Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Oamaru and Melbourne

For one person, living is cheaper in Oamaru: $1,769 a month against $2,821 in Melbourne, rent and utilities included – about $12,600 less a year. Rent and utilities account for most of the difference.

87

Cost of Living Index in Oamaru
Learn more

Oamaru Living Index
138

Cost of Living Index in Melbourne
Learn more

Melbourne Living Index

Jump to prices

Oamaru

🇳🇿 New Zealand

$1,769

/mo nomad

Melbourne

🇦🇺 Australia

$2,821

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

How much you'll spend in Oamaru and in Melbourne

Real prices from locals and on-the-ground checks – rent, groceries, transit and the daily extras. Here's what a month in Oamaru and in Melbourne actually costs, broken down by who's living it.

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $1,769 in Oamaru versus $2,821 in Melbourne.

Oamaru $1,769
Melbourne $2,821

Estimated couple costs with rent: $2,802 in Oamaru versus $4,235 in Melbourne.

Oamaru $2,802
Melbourne $4,235

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $3,834 in Oamaru versus $5,650 in Melbourne.

Oamaru $3,834
Melbourne $5,650

Living in Oamaru costs roughly 37% less than in Melbourne, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in groceries.

Both cities are pricier than the global median: Oamaru 31% above, Melbourne 109% above.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$13.87 NZ$24.53

$17.43 A$25.08

-20.42%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$67.7 NZ$120

$84.6 A$122

-19.93%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$9.18 NZ$16.23

$12.46 A$17.92

-26.32%

Cappuccino

$3.30 NZ$5.84

$4.11 A$5.91

-19.71%

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

$2.33 NZ$4.12

$3.06 A$4.40

-23.86%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.78 NZ$3.14

$2.52 A$3.62

-29.37%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$6.58 NZ$11.63

$9.80 A$14.10

-32.86%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$6.91 NZ$12.22

$8.57 A$12.33

-19.37%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.67 NZ$2.94

$1.48 A$2.14

12.84%

White Bread (500g)

$1.28 NZ$2.27

$2.94 A$4.23

-56.46%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.50 NZ$2.65

$2.66 A$3.82

-43.61%

Eggs

$5.48 NZ$9.70

$5.54 A$7.97

-1.08%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$7.26 NZ$12.83

$10.51 A$15.13

-30.92%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$8.87 NZ$15.69

$9.65 A$13.89

-8.08%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$13.60 NZ$24.04

$15.22 A$21.91

-10.64%

Apples (1kg)

$2.39 NZ$4.22

$3.99 A$5.75

-40.10%

Banana (1kg)

$2.02 NZ$3.58

$3.02 A$4.34

-33.11%

Oranges (1kg)

$2.69 NZ$4.76

$3.10 A$4.46

-13.23%

Tomato (1kg)

$2.97 NZ$5.25

$4.82 A$6.93

-38.38%

Potato (1kg)

$1.50 NZ$2.65

$3.03 A$4.36

-50.50%

Onion (1kg)

$1.33 NZ$2.35

$2.44 A$3.52

-45.49%

Lettuce (1 head)

$2.06 NZ$3.64

$2.46 A$3.54

-16.26%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.70 NZ$1.24

$1.63 A$2.34

-57.06%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$24.24 NZ$42.87

$44.07 A$63.4

-45.00%

Wine (Bottle)

