Cost of Living Comparison Between Ballarat and San Gwann Cost of Living Comparison Between Ballarat and San Gwann

Monthly Cost of Living

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $1,663 in Ballarat versus $2,008 in San Gwann.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $2,699 in Ballarat versus $3,024 in San Gwann.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $3,734 in Ballarat versus $4,040 in San Gwann.

Living in Ballarat costs roughly 17% less than in San Gwann, driven mainly by Eating Out.

Both cities are pricier than the global median: Ballarat 24% above, San Gwann 50% above.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$13.78 A$19.20

$21.88 €18.82

-37.02%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$66.0 A$91.9

$69.4 €59.7

-4.94%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$9.60 A$13.38

$11.52 €9.91

-16.67%

Cappuccino

$3.48 A$4.84

$2.65 €2.28

31.32%

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

$2.61 A$3.64

$2.23 €1.92

17.04%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.09 A$2.91

$1.16 €1.00

80.17%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$6.15 A$8.57

$4.50 €3.87

36.67%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$6.79 A$9.47

$4.53 €3.89

49.89%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.44 A$2.01

$1.32 €1.14

9.09%

White Bread (500g)

$2.49 A$3.47

$1.52 €1.31

63.82%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.57 A$2.19

$3.41 €2.94

-53.96%

Eggs

$4.03 A$5.62

$3.80 €3.27

6.05%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$9.10 A$12.68

$9.76 €8.39

-6.76%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$9.04 A$12.60

$10.65 €9.16

-15.12%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$14.67 A$20.44

$13.93 €11.98

5.31%

Apples (1kg)

$3.22 A$4.49

$3.47 €2.98

-7.20%

Banana (1kg)

$2.81 A$3.91

$1.98 €1.70

41.92%

Oranges (1kg)

$2.84 A$3.96

$2.81 €2.42

1.07%

Tomato (1kg)

$3.87 A$5.40

$3.21 €2.76

20.56%

Potato (1kg)

$2.69 A$3.74

$1.88 €1.62

43.09%

Onion (1kg)

$2.26 A$3.15

$1.53 €1.31

47.71%

Lettuce (1 head)

$2.14 A$2.98

$1.91 €1.64

12.04%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$1.00 A$1.40

$0.66 €0.57

51.52%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$31.17 A$43.43

$6.79 €5.84

359.06%

Wine (Bottle)

$14.07 A$19.61

$5.93 €5.10

137.27%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$2.15 A$3.00

$1.26 €1.08

70.63%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.01 A$4.20

$1.31 €1.12

129.77%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$1.66 A$2.31

$2.25 €1.93

-26.22%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$65.3 A$91.0

$15.14 €13.02

331.44%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$2.36 A$3.28

$7.09 €6.10

-66.71%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.21 A$1.69

$1.89 €1.63

-35.98%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$25.03 A$34.88

$35.17 €30.26

-28.83%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.11 A$1.55

$1.53 €1.31

-27.45%

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

$27.6K A$38.5K

$26.1K €22.5K

5.73%

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

$22.8K A$31.8K

$29.4K €25.3K

-22.32%

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

$153 A$213

$119 €102

28.92%

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

$21.26 A$29.63

$29.62 €25.48

-28.22%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$50.5 A$70.3

$32.45 €27.91

55.53%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$32.00 A$44.59

$59.4 €51.1

-46.14%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$15.80 A$22.02

$22.92 €19.71

-31.06%

Cinema Ticket

$10.86 A$15.13

$10.52 €9.05

3.23%

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

$329 A$458

$444 €382

-25.97%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$19.5K A$27.1K

$11.4K €9,811

70.73%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$65.1 A$90.7

$58.4 €50.3

11.43%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$52.9 A$73.8

$63.8 €54.8

-16.99%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$87.3 A$122

$83.0 €71.4

5.12%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$93.8 A$131

$135 €117

-30.79%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$861 A$1,199

$1,205 €1,037

-28.58%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$638 A$888

$957 €824

-33.40%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$2,015 A$2,808

$2,430 €2,090

-17.08%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,350 A$1,881

$1,661 €1,429

-18.72%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$4,884 A$6,806

$5,898 €5,074

-17.20%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$3,585 A$4,995

$2,858 €2,459

25.42%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$3,249 A$4,527

$1,803 €1,551

80.20%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

6.07

4.28

41.82%

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

Last update for Ballarat: June 1, 2026

Last update for San Gwann: June 1, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $861 in Ballarat and $1,205 in San Gwann. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Ballarat pays 80% more on average while also being the cheaper of the two. The combined effect is a noticeably stronger local purchasing power.

Dining out: $66.0 in Ballarat vs $69.0 in San Gwann. Groceries flip the comparison at $320 vs $283, with San Gwann 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 San Gwann: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Ballarat wins on cost – living expenses run 21% lower than in San Gwann. Housing and daily spending are where you'll feel the difference most, making Ballarat the obvious pick if budget is a priority.

Ballarat pays 80% more on average, 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: $861 in Ballarat versus $1,205 in San Gwann. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Childcare runs $329 in Ballarat versus $444 in San Gwann. Over years of preschool, even a modest monthly gap compounds into a major financial factor for families.

Shoppers in San Gwann pay roughly 13% less for everyday groceries. It's an unusual reversal that partly offsets higher costs elsewhere.

At $1,663 in Ballarat versus $2,008 in San Gwann, a $2,000 budget is realistic in Ballarat but tight or insufficient in San Gwann. 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 San Gwann 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 21% less than in San Gwann. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.