Cost of Living Comparison Between Carlton and Springs Cost of Living Comparison Between Carlton and Springs

Monthly Cost of Living

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $2,117 in Carlton versus $909 in Springs.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $3,018 in Carlton versus $1,480 in Springs.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $3,918 in Carlton versus $2,052 in Springs.

Living in Carlton is roughly 133% more expensive than Springs, driven mainly by Groceries & Markets.

The two cities straddle the global median: Carlton is 59% above, Springs is 32% below.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$19.30 A$27.30

$8.54 R 138

126.00%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$65.6 A$92.7

$33.54 R 543

95.44%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$9.60 A$13.58

$4.63 R 75.0

107.34%

Cappuccino

$2.77 A$3.92

$2.06 R 33.32

34.47%

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

$2.39 A$3.38

$0.90 R 14.52

165.56%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.00 A$2.83

$0.63 R 10.20

217.46%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$6.00 A$8.48

$1.66 R 26.83

261.45%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$6.26 A$8.86

$1.94 R 31.46

222.68%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.07 A$1.51

$1.19 R 19.25

-10.08%

White Bread (500g)

$1.77 A$2.51

$0.98 R 15.87

80.61%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.64 A$2.32

$1.61 R 26.14

1.86%

Eggs

$3.15 A$4.46

$2.51 R 40.62

25.50%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$9.03 A$12.78

$6.46 R 105

39.78%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$9.43 A$13.34

$4.54 R 73.4

107.71%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$14.39 A$20.36

$6.36 R 103

126.26%

Apples (1kg)

$3.15 A$4.46

$1.01 R 16.28

211.88%

Banana (1kg)

$2.58 A$3.65

$0.81 R 13.10

218.52%

Oranges (1kg)

$2.98 A$4.22

$1.10 R 17.86

170.91%

Tomato (1kg)

$4.07 A$5.76

$1.08 R 17.47

276.85%

Potato (1kg)

$2.29 A$3.24

$1.31 R 21.17

74.81%

Onion (1kg)

$2.04 A$2.89

$1.22 R 19.80

67.21%

Lettuce (1 head)

$2.19 A$3.10

$1.09 R 17.64

100.92%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$1.34 A$1.89

$1.15 R 18.62

16.52%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$28.83 A$40.78

$2.82 R 45.60

922.34%

Wine (Bottle)

$10.41 A$14.73

$3.94 R 63.8

164.21%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$4.48 A$6.34

$1.14 R 18.46

292.98%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$5.18 A$7.33

$1.70 R 27.53

204.71%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$2.99 A$4.23

$1.63 R 26.31

83.44%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$52.1 A$73.7

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$3.50 A$4.95

$1.36 R 22.02

157.35%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.33 A$1.88

$1.38 R 22.39

-3.62%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$24.78 A$35.06

$3.05 R 49.29

712.46%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.15 A$1.62

$1.33 R 21.48

-13.53%

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

$22.8K A$32.3K

$18.9K R 305.6K

20.78%

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

$13.0K A$18.4K

$26.3K R 426.2K

-50.58%

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

$76.3 A$108

$126 R 2,038

-39.37%

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

$21.30 A$30.13

$37.17 R 602

-42.70%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$43.81 A$62.0

$37.86 R 613

15.72%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$45.57 A$64.5

$35.75 R 579

27.47%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$17.71 A$25.06

Cinema Ticket

$11.69 A$16.54

$7.74 R 125

51.03%

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

$1,164 A$1,647

$82.7 R 1,339

1307.98%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$11.6K A$16.5K

$1,650 R 26.7K

605.66%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$67.0 A$94.8

$51.7 R 837

29.52%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$53.1 A$75.2

$31.92 R 517

66.48%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$77.2 A$109

$86.1 R 1,394

-10.32%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$102 A$145

$87.4 R 1,415

16.87%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,319 A$1,866

$262 R 4,241

403.36%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,136 A$1,607

$255 R 4,128

345.42%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,957 A$2,769

$680 R 11.0K

187.99%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,610 A$2,278

$646 R 10.4K

149.45%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$5,300 A$7,499

$917 R 14.8K

478.31%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$5,253 A$7,431

$688 R 11.1K

663.09%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$5,852 A$8,279

$1,184 R 19.2K

394.05%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

6.19

10.62

-41.71%

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

Last update for Carlton: June 14, 2026

Last update for Springs: June 16, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $1,319 in Carlton and $262 in Springs. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Carlton pays 394% more on average. The extra income cushions the higher costs, though housing choices and lifestyle decide how much of the gap is truly closed.

Dining out: $66.0 in Carlton vs $34.00 in Springs for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $318 vs $161 per month, with Springs cheaper across the board.

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

Carlton vs Springs: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Carlton and Springs differ by about 133% in total monthly costs ($2,117 vs $909 including rent). Springs is meaningfully more affordable – a gap that matters a lot on a fixed or modest income.

Carlton pays 394% 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: $1,319 in Carlton versus $262 in Springs. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Childcare runs $1,164 in Carlton versus $82.7 in Springs. Over years of preschool, even a modest monthly gap compounds into a major financial factor for families.

Dining out is cheaper in Springs – a meal for two runs $34.00 versus $66.0 in Carlton. If you eat out regularly, this makes a real dent in your monthly spending.

At $909 in Springs versus $2,117 in Carlton, a $1,500 budget is realistic in Springs but tight or insufficient in Carlton. The gap between the two cities makes Springs 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, Carlton and Springs 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 Springs gentler on the wallet – expenses run 133% less than in Carlton. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.