Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Canberra and Riverside, CA

For one person, living is cheaper in Canberra: $2,886 a month against $3,339 in Riverside, CA, rent and utilities included – about $5,400 less a year. Rent and utilities account for most of the difference.

138

Cost of Living Index in Canberra
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Canberra Living Index
160

Cost of Living Index in Riverside, CA
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Riverside, CA Living Index

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Canberra

🇦🇺 Australia

$2,886

/mo nomad

Riverside, CA

🇺🇸 United States

$3,339

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

How much you'll spend in Canberra and in Riverside, CA

Real prices from locals and on-the-ground checks – rent, groceries, transit and the daily extras. Here's what a month in Canberra and in Riverside, CA actually costs, broken down by who's living it.

A single person spends $2,886 per month in Canberra vs $3,339 in Riverside, CA, rent included.

Canberra $2,886
Riverside, CA $3,339

A couple spends around $4,020 per month in Canberra vs $4,589 in Riverside, CA, rent included.

Canberra $4,020
Riverside, CA $4,589

A family of three spends $5,153 per month in Canberra vs $5,839 in Riverside, CA, rent included.

Canberra $5,153
Riverside, CA $5,839

Canberra is about 14% cheaper than Riverside, CA, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in eating out.

Both Canberra and Riverside, CA sit above the global median – Canberra by 112%, Riverside, CA by 145%.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$20.77 A$29.51

$25.34 $25.34

-18.03%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$89.8 A$128

$76.0 $76.0

18.22%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$10.43 A$14.82

$14.89 $14.89

-29.95%

Cappuccino

$3.99 A$5.66

$5.91 $5.91

-32.49%

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

$3.12 A$4.43

$3.06 $3.06

1.96%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.64 A$3.75

$2.35 $2.35

12.34%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$8.32 A$11.82

$7.05 $7.05

18.01%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$10.11 A$14.36

$9.80 $9.80

3.16%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.49 A$2.12

$1.32 $1.32

12.88%

White Bread (500g)

$3.14 A$4.47

$5.28 $5.28

-40.53%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$2.53 A$3.59

$4.78 $4.78

-47.07%

Eggs

$5.32 A$7.56

$5.92 $5.92

-10.14%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$13.15 A$18.68

$16.02 $16.02

-17.92%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$9.98 A$14.18

$9.02 $9.02

10.64%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$15.08 A$21.43

$21.22 $21.22

-28.93%

Apples (1kg)

$4.03 A$5.72

$4.68 $4.68

-13.89%

Banana (1kg)

$3.17 A$4.50

$1.81 $1.81

75.14%

Oranges (1kg)

$3.54 A$5.03

$4.07 $4.07

-13.02%

Tomato (1kg)

$5.13 A$7.29

$4.89 $4.89

4.91%

Potato (1kg)

$3.22 A$4.57

$3.35 $3.35

-3.88%

Onion (1kg)

$2.83 A$4.02

$2.85 $2.85

-0.70%

Lettuce (1 head)

$2.48 A$3.52

$2.10 $2.10

18.10%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$1.40 A$2.00

$2.06 $2.06

-32.04%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$44.06 A$62.6

$11.91 $11.91

269.94%

Wine (Bottle)

