Last update: Nov 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Epping and Melbourne

For one person, living is cheaper in Epping: $2,637 a month against $2,823 in Melbourne, rent and utilities included – about $2,200 less a year. The total is higher in Melbourne despite lower rent and utilities.

127

Cost of Living Index in Epping
Learn more

Epping Living Index
136

Cost of Living Index in Melbourne
Learn more

Melbourne Living Index

Jump to prices

Epping

🇦🇺 Australia

$2,637

/mo nomad

Melbourne

🇦🇺 Australia

$2,823

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

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

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $2,637 in Epping versus $2,823 in Melbourne.

Epping $2,637
Melbourne $2,823

Estimated couple costs with rent: $3,717 in Epping versus $4,253 in Melbourne.

Epping $3,717
Melbourne $4,253

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $4,798 in Epping versus $5,683 in Melbourne.

Epping $4,798
Melbourne $5,683

Living in Epping costs roughly 7% less than in Melbourne, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in eating out.

Both cities are pricier than the global median: Epping 95% above, Melbourne 109% above.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$12.53 A$17.94

$17.34 A$24.82

-27.74%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$64.3 A$92.1

$82.7 A$118

-22.21%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$11.66 A$16.69

$12.63 A$18.08

-7.68%

Cappuccino

$3.12 A$4.47

$4.22 A$6.04

-26.07%

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

$2.46 A$3.53

$3.12 A$4.46

-21.15%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.55 A$3.65

$2.48 A$3.55

2.82%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$8.16 A$11.68

$9.69 A$13.87

-15.79%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$8.56 A$12.25

$8.30 A$11.88

3.13%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.52 A$2.18

$1.50 A$2.15

1.33%

White Bread (500g)

$2.15 A$3.08

$3.08 A$4.40

-30.19%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.87 A$2.68

$2.64 A$3.78

-29.17%

Eggs

$5.28 A$7.56

$5.58 A$7.98

-5.38%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$10.12 A$14.49

$9.78 A$14.01

3.48%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$8.49 A$12.15

$9.52 A$13.63

-10.82%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$15.02 A$21.50

$15.18 A$21.73

-1.05%

Apples (1kg)

$3.46 A$4.95

$4.22 A$6.04

-18.01%

Banana (1kg)

$2.80 A$4.01

$3.13 A$4.48

-10.54%

Oranges (1kg)

$2.46 A$3.52

$3.24 A$4.64

-24.07%

Tomato (1kg)

$3.47 A$4.97

$4.71 A$6.74

-26.33%

Potato (1kg)

$2.40 A$3.44

$3.13 A$4.48

-23.32%

Onion (1kg)

$2.21 A$3.16

$2.46 A$3.52

-10.16%

Lettuce (1 head)

$2.11 A$3.02

$2.40 A$3.44

-12.08%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$1.56 A$2.23

$1.47 A$2.11

6.12%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$27.46 A$39.30

$42.76 A$61.2

-35.78%

Wine (Bottle)

$10.59 A$15.16

$12.90 A$18.47

-17.91%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$4.44 A$6.35

$5.53 A$7.91

-19.71%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$4.73 A$6.78

$5.16 A$7.38

-8.33%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$3.20 A$4.58

$3.79 A$5.43

-15.57%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$83.3 A$119

$141 A$202

-41.06%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$3.59 A$5.14

$3.75 A$5.37

-4.27%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.36 A$1.95

$1.44 A$2.07

-5.56%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$27.60 A$39.51

$28.93 A$41.42

-4.60%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.26 A$1.81

$1.45 A$2.07

-13.10%

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

$17.4K A$24.9K

$29.6K A$42.3K

-41.28%

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

$18.9K A$27.0K

$26.3K A$37.6K

-28.17%

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

$139 A$199

$229 A$328

-39.25%

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

$28.02 A$40.11

$26.76 A$38.31

4.71%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$44.70 A$64.0

$57.5 A$82.4

-22.31%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$56.4 A$80.7

$49.77 A$71.3

13.32%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$17.89 A$25.61

$21.45 A$30.70

-16.60%

Cinema Ticket

$14.25 A$20.40

$17.43 A$24.96

-18.24%

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

$1,669 A$2,389

$2,435 A$3,485

-31.44%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$21.7K A$31.1K

$33.6K A$48.1K

-35.34%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$70.3 A$101

$80.4 A$115

-12.48%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$48.67 A$69.7

$51.5 A$73.7

-5.46%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$119 A$171

$121 A$174

-1.67%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$107 A$152

$134 A$191

-20.22%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,490 A$2,134

$1,748 A$2,503

-14.75%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,491 A$2,135

$1,386 A$1,984

7.60%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$2,359 A$3,377

$3,468 A$4,964

-31.98%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$2,227 A$3,188

$2,520 A$3,607

-11.62%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$5,850 A$8,375

$8,274 A$11.8K

-29.29%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$4,978 A$7,126

$7,066 A$10.1K

-29.55%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$4,256 A$6,093

$4,206 A$6,021

1.19%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

5.5

5.97

-7.87%

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

Last update for Epping: November 2, 2026

Last update for Melbourne: November 1, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Accommodation & Living

Epping

$1.5K 56.6%

Melbourne

$1.4K 49.1% 7.1% $105

Groceries & Markets

Epping

$336 12.8%

Melbourne

$383 13.6% 13.9% $47

Eating Out

Epping

$251 9.5%

Melbourne

$315 11.2% 25.6% $64

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Epping

$212 8%

Melbourne

$313 11.1% 47.9% $101

Clothing & Footwear

Epping

$155 5.9%

Melbourne

$174 6.2% 12.1% $19

Getting Around

Epping

$106 4%

Melbourne

$167 5.9% 57.3% $61

Sport & Entertainment

Epping

$85 3.2%

Melbourne

$85 3% 0.3% $0.3

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $1,490 in Epping and $1,748 in Melbourne. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Dining out: $64 in Epping vs $83 in Melbourne for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $336 vs $383 per month, with Epping cheaper across the board.

Good to know

🇦🇺 Epping

🇦🇺 Melbourne

🕒 Local time

02:10 2:10 AM

Same time as Epping

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

23,435

5,031,195

💱 Currency

Australian Dollar AUD $

📈 Exchange rate

1 AUD = 0.699 USD

1 AUD = 0.624 EUR

1 AUD = 0.699 USD

1 AUD = 0.624 EUR

Exchange rates and currency converter

On the map

Lowest

Highest

Between locations

Epping Melbourne 710 km ≈ 1 h 30 min nonstop flight

From you

Epping
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

Epping vs Melbourne: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Epping wins on cost – living expenses run 7% lower than in Melbourne. Housing and daily spending are where you’ll feel the difference most, making Epping the obvious pick if budget is a priority.

You’d need roughly $3,955 in Epping and $4,234 in Melbourne to live well. The gap comes down to housing and overall price levels. Both cities are liveable on less, but these numbers represent actual comfort.

Rent for a central apartment: $1,490 in Epping versus $1,748 in Melbourne. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Dining out is cheaper in Epping – a meal for two runs $64 versus $83 in Melbourne. If you eat out regularly, this makes a real dent in your monthly spending.

All in, you’ll spend $2,637 per month in Epping versus $2,823 in Melbourne – Epping is about 7% cheaper, which adds up to real savings over time.

Both cities are expensive relative to $2,000. Epping 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, Epping and Melbourne are both considered safe, so it’s unlikely to be the deciding factor between them.

Expats usually find Epping gentler on the wallet – expenses run 7% less than in Melbourne. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.