZ$136

4.21%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$50.7 A$73.0

$21.97 NZ$38.85

130.77%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$121 A$174

$51.0 NZ$90.2

136.54%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$130 A$188

$113 NZ$200

15.22%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,759 A$2,531

$993 NZ$1,756

77.11%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,390 A$2,000

$824 NZ$1,457

68.65%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$3,494 A$5,027

$1,192 NZ$2,109

193.01%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$2,493 A$3,588

$1,463 NZ$2,587

70.46%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$6,926 A$9,967

$4,974 NZ$8,796

39.25%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$6,445 A$9,274

$3,415 NZ$6,039

88.74%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$4,383 A$6,307

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

5.9

5.39

9.46%

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

Last update for Melbourne: October 10, 2026

Last update for Levin: October 11, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Accommodation & Living

Melbourne

$1.4K 49.3%

Levin

$824 44.3% 40.7% $566

Groceries & Markets

Melbourne

$384 13.6%

Levin

$253 13.6% 34.1% $131

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Melbourne

$317 11.3%

Levin

$272 14.6% 14.4% $46

Eating Out

Melbourne

$315 11.2%

Levin

$235 12.6% 25.4% $80

Clothing & Footwear

Melbourne

$172 6.1%

Levin

$118 6.4% 31.1% $53

Getting Around

Melbourne

$164 5.8%

Levin

$99 5.3% 39.8% $65

Sport & Entertainment

Melbourne

$80 2.8%

Levin

$58 3.1% 27% $21

Cost Breakdown

A central one-bedroom costs $1,759 in Melbourne versus $993 in Levin. Rent is usually the largest line item in a monthly budget, so the gap here sets the tone for the overall comparison.

A mid-range dinner for two costs $85.0 in Melbourne versus $65.0 in Levin. Monthly groceries follow the same trend: $384 vs $253 – making Levin the more affordable choice for daily food spending.

Good to know

🇦🇺 Melbourne

🇳🇿 Levin

🕒 Local time

05:39 5:39 AM

07:39 7:39 AM

2 h ahead of Melbourne

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

5,031,195

18,800

💱 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 Levin 2,620 km ≈ 3 h 45 min nonstop flight

From you

Melbourne
Levin

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 Levin: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Monthly costs with rent: $2,821 in Melbourne, $1,859 in Levin – roughly 52% apart. Outside of rent, the biggest gap is in groceries.

For a comfortable life, plan on about $4,231 per month in Melbourne and $2,788 in Levin. That covers rent, food, utilities, transport, and enough left over to feel settled – not just surviving.

Rent is clearly cheaper in Levin, especially for central apartments. Housing is actually the single biggest factor behind the overall cost gap between these two cities.

Public transport costs about 70% less in Levin. For daily commuters, that gap adds up to noticeable savings over a year.

Kindergarten costs $2,371 per month in Melbourne and $1,036 in Levin. For families with young kids, this one expense can tip the scales when choosing between the two cities.

A $3,000 monthly budget goes further in Levin, where all-in costs run around $1,859, than in Melbourne at $2,821. In Levin it covers expenses comfortably, while in Melbourne it requires careful planning or may not stretch far enough.

Families tend to lean toward Levin – 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 Levin. 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.