Melbourne vs Christchurch Cost of Living
Melbourne (Australia) · Overall index 65.3 — Christchurch (New Zealand) · Overall index 53.3
Summary
- Overall, Christchurch is 18% cheaper than Melbourne.
- Rent in Christchurch is 31% cheaper than in Melbourne.
- Utilities & household in Christchurch is 20% cheaper than in Melbourne.
| Item | Melbourne | Christchurch | Diff |
|---|---|---|---|
| Rent | -31% | ||
| 1-bedroom apartment, city centre (monthly) | $2,062 | $1,425 | -31% |
| 1-bedroom apartment, outside centre (monthly) | $1,117 | $864 | -23% |
| 3-bedroom apartment, city centre (monthly) | $3,536 | $2,563 | -28% |
| 3-bedroom apartment, outside centre (monthly) | $2,437 | $1,443 | -41% |
| Groceries | -14% | ||
| Milk (1L) | $0.97 | $0.98 | +1% |
| White bread (500g) | $3.2 | $2.69 | -16% |
| Rice (1kg) | $3.75 | $3.56 | -5% |
| Eggs (12) | $3.69 | $3.05 | -17% |
| Local cheese (1kg) | $10.3 | $9.32 | -10% |
| Chicken fillets (1kg) | $10.3 | $9.22 | -10% |
| Beef round (1kg) | $15.1 | $14.8 | -2% |
| Apples (1kg) | $4.14 | $4.21 | +2% |
| Bananas (1kg) | $1.56 | $1.55 | -1% |
| Oranges (1kg) | $4.16 | $3.25 | -22% |
| Tomatoes (1kg) | $5.03 | $3.83 | -24% |
| Potatoes (1kg) | $2.75 | $1.87 | -32% |
| Onions (1kg) | $2.45 | $2.06 | -16% |
| Lettuce (1 head) | $1.98 | $1.78 | -10% |
| Water (1.5L bottle) | $2.08 | $1.62 | -22% |
| Bottle of wine (mid-range) | $13.8 | $10.7 | -22% |
| Transport | -19% | ||
| Public transport, one-way ticket | $1.9 | $1.64 | -14% |
| Public transport, monthly pass | $93 | $74.4 | -20% |
| Taxi, base fare | $2.96 | $2.23 | -25% |
| Taxi, per km | $1.32 | $1.22 | -8% |
| Gasoline (1L) | $0.76 | $0.56 | -26% |
| New compact car (e.g., VW Golf) | $19,348 | $16,194 | -16% |
| Dining out | -16% | ||
| Meal, inexpensive restaurant | $17 | $15.8 | -7% |
| Meal for 2, mid-range restaurant (3 courses) | $92.3 | $74.1 | -20% |
| Fast food combo meal | $9.69 | $7.26 | -25% |
| Cappuccino | $4.01 | $3.3 | -18% |
| Coke/Pepsi (0.33L, restaurant) | $1.91 | $1.81 | -5% |
| Domestic beer (0.5L, restaurant) | $5.35 | $4.53 | -15% |
| Imported beer (0.33L, restaurant) | $6.13 | $5.3 | -14% |
| Water (0.33L, restaurant) | $1.8 | $1.46 | -19% |
| Telecom | -8% | ||
| Mobile plan, calls + 10GB+ data (monthly) | $47.6 | $49.9 | +5% |
| Broadband internet 60Mbps+ (monthly) | $60.5 | $54.5 | -10% |
| Prepaid mobile tariff (1 min) | $0.3 | $0.27 | -10% |
| Video streaming subscription (monthly) | $13.5 | $11.3 | -16% |
| Utilities & household | -20% | ||
| Basic utilities, 85m² apartment (monthly) | $155 | $113 | -27% |
| Electricity (1 kWh) | $0.19 | $0.14 | -26% |
| Tap water (1m³) | $4.24 | $3.65 | -14% |
| Natural gas (1m³) | $1.3 | $0.9 | -31% |
| Waste collection (monthly) | $19.4 | $14.9 | -23% |
| Fitness club (monthly) | $74.6 | $54.8 | -27% |
| Cinema ticket (1 seat) | $13.5 | $9.83 | -27% |
| Men's haircut | $24.3 | $24.6 | +1% |
| Domestic cleaning (1 hour) | $18.5 | $18.3 | -1% |
| Private kindergarten (monthly) | $1,717 | $1,290 | -25% |
3,549 total data points · Price data as of 2026-07-01 · Exchange rates as of 2026-07-15
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Estimates for reference only — not official statistics.
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