Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Chattanooga, TN and Melbourne

For one person, living is cheaper in Chattanooga, TN: $2,598 a month against $2,821 in Melbourne, rent and utilities included – about $2,700 less a year. Rent and utilities account for most of the difference.

126

Cost of Living Index in Chattanooga, TN
Learn more

Chattanooga, TN Living Index
138

Cost of Living Index in Melbourne
Learn more

Melbourne Living Index

Jump to prices

Chattanooga, TN

🇺🇸 United States

$2,598

/mo nomad

Melbourne

🇦🇺 Australia

$2,821

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

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

A single person spends $2,598 per month in Chattanooga, TN vs $2,821 in Melbourne, rent included.

Chattanooga, TN $2,598
Melbourne $2,821

A couple spends around $3,839 per month in Chattanooga, TN vs $4,235 in Melbourne, rent included.

Chattanooga, TN $3,839
Melbourne $4,235

A family of three spends $5,080 per month in Chattanooga, TN vs $5,650 in Melbourne, rent included.

Chattanooga, TN $5,080
Melbourne $5,650

Chattanooga, TN is about 8% cheaper than Melbourne, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in transport.

Both Chattanooga, TN and Melbourne sit above the global median – Chattanooga, TN by 92%, Melbourne by 109%.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$19.68 $19.68

$17.43 A$25.08

12.91%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$98.7 $98.7

$84.6 A$122

16.78%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$11.03 $11.03

$12.46 A$17.92

-11.48%

Cappuccino

$5.25 $5.25

$4.11 A$5.91

27.74%

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

$2.42 $2.42

$3.06 A$4.40

-20.92%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.11 $2.11

$2.52 A$3.62

-16.27%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$5.94 $5.94

$9.80 A$14.10

-39.39%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$7.30 $7.30

$8.57 A$12.33

-14.82%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.09 $1.09

$1.48 A$2.14

-26.35%

White Bread (500g)

$3.73 $3.73

$2.94 A$4.23

26.87%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$3.85 $3.85

$2.66 A$3.82

44.74%

Eggs

$4.26 $4.26

$5.54 A$7.97

-23.10%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$14.13 $14.13

$10.51 A$15.13

34.44%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$14.60 $14.60

$9.65 A$13.89

51.30%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$13.31 $13.31

$15.22 A$21.91

-12.55%

Apples (1kg)

$6.41 $6.41

$3.99 A$5.75

60.65%

Banana (1kg)

$1.60 $1.60

$3.02 A$4.34

-47.02%

Oranges (1kg)

$4.17 $4.17

$3.10 A$4.46

34.52%

Tomato (1kg)

$4.07 $4.07

$4.82 A$6.93

-15.56%

Potato (1kg)

$2.86 $2.86

$3.03 A$4.36

-5.61%

Onion (1kg)

$3.72 $3.72

$2.44 A$3.52

52.46%

Lettuce (1 head)

$2.59 $2.59

$2.46 A$3.54

5.28%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$2.82 $2.82

$1.63 A$2.34

73.01%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$8.22 $8.22

$44.07 A$63.4

-81.35%

Wine (Bottle)

