Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Fremantle and Melbourne

For one person, living is cheaper in Fremantle: $2,509 a month against $2,849 in Melbourne, rent and utilities included – about $4,100 less a year. Rent and utilities account for most of the difference.

121

Cost of Living Index in Fremantle
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Fremantle Living Index
137

Cost of Living Index in Melbourne
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Melbourne Living Index

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Fremantle

🇦🇺 Australia

$2,509

/mo nomad

Melbourne

🇦🇺 Australia

$2,849

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

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

A single person spends $2,509 per month in Fremantle vs $2,849 in Melbourne, rent included.

Fremantle $2,509
Melbourne $2,849

A couple spends around $3,301 per month in Fremantle vs $4,274 in Melbourne, rent included.

Fremantle $3,301
Melbourne $4,274

A family of three spends $4,094 per month in Fremantle vs $5,699 in Melbourne, rent included.

Fremantle $4,094
Melbourne $5,699

Fremantle is about 12% cheaper than Melbourne, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in transport.

Both Fremantle and Melbourne sit above the global median – Fremantle by 84%, Melbourne by 109%.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$18.98 A$26.89

$17.50 A$24.79

8.46%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$82.2 A$117

$84.3 A$119

-2.44%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$10.97 A$15.54

$12.17 A$17.24

-9.86%

Cappuccino

$3.60 A$5.11

$4.07 A$5.77

-11.55%

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

$2.86 A$4.05

$3.18 A$4.50

-10.06%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.88 A$2.66

$2.50 A$3.54

-24.80%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$7.91 A$11.21

$9.57 A$13.56

-17.35%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$8.36 A$11.84

$8.25 A$11.69

1.33%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.64 A$2.32

$1.50 A$2.13

9.33%

White Bread (500g)

$3.22 A$4.56

$2.97 A$4.21

8.42%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.99 A$2.82

$2.68 A$3.80

-25.75%

Eggs

$5.16 A$7.31

$5.45 A$7.73

-5.32%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$9.41 A$13.34

$10.71 A$15.18

-12.14%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$8.20 A$11.61

$10.05 A$14.24

-18.41%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$12.06 A$17.08

$15.00 A$21.25

-19.60%

Apples (1kg)

$3.81 A$5.40

$4.07 A$5.76

-6.39%

Banana (1kg)

$3.22 A$4.55

$3.14 A$4.44

2.55%

Oranges (1kg)

$3.48 A$4.93

$3.12 A$4.42

11.54%

Tomato (1kg)

$3.41 A$4.84

$4.73 A$6.70

-27.91%

Potato (1kg)

$2.77 A$3.92

$2.98 A$4.22

-7.05%

Onion (1kg)

$1.90 A$2.70

$2.49 A$3.53

-23.69%

Lettuce (1 head)

$2.05 A$2.91

$2.48 A$3.52

-17.34%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$1.41 A$1.99

$1.60 A$2.27

-11.88%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$35.75 A$50.6

$44.65 A$63.3

-19.93%

Wine (Bottle)

