Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Melbourne and Masterton

For one person, living is cheaper in Masterton: $832 a month against $2,821 in Melbourne, rent and utilities included – about $23,900 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
40

Cost of Living Index in Masterton
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Masterton Living Index

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Melbourne

🇦🇺 Australia

$2,821

/mo nomad

Masterton

🇳🇿 New Zealand

$832

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

How much you'll spend in Melbourne and in Masterton

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

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $2,821 in Melbourne versus $832 in Masterton.

Melbourne $2,821
Masterton $832

Estimated couple costs with rent: $4,235 in Melbourne versus $1,432 in Masterton.

Melbourne $4,235
Masterton $1,432

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $5,650 in Melbourne versus $2,032 in Masterton.

Melbourne $5,650
Masterton $2,032

Living in Melbourne is roughly 239% more expensive than in Masterton, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in transport.

The two cities straddle the global median: Melbourne is 109% above, Masterton is 38% below.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$17.43 A$25.08

$9.54 NZ$16.88

82.70%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$84.6 A$122

$64.9 NZ$115

30.32%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$12.46 A$17.92

$8.56 NZ$15.14

45.56%

Cappuccino

$4.11 A$5.91

$3.18 NZ$5.62

29.25%

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

$3.06 A$4.40

$2.02 NZ$3.57

51.49%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.52 A$3.62

$1.09 NZ$1.93

131.19%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$9.80 A$14.10

$3.89 NZ$6.88

151.93%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$8.57 A$12.33

$3.28 NZ$5.79

161.28%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.48 A$2.14

$1.42 NZ$2.51

4.23%

White Bread (500g)

$2.94 A$4.23

$2.21 NZ$3.91

33.03%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$2.66 A$3.82

$1.03 NZ$1.82

158.25%

Eggs

$5.54 A$7.97

$6.32 NZ$11.17

-12.34%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$10.51 A$15.13

$8.29 NZ$14.65

26.78%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$9.65 A$13.89

$9.48 NZ$16.76

1.79%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$15.22 A$21.91

$15.18 NZ$26.85

0.26%

Apples (1kg)

$3.99 A$5.75

$2.18 NZ$3.85

83.03%

Banana (1kg)

$3.02 A$4.34

$1.71 NZ$3.02

76.61%

Oranges (1kg)

$3.10 A$4.46

$2.98 NZ$5.27

4.03%

Tomato (1kg)

$4.82 A$6.93

$4.58 NZ$8.11

5.24%

Potato (1kg)

$3.03 A$4.36

$1.53 NZ$2.71

98.04%

Onion (1kg)

$2.44 A$3.52

$1.08 NZ$1.90

125.93%

Lettuce (1 head)

$2.46 A$3.54

$1.70 NZ$3.00

44.71%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$1.63 A$2.34

$0.52 NZ$0.92

213.46%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$44.07 A$63.4

$19.51 NZ$34.50

125.88%

Wine (Bottle)

$12.70 A$18.28

$11.21 NZ$19.83

13.29%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$5.54 A$7.97

$0.85 NZ$1.50

551.76%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$5.23 A$7.52

$1.14 NZ$2.02

358.77%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$3.74 A$5.38

$2.23 NZ$3.94

67.71%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$138 A$198

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$4.51 A$6.50

$1.81 NZ$3.20

149.17%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.36 A$1.96

$1.75 NZ$3.09

-22.29%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$30.45 A$43.81

$34.16 NZ$60.4

-10.86%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.47 A$2.12

$1.77 NZ$3.12

-16.95%

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

$29.0K A$41.7K

$22.0K NZ$39.0K

31.56%

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

$26.5K A$38.1K

$24.8K NZ$43.9K

6.63%

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

$234 A$336

$55.0 NZ$97.3

324.64%

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

$27.93 A$40.19

$29.34 NZ$51.9

-4.81%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$55.7 A$80.2

$52.8 NZ$93.3

5.67%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$49.40 A$71.1

$41.79 NZ$73.9

18.21%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$21.48 A$30.91

$8.51 NZ$15.06

152.41%

Cinema Ticket

$15.09 A$21.72

$9.68 NZ$17.12

55.89%

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

$2,371 A$3,412

$1,056 NZ$1,868

124.54%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$30.2K A$43.5K

$12.7K NZ$22.5K

137.40%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$80.0 A$115

$55.6 NZ$98.3

43.91%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$50.7 A$73.0

$27.59 NZ$48.79

83.76%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$121 A$174

$102 NZ$181

17.70%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$130 A$188

$142 NZ$251

-8.17%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,759 A$2,531

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,390 A$2,000

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$3,494 A$5,027

$1,002 NZ$1,773

248.52%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$2,493 A$3,588

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$6,926 A$9,967

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$6,445 A$9,274

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$4,383 A$6,307

$2,327 NZ$4,115

88.36%

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 Masterton: October 13, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Accommodation & Living

Melbourne

$1.4K 49.3%

Masterton

- * 0% 100%

Groceries & Markets

Melbourne

$384 13.6%

Masterton

$288 34.7% 24.9% $96

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Melbourne

$317 11.3%

Masterton

$137 16.5% 56.8% $180

Eating Out

Melbourne

$315 11.2%

Masterton

$179 21.5% 43.2% $136

Clothing & Footwear

Melbourne

$172 6.1%

Masterton

$147 17.7% 14.2% $24

Getting Around

Melbourne

$164 5.8%

Masterton

$19 * 2.3% 88.1% $144

Sport & Entertainment

Melbourne

$80 2.8%

Masterton

$61 7.4% 23.2% $18

Categories marked with * are only partly priced – their share counts the items that do have prices.

Cost Breakdown

Melbourne pays 88% 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 $65.0 in Masterton for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $384 vs $288 per month, with Masterton cheaper across the board.

Good to know

🇦🇺 Melbourne

🇳🇿 Masterton

🕒 Local time

08:02 8:02 AM

10:02 10:02 AM

2 h ahead of Melbourne

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

5,031,195

26,800

💱 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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Highest

Between locations

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

From you

Melbourne
Masterton

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 Masterton: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Masterton is cheaper overall, especially in groceries, eating out, and clothing. The 239% gap adds up to real monthly savings that compound significantly over time.

Average pay runs 88% higher in Melbourne, which matters when comparing affordability. Whether that higher income actually nets you more depends on your spending habits and housing choices.

Supermarket bills run roughly 33% higher in Melbourne. For households that cook at home regularly, that difference adds up over a month.

All in, you'll spend $2,821 per month in Melbourne versus $832 in Masterton – a 239% gap that adds up to real savings over time for anyone picking the cheaper option.

At $832 in Masterton versus $2,821 in Melbourne, a $1,500 budget is realistic in Masterton but tight or insufficient in Melbourne. The gap between the two cities makes Masterton 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 Masterton 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 Masterton gentler on the wallet – expenses run 239% less than in Melbourne. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.