Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Australia and the Marshall Islands

Name: Marshall Islands
Address: MH

For one person, living is cheaper in the Marshall Islands: $2,114 a month against $2,537 in Australia, rent and utilities included – about $5,100 less a year. Rent and utilities account for most of the difference.

124

Cost of Living Index in Australia
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Australia Living Index
102

Cost of Living Index in the Marshall Islands
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Marshall Islands Living Index

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🇦🇺 Australia

$2,537

/mo nomad

🇲🇭 Marshall Islands

$2,114

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

How much you'll spend in Australia and in the Marshall Islands

Real prices from locals and on-the-ground checks – rent, groceries, transit and the daily extras. Here's what a month in Australia and in the Marshall Islands actually costs, broken down by who's living it.

A single person spends $2,537 per month in Australia vs $2,114 in the Marshall Islands, rent included.

Australia $2,537
Marshall Islands $2,114

A couple spends around $3,682 per month in Australia vs $2,963 in the Marshall Islands, rent included.

Australia $3,682
Marshall Islands $2,963

A family of three spends $4,828 per month in Australia vs $3,812 in the Marshall Islands, rent included.

Australia $4,828
Marshall Islands $3,812

The regional cost range is wider in Australia ($1,614–$3,182) than in the Marshall Islands ($2,127–$2,127), so city choice matters more there.

The cost of living in Australia is about 20% higher than in the Marshall Islands on average.

Both Australia and the Marshall Islands are pricier than the global median – Australia by 89%, the Marshall Islands by 58%.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$17.66 A$25.27

$7.35 $7.35

140.27%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$82.8 A$118

$29.49 $29.49

180.64%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$11.22 A$16.05

$10.39 $10.39

7.99%

Cappuccino

$3.85 A$5.51

$4.40 $4.40

-12.50%

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

$2.85 A$4.08

$1.78 $1.78

60.11%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.37 A$3.39

$2.92 $2.92

-18.84%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$7.85 A$11.23

$4.53 $4.53

73.29%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$8.49 A$12.16

$4.89 $4.89

73.62%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.74 A$2.49

$2.20 $2.20

-20.91%

White Bread (500g)

$2.78 A$3.98

$3.38 $3.38

-17.75%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$2.21 A$3.16

$1.75 $1.75

26.29%

Eggs

$5.06 A$7.25

$5.18 $5.18

-2.32%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$9.87 A$14.12

$30.56 $30.56

-67.70%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$8.95 A$12.80

$11.12 $11.12

-19.51%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$14.71 A$21.06

$18.31 $18.31

-19.66%

Apples (1kg)

$3.76 A$5.39

$4.32 $4.32

-12.96%

Banana (1kg)

$2.99 A$4.28

$7.39 $7.39

-59.54%

Oranges (1kg)

$3.10 A$4.43

$8.91 $8.91

-65.21%

Tomato (1kg)

$4.62 A$6.61

$13.01 $13.01

-64.49%

Potato (1kg)

$2.82 A$4.03

$5.30 $5.30

-46.79%

Onion (1kg)

$2.30 A$3.29

$5.55 $5.55

-58.56%

Lettuce (1 head)

$2.32 A$3.32

$3.69 $3.69

-37.13%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$1.71 A$2.44

$1.90 $1.90

-10.00%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$38.17 A$54.6

$5.91 $5.91

545.85%

Wine (Bottle)

