Cost of Living Comparison Between Ballarat and Split Cost of Living Comparison Between Ballarat and Split

Monthly Cost of Living

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $1,676 in Ballarat versus $1,822 in Split.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $2,749 in Ballarat versus $2,773 in Split.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $3,823 in Ballarat versus $3,724 in Split.

Living in Ballarat costs roughly 8% less than in Split, driven mainly by Groceries & Markets.

Both cities are pricier than the global median: Ballarat 25% above, Split 36% above.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$14.18 A$20.29

$17.34 €15.15

-18.22%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$64.2 A$92.0

$82.0 €71.6

-21.65%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$9.73 A$13.94

$9.48 €8.29

2.64%

Cappuccino

$3.55 A$5.09

$2.79 €2.44

27.24%

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

$2.53 A$3.62

$3.52 €3.08

-28.13%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.02 A$2.89

$2.85 €2.49

-29.12%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$6.03 A$8.63

$5.56 €4.86

8.45%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$7.01 A$10.03

$4.79 €4.18

46.35%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.46 A$2.09

$1.37 €1.20

6.57%

White Bread (500g)

$2.57 A$3.68

$1.86 €1.63

38.17%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.54 A$2.21

$3.75 €3.27

-58.93%

Eggs

$4.27 A$6.12

$3.78 €3.30

12.96%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$8.82 A$12.62

$12.44 €10.87

-29.10%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$9.47 A$13.56

$9.71 €8.49

-2.47%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$14.55 A$20.83

$13.90 €12.14

4.68%

Apples (1kg)

$3.26 A$4.67

$1.85 €1.62

76.22%

Banana (1kg)

$2.81 A$4.03

$1.85 €1.62

51.89%

Oranges (1kg)

$2.89 A$4.13

$2.29 €2.00

26.20%

Tomato (1kg)

$3.88 A$5.56

$2.35 €2.06

65.11%

Potato (1kg)

$2.69 A$3.85

$1.45 €1.26

85.52%

Onion (1kg)

$2.33 A$3.33

$1.38 €1.20

68.84%

Lettuce (1 head)

$2.19 A$3.13

$1.43 €1.25

53.15%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$1.04 A$1.49

$1.31 €1.14

-20.61%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$31.14 A$44.58

$5.95 €5.20

423.36%

Wine (Bottle)

$13.93 A$19.95

$9.23 €8.06

50.92%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$2.14 A$3.07

$1.70 €1.49

25.88%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.90 A$4.15

$2.34 €2.05

23.93%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$1.71 A$2.45

$1.78 €1.56

-3.93%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$64.6 A$92.6

$39.52 €34.53

63.56%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$2.32 A$3.33

$3.48 €3.04

-33.33%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.15 A$1.65

$2.07 €1.81

-44.44%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$24.91 A$35.67

$9.22 €8.05

170.17%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.14 A$1.64

$1.75 €1.53

-34.86%

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

$27.8K A$39.8K

$38.0K €33.2K

-26.82%

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

$23.1K A$33.1K

$26.3K €23.0K

-11.87%

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

$153 A$219

$210 €183

-27.18%

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

$20.80 A$29.78

$23.64 €20.65

-12.01%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$50.2 A$71.8

$34.74 €30.35

44.42%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$32.31 A$46.26

$59.1 €51.6

-45.33%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$15.46 A$22.14

$14.19 €12.39

8.95%

Cinema Ticket

$11.21 A$16.05

$9.25 €8.08

21.19%

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

$321 A$460

$188 €164

71.17%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$19.0K A$27.2K

$8,934 €7,806

112.94%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$65.8 A$94.2

$82.5 €72.0

-20.22%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$53.1 A$76.0

$39.38 €34.41

34.76%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$86.0 A$123

$110 €95.9

-21.65%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$90.8 A$130

$105 €91.5

-13.21%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$860 A$1,231

$976 €853

-11.94%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$632 A$904

$705 €616

-10.46%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$2,055 A$2,943

$1,908 €1,667

7.72%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,339 A$1,918

$1,243 €1,086

7.75%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$4,630 A$6,629

$7,166 €6,261

-35.38%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$3,407 A$4,877

$5,134 €4,485

-33.64%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$3,172 A$4,542

$1,660 €1,450

91.09%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

6.07

4.27

42.15%

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

Last update for Ballarat: July 13, 2026

Last update for Split: July 13, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $860 in Ballarat and $976 in Split. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Ballarat pays 91% more on average while also being the cheaper of the two. The combined effect is a noticeably stronger local purchasing power.

Dining out: $64.0 in Ballarat vs $82.0 in Split. Groceries flip the comparison at $323 vs $291, with Split 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 Split: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Ballarat wins on cost – living expenses run 9% lower than in Split. 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 91% 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: $860 in Ballarat versus $976 in Split. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Childcare runs $321 in Ballarat versus $188 in Split. Over years of preschool, even a modest monthly gap compounds into a major financial factor for families.

Shoppers in Split pay roughly 11% less for everyday groceries. It's an unusual reversal that partly offsets higher costs elsewhere.

At $1,676 in Ballarat versus $1,822 in Split, a $2,000 budget is realistic in Ballarat but tight or insufficient in Split. The gap between the two cities makes Ballarat the clear choice for anyone on this budget.

Both work as nomad bases, but Ballarat delivers better value – similar infrastructure at $1,676 monthly. If stretching your runway or maximizing savings is the goal, the price difference makes Ballarat hard to pass up.

Safety-wise, Ballarat and Split 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 9% less than in Split. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.