$14.26 A$20.26

$14.75 $14.75

-3.32%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$4.81 A$6.84

$2.19 $2.19

119.63%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$5.68 A$8.07

$3.18 $3.18

78.62%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$2.53 A$3.60

$1.80 $1.80

40.56%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$94.8 A$135

$59.8 $59.8

58.47%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$3.99 A$5.67

$3.07 $3.07

29.97%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.65 A$2.35

$2.00 $2.00

-17.50%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$42.56 A$60.5

$27.62 $27.62

54.09%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.33 A$1.89

$1.46 $1.46

-8.90%

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

$28.0K A$39.8K

$29.1K $29.1K

-3.96%

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

$26.3K A$37.4K

$26.0K $26.0K

0.96%

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

$184 A$262

$214 $214

-14.05%

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

$26.57 A$37.75

$71.7 $71.7

-62.92%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$55.9 A$79.5

$71.8 $71.8

-22.07%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$79.4 A$113

$38.34 $38.34

107.17%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$27.81 A$39.52

$20.19 $20.19

37.74%

Cinema Ticket

$16.02 A$22.76

$20.17 $20.17

-20.58%

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

$2,460 A$3,496

$1,170 $1,170

110.23%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$20.6K A$29.3K

$36.4K $36.4K

-43.45%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$76.1 A$108

$63.4 $63.4

20.03%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$57.4 A$81.6

$48.10 $48.10

19.42%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$107 A$153

$106 $106

1.60%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$133 A$189

$102 $102

30.12%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,749 A$2,485

$2,126 $2,126

-17.76%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,495 A$2,125

$1,847 $1,847

-19.07%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$3,065 A$4,355

$3,249 $3,249

-5.67%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,978 A$2,811

$2,562 $2,562

-22.77%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$11.1K A$15.8K

$4,152 $4,152

167.39%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$7,790 A$11.1K

$3,469 $3,469

124.53%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$4,317 A$6,134

$3,996 $3,996

8.04%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

5.95

6.31

-5.71%

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

Last update for Canberra: October 26, 2026

Last update for Riverside, CA: October 25, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Accommodation & Living

Canberra

$1.5K 51.8%

Riverside, CA

$1.8K 55.3% 23.6% $352

Groceries & Markets

Canberra

$397 13.8%

Riverside, CA

$436 13.1% 9.8% $39

Eating Out

Canberra

$330 11.4%

Riverside, CA

$395 11.8% 19.6% $65

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Canberra

$267 9.2%

Riverside, CA

$358 10.7% 34.1% $91

Clothing & Footwear

Canberra

$168 5.8%

Riverside, CA

$144 4.3% 14.6% $25

Getting Around

Canberra

$117 4.1%

Riverside, CA

$80 2.4% 31.6% $37

Sport & Entertainment

Canberra

$111 3.9%

Riverside, CA

$79 2.4% 29.4% $33

Cost Breakdown

A central one-bedroom costs $1,749 in Canberra versus $2,126 in Riverside, CA. Rent is usually the largest line item in a monthly budget, so the gap here sets the tone for the overall comparison.

Salaries run about 8% higher in Canberra, which reinforces the cost advantage – you earn more and spend less. Purchasing power leans clearly in its favor.

A mid-range dinner for two costs $90 in Canberra versus $76 in Riverside, CA. Groceries tell a different story – $397 in Canberra vs $436 in Riverside, CA – so Canberra wins on supermarket bills even if dining out costs more.

Good to know

🇦🇺 Canberra

🇺🇸 Riverside, CA

🕒 Local time

08:07 8:07 AM

14:07 2:07 PM

18 h behind Canberra

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

466,566 Capital

320,000

💱 Currency

Australian Dollar AUD $

United States Dollar USD $

📈 Exchange rate

1 AUD = 0.704 USD

1 AUD = 0.632 EUR

1 USD = 0.898 EUR

Exchange rates and currency converter

USD, EUR to AUD – Australian Dollar Converter

🇺🇸 United States Dollar ($)

🇦🇺 Australian Dollar ($)

Australian Dollar exchange rates as of October 28, 2026: 1 USD = 1.42 AUD (1 AUD = 0.704 USD). 1 EUR = 1.58 AUD (1 AUD = 0.632 EUR).

United States Dollar exchange rates as of October 28, 2026: 1 EUR = 1.11 USD (1 USD = 0.898 EUR).

USD to AUD in detail →

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Between locations

Canberra Riverside, CA 12,390 km ≈ 16 h nonstop flight

From you

Canberra
Riverside, CA

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

Canberra vs Riverside, CA: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Monthly costs with rent: $2,886 in Canberra, $3,339 in Riverside, CA – Canberra comes out roughly 14% cheaper. Outside of rent, the biggest gap is in eating out.

For a comfortable life, plan on about $4,329 per month in Canberra and $5,008 in Riverside, CA. That covers rent, food, utilities, transport, and enough left over to feel settled – not just surviving.

Rent is clearly cheaper in Canberra, especially for central apartments: a one-bedroom in the center costs $1,749 there versus $2,126 in Riverside, CA.

Monthly expenses with rent come to $2,886 in Canberra and $3,339 in Riverside, CA. That makes Canberra about 14% cheaper.

Public transport costs about 37% less in Riverside, CA. For daily commuters, that gap adds up to noticeable savings over a year.

It depends on your priorities. Riverside, CA has an edge in some lifestyle areas, with costs from $2,886 in Canberra to $3,339 in Riverside, CA. Climate, culture, job market, and personal taste all factor in.