Cost of Living Comparison Between Ballarat and Blackpool Cost of Living Comparison Between Ballarat and Blackpool

Monthly Cost of Living

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $1,914 in Ballarat versus $2,109 in Blackpool.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $3,065 in Ballarat versus $3,052 in Blackpool.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $4,217 in Ballarat versus $3,995 in Blackpool.

Living in Ballarat costs roughly 9% less than in Blackpool, driven mainly by Getting Around.

Both cities are pricier than the global median: Ballarat 40% above, Blackpool 54% above.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$17.86 A$25.08

$19.87 £14.84

-10.12%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$71.5 A$100

$65.3 £48.73

9.56%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$10.68 A$15.00

$10.65 £7.95

0.28%

Cappuccino

$3.94 A$5.54

$3.72 £2.78

5.91%

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

$3.02 A$4.24

$1.94 £1.45

55.67%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.98 A$2.78

$1.11 £0.83

78.38%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$6.27 A$8.80

$4.76 £3.55

31.72%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$6.53 A$9.16

$5.47 £4.08

19.38%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.64 A$2.30

$1.72 £1.28

-4.65%

White Bread (500g)

$2.82 A$3.96

$2.05 £1.53

37.56%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$2.29 A$3.22

$2.46 £1.84

-6.91%

Eggs

$4.25 A$5.97

$3.46 £2.58

22.83%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$11.12 A$15.62

$13.34 £9.96

-16.64%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$9.89 A$13.88

$9.61 £7.18

2.91%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$15.29 A$21.47

$14.36 £10.72

6.48%

Apples (1kg)

$3.73 A$5.23

$4.83 £3.61

-22.77%

Banana (1kg)

$3.10 A$4.35

$1.70 £1.27

82.35%

Oranges (1kg)

$3.30 A$4.63

$2.85 £2.12

15.79%

Tomato (1kg)

$4.74 A$6.66

$2.77 £2.06

71.12%

Potato (1kg)

$3.13 A$4.39

$2.20 £1.64

42.27%

Onion (1kg)

$2.60 A$3.65

$1.99 £1.49

30.65%

Lettuce (1 head)

$2.49 A$3.50

$1.46 £1.09

70.55%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$1.54 A$2.16

$1.47 £1.10

4.76%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$35.51 A$49.86

$20.62 £15.40

72.21%

Wine (Bottle)

$12.34 A$17.32

$10.65 £7.95

15.87%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$2.37 A$3.32

$2.58 £1.93

-8.14%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.16 A$4.44

$4.04 £3.02

-21.78%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$2.84 A$3.99

$3.32 £2.48

-14.46%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$71.2 A$100.0

$87.3 £65.2

-18.43%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$2.59 A$3.63

$5.51 £4.11

-52.99%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.38 A$1.94

$3.54 £2.64

-61.02%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$27.32 A$38.37

$30.13 £22.50

-9.33%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.24 A$1.74

$1.86 £1.39

-33.33%

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

$28.3K A$39.8K

$38.8K £28.9K

-26.89%

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

$26.4K A$37.1K

$39.7K £29.6K

-33.54%

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

$216 A$303

$390 £291

-44.60%

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

$28.70 A$40.30

$18.32 £13.68

56.66%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$57.0 A$80.0

$44.18 £32.99

28.97%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$32.30 A$45.36

$33.18 £24.77

-2.65%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$11.32 A$15.89

$33.92 £25.33

-66.63%

Cinema Ticket

$15.43 A$21.66

$13.32 £9.95

15.84%

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

$2,222 A$3,120

$941 £703

136.06%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$31.7K A$44.6K

$54.0K £40.3K

-41.23%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$72.2 A$101

$103 £76.9

-29.87%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$52.3 A$73.4

$63.9 £47.69

-18.13%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$104 A$145

$83.8 £62.6

23.61%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$134 A$188

$79.8 £59.6

68.00%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$954 A$1,339

$892 £666

6.87%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$677 A$951

$728 £544

-7.02%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,320 A$1,854

$1,262 £942

4.65%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,492 A$2,095

$1,079 £805

38.33%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$4,900 A$6,881

$2,783 £2,078

76.06%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$3,586 A$5,036

$2,301 £1,718

55.88%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$3,232 A$4,538

$2,972 £2,220

8.72%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

5.55

5.63

-1.42%

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

Last update for Ballarat: September 13, 2026

Last update for Blackpool: September 15, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $954 in Ballarat and $892 in Blackpool. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Ballarat pays 9% more on average while also being the cheaper of the two. The combined effect is a noticeably stronger local purchasing power.

Dining out: $72.0 in Ballarat vs $65.0 in Blackpool for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $359 vs $328 per month, with Blackpool cheaper across the board.

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

Ballarat vs Blackpool: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Ballarat wins on cost – living expenses run 10% lower than in Blackpool. Housing and daily spending are where you'll feel the difference most, making Ballarat the obvious pick if budget is a priority.

Average pay runs 9% higher in Ballarat, 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: $954 in Ballarat versus $892 in Blackpool. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Childcare runs $2,222 in Ballarat versus $941 in Blackpool. Over years of preschool, even a modest monthly gap compounds into a major financial factor for families.

Shoppers in Blackpool pay roughly 9% less for everyday groceries. It's an unusual reversal that partly offsets higher costs elsewhere.

At $1,914 in Ballarat versus $2,109 in Blackpool, a $2,000 budget is realistic in Ballarat but tight or insufficient in Blackpool. The gap between the two cities makes Ballarat 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, Ballarat and Blackpool 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 Ballarat gentler on the wallet – expenses run 10% less than in Blackpool. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.