Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Denver and Melbourne

For one person, living is cheaper in Denver: $2,433 a month against $2,849 in Melbourne, rent and utilities included – about $5,000 less a year. Rent and utilities account for most of the difference.

122

Cost of Living Index in Denver
Learn more

Denver Living Index
137

Cost of Living Index in Melbourne
Learn more

Melbourne Living Index

Jump to prices

Denver

🇦🇺 Australia

$2,433

/mo nomad

Melbourne

🇦🇺 Australia

$2,849

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

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

A single person spends $2,433 per month in Denver vs $2,849 in Melbourne, rent included.

Denver $2,433
Melbourne $2,849

A couple spends around $3,666 per month in Denver vs $4,274 in Melbourne, rent included.

Denver $3,666
Melbourne $4,274

A family of three spends $4,899 per month in Denver vs $5,699 in Melbourne, rent included.

Denver $4,899
Melbourne $5,699

Denver is about 15% cheaper than Melbourne, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in transport.

Both Denver and Melbourne sit above the global median – Denver by 79%, Melbourne by 109%.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$15.29 A$21.83

$17.50 A$24.99

-12.63%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$82.3 A$117

$84.3 A$120

-2.43%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$10.81 A$15.44

$12.17 A$17.38

-11.18%

Cappuccino

$3.62 A$5.17

$4.07 A$5.82

-11.06%

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

$2.76 A$3.93

$3.18 A$4.54

-13.21%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.45 A$3.50

$2.50 A$3.57

-2.00%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$8.34 A$11.91

$9.57 A$13.67

-12.85%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$7.17 A$10.24

$8.25 A$11.78

-13.09%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.63 A$2.33

$1.50 A$2.15

8.67%

White Bread (500g)

$2.71 A$3.88

$2.97 A$4.24

-8.75%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$2.51 A$3.58

$2.68 A$3.83

-6.34%

Eggs

$5.38 A$7.68

$5.45 A$7.79

-1.28%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$8.54 A$12.20

$10.71 A$15.30

-20.26%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$8.64 A$12.33

$10.05 A$14.35

-14.03%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$14.43 A$20.61

$15.00 A$21.42

-3.80%

Apples (1kg)

$3.31 A$4.73

$4.07 A$5.81

-18.67%

Banana (1kg)

$2.93 A$4.19

$3.14 A$4.48

-6.69%

Oranges (1kg)

$2.80 A$4.00

$3.12 A$4.45

-10.26%

Tomato (1kg)

$5.21 A$7.44

$4.73 A$6.76

10.15%

Potato (1kg)

$2.52 A$3.60

$2.98 A$4.26

-15.44%

Onion (1kg)

$2.22 A$3.17

$2.49 A$3.56

-10.84%

Lettuce (1 head)

$2.48 A$3.55

$2.48 A$3.54

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$1.75 A$2.49

$1.60 A$2.28

9.37%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$46.36 A$66.2

$44.65 A$63.8

3.83%

Wine (Bottle)

$12.82 A$18.31

$12.68 A$18.11

1.10%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$4.68 A$6.68

$5.55 A$7.92

-15.68%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$5.25 A$7.49

$5.18 A$7.40

1.35%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$2.94 A$4.20

$3.84 A$5.48

-23.44%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$78.2 A$112

$139 A$198

-43.63%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$3.16 A$4.51

$4.36 A$6.22

-27.52%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.41 A$2.02

$1.37 A$1.95

2.92%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$43.23 A$61.7

$29.72 A$42.45

45.46%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.28 A$1.82

$1.49 A$2.12

-14.09%

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

$27.1K A$38.7K

$29.1K A$41.5K

-6.84%

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

$24.8K A$35.4K

$25.7K A$36.7K

-3.45%

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

$198 A$283

$236 A$337

-16.02%

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

$25.50 A$36.42

$28.01 A$40.01

-8.96%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$52.3 A$74.7

$57.2 A$81.7

-8.54%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$51.9 A$74.0

$48.39 A$69.1

7.15%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$19.82 A$28.30

$21.46 A$30.65

-7.64%

Cinema Ticket

$15.49 A$22.12

$17.67 A$25.23

-12.34%

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

$1,868 A$2,668

$2,461 A$3,515

-24.11%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$23.2K A$33.2K

$29.7K A$42.4K

-21.75%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$84.9 A$121

$81.2 A$116

4.53%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$60.4 A$86.3

$49.28 A$70.4

22.61%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$119 A$170

$120 A$171

-0.24%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$112 A$159

$131 A$187

-14.75%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,312 A$1,874

$1,703 A$2,432

-22.93%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,169 A$1,669

$1,409 A$2,012

-17.04%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$2,082 A$2,974

$3,496 A$4,992

-40.43%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$2,058 A$2,938

$2,527 A$3,608

-18.56%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$6,557 A$9,364

$7,978 A$11.4K

-17.82%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$4,330 A$6,184

$6,900 A$9,854

-37.25%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$4,257 A$6,079

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

5.9

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

Last update for Denver: October 26, 2026

Last update for Melbourne: October 26, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Accommodation & Living

Denver

$1.2K 48%

Melbourne

$1.4K 49.4% 20.5% $240

Groceries & Markets

Denver

$361 14.8%

Melbourne

$386 13.6% 7.1% $26

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Denver

$276 11.3%

Melbourne

$321 11.3% 16.4% $45

Eating Out

Denver

$275 11.3%

Melbourne

$312 11% 13.6% $37

Clothing & Footwear

Denver

$169 7%

Melbourne

$171 6% 1.3% $2.2

Getting Around

Denver

$100 4.1%

Melbourne

$165 5.8% 65% $65

Sport & Entertainment

Denver

$83 3.4%

Melbourne

$84 2.9% 1.1% $0.9

Cost Breakdown

A central one-bedroom costs $1,312 in Denver versus $1,703 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 $82 in Denver versus $84 in Melbourne. Monthly groceries follow the same trend: $361 vs $386 – making Denver the more affordable choice for daily food spending.

Good to know

🇦🇺 Denver

🇦🇺 Melbourne

🕒 Local time

20:17 8:17 PM

Same time as Denver

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

149

5,031,195

💱 Currency

Australian Dollar AUD $

📈 Exchange rate

1 AUD = 0.7 USD

1 AUD = 0.625 EUR

1 AUD = 0.7 USD

1 AUD = 0.625 EUR

Exchange rates and currency converter

On the map

Lowest

Highest

Between locations

Denver Melbourne 83 km

From you

Denver
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

Denver vs Melbourne: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Monthly costs with rent: $2,433 in Denver, $2,849 in Melbourne – Denver comes out roughly 15% cheaper. Outside of rent, the biggest gap is in transport.

For a comfortable life, plan on about $3,649 per month in Denver and $4,273 in Melbourne. That covers rent, food, utilities, transport, and enough left over to feel settled – not just surviving.

Rent is clearly cheaper in Denver, especially for central apartments: a one-bedroom in the center costs $1,312 there versus $1,703 in Melbourne.

Public transport costs about 44% less in Denver. For daily commuters, that gap adds up to noticeable savings over a year.

Groceries cost about 7% more in Melbourne, though the gap depends on what you buy.

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

Both cities have a reputation for safety. In either place, the choice of neighborhood matters more than the choice between the two cities.