Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Melbourne and Nelson

For one person, living is cheaper in Nelson: $1,833 a month against $2,821 in Melbourne, rent and utilities included – about $11,900 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
90

Cost of Living Index in Nelson
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Nelson Living Index

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Melbourne

🇦🇺 Australia

$2,821

/mo nomad

Nelson

🇳🇿 New Zealand

$1,833

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

How much you'll spend in Melbourne and in Nelson

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

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $2,821 in Melbourne versus $1,833 in Nelson.

Melbourne $2,821
Nelson $1,833

Estimated couple costs with rent: $4,235 in Melbourne versus $2,842 in Nelson.

Melbourne $4,235
Nelson $2,842

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $5,650 in Melbourne versus $3,852 in Nelson.

Melbourne $5,650
Nelson $3,852

Living in Melbourne is roughly 54% more expensive than in Nelson, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in transport.

Both cities are pricier than the global median: Melbourne 109% above, Nelson 36% above.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$17.43 A$25.08

$13.86 NZ$24.51

25.76%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$84.6 A$122

$64.6 NZ$114

30.80%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$12.46 A$17.92

$8.53 NZ$15.08

46.07%

Cappuccino

$4.11 A$5.91

$3.24 NZ$5.74

26.85%

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

$3.06 A$4.40

$1.72 NZ$3.04

77.91%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.52 A$3.62

$1.65 NZ$2.91

52.73%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$9.80 A$14.10

$7.13 NZ$12.61

37.45%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$8.57 A$12.33

$5.53 NZ$9.79

54.97%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.48 A$2.14

$1.90 NZ$3.36

-22.11%

White Bread (500g)

$2.94 A$4.23

$2.05 NZ$3.63

43.41%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$2.66 A$3.82

$1.83 NZ$3.24

45.36%

Eggs

$5.54 A$7.97

$5.70 NZ$10.08

-2.81%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$10.51 A$15.13

$9.09 NZ$16.08

15.62%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$9.65 A$13.89

$7.34 NZ$12.98

31.47%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$15.22 A$21.91

$13.70 NZ$24.22

11.09%

Apples (1kg)

$3.99 A$5.75

$3.08 NZ$5.45

29.55%

Banana (1kg)

$3.02 A$4.34

$2.19 NZ$3.88

37.90%

Oranges (1kg)

$3.10 A$4.46

$3.06 NZ$5.41

1.31%

Tomato (1kg)

$4.82 A$6.93

$5.61 NZ$9.92

-14.08%

Potato (1kg)

$3.03 A$4.36

$2.05 NZ$3.63

47.80%

Onion (1kg)

$2.44 A$3.52

$1.28 NZ$2.27

90.62%

Lettuce (1 head)

$2.46 A$3.54

$1.97 NZ$3.48

24.87%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$1.63 A$2.34

$1.01 NZ$1.79

61.39%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$44.07 A$63.4

$24.79 NZ$43.85

77.77%

Wine (Bottle)

$12.70 A$18.28

$9.44 NZ$16.69

34.53%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$5.54 A$7.97

$3.06 NZ$5.41

81.05%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$5.23 A$7.52

$2.75 NZ$4.86

90.18%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$3.74 A$5.38

$2.22 NZ$3.92

68.47%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$138 A$198

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$4.51 A$6.50

$1.82 NZ$3.21

147.80%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.36 A$1.96

$1.78 NZ$3.14

-23.60%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$30.45 A$43.81

$33.41 NZ$59.1

-8.86%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.47 A$2.12

$1.61 NZ$2.85

-8.70%

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

$29.0K A$41.7K

$17.1K NZ$30.2K

69.74%

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

$26.5K A$38.1K

$21.9K NZ$38.7K

20.83%

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

$234 A$336

$131 NZ$231

79.02%

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

$27.93 A$40.19

$32.95 NZ$58.3

-15.24%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$55.7 A$80.2

$41.79 NZ$73.9

33.38%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$49.40 A$71.1

$99.3 NZ$176

-50.25%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$21.48 A$30.91

$33.61 NZ$59.4

-36.09%

Cinema Ticket

$15.09 A$21.72

$11.01 NZ$19.48

37.06%

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

$2,371 A$3,412

$440 NZ$777

439.37%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$30.2K A$43.5K

$12.7K NZ$22.4K

138.00%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$80.0 A$115

$52.4 NZ$92.6

52.64%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$50.7 A$73.0

$27.78 NZ$49.13

82.51%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$121 A$174

$101 NZ$179

18.85%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$130 A$188

$138 NZ$245

-5.81%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,759 A$2,531

$1,000 NZ$1,769

75.87%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,390 A$2,000

$795 NZ$1,406

74.85%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$3,494 A$5,027

$1,704 NZ$3,014

104.97%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$2,493 A$3,588

$1,456 NZ$2,574

71.28%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$6,926 A$9,967

$1,374 NZ$2,430

404.15%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$6,445 A$9,274

$827 NZ$1,462

679.63%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$4,383 A$6,307

$2,017 NZ$3,568

117.24%

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 Nelson: October 12, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Accommodation & Living

Melbourne

$1.4K 49.3%

Nelson

$795 43.4% 42.8% $595

Groceries & Markets

Melbourne

$384 13.6%

Nelson

$312 17% 18.7% $72

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Melbourne

$317 11.3%

Nelson

$205 11.2% 35.3% $112

Eating Out

Melbourne

$315 11.2%

Nelson

$236 12.9% 25.1% $79

Clothing & Footwear

Melbourne

$172 6.1%

Nelson

$144 7.9% 16.1% $28

Getting Around

Melbourne

$164 5.8%

Nelson

$20 * 1.1% 88.1% $144

Sport & Entertainment

Melbourne

$80 2.8%

Nelson

$121 6.6% 52.4% $42

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 $1,000 in Nelson. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Melbourne pays 117% 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 Nelson for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $384 vs $312 per month, with Nelson cheaper across the board.

Good to know

🇦🇺 Melbourne

🇳🇿 Nelson

🕒 Local time

05:39 5:39 AM

07:39 7:39 AM

2 h ahead of Melbourne

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

5,031,195

51,100

💱 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 Nelson 2,450 km ≈ 3 h 30 min nonstop flight

From you

Melbourne
Nelson

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 Nelson: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Melbourne and Nelson differ by about 54% in total monthly costs ($2,821 vs $1,833 including rent). Nelson is meaningfully more affordable – a gap that matters a lot on a fixed or modest income.

Average pay runs 117% 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 $1,000 in Nelson. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Supermarket bills run roughly 23% 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 $1,833 in Nelson – a 54% gap that adds up to real savings over time for anyone picking the cheaper option.

At $1,833 in Nelson versus $2,821 in Melbourne, a $2,000 budget is realistic in Nelson but tight or insufficient in Melbourne. The gap between the two cities makes Nelson 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 Nelson 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 Nelson gentler on the wallet – expenses run 54% less than in Melbourne. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.