Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Melbourne and Manukau

For one person, living is cheaper in Manukau: $1,753 a month against $2,821 in Melbourne, rent and utilities included – about $12,800 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
85

Cost of Living Index in Manukau
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Manukau Living Index

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Melbourne

🇦🇺 Australia

$2,821

/mo nomad

Manukau

🇳🇿 New Zealand

$1,753

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

How much you'll spend in Melbourne and in Manukau

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

A single person spends $2,821 per month in Melbourne vs $1,753 in Manukau, rent included.

Melbourne $2,821
Manukau $1,753

A couple spends around $4,235 per month in Melbourne vs $2,707 in Manukau, rent included.

Melbourne $4,235
Manukau $2,707

A family of three spends $5,650 per month in Melbourne vs $3,661 in Manukau, rent included.

Melbourne $5,650
Manukau $3,661

Melbourne costs about 61% more than Manukau, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in groceries.

Both Melbourne and Manukau sit above the global median – Melbourne by 109%, Manukau by 30%.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$17.43 A$25.08

$11.90 NZ$21.04

46.47%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$84.6 A$122

$67.2 NZ$119

25.80%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$12.46 A$17.92

$8.35 NZ$14.77

49.22%

Cappuccino

$4.11 A$5.91

$3.39 NZ$6.00

21.24%

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

$3.06 A$4.40

$2.00 NZ$3.54

53.00%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.52 A$3.62

$1.74 NZ$3.07

44.83%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$9.80 A$14.10

$6.11 NZ$10.80

60.39%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$8.57 A$12.33

$5.56 NZ$9.83

54.14%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.48 A$2.14

$1.41 NZ$2.50

4.96%

White Bread (500g)

$2.94 A$4.23

$1.29 NZ$2.28

127.91%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$2.66 A$3.82

$1.80 NZ$3.18

47.78%

Eggs

$5.54 A$7.97

$5.19 NZ$9.18

6.74%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$10.51 A$15.13

$5.64 NZ$9.97

86.35%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$9.65 A$13.89

$7.23 NZ$12.79

33.47%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$15.22 A$21.91

$11.66 NZ$20.63

30.53%

Apples (1kg)

$3.99 A$5.75

$2.56 NZ$4.52

55.86%

Banana (1kg)

$3.02 A$4.34

$2.04 NZ$3.61

48.04%

Oranges (1kg)

$3.10 A$4.46

$2.92 NZ$5.16

6.16%

Tomato (1kg)

$4.82 A$6.93

$5.65 NZ$9.99

-14.69%

Potato (1kg)

$3.03 A$4.36

$1.95 NZ$3.45

55.38%

Onion (1kg)

$2.44 A$3.52

$1.37 NZ$2.42

78.10%

Lettuce (1 head)

$2.46 A$3.54

$1.98 NZ$3.51

24.24%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$1.63 A$2.34

$0.90 NZ$1.60

81.11%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$44.07 A$63.4

$25.28 NZ$44.71

74.33%

Wine (Bottle)

$12.70 A$18.28

$10.13 NZ$17.91

25.37%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$5.54 A$7.97

$2.83 NZ$5.00

95.76%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$5.23 A$7.52

$3.33 NZ$5.89

57.06%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$3.74 A$5.38

$1.77 NZ$3.14

111.30%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$138 A$198

$91.2 NZ$161

50.86%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$4.51 A$6.50

$2.28 NZ$4.04

97.81%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.36 A$1.96

$1.98 NZ$3.50

-31.31%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$30.45 A$43.81

$31.55 NZ$55.8

-3.49%

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

$24.8K NZ$43.8K

16.98%

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

$26.5K A$38.1K

$22.3K NZ$39.4K

18.83%

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

$234 A$336

$56.2 NZ$99.3

316.10%

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

$27.93 A$40.19

$26.35 NZ$46.60

6.00%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$55.7 A$80.2

$49.91 NZ$88.3

11.68%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$49.40 A$71.1

$38.03 NZ$67.3

29.90%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$21.48 A$30.91

Cinema Ticket

$15.09 A$21.72

$12.81 NZ$22.65

17.80%

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

$2,371 A$3,412

$675 NZ$1,194

251.30%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$30.2K A$43.5K

$19.7K NZ$34.8K

53.51%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$80.0 A$115

$61.8 NZ$109

29.38%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$50.7 A$73.0

$37.04 NZ$65.5

36.88%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$121 A$174

$93.3 NZ$165

29.23%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$130 A$188

$110 NZ$194

18.75%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,759 A$2,531

$956 NZ$1,690

84.06%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,390 A$2,000

$817 NZ$1,444

70.18%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$3,494 A$5,027

$1,595 NZ$2,821

119.02%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$2,493 A$3,588

$1,443 NZ$2,552

72.78%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$6,926 A$9,967

$4,910 NZ$8,683

41.07%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$6,445 A$9,274

$3,309 NZ$5,852

94.76%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$4,383 A$6,307

$1,744 NZ$3,085

151.25%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

5.9

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

Last update for Melbourne: October 10, 2026

Last update for Manukau: October 11, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Accommodation & Living

Melbourne

$1.4K 49.3%

Manukau

$817 46.6% 41.2% $573

Groceries & Markets

Melbourne

$384 13.6%

Manukau

$276 15.8% 28% $108

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Melbourne

$317 11.3%

Manukau

$132 7.6% 58.3% $185

Eating Out

Melbourne

$315 11.2%

Manukau

$218 12.4% 30.8% $97

Clothing & Footwear

Melbourne

$172 6.1%

Manukau

$136 7.8% 20.9% $36

Getting Around

Melbourne

$164 5.8%

Manukau

$110 6.3% 32.6% $53

Sport & Entertainment

Melbourne

$80 2.8%

Manukau

$64 3.6% 20% $16

Cost Breakdown

A central one-bedroom costs $1,759 in Melbourne versus $956 in Manukau. 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 151% 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 $85.0 in Melbourne versus $67.0 in Manukau. Monthly groceries follow the same trend: $384 vs $276 – making Manukau the more affordable choice for daily food spending.

Good to know

🇦🇺 Melbourne

🇳🇿 Manukau

🕒 Local time

07:24 7:24 AM

09:24 9:24 AM

2 h ahead of Melbourne

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

5,031,195

362,000

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

From you

Melbourne
Manukau

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 Manukau: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Monthly costs with rent: $2,821 in Melbourne, $1,753 in Manukau – roughly 61% apart. Outside of rent, the biggest gap is in groceries.

For a comfortable life, plan on about $4,231 per month in Melbourne and $2,629 in Manukau. That covers rent, food, utilities, transport, and enough left over to feel settled – not just surviving.

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

Groceries cost about 39% more in Melbourne, though it depends on what you buy. Local produce may be comparable; imported and premium items show the biggest price gap.

A mid-range dinner for two costs $85.0 in Melbourne and $67.0 in Manukau. That's a good indicator of the overall restaurant and café pricing gap between the two cities.

A $3,000 monthly budget goes further in Manukau, where all-in costs run around $1,753, than in Melbourne at $2,821. In Manukau it covers expenses comfortably, while in Melbourne it requires careful planning or may not stretch far enough.

Families tend to lean toward Manukau – 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 Manukau. 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.