Last update: Nov 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Forster and Melbourne

For one person, living is cheaper in Forster: $2,595 a month against $2,823 in Melbourne, rent and utilities included – about $2,700 less a year. Rent and utilities account for most of the difference.

125

Cost of Living Index in Forster
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Forster Living Index
136

Cost of Living Index in Melbourne
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Melbourne Living Index

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Forster

🇦🇺 Australia

$2,595

/mo nomad

Melbourne

🇦🇺 Australia

$2,823

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

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

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $2,595 in Forster versus $2,823 in Melbourne.

Forster $2,595
Melbourne $2,823

Estimated couple costs with rent: $3,737 in Forster versus $4,253 in Melbourne.

Forster $3,737
Melbourne $4,253

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $4,879 in Forster versus $5,683 in Melbourne.

Forster $4,879
Melbourne $5,683

Living in Forster costs roughly 8% less than in Melbourne, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in transport.

Both cities are pricier than the global median: Forster 92% above, Melbourne 109% above.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$17.58 A$25.09

$17.34 A$24.75

1.38%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$92.1 A$131

$82.7 A$118

11.38%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$10.66 A$15.21

$12.63 A$18.03

-15.60%

Cappuccino

$3.90 A$5.57

$4.22 A$6.02

-7.58%

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

$2.82 A$4.03

$3.12 A$4.45

-9.62%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.22 A$3.18

$2.48 A$3.54

-10.48%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$6.87 A$9.81

$9.69 A$13.83

-29.10%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$5.45 A$7.78

$8.30 A$11.85

-34.34%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.64 A$2.34

$1.50 A$2.15

9.33%

White Bread (500g)

$2.91 A$4.16

$3.08 A$4.39

-5.52%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$2.38 A$3.39

$2.64 A$3.77

-9.85%

Eggs

$5.62 A$8.03

$5.58 A$7.96

0.72%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$12.01 A$17.14

$9.78 A$13.97

22.80%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$9.38 A$13.39

$9.52 A$13.59

-1.47%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$16.88 A$24.09

$15.18 A$21.67

11.20%

Apples (1kg)

$3.90 A$5.57

$4.22 A$6.02

-7.58%

Banana (1kg)

$3.10 A$4.43

$3.13 A$4.47

-0.96%

Oranges (1kg)

$3.40 A$4.85

$3.24 A$4.63

4.94%

Tomato (1kg)

$4.22 A$6.03

$4.71 A$6.72

-10.40%

Potato (1kg)

$3.24 A$4.63

$3.13 A$4.47

3.51%

Onion (1kg)

$2.48 A$3.55

$2.46 A$3.51

0.81%

Lettuce (1 head)

$2.38 A$3.39

$2.40 A$3.43

-0.83%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$1.21 A$1.73

$1.47 A$2.10

-17.69%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$44.92 A$64.1

$42.76 A$61.0

5.05%

Wine (Bottle)

$14.05 A$20.06

$12.90 A$18.41

8.91%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$3.96 A$5.66

$5.53 A$7.89

-28.39%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$4.07 A$5.81

$5.16 A$7.36

-21.12%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$2.83 A$4.04

$3.79 A$5.42

-25.33%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$84.7 A$121

$141 A$202

-40.04%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$3.50 A$4.99

$3.75 A$5.36

-6.67%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.65 A$2.35

$1.44 A$2.06

14.58%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$40.37 A$57.6

$28.93 A$41.30

39.54%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.51 A$2.15

$1.45 A$2.07

4.14%

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

$30.0K A$42.8K

$29.6K A$42.2K

1.34%

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

$27.9K A$39.8K

$26.3K A$37.5K

6.26%

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

$252 A$360

$229 A$327

10.28%

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

$27.69 A$39.52

$26.76 A$38.19

3.48%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$56.6 A$80.7

$57.5 A$82.1

-1.72%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$57.0 A$81.3

$49.77 A$71.0

14.51%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$17.43 A$24.87

$21.45 A$30.61

-18.74%

Cinema Ticket

$17.45 A$24.91

$17.43 A$24.88

0.11%

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

$2,354 A$3,360

$2,435 A$3,475

-3.32%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$27.9K A$39.8K

$33.6K A$48.0K

-17.07%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$80.3 A$115

$80.4 A$115

-0.11%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$71.4 A$102

$51.5 A$73.5

38.64%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$113 A$162

$121 A$173

-6.52%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$130 A$186

$134 A$191

-2.47%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,391 A$1,985

$1,748 A$2,495

-20.45%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,217 A$1,737

$1,386 A$1,978

-12.19%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$2,287 A$3,264

$3,468 A$4,950

-34.06%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,794 A$2,561

$2,520 A$3,596

-28.80%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$5,826 A$8,316

$8,274 A$11.8K

-29.58%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$4,884 A$6,970

$7,066 A$10.1K

-30.89%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$4,206 A$6,004

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

5.92

5.97

-0.84%

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

Last update for Forster: 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

Forster

$1.2K 46.9%

Melbourne

$1.4K 49.1% 13.9% $169

Groceries & Markets

Forster

$379 14.6%

Melbourne

$383 13.6% 1.1% $4.1

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Forster

$337 13%

Melbourne

$313 11.1% 7% $23

Eating Out

Forster

$285 11%

Melbourne

$315 11.2% 10.5% $30

Clothing & Footwear

Forster

$178 6.9%

Melbourne

$174 6.2% 2.2% $3.9

Getting Around

Forster

$108 4.2%

Melbourne

$167 5.9% 55.4% $60

Sport & Entertainment

Forster

$92 3.5%

Melbourne

$85 3% 7.9% $7.3

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $1,391 in Forster and $1,748 in Melbourne. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Dining out: $92 in Forster vs $83 in Melbourne. Groceries flip the comparison at $379 vs $383, with Forster cheaper for home cooking.

Good to know

🇦🇺 Forster

🇦🇺 Melbourne

🕒 Local time

06:03 6:03 AM

Same time as Forster

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

20,554

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

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Between locations

Forster Melbourne 930 km ≈ 1 h 45 min nonstop flight

From you

Forster
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

Forster vs Melbourne: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Total monthly costs including rent come to $2,595 in Forster and $2,823 in Melbourne, so Forster is about 8% cheaper – a gap that matters a lot on a fixed or modest income.

You’d need roughly $3,893 in Forster 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: $1,391 in Forster versus $1,748 in Melbourne. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

A monthly transit pass in Forster runs roughly 40% less than in Melbourne. The price difference matters if you commute daily and watch your budget.

All in, you’ll spend $2,595 per month in Forster versus $2,823 in Melbourne – Forster is about 8% cheaper, which adds up to real savings over time.

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, Forster and Melbourne are both considered safe, so it’s unlikely to be the deciding factor between them.