$10.36 A$14.67

$12.68 A$17.96

-18.30%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$3.55 A$5.02

$5.55 A$7.86

-36.04%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.47 A$4.92

$5.18 A$7.35

-33.01%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$2.75 A$3.90

$3.84 A$5.44

-28.39%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$85.2 A$121

$139 A$196

-38.55%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$3.74 A$5.29

$4.36 A$6.17

-14.22%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.42 A$2.01

$1.37 A$1.94

3.65%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$41.29 A$58.5

$29.72 A$42.11

38.93%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.22 A$1.73

$1.49 A$2.10

-18.12%

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

$30.7K A$43.5K

$29.1K A$41.2K

5.48%

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

$26.6K A$37.7K

$25.7K A$36.4K

3.68%

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

$207 A$293

$236 A$334

-12.19%

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

$24.83 A$35.17

$28.01 A$39.68

-11.35%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$63.6 A$90.1

$57.2 A$81.1

11.13%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$44.79 A$63.4

$48.39 A$68.6

-7.44%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$17.55 A$24.86

$21.46 A$30.41

-18.22%

Cinema Ticket

$15.79 A$22.37

$17.67 A$25.03

-10.64%

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

$2,265 A$3,208

$2,461 A$3,486

-7.98%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$23.2K A$32.9K

$29.7K A$42.1K

-21.74%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$35.56 A$50.4

$81.2 A$115

-56.21%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$55.3 A$78.3

$49.28 A$69.8

12.13%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$125 A$177

$120 A$169

4.28%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$160 A$226

$131 A$186

21.99%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,378 A$1,952

$1,703 A$2,412

-19.08%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,224 A$1,733

$1,409 A$1,996

-13.14%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$2,245 A$3,180

$3,496 A$4,952

-35.78%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,219 A$1,727

$2,527 A$3,579

-51.74%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$5,606 A$7,942

$7,978 A$11.3K

-29.73%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$5,480 A$7,763

$6,900 A$9,775

-20.58%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$3,936 A$5,576

$4,257 A$6,030

-7.54%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

5.96

5.9

1.02%

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

Last update for Fremantle: 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

Fremantle

$1.2K 48.8%

Melbourne

$1.4K 49.4% 15.1% $185

Groceries & Markets

Fremantle

$335 13.3%

Melbourne

$386 13.6% 15.5% $52

Eating Out

Fremantle

$303 12.1%

Melbourne

$312 11% 3% $9.2

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Fremantle

$295 11.8%

Melbourne

$321 11.3% 8.6% $26

Clothing & Footwear

Fremantle

$169 6.7%

Melbourne

$171 6% 1.5% $2.6

Getting Around

Fremantle

$107 4.3%

Melbourne

$165 5.8% 54.3% $58

Sport & Entertainment

Fremantle

$76 3%

Melbourne

$84 2.9% 9.6% $7.3

Cost Breakdown

A central one-bedroom costs $1,378 in Fremantle 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.

Salaries run about 8% higher in Melbourne, which partly offsets the higher cost of living there. Purchasing power depends on which expenses matter most to you.

A mid-range dinner for two costs $82 in Fremantle versus $84 in Melbourne. Monthly groceries follow the same trend: $335 vs $386 – making Fremantle the more affordable choice for daily food spending.

Good to know

🇦🇺 Fremantle

🇦🇺 Melbourne

🕒 Local time

08:30 8:30 AM

11:30 11:30 AM

3 h ahead of Fremantle

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

8,616

5,031,195

💱 Currency

Australian Dollar AUD $

📈 Exchange rate

1 AUD = 0.706 USD

1 AUD = 0.634 EUR

1 AUD = 0.706 USD

1 AUD = 0.634 EUR

Exchange rates and currency converter

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Between locations

Fremantle Melbourne 2,730 km ≈ 4 h nonstop flight

From you

Fremantle
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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

Fremantle vs Melbourne: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Melbourne costs about 14% more than Fremantle, and outside of rent the gap comes mainly from transport. That’s enough to noticeably affect everyday spending and lifestyle for anyone choosing between the two.

For a comfortable life, plan on about $3,764 per month in Fremantle 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 Fremantle, especially for central apartments: a one-bedroom in the center costs $1,378 there versus $1,703 in Melbourne.

Monthly expenses with rent come to $2,509 in Fremantle and $2,849 in Melbourne. That makes Fremantle about 12% cheaper.

Kindergarten costs $2,265 per month in Fremantle and $2,461 in Melbourne. For families with young kids, this one expense can tip the scales when choosing between the two cities.

$2,000 is a stretch for both – monthly costs hit $2,509 in Fremantle and $2,849 in Melbourne. You’ll need shared housing and careful budgeting no matter which city you pick.

Families tend to lean toward Fremantle – 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 Fremantle. If higher salaries or specific career opportunities are the priority, Melbourne makes more sense. Both are solid long-term options with distinct trade-offs.