Wellington vs Melbourne Cost of Living
Wellington (New Zealand) · Overall index 59.5 — Melbourne (Australia) · Overall index 65.3
Summary
- Overall, Melbourne is 10% more expensive than Wellington.
- Rent in Melbourne is 21% more expensive than in Wellington.
- Utilities & household in Melbourne is 14% more expensive than in Wellington.
| Item | Wellington | Melbourne | Diff |
|---|---|---|---|
| Rent | +21% | ||
| 1-bedroom apartment, city centre (monthly) | $1,575 | $2,062 | +31% |
| 1-bedroom apartment, outside centre (monthly) | $1,163 | $1,117 | -4% |
| 3-bedroom apartment, city centre (monthly) | $2,868 | $3,536 | +23% |
| 3-bedroom apartment, outside centre (monthly) | $1,768 | $2,437 | +38% |
| Groceries | +4% | ||
| Milk (1L) | $0.97 | $0.97 | 0% |
| White bread (500g) | $3.24 | $3.2 | -1% |
| Rice (1kg) | $4.29 | $3.75 | -13% |
| Eggs (12) | $3.69 | $3.69 | 0% |
| Local cheese (1kg) | $10 | $10.3 | +3% |
| Chicken fillets (1kg) | $10.3 | $10.3 | 0% |
| Beef round (1kg) | $15.3 | $15.1 | -1% |
| Apples (1kg) | $4.68 | $4.14 | -12% |
| Bananas (1kg) | $1.55 | $1.56 | +1% |
| Oranges (1kg) | $3.7 | $4.16 | +12% |
| Tomatoes (1kg) | $4.47 | $5.03 | +13% |
| Potatoes (1kg) | $2.19 | $2.75 | +26% |
| Onions (1kg) | $1.95 | $2.45 | +26% |
| Lettuce (1 head) | $1.83 | $1.98 | +8% |
| Water (1.5L bottle) | $2 | $2.08 | +4% |
| Bottle of wine (mid-range) | $12.7 | $13.8 | +9% |
| Transport | +7% | ||
| Public transport, one-way ticket | $1.96 | $1.9 | -3% |
| Public transport, monthly pass | $74.8 | $93 | +24% |
| Taxi, base fare | $3.06 | $2.96 | -3% |
| Taxi, per km | $1.26 | $1.32 | +5% |
| Gasoline (1L) | $0.63 | $0.76 | +21% |
| New compact car (e.g., VW Golf) | $18,568 | $19,348 | +4% |
| Dining out | +7% | ||
| Meal, inexpensive restaurant | $17.6 | $17 | -3% |
| Meal for 2, mid-range restaurant (3 courses) | $85.9 | $92.3 | +7% |
| Fast food combo meal | $7.58 | $9.69 | +28% |
| Cappuccino | $4.18 | $4.01 | -4% |
| Coke/Pepsi (0.33L, restaurant) | $1.76 | $1.91 | +9% |
| Domestic beer (0.5L, restaurant) | $5.34 | $5.35 | 0% |
| Imported beer (0.33L, restaurant) | $5.95 | $6.13 | +3% |
| Water (0.33L, restaurant) | $1.49 | $1.8 | +21% |
| Telecom | +7% | ||
| Mobile plan, calls + 10GB+ data (monthly) | $51.8 | $47.6 | -8% |
| Broadband internet 60Mbps+ (monthly) | $53.7 | $60.5 | +13% |
| Prepaid mobile tariff (1 min) | $0.23 | $0.3 | +30% |
| Video streaming subscription (monthly) | $13.3 | $13.5 | +2% |
| Utilities & household | +14% | ||
| Basic utilities, 85m² apartment (monthly) | $134 | $155 | +16% |
| Electricity (1 kWh) | $0.15 | $0.19 | +27% |
| Tap water (1m³) | $3.54 | $4.24 | +20% |
| Natural gas (1m³) | $1.04 | $1.3 | +25% |
| Waste collection (monthly) | $15.6 | $19.4 | +24% |
| Fitness club (monthly) | $66.2 | $74.6 | +13% |
| Cinema ticket (1 seat) | $11.8 | $13.5 | +14% |
| Men's haircut | $24.6 | $24.3 | -1% |
| Domestic cleaning (1 hour) | $17.4 | $18.5 | +6% |
| Private kindergarten (monthly) | $1,686 | $1,717 | +2% |
3,393 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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