New York vs Melbourne Cost of Living
New York (United States) · Overall index 100.0 — Melbourne (Australia) · Overall index 65.3
Summary
- Overall, Melbourne is 35% cheaper than New York.
- Rent in Melbourne is 55% cheaper than in New York.
- Dining out in Melbourne is 31% cheaper than in New York.
| Item | New York | Melbourne | Diff |
|---|---|---|---|
| Rent | -55% | ||
| 1-bedroom apartment, city centre (monthly) | $4,328 | $2,062 | -52% |
| 1-bedroom apartment, outside centre (monthly) | $2,796 | $1,117 | -60% |
| 3-bedroom apartment, city centre (monthly) | $7,980 | $3,536 | -56% |
| 3-bedroom apartment, outside centre (monthly) | $4,915 | $2,437 | -50% |
| Groceries | -27% | ||
| Milk (1L) | $1.48 | $0.97 | -34% |
| White bread (500g) | $4.03 | $3.2 | -21% |
| Rice (1kg) | $5.54 | $3.75 | -32% |
| Eggs (12) | $5.18 | $3.69 | -29% |
| Local cheese (1kg) | $16.5 | $10.3 | -38% |
| Chicken fillets (1kg) | $13.6 | $10.3 | -24% |
| Beef round (1kg) | $22.8 | $15.1 | -34% |
| Apples (1kg) | $6.73 | $4.14 | -38% |
| Bananas (1kg) | $2.56 | $1.56 | -39% |
| Oranges (1kg) | $5.31 | $4.16 | -22% |
| Tomatoes (1kg) | $6.04 | $5.03 | -17% |
| Potatoes (1kg) | $3.01 | $2.75 | -9% |
| Onions (1kg) | $3.09 | $2.45 | -21% |
| Lettuce (1 head) | $2.85 | $1.98 | -31% |
| Water (1.5L bottle) | $2.81 | $2.08 | -26% |
| Bottle of wine (mid-range) | $17 | $13.8 | -19% |
| Transport | -31% | ||
| Public transport, one-way ticket | $2.75 | $1.9 | -31% |
| Public transport, monthly pass | $145 | $93 | -36% |
| Taxi, base fare | $4.13 | $2.96 | -28% |
| Taxi, per km | $2.06 | $1.32 | -36% |
| Gasoline (1L) | $0.93 | $0.76 | -18% |
| New compact car (e.g., VW Golf) | $29,178 | $19,348 | -34% |
| Dining out | -31% | ||
| Meal, inexpensive restaurant | $25.5 | $17 | -33% |
| Meal for 2, mid-range restaurant (3 courses) | $140 | $92.3 | -34% |
| Fast food combo meal | $12.7 | $9.69 | -24% |
| Cappuccino | $5.58 | $4.01 | -28% |
| Coke/Pepsi (0.33L, restaurant) | $3.23 | $1.91 | -41% |
| Domestic beer (0.5L, restaurant) | $8.19 | $5.35 | -35% |
| Imported beer (0.33L, restaurant) | $8.34 | $6.13 | -26% |
| Water (0.33L, restaurant) | $2.48 | $1.8 | -27% |
| Telecom | -17% | ||
| Mobile plan, calls + 10GB+ data (monthly) | $64.2 | $47.6 | -26% |
| Broadband internet 60Mbps+ (monthly) | $66.9 | $60.5 | -10% |
| Prepaid mobile tariff (1 min) | $0.38 | $0.3 | -21% |
| Video streaming subscription (monthly) | $14.9 | $13.5 | -9% |
| Utilities & household | -22% | ||
| Basic utilities, 85m² apartment (monthly) | $173 | $155 | -10% |
| Electricity (1 kWh) | $0.25 | $0.19 | -24% |
| Tap water (1m³) | $4.81 | $4.24 | -12% |
| Natural gas (1m³) | $1.75 | $1.3 | -26% |
| Waste collection (monthly) | $23.6 | $19.4 | -18% |
| Fitness club (monthly) | $94.7 | $74.6 | -21% |
| Cinema ticket (1 seat) | $16.6 | $13.5 | -19% |
| Men's haircut | $36.8 | $24.3 | -34% |
| Domestic cleaning (1 hour) | $25.1 | $18.5 | -26% |
| Private kindergarten (monthly) | $2,473 | $1,717 | -31% |
3,351 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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