$18.15 $18.15

$12.70 A$18.28

42.91%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.93 $1.93

$5.54 A$7.97

-65.16%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.42 $3.42

$5.23 A$7.52

-34.61%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$2.06 $2.06

$3.74 A$5.38

-44.92%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$49.90 $49.90

$138 A$198

-63.71%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$5.07 $5.07

$4.51 A$6.50

12.42%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.99 $1.99

$1.36 A$1.96

46.32%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$29.44 $29.44

$30.45 A$43.81

-3.32%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$0.98 $0.98

$1.47 A$2.12

-33.33%

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

$37.5K $37.5K

$29.0K A$41.7K

29.44%

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

$25.6K $25.6K

$26.5K A$38.1K

-3.16%

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

$154 $154

$234 A$336

-33.90%

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

$82.2 $82.2

$27.93 A$40.19

194.31%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$75.5 $75.5

$55.7 A$80.2

35.38%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$40.46 $40.46

$49.40 A$71.1

-18.10%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$3.93 $3.93

$21.48 A$30.91

-81.70%

Cinema Ticket

$15.08 $15.08

$15.09 A$21.72

-0.07%

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

$1,088 $1,088

$2,371 A$3,412

-54.10%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$25.3K $25.3K

$30.2K A$43.5K

-16.14%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$41.06 $41.06

$80.0 A$115

-48.66%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$39.08 $39.08

$50.7 A$73.0

-22.92%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$99.9 $99.9

$121 A$174

-17.20%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$118 $118

$130 A$188

-9.90%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,667 $1,667

$1,759 A$2,531

-5.22%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,265 $1,265

$1,390 A$2,000

-8.97%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$3,217 $3,217

$3,494 A$5,027

-7.90%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,987 $1,987

$2,493 A$3,588

-20.32%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$2,240 $2,240

$6,926 A$9,967

-67.65%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$2,240 $2,240

$6,445 A$9,274

-65.24%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$3,980 $3,980

$4,383 A$6,307

-9.18%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

6.63

5.9

12.37%

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

Last update for Chattanooga, TN: 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

Chattanooga, TN

$1.3K 48.7%

Melbourne

$1.4K 49.3% 9.8% $125

Groceries & Markets

Chattanooga, TN

$428 16.5%

Melbourne

$384 13.6% 10.2% $44

Eating Out

Chattanooga, TN

$316 12.2%

Melbourne

$315 11.2% 0.5% $1.4

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Chattanooga, TN

$312 12%

Melbourne

$317 11.3% 1.7% $5.2

Clothing & Footwear

Chattanooga, TN

$134 5.2%

Melbourne

$172 6.1% 28.3% $38

Getting Around

Chattanooga, TN

$73 2.8%

Melbourne

$164 5.8% 124% $91

Sport & Entertainment

Chattanooga, TN

$71 2.7%

Melbourne

$80 2.8% 12.7% $9

Cost Breakdown

A central one-bedroom costs $1,667 in Chattanooga, TN 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.

Salaries run about 10% higher in Melbourne, which partly offsets the higher cost of living there. Purchasing power depends on which expenses matter most to you.

A mid-range dinner for two costs $99.0 in Chattanooga, TN versus $85.0 in Melbourne. Monthly groceries follow the same trend: $428 vs $384 – making Melbourne the more affordable choice for daily food spending.

Good to know

🇺🇸 Chattanooga, TN

🇦🇺 Melbourne

🕒 Local time

01:44 1:44 AM

16:44 4:44 PM

15 h ahead of Chattanooga, TN

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

176,588

5,031,195

💱 Currency

United States Dollar USD $

Australian Dollar AUD $

📈 Exchange rate

1 USD = 0.89 EUR

1 AUD = 0.695 USD

1 AUD = 0.618 EUR

Exchange rates and currency converter

AUD, EUR to USD – United States Dollar Converter

🇦🇺 Australian Dollar ($)

🇺🇸 United States Dollar ($)

United States Dollar exchange rates as of October 20, 2026: 1 EUR = 1.12 USD (1 USD = 0.89 EUR).

Australian Dollar exchange rates as of October 20, 2026: 1 USD = 1.44 AUD (1 AUD = 0.695 USD). 1 EUR = 1.62 AUD (1 AUD = 0.618 EUR).

AUD to USD in detail →

On the map

Lowest

Highest

Between locations

Chattanooga, TN Melbourne 15,560 km ≈ 20 h nonstop flight

From you

Chattanooga, TN
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

Chattanooga, TN vs Melbourne: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Melbourne costs about 9% more than Chattanooga, TN, and outside of rent the gap comes mainly from transport. That's enough to noticeably affect everyday spending and lifestyle for anyone choosing between the two.

For a comfortable life, plan on about $3,898 per month in Chattanooga, TN 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 Chattanooga, TN, especially for central apartments. Housing is actually the single biggest factor behind the overall cost gap between these two cities.

Monthly expenses with rent come to $2,598 in Chattanooga, TN and $2,821 in Melbourne. That's a gap of about 9%.

Public transport costs about 176% less in Chattanooga, TN. For daily commuters, that gap adds up to noticeable savings over a year.

$2,000 is a stretch for both – monthly costs hit $2,598 in Chattanooga, TN and $2,821 in Melbourne. You'll need shared housing and careful budgeting no matter which city you pick.

Families tend to lean toward Chattanooga, TN – 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 Chattanooga, TN. 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.