Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Esperance and Melbourne

For one person, living is cheaper in Esperance: $2,558 a month against $2,823 in Melbourne, rent and utilities included – about $3,200 less a year. Rent and utilities account for most of the difference.

121

Cost of Living Index in Esperance
Learn more

Esperance Living Index
136

Cost of Living Index in Melbourne
Learn more

Melbourne Living Index

Jump to prices

Esperance

🇦🇺 Australia

$2,558

/mo nomad

Melbourne

🇦🇺 Australia

$2,823

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

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

A single person spends $2,558 per month in Esperance vs $2,823 in Melbourne, rent included.

Esperance $2,558
Melbourne $2,823

A couple spends around $3,665 per month in Esperance vs $4,253 in Melbourne, rent included.

Esperance $3,665
Melbourne $4,253

A family of three spends $4,771 per month in Esperance vs $5,683 in Melbourne, rent included.

Esperance $4,771
Melbourne $5,683

Esperance is about 9% cheaper than Melbourne, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in transport.

Both Esperance and Melbourne sit above the global median – Esperance by 89%, Melbourne by 109%.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$17.24 A$24.57

$17.34 A$24.72

-0.58%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$83.5 A$119

$82.7 A$118

0.99%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$10.46 A$14.92

$12.63 A$18.01

-17.18%

Cappuccino

$4.03 A$5.74

$4.22 A$6.02

-4.50%

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

$2.93 A$4.17

$3.12 A$4.44

-6.09%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.21 A$3.15

$2.48 A$3.54

-10.89%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$7.74 A$11.03

$9.69 A$13.82

-20.12%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$7.50 A$10.69

$8.30 A$11.83

-9.64%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.57 A$2.25

$1.50 A$2.14

4.67%

White Bread (500g)

$2.68 A$3.81

$3.08 A$4.39

-12.99%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$2.34 A$3.33

$2.64 A$3.77

-11.36%

Eggs

$5.00 A$7.12

$5.58 A$7.95

-10.39%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$9.52 A$13.57

$9.78 A$13.95

-2.66%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$9.42 A$13.42

$9.52 A$13.57

-1.05%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$15.05 A$21.46

$15.18 A$21.64

-0.86%

Apples (1kg)

$3.84 A$5.48

$4.22 A$6.02

-9.00%

Banana (1kg)

$3.03 A$4.32

$3.13 A$4.47

-3.19%

Oranges (1kg)

$3.29 A$4.69

$3.24 A$4.62

1.54%

Tomato (1kg)

$4.59 A$6.55

$4.71 A$6.71

-2.55%

Potato (1kg)

$2.74 A$3.90

$3.13 A$4.46

-12.46%

Onion (1kg)

$2.48 A$3.53

$2.46 A$3.51

0.81%

Lettuce (1 head)

$2.41 A$3.44

$2.40 A$3.42

0.42%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$1.56 A$2.22

$1.47 A$2.10

6.12%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$42.02 A$59.9

$42.76 A$61.0

-1.73%

Wine (Bottle)

