Cost of Living Comparison Between Ballarat and Gloucester Cost of Living Comparison Between Ballarat and Gloucester

Monthly Cost of Living

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $1,926 in Ballarat versus $2,444 in Gloucester.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $3,081 in Ballarat versus $3,804 in Gloucester.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $4,235 in Ballarat versus $5,165 in Gloucester.

Living in Ballarat costs roughly 21% less than in Gloucester, driven mainly by Groceries & Markets.

Both cities are pricier than the global median: Ballarat 40% above, Gloucester 78% above.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$17.68 A$24.74

$20.77 £15.37

-14.88%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$72.7 A$102

$80.5 £59.6

-9.75%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$10.73 A$15.01

$9.72 £7.19

10.39%

Cappuccino

$3.83 A$5.36

$4.78 £3.53

-19.87%

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

$3.10 A$4.33

$2.62 £1.94

18.32%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.01 A$2.81

$1.99 £1.47

1.01%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$6.24 A$8.73

$6.70 £4.96

-6.87%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$6.55 A$9.16

$6.23 £4.61

5.14%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.71 A$2.39

$1.73 £1.28

-1.16%

White Bread (500g)

$2.86 A$4.00

$1.86 £1.38

53.76%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$2.41 A$3.37

$2.09 £1.55

15.31%

Eggs

$4.36 A$6.10

$3.85 £2.85

13.25%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$11.57 A$16.19

$9.08 £6.72

27.42%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$9.48 A$13.27

$9.16 £6.78

3.49%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$15.78 A$22.08

$15.16 £11.22

4.09%

Apples (1kg)

$3.68 A$5.15

$2.52 £1.86

46.03%

Banana (1kg)

$3.16 A$4.42

$1.50 £1.11

110.67%

Oranges (1kg)

$3.19 A$4.46

$1.89 £1.40

68.78%

Tomato (1kg)

$4.82 A$6.74

$3.40 £2.52

41.76%

Potato (1kg)

$3.30 A$4.62

$1.63 £1.21

102.45%

Onion (1kg)

$2.63 A$3.68

$1.81 £1.34

45.30%

Lettuce (1 head)

$2.41 A$3.37

$1.40 £1.03

72.14%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$1.52 A$2.13

$1.52 £1.13

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$35.19 A$49.22

$22.51 £16.66

56.33%

Wine (Bottle)

$12.09 A$16.91

$11.54 £8.54

4.77%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$2.35 A$3.29

$3.25 £2.41

-27.69%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.21 A$4.49

$3.08 £2.28

4.22%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$2.76 A$3.86

$3.96 £2.93

-30.30%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$73.0 A$102

$113 £83.7

-35.42%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$2.65 A$3.71

$5.28 £3.91

-49.81%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.40 A$1.96

$2.46 £1.82

-43.09%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$27.81 A$38.90

$23.94 £17.72

16.17%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.24 A$1.74

$1.95 £1.44

-36.41%

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

$29.1K A$40.7K

$39.5K £29.2K

-26.31%

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

$25.8K A$36.1K

$41.5K £30.7K

-37.71%

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

$216 A$302

$334 £247

-35.44%

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

$27.96 A$39.11

$21.28 £15.75

31.39%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$57.7 A$80.8

$49.69 £36.77

16.20%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$32.61 A$45.62

$54.6 £40.37

-40.23%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$11.33 A$15.85

Cinema Ticket

$15.86 A$22.19

$16.53 £12.23

-4.05%

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

$2,207 A$3,087

$1,334 £987

65.39%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$33.2K A$46.4K

$24.2K £17.9K

36.73%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$72.2 A$101

$69.0 £51.1

4.58%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$52.1 A$72.9

$48.23 £35.69

8.09%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$104 A$145

$73.1 £54.1

42.23%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$138 A$193

$81.5 £60.3

68.97%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$936 A$1,309

$1,144 £846

-18.16%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$689 A$963

$1,051 £778

-34.50%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,289 A$1,803

$3,206 £2,372

-59.78%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,527 A$2,135

$2,307 £1,707

-33.84%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$4,901 A$6,855

$4,407 £3,261

11.22%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$3,601 A$5,037

$4,039 £2,989

-10.86%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$3,339 A$4,671

$2,698 £1,996

23.77%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

5.55

5.09

9.04%

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

Last update for Ballarat: August 30, 2026

Last update for Gloucester: August 30, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $936 in Ballarat and $1,144 in Gloucester. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Ballarat pays 24% more on average while also being the cheaper of the two. The combined effect is a noticeably stronger local purchasing power.

Dining out: $73.0 in Ballarat vs $81.0 in Gloucester. Groceries flip the comparison at $362 vs $302, with Gloucester cheaper for home cooking.

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 Gloucester: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Ballarat wins on cost – living expenses run 27% lower than in Gloucester. 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 24% 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: $936 in Ballarat versus $1,144 in Gloucester. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Childcare runs $2,207 in Ballarat versus $1,334 in Gloucester. Over years of preschool, even a modest monthly gap compounds into a major financial factor for families.

Shoppers in Gloucester pay roughly 20% less for everyday groceries. It's an unusual reversal that partly offsets higher costs elsewhere.

At $1,926 in Ballarat versus $2,444 in Gloucester, a $2,000 budget is realistic in Ballarat but tight or insufficient in Gloucester. 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 Gloucester 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 27% less than in Gloucester. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.