Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Ballina and Melbourne

For one person, living is cheaper in Ballina: $2,462 a month against $2,821 in Melbourne, rent and utilities included – about $4,300 less a year. Rent and utilities account for most of the difference.

121

Cost of Living Index in Ballina
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Ballina Living Index
138

Cost of Living Index in Melbourne
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Melbourne Living Index

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Ballina

🇦🇺 Australia

$2,462

/mo nomad

Melbourne

🇦🇺 Australia

$2,821

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

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

A single person spends $2,462 per month in Ballina vs $2,821 in Melbourne, rent included.

Ballina $2,462
Melbourne $2,821

A couple spends around $3,724 per month in Ballina vs $4,235 in Melbourne, rent included.

Ballina $3,724
Melbourne $4,235

A family of three spends $4,986 per month in Ballina vs $5,650 in Melbourne, rent included.

Ballina $4,986
Melbourne $5,650

Ballina is about 13% cheaper than Melbourne, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in transport.

Both Ballina and Melbourne sit above the global median – Ballina by 82%, Melbourne by 109%.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$17.33 A$24.93

$17.43 A$25.08

-0.57%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$82.9 A$119

$84.6 A$122

-2.01%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$9.17 A$13.19

$12.46 A$17.92

-26.40%

Cappuccino

$3.90 A$5.61

$4.11 A$5.91

-5.11%

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

$2.84 A$4.08

$3.06 A$4.40

-7.19%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.27 A$3.27

$2.52 A$3.62

-9.92%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$7.59 A$10.93

$9.80 A$14.10

-22.55%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$7.44 A$10.71

$8.57 A$12.33

-13.19%

Milk (1 liter)

$2.66 A$3.82

$1.48 A$2.14

79.73%

White Bread (500g)

$3.25 A$4.67

$2.94 A$4.23

10.54%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$2.18 A$3.14

$2.66 A$3.82

-18.05%

Eggs

$5.69 A$8.18

$5.54 A$7.97

2.71%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$6.36 A$9.15

$10.51 A$15.13

-39.49%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$9.17 A$13.20

$9.65 A$13.89

-4.97%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$15.05 A$21.66

$15.22 A$21.91

-1.12%

Apples (1kg)

$3.52 A$5.07

$3.99 A$5.75

-11.78%

Banana (1kg)

$3.11 A$4.47

$3.02 A$4.34

2.98%

Oranges (1kg)

$3.19 A$4.59

$3.10 A$4.46

2.90%

Tomato (1kg)

$3.49 A$5.02

$4.82 A$6.93

-27.59%

Potato (1kg)

$2.69 A$3.87

$3.03 A$4.36

-11.22%

Onion (1kg)

$2.33 A$3.35

$2.44 A$3.52

-4.51%

Lettuce (1 head)

$3.54 A$5.10

$2.46 A$3.54

43.90%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$1.53 A$2.20

$1.63 A$2.34

-6.13%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$42.38 A$61.0

$44.07 A$63.4

-3.83%

Wine (Bottle)

