Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Alice Springs and Melbourne

For one person, living is cheaper in Alice Springs: $1,798 a month against $2,853 in Melbourne, rent and utilities included – about $12,700 less a year. Rent and utilities account for most of the difference.

88

Cost of Living Index in Alice Springs
Learn more

Alice Springs Living Index
138

Cost of Living Index in Melbourne
Learn more

Melbourne Living Index

Jump to prices

Alice Springs

🇦🇺 Australia

$1,798

/mo nomad

Melbourne

🇦🇺 Australia

$2,853

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

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

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $1,798 in Alice Springs versus $2,853 in Melbourne.

Alice Springs $1,798
Melbourne $2,853

Estimated couple costs with rent: $2,720 in Alice Springs versus $4,275 in Melbourne.

Alice Springs $2,720
Melbourne $4,275

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $3,641 in Alice Springs versus $5,697 in Melbourne.

Alice Springs $3,641
Melbourne $5,697

Living in Alice Springs costs roughly 37% less than in Melbourne, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in transport.

Both cities are pricier than the global median: Alice Springs 33% above, Melbourne 111% above.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$17.27 A$24.85

$17.20 A$24.75

0.41%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$83.0 A$119

$83.1 A$120

-0.14%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$10.70 A$15.40

$12.43 A$17.88

-13.92%

Cappuccino

$4.28 A$6.16

$4.05 A$5.82

5.68%

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

$2.87 A$4.13

$3.12 A$4.50

-8.01%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.82 A$4.06

$2.46 A$3.54

14.63%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$6.48 A$9.33

$9.52 A$13.71

-31.93%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$9.54 A$13.72

$8.16 A$11.74

16.91%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.43 A$2.05

$1.56 A$2.25

-8.33%

White Bread (500g)

$2.10 A$3.03

$2.90 A$4.18

-27.59%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.78 A$2.57

$2.66 A$3.82

-33.08%

Eggs

$5.10 A$7.33

$5.37 A$7.72

-5.03%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$10.17 A$14.63

$10.67 A$15.36

-4.69%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$8.29 A$11.94

$9.85 A$14.17

-15.84%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$14.50 A$20.87

$15.36 A$22.11

-5.60%

Apples (1kg)

$3.84 A$5.53

$4.17 A$6.00

-7.91%

Banana (1kg)

$3.00 A$4.32

$3.15 A$4.53

-4.76%

Oranges (1kg)

$2.63 A$3.78

$3.26 A$4.69

-19.33%

Tomato (1kg)

$6.85 A$9.86

$4.76 A$6.85

43.91%

Potato (1kg)

$2.49 A$3.58

$3.06 A$4.41

-18.63%

Onion (1kg)

$2.28 A$3.28

$2.47 A$3.55

-7.69%

Lettuce (1 head)

$2.43 A$3.50

$2.45 A$3.52

-0.82%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$2.36 A$3.40

$1.63 A$2.34

44.79%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$28.22 A$40.60

$45.17 A$65.0

-37.52%

Wine (Bottle)

$13.77 A$19.82

$12.68 A$18.25

8.60%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$3.22 A$4.64

$5.69 A$8.18

-43.41%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$5.59 A$8.04

$5.23 A$7.53

6.88%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$2.79 A$4.02

$3.87 A$5.57

-27.91%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$68.9 A$99.1

$142 A$204

-51.47%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$4.84 A$6.97

$4.54 A$6.53

6.61%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.55 A$2.24

$1.42 A$2.04

9.15%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$27.74 A$39.92

$30.59 A$44.01

-9.32%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.35 A$1.94

$1.47 A$2.11

-8.16%

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

$37.6K A$54.1K

$28.9K A$41.5K

30.31%

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

$23.0K A$33.0K

$25.9K A$37.3K

-11.38%

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

$213 A$306

$235 A$338

-9.60%

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

$28.21 A$40.59

$27.45 A$39.51

2.77%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$45.86 A$66.0

$56.1 A$80.8

-18.30%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$56.9 A$81.9

$50.1 A$72.1

13.57%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$17.95 A$25.83

$21.49 A$30.93

-16.47%

Cinema Ticket

$13.94 A$20.06

$17.76 A$25.56

-21.51%

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

$1,941 A$2,793

$2,385 A$3,432

-18.63%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$20.6K A$29.6K

$29.7K A$42.7K

-30.70%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$73.1 A$105

$79.2 A$114

-7.60%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$12.03 A$17.31

$49.49 A$71.2

-75.69%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$138 A$198

$118 A$170

16.21%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$120 A$173

$132 A$190

-9.16%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,405 A$2,022

$1,763 A$2,537

-20.31%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$518 A$746

$1,411 A$2,031

-63.26%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,267 A$1,823

$3,522 A$5,069

-64.03%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$765 A$1,101

$2,525 A$3,634

-69.71%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$4,502 A$6,478

$7,136 A$10.3K

-36.91%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$4,696 A$6,757

$6,355 A$9,144

-26.10%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$4,301 A$6,189

$4,258 A$6,128

1.01%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

5.9

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

Last update for Alice Springs: October 19, 2026

Last update for Melbourne: October 17, 2026

Monthly budget structure

Share of the monthly basket for one person, rent included.

Accommodation & Living

Alice Springs

$518 28.8%

Melbourne

$1.4K 49.5% 172% $893

Groceries & Markets

Alice Springs

$365 20.3%

Melbourne

$388 13.6% 6.3% $23

Eating Out

Alice Springs

$296 16.5%

Melbourne

$310 10.9% 4.7% $14

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Alice Springs

$287 15.9%

Melbourne

$319 11.2% 11.2% $32

Clothing & Footwear

Alice Springs

$154 8.6%

Melbourne

$171 6% 10.6% $16

Getting Around

Alice Springs

$93 5.2%

Melbourne

$169 5.9% 82.4% $76

Sport & Entertainment

Alice Springs

$85 4.7%

Melbourne

$86 3% 1% $0.8

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $1,405 in Alice Springs and $1,763 in Melbourne. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Alice Springs pays 1% more on average while also being the cheaper of the two. The combined effect is a noticeably stronger local purchasing power.

Dining out: $83.0 in Alice Springs vs $83.0 in Melbourne for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $365 vs $388 per month, with Alice Springs cheaper across the board.

Good to know

🇦🇺 Alice Springs

🇦🇺 Melbourne

🕒 Local time

10:38 10:38 AM

12:08 12:08 PM

1 h 30 min ahead of Alice Springs

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

24,855

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

On the map

Lowest

Highest

Between locations

Alice Springs Melbourne 1,890 km ≈ 2 h 45 min nonstop flight

From you

Alice Springs
Melbourne

Distances are measured in a straight line. Your location is detected approximately.

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 59% 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 1% 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: $1,405 in Alice Springs versus $1,763 in Melbourne. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Supermarket bills run roughly 6% 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 $83.0 versus $83.0 in Melbourne. If you eat out regularly, this makes a real dent in your monthly spending.

At $1,798 in Alice Springs versus $2,853 in Melbourne, a $2,000 budget is realistic in Alice Springs but tight or insufficient in Melbourne. The gap between the two cities makes Alice Springs 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, 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 59% less than in Melbourne. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.