Cost of Living Comparison Between Blackpool and Ballarat Cost of Living Comparison Between Blackpool and Ballarat

Monthly Cost of Living

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $1,928 in Blackpool versus $1,663 in Ballarat.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $2,865 in Blackpool versus $2,699 in Ballarat.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $3,802 in Blackpool versus $3,734 in Ballarat.

Living in Blackpool is roughly 16% more expensive than Ballarat, driven mainly by Eating Out.

Both cities are pricier than the global median: Blackpool 44% above, Ballarat 24% above.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$20.00 £14.90

$13.78 A$19.31

45.14%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$81.9 £61.0

$66.0 A$92.5

24.11%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$8.91 £6.64

$9.60 A$13.46

-7.19%

Cappuccino

$3.54 £2.64

$3.48 A$4.87

1.72%

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

$2.26 £1.68

$2.61 A$3.66

-13.41%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.53 £1.14

$2.09 A$2.93

-26.79%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$4.50 £3.35

$6.15 A$8.62

-26.83%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$5.53 £4.12

$6.79 A$9.52

-18.56%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.57 £1.17

$1.44 A$2.02

9.03%

White Bread (500g)

$1.65 £1.23

$2.49 A$3.49

-33.73%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$2.49 £1.85

$1.57 A$2.20

58.60%

Eggs

$4.13 £3.08

$4.03 A$5.65

2.48%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$10.58 £7.89

$9.10 A$12.75

16.26%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$8.24 £6.14

$9.04 A$12.68

-8.85%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$14.56 £10.84

$14.67 A$20.56

-0.75%

Apples (1kg)

$3.63 £2.70

$3.22 A$4.52

12.73%

Banana (1kg)

$1.35 £1.00

$2.81 A$3.94

-51.96%

Oranges (1kg)

$2.75 £2.05

$2.84 A$3.98

-3.17%

Tomato (1kg)

$2.86 £2.13

$3.87 A$5.43

-26.10%

Potato (1kg)

$1.72 £1.28

$2.69 A$3.77

-36.06%

Onion (1kg)

$1.90 £1.42

$2.26 A$3.17

-15.93%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.45 £1.08

$2.14 A$2.99

-32.24%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$1.13 £0.84

$1.00 A$1.41

13.00%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$16.40 £12.22

$31.17 A$43.70

-47.39%

Wine (Bottle)

$10.58 £7.88

$14.07 A$19.73

-24.80%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$2.61 £1.94

$2.15 A$3.02

21.40%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.95 £1.45

$3.01 A$4.22

-35.22%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$3.17 £2.36

$1.66 A$2.33

90.96%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$74.1 £55.2

$65.3 A$91.6

13.40%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$4.15 £3.09

$2.36 A$3.30

75.85%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.28 £0.96

$1.21 A$1.70

5.79%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$16.61 £12.38

$25.03 A$35.09

-33.64%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.97 £1.47

$1.11 A$1.56

77.48%

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

$34.5K £25.7K

$27.6K A$38.7K

24.86%

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

$37.3K £27.8K

$22.8K A$32.0K

63.56%

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

$296 £220

$153 A$215

93.43%

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

$17.04 £12.69

$21.26 A$29.81

-19.85%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$42.45 £31.63

$50.5 A$70.8

-15.89%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$26.81 £19.97

$32.00 A$44.86

-16.22%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$33.71 £25.11

$15.80 A$22.15

113.35%

Cinema Ticket

$13.01 £9.69

$10.86 A$15.22

19.80%

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

$1,486 £1,107

$329 A$461

352.21%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$53.3K £39.7K

$19.5K A$27.3K

173.71%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$80.5 £60.0

$65.1 A$91.3

23.69%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$44.15 £32.89

$52.9 A$74.2

-16.57%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$86.1 £64.1

$87.3 A$122

-1.35%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$70.9 £52.8

$93.8 A$131

-24.39%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$891 £664

$861 A$1,207

3.58%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$762 £568

$638 A$894

19.53%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,243 £926

$2,015 A$2,825

-38.32%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,142 £851

$1,350 A$1,893

-15.38%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$2,726 £2,031

$4,884 A$6,847

-44.19%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$2,268 £1,690

$3,585 A$5,026

-36.72%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$2,917 £2,173

$3,249 A$4,555

-10.22%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

5.6

6.07

-7.74%

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

Last update for Blackpool: May 30, 2026

Last update for Ballarat: June 1, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $891 in Blackpool and $861 in Ballarat. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Ballarat pays 11% more on average while also being the cheaper of the two. The combined effect is a noticeably stronger local purchasing power.

Dining out: $82.0 in Blackpool vs $66.0 in Ballarat. Groceries flip the comparison at $293 vs $320, with Blackpool 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

Blackpool vs Ballarat: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Ballarat wins on cost – living expenses run 16% lower than in Blackpool. Housing and daily spending are where you'll feel the difference most, making Ballarat the obvious pick if budget is a priority.

On paper, Ballarat earns 11% less. 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: $891 in Blackpool versus $861 in Ballarat. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Childcare runs $1,486 in Blackpool versus $329 in Ballarat. Over years of preschool, even a modest monthly gap compounds into a major financial factor for families.

Shoppers in Blackpool pay roughly 9% less for everyday groceries. It's an unusual reversal that partly offsets higher costs elsewhere.

At $1,663 in Ballarat versus $1,928 in Blackpool, a $2,000 budget is realistic in Ballarat but tight or insufficient in Blackpool. 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, Blackpool and Ballarat 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 16% less than in Blackpool. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.