Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Apia and Melbourne

For one person, living is cheaper in Apia: $851 a month against $2,852 in Melbourne, rent and utilities included – about $24,000 less a year. Rent and utilities account for most of the difference.

137

Cost of Living Index in Melbourne
Learn more

Melbourne Living Index

Jump to prices

Apia

🇼🇸 Samoa

$851

/mo nomad

Melbourne

🇦🇺 Australia

$2,852

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

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

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $851 in Apia versus $2,852 in Melbourne.

Apia $851
Melbourne $2,852

Estimated couple costs with rent: $2,281 in Apia versus $4,297 in Melbourne.

Apia $2,281
Melbourne $4,297

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $3,711 in Apia versus $5,742 in Melbourne.

Apia $3,711
Melbourne $5,742

Living in Apia costs roughly 70% less than in Melbourne, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in eating out.

The two cities straddle the global median: Apia is 36% below, Melbourne is 113% above.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$47.76 WST 133

$17.75 A$25.40

169.07%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$36.89 WST 103

$84.8 A$121

-56.51%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$14.51 WST 40.39

$12.16 A$17.40

19.33%

Cappuccino

$2.93 WST 8.15

$3.93 A$5.62

-25.45%

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

$1.80 WST 5.01

$3.14 A$4.49

-42.68%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.39 WST 3.88

$2.43 A$3.47

-42.80%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$3.51 WST 9.78

$9.90 A$14.17

-64.55%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.67 WST 10.20

$8.29 A$11.86

-55.73%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.83 WST 5.09

$1.55 A$2.21

18.06%

White Bread (500g)

$0.84 WST 2.34

$3.01 A$4.31

-72.09%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.86 WST 5.17

$2.88 A$4.12

-35.42%

Eggs

$4.15 WST 11.55

$5.44 A$7.79

-23.71%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$0.94 WST 2.62

$10.59 A$15.16

-91.12%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$3.67 WST 10.21

$9.61 A$13.76

-61.81%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$8.60 WST 23.92

$14.99 A$21.46

-42.63%

Apples (1kg)

$5.22 WST 14.54

$4.15 A$5.94

25.78%

Banana (1kg)

$1.79 WST 4.99

$3.05 A$4.37

-41.31%

Oranges (1kg)

$1.87 WST 5.21

$3.30 A$4.72

-43.33%

Tomato (1kg)

$4.34 WST 12.07

$4.76 A$6.81

-8.82%

Potato (1kg)

$3.70 WST 10.29

$3.04 A$4.34

21.71%

Onion (1kg)

$1.11 WST 3.10

$2.55 A$3.65

-56.47%

Lettuce (1 head)

$2.48 A$3.55

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$1.22 WST 3.40

$1.63 A$2.33

-25.15%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$6.31 WST 17.55

$44.07 A$63.1

-85.68%

Wine (Bottle)

$16.32 WST 45.41

$12.43 A$17.79

31.30%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.87 WST 5.19

$5.33 A$7.63

-64.92%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.68 WST 10.24

$5.16 A$7.38

-28.68%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$3.57 WST 9.94

$3.84 A$5.50

-7.03%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$142 A$203

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$5.33 WST 14.84

$4.40 A$6.29

21.14%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$5.42 WST 15.08

$1.40 A$2.01

287.14%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$21.64 WST 60.2

$29.83 A$42.69

-27.46%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.06 WST 2.95

$1.46 A$2.09

-27.40%

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)

$18.16 WST 50.6

$233 A$333

-92.19%

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

$18.40 WST 51.2

$27.28 A$39.04

-32.55%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$36.53 WST 102

$57.0 A$81.6

-35.96%

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)

$1,790 WST 4,982

$2,529 A$3,619

-29.20%

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 Apia: October 6, 2026

Last update for Melbourne: October 6, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Accommodation & Living

Apia

–

Melbourne

$1.4K 49.3%

Groceries & Markets

Apia

–

Melbourne

$385 13.5%

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Apia

–

Melbourne

$317 11.1%

Eating Out

Apia

–

Melbourne

$314 11%

Clothing & Footwear

Apia

–

Melbourne

$172 6.1%

Getting Around

Apia

–

Melbourne

$168 5.9%

Sport & Entertainment

Apia

–

Melbourne

$87 3.1%

Cost Breakdown

Dining out: $37.00 in Apia vs $85.0 in Melbourne for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $241 vs $385 per month, with Apia cheaper across the board.

Good to know

🇼🇸 Apia

🇦🇺 Melbourne

🕒 Local time

19:19 7:19 PM

17:19 5:19 PM

2 h behind Apia

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

36,000 Capital

5,031,195

💱 Currency

Samoan Tala WST T

Australian Dollar AUD $

📈 Exchange rate

1 WST = 0.359 USD

1 WST = 0.32 EUR

1 AUD = 0.699 USD

1 AUD = 0.623 EUR

Exchange rates and currency converter

AUD, USD, EUR to WST – Samoan Tala Converter

🇺🇸 United States Dollar ($)

🇼🇸 Samoan Tala (T)

Samoan Tala exchange rates as of October 10, 2026: 1 USD = 2.78 WST (1 WST = 0.359 USD). 1 EUR = 3.12 WST (1 WST = 0.32 EUR).

Australian Dollar exchange rates as of October 10, 2026: 1 USD = 1.43 AUD (1 AUD = 0.699 USD). 1 EUR = 1.61 AUD (1 AUD = 0.623 EUR).

USD to WST in detail →

On the map

Lowest

Highest

Between locations

Apia Melbourne 5,020 km ≈ 7 h nonstop flight

From you

Apia
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

Apia vs Melbourne: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Apia wins on cost – living expenses run 235% lower than in Melbourne. Housing and daily spending are where you'll feel the difference most, making Apia the obvious pick if budget is a priority.

You'd need roughly $1,277 in Apia and $4,277 in Melbourne to live well. The gap comes down to housing and overall price levels. Both cities are liveable on less, but these numbers represent actual comfort.

All in, you'll spend $851 per month in Apia versus $2,852 in Melbourne – a 235% gap that adds up to real savings over time for anyone picking the cheaper option.

Supermarket bills run roughly 60% higher in Melbourne. For households that cook at home regularly, that difference adds up over a month.

At $851 in Apia versus $2,852 in Melbourne, a $1,000 budget is realistic in Apia but tight or insufficient in Melbourne. The gap between the two cities makes Apia 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, Apia 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 Apia gentler on the wallet – expenses run 235% less than in Melbourne. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.