Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Elk Grove, CA and Melbourne

For one person, living is cheaper in Melbourne: $2,853 a month against $4,216 in Elk Grove, CA, rent and utilities included – about $16,400 less a year. Rent and utilities account for about half of the difference.

205

Cost of Living Index in Elk Grove, CA
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Elk Grove, CA Living Index
138

Cost of Living Index in Melbourne
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Melbourne Living Index

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Elk Grove, CA

🇺🇸 United States

$4,216

/mo nomad

Melbourne

🇦🇺 Australia

$2,853

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

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

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $4,216 in Elk Grove, CA versus $2,853 in Melbourne.

Elk Grove, CA $4,216
Melbourne $2,853

Estimated couple costs with rent: $6,106 in Elk Grove, CA versus $4,275 in Melbourne.

Elk Grove, CA $6,106
Melbourne $4,275

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $7,995 in Elk Grove, CA versus $5,697 in Melbourne.

Elk Grove, CA $7,995
Melbourne $5,697

Living in Elk Grove, CA is roughly 48% more expensive than in Melbourne, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in groceries.

Both cities are pricier than the global median: Elk Grove, CA 211% above, Melbourne 111% above.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$22.18 $22.18

$17.20 A$24.75

28.95%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$65.0 $65.0

$83.1 A$120

-21.81%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$12.03 $12.03

$12.43 A$17.88

-3.22%

Cappuccino

$7.04 $7.04

$4.05 A$5.82

73.83%

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

$2.14 $2.14

$3.12 A$4.50

-31.41%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.59 $2.59

$2.46 A$3.54

5.28%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$10.64 $10.64

$9.52 A$13.71

11.76%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$10.60 $10.60

$8.16 A$11.74

29.90%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.62 $1.62

$1.56 A$2.25

3.85%

White Bread (500g)

$4.02 $4.02

$2.90 A$4.18

38.62%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$8.65 $8.65

$2.66 A$3.82

225.19%

Eggs

$5.47 $5.47

$5.37 A$7.72

1.86%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$17.48 $17.48

$10.67 A$15.36

63.82%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$30.55 $30.55

$9.85 A$14.17

210.15%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$27.72 $27.72

$15.36 A$22.11

80.47%

Apples (1kg)

$9.64 $9.64

$4.17 A$6.00

131.18%

Banana (1kg)

$3.27 $3.27

$3.15 A$4.53

3.81%

Oranges (1kg)

$10.00 $10.00

$3.26 A$4.69

206.75%

Tomato (1kg)

$8.03 $8.03

$4.76 A$6.85

68.70%

Potato (1kg)

$7.55 $7.55

$3.06 A$4.41

146.73%

Onion (1kg)

$6.16 $6.16

$2.47 A$3.55

149.39%

Lettuce (1 head)

$3.04 $3.04

$2.45 A$3.52

24.08%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$1.95 $1.95

$1.63 A$2.34

19.63%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$13.09 $13.09

$45.17 A$65.0

-71.02%

Wine (Bottle)

$20.61 $20.61

$12.68 A$18.25

62.54%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$5.69 A$8.18

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$8.98 $8.98

$5.23 A$7.53

71.70%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$8.09 $8.09

$3.87 A$5.57

109.04%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$148 $148

$142 A$204

4.20%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$6.88 $6.88

$4.54 A$6.53

51.54%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$3.66 $3.66

$1.42 A$2.04

157.75%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$30.59 A$44.01

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.38 $1.38

$1.47 A$2.11

-6.12%

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

$31.2K $31.2K

$28.9K A$41.5K

8.23%

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

$22.5K $22.5K

$25.9K A$37.3K

-13.38%

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

$255 $255

$235 A$338

8.36%

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

$108 $108

$27.45 A$39.51

293.01%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$136 $136

$56.1 A$80.8

141.76%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$102 $102

$50.1 A$72.1

103.93%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$24.76 $24.76

$21.49 A$30.93

15.22%

Cinema Ticket

$17.69 $17.69

$17.76 A$25.56

-0.39%

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

$1,436 $1,436

$2,385 A$3,432

-39.80%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$17.9K $17.9K

$29.7K A$42.7K

-39.75%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$91.1 $91.1

$79.2 A$114

15.07%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$89.7 $89.7

$49.49 A$71.2

81.27%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$171 $171

$118 A$170

44.82%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$130 $130

$132 A$190

-1.95%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$2,269 $2,269

$1,763 A$2,537

28.66%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$2,088 $2,088

$1,411 A$2,031

47.95%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$3,368 $3,368

$3,522 A$5,069

-4.38%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$3,473 $3,473

$2,525 A$3,634

37.50%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$3,900 $3,900

$7,136 A$10.3K

-45.35%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$3,165 $3,165

$6,355 A$9,144

-50.20%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$7,827 $7,827

$4,258 A$6,128

83.80%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

6.53

5.9

10.68%

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

Last update for Elk Grove, CA: October 17, 2026

Last update for Melbourne: October 17, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Accommodation & Living

Elk Grove, CA

$2.1K 49.5%

Melbourne

$1.4K 49.5% 32.4% $677

Groceries & Markets

Elk Grove, CA

$679 * 16.1%

Melbourne

$388 13.6% 42.8% $291

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Elk Grove, CA

$498 11.8%

Melbourne

$319 11.2% 36% $180

Eating Out

Elk Grove, CA

$391 9.3%

Melbourne

$310 10.9% 20.9% $82

Clothing & Footwear

Elk Grove, CA

$217 5.1%

Melbourne

$171 6% 21.3% $46

Getting Around

Elk Grove, CA

$205 4.9%

Melbourne

$169 5.9% 17.7% $36

Sport & Entertainment

Elk Grove, CA

$138 3.3%

Melbourne

$86 3% 37.7% $52

Categories marked with * are only partly priced – their share counts the items that do have prices.

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $2,269 in Elk Grove, CA and $1,763 in Melbourne. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Elk Grove, CA pays 84% 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: $65.0 in Elk Grove, CA vs $83.0 in Melbourne. Groceries flip the comparison at $679 vs $388, with Melbourne cheaper for home cooking.

Good to know

🇺🇸 Elk Grove, CA

🇦🇺 Melbourne

🕒 Local time

21:40 9:40 PM

15:40 3:40 PM

18 h ahead of Elk Grove, CA

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

166,913

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 22, 2026: 1 EUR = 1.12 USD (1 USD = 0.89 EUR).

Australian Dollar exchange rates as of October 22, 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 →

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Elk Grove, CA Melbourne 12,770 km ≈ 16 h nonstop flight

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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

Elk Grove, CA vs Melbourne: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Melbourne is cheaper overall, especially in groceries, eating out, and utilities. The 48% gap adds up to real monthly savings that compound significantly over time.

Average pay runs 84% higher in Elk Grove, CA, 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: $2,269 in Elk Grove, CA versus $1,763 in Melbourne. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

A monthly transit pass in Melbourne runs roughly 4% less than in Elk Grove, CA. Both cities have functional networks, but the price difference matters if you're watching your budget.

Childcare runs $1,436 in Elk Grove, CA versus $2,385 in Melbourne. Over years of preschool, even a modest monthly gap compounds into a major financial factor for families.

Both cities are expensive relative to $3,000. Melbourne is the more realistic option, but even there you'll need to be disciplined with housing, food, and fun money.

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, Elk Grove, CA and Melbourne 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 Melbourne gentler on the wallet – expenses run 48% less than in Elk Grove, CA. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.