$13.97 A$20.10

$12.70 A$18.28

10.00%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$4.81 A$6.93

$5.54 A$7.97

-13.18%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$5.15 A$7.41

$5.23 A$7.52

-1.53%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$3.30 A$4.75

$3.74 A$5.38

-11.76%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$92.7 A$133

$138 A$198

-32.61%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$3.54 A$5.09

$4.51 A$6.50

-21.51%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.70 A$2.44

$1.36 A$1.96

25.00%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$39.11 A$56.3

$30.45 A$43.81

28.44%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.25 A$1.80

$1.47 A$2.12

-14.97%

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

$26.8K A$38.6K

$29.0K A$41.7K

-7.56%

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

$33.0K A$47.4K

$26.5K A$38.1K

24.47%

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

$216 A$311

$234 A$336

-7.61%

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

$31.56 A$45.42

$27.93 A$40.19

13.00%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$49.28 A$70.9

$55.7 A$80.2

-11.59%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$61.1 A$88.0

$49.40 A$71.1

23.72%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$17.31 A$24.91

$21.48 A$30.91

-19.41%

Cinema Ticket

$15.89 A$22.86

$15.09 A$21.72

5.30%

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

$1,912 A$2,752

$2,371 A$3,412

-19.35%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$22.5K A$32.4K

$30.2K A$43.5K

-25.52%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$80.3 A$116

$80.0 A$115

0.46%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$55.6 A$79.9

$50.7 A$73.0

9.57%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$102 A$147

$121 A$174

-15.22%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$136 A$195

$130 A$188

3.90%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,541 A$2,218

$1,759 A$2,531

-12.37%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,126 A$1,620

$1,390 A$2,000

-19.01%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$2,038 A$2,933

$3,494 A$5,027

-41.66%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$2,001 A$2,880

$2,493 A$3,588

-19.72%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$6,245 A$8,987

$6,926 A$9,967

-9.83%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$4,569 A$6,575

$6,445 A$9,274

-29.10%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$4,383 A$6,307

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

5.84

5.9

-1.02%

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

Last update for Ballina: October 13, 2026

Last update for Melbourne: October 10, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Accommodation & Living

Ballina

$1.1K 45.7%

Melbourne

$1.4K 49.3% 23.5% $264

Groceries & Markets

Ballina

$375 15.2%

Melbourne

$384 13.6% 2.5% $9.4

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Ballina

$297 12.1%

Melbourne

$317 11.3% 6.9% $21

Eating Out

Ballina

$286 11.6%

Melbourne

$315 11.2% 9.9% $28

Clothing & Footwear

Ballina

$168 6.8%

Melbourne

$172 6.1% 2.2% $3.6

Getting Around

Ballina

$118 4.8%

Melbourne

$164 5.8% 38.9% $46

Sport & Entertainment

Ballina

$93 3.8%

Melbourne

$80 2.8% 14.3% $13

Cost Breakdown

A central one-bedroom costs $1,541 in Ballina versus $1,759 in Melbourne. Rent is usually the largest line item in a monthly budget, so the gap here sets the tone for the overall comparison.

A mid-range dinner for two costs $83.0 in Ballina versus $85.0 in Melbourne. Monthly groceries follow the same trend: $375 vs $384 – making Ballina the more affordable choice for daily food spending.

Good to know

🇦🇺 Ballina

🇦🇺 Melbourne

🕒 Local time

01:25 1:25 AM

Same time as Ballina

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

8,911

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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Between locations

Ballina Melbourne 1,270 km ≈ 2 h nonstop flight

From you

Ballina
Melbourne

Distances are measured in a straight line. Your location is detected approximately.

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

Ballina vs Melbourne: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Yes – Melbourne is pricier by about 15%, and outside of rent the gap shows up most in transport.

For a comfortable life, plan on about $3,693 per month in Ballina and $4,231 in Melbourne. That covers rent, food, utilities, transport, and enough left over to feel settled – not just surviving.

Rent is clearly cheaper in Ballina, especially for central apartments. Housing is actually the single biggest factor behind the overall cost gap between these two cities.

Kindergarten costs $1,912 per month in Ballina and $2,371 in Melbourne. For families with young kids, this one expense can tip the scales when choosing between the two cities.

Groceries cost about 2% more in Melbourne, though it depends on what you buy. Local produce may be comparable; imported and premium items show the biggest price gap.

$2,500 is a stretch for both – monthly costs hit $2,462 in Ballina and $2,821 in Melbourne. You'll need shared housing and careful budgeting no matter which city you pick.

Families tend to lean toward Ballina – lower housing and cheaper childcare make a real difference, especially on a single income or when paying for private education.

Both have safer and rougher neighborhoods, but overall safety is comparable to other large cities. Neighborhood choice matters more than the city-level comparison – central, well-trafficked areas feel secure in both.

If budget matters most, go with Ballina. If higher salaries, better infrastructure, or specific career opportunities are the priority, Melbourne makes more sense. Both are solid long-term options with distinct trade-offs.