Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Albury and Melbourne

For one person, living is cheaper in Albury: $2,246 a month against $2,821 in Melbourne, rent and utilities included – about $6,900 less a year. Rent and utilities account for most of the difference.

109

Cost of Living Index in Albury
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Albury Living Index
138

Cost of Living Index in Melbourne
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Melbourne Living Index

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Albury

🇦🇺 Australia

$2,246

/mo nomad

Melbourne

🇦🇺 Australia

$2,821

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

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

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $2,246 in Albury versus $2,821 in Melbourne.

Albury $2,246
Melbourne $2,821

Estimated couple costs with rent: $3,352 in Albury versus $4,235 in Melbourne.

Albury $3,352
Melbourne $4,235

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $4,458 in Albury versus $5,650 in Melbourne.

Albury $4,458
Melbourne $5,650

Living in Albury costs roughly 20% less than in Melbourne, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in leisure.

Both cities are pricier than the global median: Albury 66% above, Melbourne 109% above.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$20.83 A$29.97

$17.43 A$25.08

19.51%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$88.2 A$127

$84.6 A$122

4.34%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$10.52 A$15.14

$12.46 A$17.92

-15.57%

Cappuccino

$4.13 A$5.94

$4.11 A$5.91

0.49%

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

$3.05 A$4.39

$3.06 A$4.40

-0.33%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.49 A$3.59

$2.52 A$3.62

-1.19%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$7.05 A$10.15

$9.80 A$14.10

-28.06%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$7.02 A$10.10

$8.57 A$12.33

-18.09%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.53 A$2.20

$1.48 A$2.14

3.38%

White Bread (500g)

$3.19 A$4.59

$2.94 A$4.23

8.50%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$2.52 A$3.63

$2.66 A$3.82

-5.26%

Eggs

$5.16 A$7.42

$5.54 A$7.97

-6.86%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$8.59 A$12.36

$10.51 A$15.13

-18.27%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$9.73 A$14.01

$9.65 A$13.89

0.83%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$12.75 A$18.34

$15.22 A$21.91

-16.23%

Apples (1kg)

$3.28 A$4.72

$3.99 A$5.75

-17.79%

Banana (1kg)

$3.18 A$4.57

$3.02 A$4.34

5.30%

Oranges (1kg)

$3.41 A$4.90

$3.10 A$4.46

10.00%

Tomato (1kg)

$5.28 A$7.60

$4.82 A$6.93

9.54%

Potato (1kg)

$3.05 A$4.39

$3.03 A$4.36

0.66%

Onion (1kg)

$2.12 A$3.04

$2.44 A$3.52

-13.11%

Lettuce (1 head)

$2.27 A$3.27

$2.46 A$3.54

-7.72%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$1.38 A$1.99

$1.63 A$2.34

-15.34%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$27.71 A$39.88

$44.07 A$63.4

-37.12%

Wine (Bottle)

$13.68 A$19.69

$12.70 A$18.28

7.72%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$4.27 A$6.15

$5.54 A$7.97

-22.92%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$5.39 A$7.75

$5.23 A$7.52

3.06%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$3.86 A$5.55

$3.74 A$5.38

3.21%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$71.5 A$103

$138 A$198

-47.99%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$3.44 A$4.94

$4.51 A$6.50

-23.73%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.60 A$2.31

$1.36 A$1.96

17.65%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$41.17 A$59.3

$30.45 A$43.81

35.21%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.30 A$1.87

$1.47 A$2.12

-11.56%

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

$26.6K A$38.2K

$29.0K A$41.7K

-8.39%

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

$27.9K A$40.1K

$26.5K A$38.1K

5.22%

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

$184 A$264

$234 A$336

-21.43%

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

$26.90 A$38.70

$27.93 A$40.19

-3.69%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$55.0 A$79.2

$55.7 A$80.2

-1.27%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$138 A$198

$49.40 A$71.1

178.77%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$22.37 A$32.19

$21.48 A$30.91

4.14%

Cinema Ticket

$12.91 A$18.57

$15.09 A$21.72

-14.45%

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

$2,164 A$3,114

$2,371 A$3,412

-8.74%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$20.5K A$29.6K

$30.2K A$43.5K

-31.98%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$62.7 A$90.2

$80.0 A$115

-21.58%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$42.39 A$61.0

$50.7 A$73.0

-16.39%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$97.0 A$140

$121 A$174

-19.60%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$107 A$154

$130 A$188

-17.83%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,102 A$1,586

$1,759 A$2,531

-37.34%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$895 A$1,288

$1,390 A$2,000

-35.59%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,898 A$2,731

$3,494 A$5,027

-45.67%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,388 A$1,998

$2,493 A$3,588

-44.32%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$6,926 A$9,967

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$6,445 A$9,274

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$4,706 A$6,772

$4,383 A$6,307

7.38%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

5.95

5.9

0.85%

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

Last update for Albury: 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

Albury

$895 39.9%

Melbourne

$1.4K 49.3% 55.3% $495

Groceries & Markets

Albury

$365 16.2%

Melbourne

$384 13.6% 5.3% $19

Eating Out

Albury

$319 14.2%

Melbourne

$315 11.2% 1.5% $4.7

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Albury

$266 11.8%

Melbourne

$317 11.3% 19.5% $52

Sport & Entertainment

Albury

$164 7.3%

Melbourne

$80 2.8% 51.3% $84

Clothing & Footwear

Albury

$139 6.2%

Melbourne

$172 6.1% 23.4% $33

Getting Around

Albury

$98 4.4%

Melbourne

$164 5.8% 66.4% $65

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $1,102 in Albury and $1,759 in Melbourne. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Albury pays 7% more on average while also being the cheaper of the two. The combined effect is a noticeably stronger local purchasing power.

Dining out: $88.0 in Albury vs $85.0 in Melbourne. Groceries flip the comparison at $365 vs $384, with Albury cheaper for home cooking.

Good to know

🇦🇺 Albury

🇦🇺 Melbourne

🕒 Local time

22:28 10:28 PM

Same time as Albury

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

5,323

5,031,195

💱 Currency

Australian Dollar AUD $

📈 Exchange rate

1 AUD = 0.695 USD

1 AUD = 0.618 EUR

1 AUD = 0.695 USD

1 AUD = 0.618 EUR

Exchange rates and currency converter

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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

Albury vs Melbourne: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Albury wins on cost – living expenses run 26% lower than in Melbourne. Housing and daily spending are where you'll feel the difference most, making Albury the obvious pick if budget is a priority.

Average pay runs 7% higher in Albury, which matters when comparing affordability. Whether that higher income actually nets you more depends on your spending habits and housing choices.

Rent for a central apartment: $1,102 in Albury versus $1,759 in Melbourne. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Supermarket bills run roughly 5% higher in Melbourne. For households that cook at home regularly, that difference adds up over a month.

Dining out is cheaper in Albury – a meal for two runs $88.0 versus $85.0 in Melbourne. If you eat out regularly, this makes a real dent in your monthly spending.

At $2,246 in Albury versus $2,821 in Melbourne, a $2,000 budget is realistic in Albury but tight or insufficient in Melbourne. The gap between the two cities makes Albury 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, Albury 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 Albury gentler on the wallet – expenses run 26% less than in Melbourne. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.