$13.77 A$19.70

$9.90 $9.90

39.09%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$4.91 A$7.02

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$5.02 A$7.19

$2.41 $2.41

108.30%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$2.84 A$4.07

$3.01 $3.01

-5.65%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$94.3 A$135

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$3.44 A$4.92

$2.79 $2.79

23.30%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.59 A$2.28

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$39.37 A$56.3

$5.12 $5.12

668.95%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.31 A$1.88

$1.85 $1.85

-29.19%

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

$27.7K A$39.7K

$24.6K $24.6K

12.58%

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

$28.1K A$40.2K

$35.2K $35.2K

-20.31%

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

$201 A$288

$251 $251

-19.87%

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

$28.45 A$40.72

$37.63 $37.63

-24.40%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$57.4 A$82.2

$71.8 $71.8

-20.10%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$56.7 A$81.1

$36.77 $36.77

54.07%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$19.28 A$27.60

Cinema Ticket

$15.07 A$21.56

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

$2,116 A$3,028

$148 $148

1326.70%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$18.3K A$26.1K

$2,588 $2,588

605.70%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$79.5 A$114

$69.2 $69.2

14.99%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$54.9 A$78.5

$39.61 $39.61

38.50%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$113 A$161

$29.91 $29.91

276.23%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$122 A$175

$49.52 $49.52

146.32%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,582 A$2,264

$770 $770

105.46%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,225 A$1,753

$867 $867

41.20%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$2,409 A$3,447

$1,344 $1,344

79.25%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,911 A$2,734

$1,268 $1,268

50.65%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$7,995 A$11.4K

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$5,968 A$8,541

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$3,926 A$5,619

$1,014 $1,014

287.35%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

5.92

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

Last update for Australia: October 4, 2026

Last update for the Marshall Islands: October 4, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Accommodation & Living

Australia

$1.2K 48%

Marshall Islands

$867 41.3% 29.2% $357

Groceries & Markets

Australia

$370 14.5%

Marshall Islands

$541 * 25.8% 46.4% $172

Eating Out

Australia

$298 11.7%

Marshall Islands

$194 9.2% 34.9% $104

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Australia

$287 11.3%

Marshall Islands

$360 17.2% 25.6% $73

Clothing & Footwear

Australia

$166 6.5%

Marshall Islands

$85 4% 49% $81

Getting Around

Australia

$117 4.6%

Marshall Islands

$15 * 0.7% 87.3% $102

Sport & Entertainment

Australia

$87 3.4%

Marshall Islands

$37 * 1.8% 57.6% $50

Categories marked with * are only partly priced – their share counts the items that do have prices.

Cost Breakdown

Average rent: $1,371 in Australia vs $790 in the Marshall Islands. For reference, capital cities sit at $1,711 in Canberra and $790 in Majuro.

Average salary: $3,856 in Australia vs $1,007 in the Marshall Islands. The income gap affects purchasing power and how far your budget stretches in each country.

Cost Highlights

Rent is 74% higher in Australia.

Dining out costs 177% more in Australia.

Salaries are 283% higher in Australia, and purchasing power comes out stronger in Australia.

Good to know

🇦🇺 Australia

🇲🇭 Marshall Islands

🕒 Local time

00:05 12:05 AM

01:05 1:05 AM

1 h ahead of Australia

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

26,473,055

53,127

💱 Currency

Australian Dollar AUD $

United States Dollar USD $

📈 Exchange rate

1 AUD = 0.699 USD

1 AUD = 0.624 EUR

1 USD = 0.892 EUR

Exchange rates and currency converter

USD, EUR to AUD – Australian Dollar Converter

🇺🇸 United States Dollar ($)

🇦🇺 Australian Dollar ($)

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).

United States Dollar exchange rates as of October 10, 2026: 1 EUR = 1.12 USD (1 USD = 0.892 EUR).

USD to AUD in detail →

On the map

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Between locations

Australia Marshall Islands 5,260 km ≈ 7 h nonstop flight

From you

Australia
Marshall Islands

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

Australia vs Marshall Islands: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

The Marshall Islands is the cheaper option – living costs run roughly 20% lower on average.

Housing costs more in Australia: a central one-bedroom averages $1,371 versus $790 in the Marshall Islands.

$2,500 buys a comfortable lifestyle in the Marshall Islands, but in Australia it only works with careful planning outside the capital. Same money, very different lives.

The Marshall Islands is the budget-friendly choice for expats – lower housing and daily costs. But cost isn't everything: visa policies, language, healthcare quality, and job markets all weigh in too.