$5.44 NZ$9.63

$12.70 A$18.28

-57.17%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$3.37 NZ$5.96

$5.54 A$7.97

-39.17%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$4.29 NZ$7.60

$5.23 A$7.52

-17.97%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$1.49 NZ$2.64

$3.74 A$5.38

-60.16%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$89.0 NZ$157

$138 A$198

-35.31%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$2.55 NZ$4.52

$4.51 A$6.50

-43.46%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.70 NZ$3.00

$1.36 A$1.96

25.00%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$27.87 NZ$49.29

$30.45 A$43.81

-8.47%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.58 NZ$2.79

$1.47 A$2.12

7.48%

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

$25.2K NZ$44.6K

$29.0K A$41.7K

-12.95%

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

$23.9K NZ$42.2K

$26.5K A$38.1K

-9.82%

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

$158 NZ$279

$234 A$336

-32.44%

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

$19.36 NZ$34.24

$27.93 A$40.19

-30.68%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$45.43 NZ$80.3

$55.7 A$80.2

-18.50%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$39.08 NZ$69.1

$49.40 A$71.1

-20.89%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$21.48 A$30.91

Cinema Ticket

$9.98 NZ$17.65

$15.09 A$21.72

-33.86%

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

$668 NZ$1,181

$2,371 A$3,412

-71.83%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$21.7K NZ$38.4K

$30.2K A$43.5K

-28.12%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$56.4 NZ$99.7

$80.0 A$115

-29.52%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$16.83 NZ$29.77

$50.7 A$73.0

-66.80%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$44.83 NZ$79.3

$121 A$174

-62.83%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$50.3 NZ$88.9

$130 A$188

-61.45%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$973 NZ$1,720

$1,759 A$2,531

-44.69%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$790 NZ$1,398

$1,390 A$2,000

-43.12%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,725 NZ$3,051

$3,494 A$5,027

-50.62%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,631 NZ$2,884

$2,493 A$3,588

-34.58%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$4,751 NZ$8,403

$6,926 A$9,967

-31.40%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$3,236 NZ$5,724

$6,445 A$9,274

-49.78%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$1,926 NZ$3,405

$4,383 A$6,307

-56.06%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

5.91

5.9

0.17%

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

Last update for Oamaru: October 11, 2026

Last update for Melbourne: October 10, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Accommodation & Living

Oamaru

$790 44.7%

Melbourne

$1.4K 49.3% 75.8% $599

Groceries & Markets

Oamaru

$274 15.5%

Melbourne

$384 13.6% 40.1% $110

Eating Out

Oamaru

$241 13.6%

Melbourne

$315 11.2% 30.3% $73

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Oamaru

$223 12.6%

Melbourne

$317 11.3% 42.5% $95

Getting Around

Oamaru

$106 6%

Melbourne

$164 5.8% 54.6% $58

Clothing & Footwear

Oamaru

$76 4.3%

Melbourne

$172 6.1% 127% $96

Sport & Entertainment

Oamaru

$59 3.3%

Melbourne

$80 2.8% 34.8% $21

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $973 in Oamaru and $1,759 in Melbourne. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Melbourne pays 128% 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: $68.0 in Oamaru vs $85.0 in Melbourne for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $274 vs $384 per month, with Oamaru cheaper across the board.

Good to know

🇳🇿 Oamaru

🇦🇺 Melbourne

🕒 Local time

15:22 3:22 PM

13:22 1:22 PM

2 h behind Oamaru

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

13,850

5,031,195

💱 Currency

New Zealand Dollar NZD $

Australian Dollar AUD $

📈 Exchange rate

1 NZD = 0.565 USD

1 NZD = 0.503 EUR

1 AUD = 0.695 USD

1 AUD = 0.618 EUR

Exchange rates and currency converter

AUD, USD, EUR to NZD – New Zealand Dollar Converter

🇺🇸 United States Dollar ($)

🇳🇿 New Zealand Dollar ($)

New Zealand Dollar exchange rates as of October 18, 2026: 1 USD = 1.77 NZD (1 NZD = 0.565 USD). 1 EUR = 1.99 NZD (1 NZD = 0.503 EUR).

Australian Dollar exchange rates as of October 18, 2026: 1 USD = 1.44 AUD (1 AUD = 0.695 USD). 1 EUR = 1.62 AUD (1 AUD = 0.618 EUR).

USD to NZD in detail →

On the map

Lowest

Highest

Between locations

Oamaru Melbourne 2,300 km ≈ 3 h 30 min nonstop flight

From you

Oamaru
Melbourne

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

Oamaru vs Melbourne: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Oamaru and Melbourne differ by about 59% in total monthly costs ($1,769 vs $2,821 including rent). Oamaru is meaningfully more affordable – a gap that matters a lot on a fixed or modest income.

On paper, salaries run 128% lower in Melbourne. That's worth factoring in alongside costs, though remote workers earning in a stronger currency may not notice the difference at all.

Rent for a central apartment: $973 in Oamaru versus $1,759 in Melbourne. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Childcare runs $668 in Oamaru versus $2,371 in Melbourne. Over years of preschool, even a modest monthly gap compounds into a major financial factor for families.

Supermarket bills run roughly 40% higher in Melbourne. For households that cook at home regularly, that difference adds up over a month.

At $1,769 in Oamaru versus $2,821 in Melbourne, a $2,500 budget is realistic in Oamaru but tight or insufficient in Melbourne. The gap between the two cities makes Oamaru 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, Oamaru and Melbourne 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 Oamaru gentler on the wallet – expenses run 59% less than in Melbourne. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.