Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Palmerston North and Melbourne

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.

76

Cost of Living Index in Palmerston North
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Palmerston North Living Index
138

Cost of Living Index in Melbourne
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Melbourne Living Index

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Palmerston North

🇳🇿 New Zealand

$1,562

/mo nomad

Melbourne

🇦🇺 Australia

$2,821

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

How much you'll spend in Palmerston North 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 Palmerston North and in Melbourne actually costs, broken down by who's living it.

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

Palmerston North $1,562
Melbourne $2,821

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

Palmerston North $2,537
Melbourne $4,235

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

Palmerston North $3,511
Melbourne $5,650

Living in Palmerston North costs roughly 45% less than in Melbourne, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in groceries.

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

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$13.50 NZ$23.87

$17.43 A$25.08

-22.55%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$63.7 NZ$113

$84.6 A$122

-24.72%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$8.80 NZ$15.56

$12.46 A$17.92

-29.37%

Cappuccino

$3.13 NZ$5.54

$4.11 A$5.91

-23.84%

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

$2.36 NZ$4.18

$3.06 A$4.40

-22.88%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.68 NZ$2.97

$2.52 A$3.62

-33.33%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$6.43 NZ$11.38

$9.80 A$14.10

-34.39%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$6.52 NZ$11.53

$8.57 A$12.33

-23.92%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.84 NZ$3.26

$1.48 A$2.14

24.32%

White Bread (500g)

$2.14 NZ$3.78

$2.94 A$4.23

-27.21%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.37 NZ$2.42

$2.66 A$3.82

-48.50%

Eggs

$4.85 NZ$8.58

$5.54 A$7.97

-12.45%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$6.41 NZ$11.34

$10.51 A$15.13

-39.01%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$9.50 NZ$16.80

$9.65 A$13.89

-1.55%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$10.78 NZ$19.06

$15.22 A$21.91

-29.17%

Apples (1kg)

$2.54 NZ$4.48

$3.99 A$5.75

-36.34%

Banana (1kg)

$2.23 NZ$3.94

$3.02 A$4.34

-26.16%

Oranges (1kg)

$2.30 NZ$4.07

$3.10 A$4.46

-25.81%

Tomato (1kg)

$5.53 NZ$9.78

$4.82 A$6.93

14.73%

Potato (1kg)

$1.41 NZ$2.49

$3.03 A$4.36

-53.47%

Onion (1kg)

$0.86 NZ$1.53

$2.44 A$3.52

-64.75%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.72 NZ$3.04

$2.46 A$3.54

-30.08%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.75 NZ$1.33

$1.63 A$2.34

-53.99%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$22.06 NZ$39.00

$44.07 A$63.4

-49.94%

Wine (Bottle)

$7.91 NZ$13.99

$12.70 A$18.28

-37.72%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$2.65 NZ$4.69

$5.54 A$7.97

-52.17%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.78 NZ$4.91

$5.23 A$7.52

-46.85%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$3.93 NZ$6.95

$3.74 A$5.38

5.08%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$82.3 NZ$146

$138 A$198

-40.16%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$1.87 NZ$3.30

$4.51 A$6.50

-58.54%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.78 NZ$3.14

$1.36 A$1.96

30.88%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$16.63 NZ$29.40

$30.45 A$43.81

-45.39%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.64 NZ$2.90

$1.47 A$2.12

11.56%

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

$21.6K NZ$38.1K

$29.0K A$41.7K

-25.64%

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

$23.9K NZ$42.3K

$26.5K A$38.1K

-9.63%

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

$68.2 NZ$121

$234 A$336

-70.81%

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

$32.09 NZ$56.8

$27.93 A$40.19

14.89%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$34.64 NZ$61.3

$55.7 A$80.2

-37.85%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$21.79 NZ$38.54

$49.40 A$71.1

-55.89%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$14.08 NZ$24.90

$21.48 A$30.91

-34.45%

Cinema Ticket

$11.60 NZ$20.52

$15.09 A$21.72

-23.13%

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

$1,034 NZ$1,829

$2,371 A$3,412

-56.39%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$8,550 NZ$15.1K

$30.2K A$43.5K

-71.69%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$69.5 NZ$123

$80.0 A$115

-13.08%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$27.70 NZ$48.98

$50.7 A$73.0

-45.36%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$83.1 NZ$147

$121 A$174

-31.14%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$82.5 NZ$146

$130 A$188

-36.74%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$906 NZ$1,602

$1,759 A$2,531

-48.52%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$639 NZ$1,129

$1,390 A$2,000

-54.04%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,587 NZ$2,807

$3,494 A$5,027

-54.56%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,311 NZ$2,318

$2,493 A$3,588

-47.43%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$2,023 NZ$3,577

$6,926 A$9,967

-70.80%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$1,836 NZ$3,247

$6,445 A$9,274

-71.51%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$2,494 NZ$4,411

$4,383 A$6,307

-43.09%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

5.39

5.9

-8.64%

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

Last update for Palmerston North: October 12, 2026

Last update for Melbourne: October 10, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Accommodation & Living

Palmerston North

$639 40.9%

Melbourne

$1.4K 49.3% 118% $751

Groceries & Markets

Palmerston North

$283 18.1%

Melbourne

$384 13.6% 35.6% $101

Eating Out

Palmerston North

$233 14.9%

Melbourne

$315 11.2% 34.8% $81

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Palmerston North

$135 8.6%

Melbourne

$317 11.3% 135% $182

Clothing & Footwear

Palmerston North

$118 7.6%

Melbourne

$172 6.1% 45.3% $54

Getting Around

Palmerston North

$109 7%

Melbourne

$164 5.8% 50.6% $55

Sport & Entertainment

Palmerston North

$45 2.9%

Melbourne

$80 2.8% 76.9% $35

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $906 in Palmerston North and $1,759 in Melbourne. 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: $64.0 in Palmerston North vs $85.0 in Melbourne for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $283 vs $384 per month, with Palmerston North cheaper across the board.

Good to know

🇳🇿 Palmerston North

🇦🇺 Melbourne

🕒 Local time

05:43 5:43 AM

03:43 3:43 AM

2 h behind Palmerston North

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

90,500

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 17, 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 17, 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

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Between locations

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

From you

Palmerston North
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

Palmerston North vs Melbourne: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

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

On paper, salaries run 76% 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: $906 in Palmerston North versus $1,759 in Melbourne. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Childcare runs $1,034 in Palmerston North 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 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, Palmerston North 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 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.