Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Ballarat and Melbourne

For one person, living is cheaper in Ballarat: $1,902 a month against $2,821 in Melbourne, rent and utilities included – about $11,000 less a year. Rent and utilities account for most of the difference.

93

Cost of Living Index in Ballarat
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Ballarat Living Index
138

Cost of Living Index in Melbourne
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Melbourne Living Index

Jump to prices

Ballarat

🇦🇺 Australia

$1,902

/mo nomad

Melbourne

🇦🇺 Australia

$2,821

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

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

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $1,902 in Ballarat versus $2,821 in Melbourne.

Ballarat $1,902
Melbourne $2,821

Estimated couple costs with rent: $3,035 in Ballarat versus $4,235 in Melbourne.

Ballarat $3,035
Melbourne $4,235

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $4,168 in Ballarat versus $5,650 in Melbourne.

Ballarat $4,168
Melbourne $5,650

Living in Ballarat costs roughly 33% less than in Melbourne, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in transport.

Both cities are pricier than the global median: Ballarat 41% above, Melbourne 109% above.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$17.70 A$25.47

$17.43 A$25.08

1.55%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$69.9 A$101

$84.6 A$122

-17.33%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$10.27 A$14.78

$12.46 A$17.92

-17.58%

Cappuccino

$3.79 A$5.45

$4.11 A$5.91

-7.79%

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

$2.95 A$4.24

$3.06 A$4.40

-3.59%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.89 A$2.72

$2.52 A$3.62

-25.00%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$6.06 A$8.72

$9.80 A$14.10

-38.16%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$6.09 A$8.77

$8.57 A$12.33

-28.94%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.57 A$2.27

$1.48 A$2.14

6.08%

White Bread (500g)

$2.65 A$3.82

$2.94 A$4.23

-9.86%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$2.32 A$3.35

$2.66 A$3.82

-12.78%

Eggs

$4.09 A$5.88

$5.54 A$7.97

-26.17%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$10.56 A$15.20

$10.51 A$15.13

0.48%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$9.96 A$14.33

$9.65 A$13.89

3.21%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$14.97 A$21.55

$15.22 A$21.91

-1.64%

Apples (1kg)

$3.51 A$5.04

$3.99 A$5.75

-12.03%

Banana (1kg)

$3.02 A$4.34

Oranges (1kg)

$3.11 A$4.48

$3.10 A$4.46

0.32%

Tomato (1kg)

$4.68 A$6.73

$4.82 A$6.93

-2.90%

Potato (1kg)

$3.07 A$4.42

$3.03 A$4.36

1.32%

Onion (1kg)

$2.55 A$3.67

$2.44 A$3.52

4.51%

Lettuce (1 head)

$2.35 A$3.38

$2.46 A$3.54

-4.47%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$1.48 A$2.14

$1.63 A$2.34

-9.20%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$34.39 A$49.49

$44.07 A$63.4

-21.97%

Wine (Bottle)

$12.66 A$18.21

$12.70 A$18.28

-0.31%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$2.31 A$3.33

$5.54 A$7.97

-58.30%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.11 A$4.48

$5.23 A$7.52

-40.54%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$2.76 A$3.97

$3.74 A$5.38

-26.20%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$69.9 A$101

$138 A$198

-49.21%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$2.53 A$3.65

$4.51 A$6.50

-43.90%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.34 A$1.93

$1.36 A$1.96

-1.47%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$26.64 A$38.33

$30.45 A$43.81

-12.51%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.18 A$1.70

$1.47 A$2.12

-19.73%

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

$28.4K A$40.9K

$29.0K A$41.7K

-1.95%

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

$26.0K A$37.4K

$26.5K A$38.1K

-1.81%

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

$206 A$296

$234 A$336

-12.03%

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

$27.76 A$39.95

$27.93 A$40.19

-0.61%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$57.4 A$82.6

$55.7 A$80.2

2.98%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$31.36 A$45.13

$49.40 A$71.1

-36.52%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$11.18 A$16.09

$21.48 A$30.91

-47.95%

Cinema Ticket

$15.38 A$22.14

$15.09 A$21.72

1.92%

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

$2,144 A$3,085

$2,371 A$3,412

-9.59%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$30.2K A$43.4K

$30.2K A$43.5K

-0.01%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$68.7 A$98.8

$80.0 A$115

-14.16%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$50.1 A$72.2

$50.7 A$73.0

-1.10%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$99.6 A$143

$121 A$174

-17.45%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$134 A$193

$130 A$188

2.61%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$923 A$1,329

$1,759 A$2,531

-47.51%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$671 A$965

$1,390 A$2,000

-51.73%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,288 A$1,854

$3,494 A$5,027

-63.13%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,454 A$2,092

$2,493 A$3,588

-41.70%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$4,622 A$6,651

$6,926 A$9,967

-33.27%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$3,449 A$4,963

$6,445 A$9,274

-46.49%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$3,136 A$4,512

$4,383 A$6,307

-28.46%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

5.55

5.9

-5.93%

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

Last update for Ballarat: October 11, 2026

Last update for Melbourne: October 10, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Accommodation & Living

Ballarat

$671 35.3%

Melbourne

$1.4K 49.3% 107% $719

Groceries & Markets

Ballarat

$350 18.4%

Melbourne

$384 13.6% 9.6% $34

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Ballarat

$291 15.3%

Melbourne

$317 11.3% 9.2% $27

Eating Out

Ballarat

$280 14.7%

Melbourne

$315 11.2% 12.5% $35

Clothing & Footwear

Ballarat

$158 8.3%

Melbourne

$172 6.1% 8.4% $13

Getting Around

Ballarat

$90 4.7%

Melbourne

$164 5.8% 81.7% $74

Sport & Entertainment

Ballarat

$62 3.3%

Melbourne

$80 2.8% 28.1% $17

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $923 in Ballarat and $1,759 in Melbourne. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Melbourne pays 40% more on average. The extra income cushions the higher costs, though housing choices and lifestyle decide how much of the gap is truly closed.

Dining out: $70.0 in Ballarat vs $85.0 in Melbourne for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $350 vs $384 per month, with Ballarat cheaper across the board.

Good to know

🇦🇺 Ballarat

🇦🇺 Melbourne

🕒 Local time

21:15 9:15 PM

Same time as Ballarat

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

105,348

5,031,195

💱 Currency

Australian Dollar AUD $

📈 Exchange rate

1 AUD = 0.695 USD

1 AUD = 0.618 EUR

1 AUD = 0.695 USD

1 AUD = 0.618 EUR

Exchange rates and currency converter

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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 Melbourne: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Ballarat wins on cost – living expenses run 48% lower than in Melbourne. Housing and daily spending are where you'll feel the difference most, making Ballarat the obvious pick if budget is a priority.

On paper, salaries run 40% lower in Melbourne. That's worth factoring in alongside costs, though remote workers earning in a stronger currency may not notice the difference at all.

Rent for a central apartment: $923 in Ballarat versus $1,759 in Melbourne. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Childcare runs $2,144 in Ballarat versus $2,371 in Melbourne. Over years of preschool, even a modest monthly gap compounds into a major financial factor for families.

Supermarket bills run roughly 10% higher in Melbourne. For households that cook at home regularly, that difference adds up over a month.

At $1,902 in Ballarat versus $2,821 in Melbourne, a $2,000 budget is realistic in Ballarat but tight or insufficient in Melbourne. 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 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 Ballarat gentler on the wallet – expenses run 48% less than in Melbourne. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.