Cost of Living Comparison Between Alice Springs and Melbourne Cost of Living Comparison Between Alice Springs and Melbourne

Monthly Cost of Living

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $1,855 in Alice Springs versus $2,894 in Melbourne.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $2,817 in Alice Springs versus $4,377 in Melbourne.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $3,779 in Alice Springs versus $5,860 in Melbourne.

Living in Alice Springs costs roughly 36% less than in Melbourne, driven mainly by Getting Around.

Both cities are pricier than the global median: Alice Springs 35% above, Melbourne 111% above.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$17.99 A$24.97

$17.95 A$24.91

0.22%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$87.4 A$121

$84.6 A$117

3.31%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$11.29 A$15.67

$12.26 A$17.01

-7.91%

Cappuccino

$4.21 A$5.85

$4.22 A$5.86

-0.24%

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

$2.96 A$4.11

$3.16 A$4.38

-6.33%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.89 A$4.01

$2.66 A$3.70

8.65%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$6.60 A$9.16

$9.98 A$13.86

-33.87%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$10.12 A$14.05

$8.83 A$12.25

14.61%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.50 A$2.08

$1.65 A$2.29

-9.09%

White Bread (500g)

$2.16 A$3.00

$3.40 A$4.73

-36.47%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.86 A$2.58

$2.79 A$3.87

-33.33%

Eggs

$5.41 A$7.50

$5.69 A$7.89

-4.92%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$8.55 A$11.87

$11.30 A$15.69

-24.34%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$8.66 A$12.02

$9.67 A$13.42

-10.44%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$15.48 A$21.48

$15.78 A$21.90

-1.90%

Apples (1kg)

$3.99 A$5.53

$4.19 A$5.82

-4.77%

Banana (1kg)

$3.03 A$4.21

$3.02 A$4.19

0.33%

Oranges (1kg)

$2.68 A$3.72

$3.27 A$4.54

-18.04%

Tomato (1kg)

$7.22 A$10.03

$4.81 A$6.68

50.10%

Potato (1kg)

$2.57 A$3.56

$3.26 A$4.52

-21.17%

Onion (1kg)

$2.37 A$3.29

$2.60 A$3.61

-8.85%

Lettuce (1 head)

$6.15 A$8.53

$2.51 A$3.49

145.02%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$2.40 A$3.33

$1.64 A$2.28

46.34%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$28.97 A$40.21

$46.11 A$64.0

-37.17%

Wine (Bottle)

$14.47 A$20.08

$12.06 A$16.74

19.98%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$3.48 A$4.82

$5.48 A$7.60

-36.50%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$5.85 A$8.12

$5.15 A$7.15

13.59%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$3.04 A$4.22

$3.83 A$5.31

-20.63%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$89.9 A$125

$144 A$201

-37.81%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$5.20 A$7.21

$4.31 A$5.98

20.65%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.61 A$2.24

$1.47 A$2.04

9.52%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$28.50 A$39.56

$31.02 A$43.05

-8.12%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.34 A$1.86

$1.46 A$2.03

-8.22%

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

$38.3K A$53.1K

$29.5K A$41.0K

29.60%

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

$24.5K A$34.0K

$27.7K A$38.5K

-11.71%

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

$218 A$303

$242 A$336

-9.94%

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

$28.16 A$39.08

$28.20 A$39.14

-0.14%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$47.70 A$66.2

$57.2 A$79.4

-16.58%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$57.3 A$79.5

$56.2 A$78.0

1.89%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$18.49 A$25.66

$21.71 A$30.13

-14.83%

Cinema Ticket

$14.20 A$19.71

$17.89 A$24.83

-20.63%

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

$1,968 A$2,732

$2,443 A$3,391

-19.44%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$21.1K A$29.2K

$33.0K A$45.8K

-36.24%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$74.0 A$103

$82.1 A$114

-9.87%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$12.71 A$17.65

$50.4 A$70.0

-74.80%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$140 A$194

$126 A$175

11.02%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$129 A$178

$138 A$192

-7.07%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,436 A$1,994

$1,774 A$2,462

-19.02%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$535 A$743

$1,427 A$1,981

-62.50%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,302 A$1,807

$3,504 A$4,863

-62.84%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$788 A$1,093

$2,517 A$3,493

-68.70%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$4,619 A$6,410

$7,411 A$10.3K

-37.67%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$4,811 A$6,677

$6,718 A$9,324

-28.39%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$4,555 A$6,321

$4,478 A$6,215

1.71%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

5.85

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

Last update for Alice Springs: September 1, 2026

Last update for Melbourne: August 30, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $1,436 in Alice Springs and $1,774 in Melbourne. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Alice Springs pays 2% more on average while also being the cheaper of the two. The combined effect is a noticeably stronger local purchasing power.

Dining out: $87.0 in Alice Springs vs $85.0 in Melbourne. Groceries flip the comparison at $390 vs $397, with Alice Springs cheaper for home cooking.

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

Alice Springs vs Melbourne: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Alice Springs wins on cost – living expenses run 56% lower than in Melbourne. Housing and daily spending are where you'll feel the difference most, making Alice Springs the obvious pick if budget is a priority.

Average pay runs 2% higher in Alice Springs, 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: $1,436 in Alice Springs versus $1,774 in Melbourne. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Supermarket bills run roughly 2% higher in Melbourne. For households that cook at home regularly, that difference adds up over a month.

Dining out is cheaper in Alice Springs – a meal for two runs $87.0 versus $85.0 in Melbourne. If you eat out regularly, this makes a real dent in your monthly spending.

Both cities are expensive relative to $2,000. Alice Springs is the more realistic option, but even there you'll need to be disciplined with housing, food, and fun money.

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, Alice Springs 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 Alice Springs gentler on the wallet – expenses run 56% less than in Melbourne. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.