$13.99 A$19.95

$12.90 A$18.39

8.45%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$4.79 A$6.82

$5.53 A$7.88

-13.38%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$5.14 A$7.33

$5.16 A$7.35

-0.39%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$2.78 A$3.97

$3.79 A$5.41

-26.65%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$83.9 A$120

$141 A$201

-40.62%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$3.56 A$5.08

$3.75 A$5.35

-5.07%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.59 A$2.26

$1.44 A$2.06

10.42%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$39.58 A$56.4

$28.93 A$41.25

36.81%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.36 A$1.94

$1.45 A$2.07

-6.21%

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

$29.4K A$41.8K

$29.6K A$42.2K

-0.76%

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

$25.9K A$37.0K

$26.3K A$37.4K

-1.16%

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

$206 A$294

$229 A$326

-9.84%

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

$27.93 A$39.82

$26.76 A$38.15

4.37%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$57.5 A$81.9

$57.5 A$82.0

-0.16%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$56.1 A$79.9

$49.77 A$71.0

12.66%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$17.91 A$25.53

$21.45 A$30.58

-16.50%

Cinema Ticket

$14.11 A$20.12

$17.43 A$24.85

-19.05%

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

$2,167 A$3,089

$2,435 A$3,471

-11.01%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$20.7K A$29.5K

$33.6K A$47.9K

-38.34%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$78.6 A$112

$80.4 A$115

-2.17%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$53.9 A$76.8

$51.5 A$73.4

4.68%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$108 A$154

$121 A$173

-10.96%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$122 A$174

$134 A$190

-8.63%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,413 A$2,015

$1,748 A$2,492

-19.15%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,251 A$1,783

$1,386 A$1,976

-9.75%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$2,252 A$3,211

$3,468 A$4,944

-35.06%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,844 A$2,629

$2,520 A$3,592

-26.81%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$5,806 A$8,277

$8,274 A$11.8K

-29.82%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$4,967 A$7,081

$7,066 A$10.1K

-29.70%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$3,547 A$5,057

$4,206 A$5,996

-15.66%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

5.9

5.97

-1.17%

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

Last update for Esperance: October 31, 2026

Last update for Melbourne: November 1, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Accommodation & Living

Esperance

$1.3K 48.9%

Melbourne

$1.4K 49.1% 10.8% $135

Groceries & Markets

Esperance

$370 14.5%

Melbourne

$383 13.6% 3.5% $13

Eating Out

Esperance

$292 11.4%

Melbourne

$315 11.2% 7.8% $23

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Esperance

$292 11.4%

Melbourne

$313 11.1% 7.4% $21

Clothing & Footwear

Esperance

$163 6.4%

Melbourne

$174 6.2% 6.7% $11

Getting Around

Esperance

$107 4.2%

Melbourne

$167 5.9% 57.2% $61

Sport & Entertainment

Esperance

$84 3.3%

Melbourne

$85 3% 0.4% $0.3

Cost Breakdown

A central one-bedroom costs $1,413 in Esperance versus $1,748 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 19% higher in Melbourne. Purchasing power depends on which expenses matter most to you.

A mid-range dinner for two costs $84 in Esperance versus $83 in Melbourne. Groceries tell a different story – $370 in Esperance vs $383 in Melbourne – so Esperance wins on supermarket bills even if dining out costs more.

Good to know

🇦🇺 Esperance

🇦🇺 Melbourne

🕒 Local time

09:09 9:09 AM

12:09 12:09 PM

3 h ahead of Esperance

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

10,218

5,031,195

💱 Currency

Australian Dollar AUD $

📈 Exchange rate

1 AUD = 0.701 USD

1 AUD = 0.623 EUR

1 AUD = 0.701 USD

1 AUD = 0.623 EUR

Exchange rates and currency converter

On the map

Lowest

Highest

Between locations

Esperance Melbourne 2,120 km ≈ 3 h 15 min nonstop flight

From you

Esperance
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

Esperance vs Melbourne: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Monthly costs with rent: $2,558 in Esperance, $2,823 in Melbourne – Esperance comes out roughly 9% cheaper. Outside of rent, the biggest gap is in transport.

For a comfortable life, plan on about $3,838 per month in Esperance and $4,234 in Melbourne. That covers rent, food, utilities, transport, and enough left over to feel settled – not just surviving.

Rent is clearly cheaper in Esperance, especially for central apartments: a one-bedroom in the center costs $1,413 there versus $1,748 in Melbourne.

Public transport costs about 41% less in Esperance. For daily commuters, that gap adds up to noticeable savings over a year.

Groceries cost about 4% more in Melbourne, though the gap depends on what you buy.

Families tend to lean toward Esperance – 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.

If budget matters most, go with Esperance. If higher salaries or specific career opportunities are the priority, Melbourne makes more sense. Both are solid long-term options with distinct trade-offs.