Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Alotau and Melbourne

137

Cost of Living Index in Melbourne
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Melbourne Living Index

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Alotau

🇵🇬 Papua New Guinea

/mo nomad

Melbourne

🇦🇺 Australia

$2,852

/mo nomad

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$17.75 A$25.40

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$84.8 A$121

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$12.16 A$17.40

Cappuccino

$3.93 A$5.62

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

$3.14 A$4.49

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.43 A$3.47

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$9.90 A$14.17

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$8.29 A$11.86

Milk (1 liter)

$1.55 A$2.21

White Bread (500g)

$3.01 A$4.31

Rice (white) (1kg)

$2.88 A$4.12

Eggs

$5.44 A$7.79

Local Cheese (1kg)

$10.59 A$15.16

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$9.61 A$13.76

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$14.99 A$21.46

Apples (1kg)

$4.15 A$5.94

Banana (1kg)

$3.05 A$4.37

Oranges (1kg)

$3.30 A$4.72

Tomato (1kg)

$4.76 A$6.81

Potato (1kg)

$3.04 A$4.34

Onion (1kg)

$2.55 A$3.65

Lettuce (1 head)

$2.48 A$3.55

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$1.63 A$2.33

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$44.07 A$63.1

Wine (Bottle)

$12.43 A$17.79

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$5.33 A$7.63

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$5.16 A$7.38

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$3.84 A$5.50

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$142 A$203

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$4.40 A$6.29

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.40 A$2.01

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$29.83 A$42.69

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.46 A$2.09

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

$28.1K A$40.3K

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

$25.9K A$37.1K

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

$233 A$333

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

$27.28 A$39.04

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$57.0 A$81.6

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$52.7 A$75.4

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$22.62 A$32.37

Cinema Ticket

$17.10 A$24.48

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

$2,373 A$3,397

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$30.5K A$43.6K

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$78.2 A$112

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$50.5 A$72.2

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$121 A$172

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$133 A$191

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,713 A$2,451

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,402 A$2,006

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$3,339 A$4,778

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$2,529 A$3,619

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$7,018 A$10.0K

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$6,767 A$9,685

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$4,228 A$6,051

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 Alotau: October 3, 2026

Last update for Melbourne: October 6, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Accommodation & Living

Alotau

–

Melbourne

$1.4K 49.3%

Groceries & Markets

Alotau

–

Melbourne

$385 13.5%

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Alotau

–

Melbourne

$317 11.1%

Eating Out

Alotau

–

Melbourne

$314 11%

Clothing & Footwear

Alotau

–

Melbourne

$172 6.1%

Getting Around

Alotau

–

Melbourne

$168 5.9%

Sport & Entertainment

Alotau

–

Melbourne

$87 3.1%

Good to know

🇵🇬 Alotau

🇦🇺 Melbourne

🕒 Local time

21:16 9:16 PM

22:16 10:16 PM

1 h ahead of Alotau

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

47,367

5,031,195

💱 Currency

Papua New Guinean Kina PGK K

Australian Dollar AUD $

📈 Exchange rate

1 PGK = 0.228 USD

1 PGK = 0.204 EUR

1 AUD = 0.699 USD

1 AUD = 0.624 EUR

Exchange rates and currency converter

AUD, USD, EUR to PGK – Papua New Guinean Kina Converter

🇺🇸 United States Dollar ($)

🇵🇬 Papua New Guinean Kina (K)

Papua New Guinean Kina exchange rates as of October 10, 2026: 1 USD = 4.38 PGK (1 PGK = 0.228 USD). 1 EUR = 4.91 PGK (1 PGK = 0.204 EUR).

Australian Dollar exchange rates as of October 10, 2026: 1 USD = 1.43 AUD (1 AUD = 0.699 USD). 1 EUR = 1.6 AUD (1 AUD = 0.624 EUR).

USD to PGK in detail →

On the map

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Between locations

Alotau Melbourne 3,110 km ≈ 4 h 30 min nonstop flight

From you

Alotau
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

Alotau vs Melbourne: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Families tend to lean toward Alotau – lower housing and cheaper childcare make a real difference, especially on a single income or when paying for private education.

Both have safer and rougher neighborhoods, but overall safety is comparable to other large cities. Neighborhood choice matters more than the city-level comparison – central, well-trafficked areas feel secure in both.

If budget matters most, go with Alotau. If higher salaries, better infrastructure, or specific career opportunities are the priority, Melbourne makes more sense. Both are solid long-term options with distinct trade-offs.