Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Melbourne and Palmerston North

For one person, living is cheaper in Palmerston North: $1,562 a month against $2,821 in Melbourne, rent and utilities included – about $15,100 less a year. Rent and utilities account for most of the difference.

138

Cost of Living Index in Melbourne
Learn more

Melbourne Living Index
76

Cost of Living Index in Palmerston North
Learn more

Palmerston North Living Index

Jump to prices

Melbourne

🇦🇺 Australia

$2,821

/mo nomad

Palmerston North

🇳🇿 New Zealand

$1,562

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

How much you'll spend in Melbourne and in Palmerston North

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

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $2,821 in Melbourne versus $1,562 in Palmerston North.

Melbourne $2,821
Palmerston North $1,562

Estimated couple costs with rent: $4,235 in Melbourne versus $2,537 in Palmerston North.

Melbourne $4,235
Palmerston North $2,537

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $5,650 in Melbourne versus $3,511 in Palmerston North.

Melbourne $5,650
Palmerston North $3,511

Living in Melbourne is roughly 81% more expensive than in Palmerston North, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in groceries.

Both cities are pricier than the global median: Melbourne 109% above, Palmerston North 16% above.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$17.43 A$25.08

$13.50 NZ$23.87

29.11%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$84.6 A$122

$63.7 NZ$113

32.84%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$12.46 A$17.92

$8.80 NZ$15.56

41.59%

Cappuccino

$4.11 A$5.91

$3.13 NZ$5.54

31.31%

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

$3.06 A$4.40

$2.36 NZ$4.18

29.66%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.52 A$3.62

$1.68 NZ$2.97

50.00%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$9.80 A$14.10

$6.43 NZ$11.38

52.41%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$8.57 A$12.33

$6.52 NZ$11.53

31.44%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.48 A$2.14

$1.84 NZ$3.26

-19.57%

White Bread (500g)

$2.94 A$4.23

$2.14 NZ$3.78

37.38%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$2.66 A$3.82

$1.37 NZ$2.42

94.16%

Eggs

$5.54 A$7.97

$4.85 NZ$8.58

14.23%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$10.51 A$15.13

$6.41 NZ$11.34

63.96%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$9.65 A$13.89

$9.50 NZ$16.80

1.58%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$15.22 A$21.91

$10.78 NZ$19.06

41.19%

Apples (1kg)

$3.99 A$5.75

$2.54 NZ$4.48

57.09%

Banana (1kg)

$3.02 A$4.34

$2.23 NZ$3.94

35.43%

Oranges (1kg)

$3.10 A$4.46

$2.30 NZ$4.07

34.78%

Tomato (1kg)

$4.82 A$6.93

$5.53 NZ$9.78

-12.84%

Potato (1kg)

$3.03 A$4.36

$1.41 NZ$2.49

114.89%

Onion (1kg)

$2.44 A$3.52

$0.86 NZ$1.53

183.72%

Lettuce (1 head)

$2.46 A$3.54

$1.72 NZ$3.04

43.02%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$1.63 A$2.34

$0.75 NZ$1.33

117.33%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$44.07 A$63.4

$22.06 NZ$39.00

99.77%

Wine (Bottle)

$12.70 A$18.28

$7.91 NZ$13.99

60.56%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$5.54 A$7.97

$2.65 NZ$4.69

109.06%

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

$3.93 NZ$6.95

-4.83%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$138 A$198

$82.3 NZ$146

67.12%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$4.51 A$6.50

$1.87 NZ$3.30

141.18%

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

$16.63 NZ$29.40

83.10%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.47 A$2.12

$1.64 NZ$2.90

-10.37%

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

$29.0K A$41.7K

$21.6K NZ$38.1K

34.48%

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

$26.5K A$38.1K

$23.9K NZ$42.3K

10.66%

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

$234 A$336

$68.2 NZ$121

242.54%

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

$27.93 A$40.19

$32.09 NZ$56.8

-12.96%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$55.7 A$80.2

$34.64 NZ$61.3

60.91%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$49.40 A$71.1

$21.79 NZ$38.54

126.71%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$21.48 A$30.91

$14.08 NZ$24.90

52.56%

Cinema Ticket

$15.09 A$21.72

$11.60 NZ$20.52

30.09%

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

$2,371 A$3,412

$1,034 NZ$1,829

129.32%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$30.2K A$43.5K

$8,550 NZ$15.1K

253.19%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$80.0 A$115

$69.5 NZ$123

15.05%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$50.7 A$73.0

$27.70 NZ$48.98

83.03%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$121 A$174

$83.1 NZ$147

45.23%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$130 A$188

$82.5 NZ$146

58.07%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,759 A$2,531

$906 NZ$1,602

94.23%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,390 A$2,000

$639 NZ$1,129

117.59%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$3,494 A$5,027

$1,587 NZ$2,807

120.09%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$2,493 A$3,588

$1,311 NZ$2,318

90.21%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$6,926 A$9,967

$2,023 NZ$3,577

242.42%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$6,445 A$9,274

$1,836 NZ$3,247

251.03%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$4,383 A$6,307

$2,494 NZ$4,411

75.71%

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 Palmerston North: October 12, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Accommodation & Living

Melbourne

$1.4K 49.3%

Palmerston North

$639 40.9% 54% $751

Groceries & Markets

Melbourne

$384 13.6%

Palmerston North

$283 18.1% 26.3% $101

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Melbourne

$317 11.3%

Palmerston North

$135 8.6% 57.5% $182

Eating Out

Melbourne

$315 11.2%

Palmerston North

$233 14.9% 25.8% $81

Clothing & Footwear

Melbourne

$172 6.1%

Palmerston North

$118 7.6% 31.2% $54

Getting Around

Melbourne

$164 5.8%

Palmerston North

$109 7% 33.6% $55

Sport & Entertainment

Melbourne

$80 2.8%

Palmerston North

$45 2.9% 43.5% $35

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $1,759 in Melbourne and $906 in Palmerston North. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Melbourne pays 76% 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 $64.0 in Palmerston North for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $384 vs $283 per month, with Palmerston North cheaper across the board.

Good to know

🇦🇺 Melbourne

🇳🇿 Palmerston North

🕒 Local time

05:20 5:20 AM

07:20 7:20 AM

2 h ahead of Melbourne

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

5,031,195

90,500

💱 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

Lowest

Highest

Between locations

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

From you

Melbourne
Palmerston North

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 Palmerston North: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Melbourne and Palmerston North differ by about 81% in total monthly costs ($2,821 vs $1,562 including rent). Palmerston North is meaningfully more affordable – a gap that matters a lot on a fixed or modest income.

Average pay runs 76% 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 $906 in Palmerston North. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Childcare runs $2,371 in Melbourne versus $1,034 in Palmerston North. Over years of preschool, even a modest monthly gap compounds into a major financial factor for families.

Supermarket bills run roughly 36% higher in Melbourne. For households that cook at home regularly, that difference adds up over a month.

At $1,562 in Palmerston North versus $2,821 in Melbourne, a $2,000 budget is realistic in Palmerston North but tight or insufficient in Melbourne. The gap between the two cities makes Palmerston North 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 Palmerston North 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 Palmerston North gentler on the wallet – expenses run 81% less than in Melbourne. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.