Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between George Town and Melbourne

For one person, living is cheaper in George Town: $956 a month against $2,821 in Melbourne, rent and utilities included – about $22,400 less a year. Rent and utilities account for most of the difference.

46

Cost of Living Index in George Town
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George Town Living Index
138

Cost of Living Index in Melbourne
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Melbourne Living Index

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George Town

🇲🇾 Malaysia

$956

/mo nomad

Melbourne

🇦🇺 Australia

$2,821

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

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

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $956 in George Town versus $2,821 in Melbourne.

George Town $956
Melbourne $2,821

Estimated couple costs with rent: $1,599 in George Town versus $4,235 in Melbourne.

George Town $1,599
Melbourne $4,235

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $2,243 in George Town versus $5,650 in Melbourne.

George Town $2,243
Melbourne $5,650

Living in George Town costs roughly 66% less than in Melbourne, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in eating out.

The two cities straddle the global median: George Town is 29% below, Melbourne is 109% above.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$3.41 MYR 13.92

$17.43 A$25.08

-80.44%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$15.33 MYR 62.5

$84.6 A$122

-81.87%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$4.55 MYR 18.58

$12.46 A$17.92

-63.48%

Cappuccino

$2.61 MYR 10.66

$4.11 A$5.91

-36.50%

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

$0.78 MYR 3.16

$3.06 A$4.40

-74.51%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.35 MYR 1.43

$2.52 A$3.62

-86.11%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$2.42 MYR 9.88

$9.80 A$14.10

-75.31%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$4.46 MYR 18.21

$8.57 A$12.33

-47.96%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.85 MYR 7.56

$1.48 A$2.14

25.00%

White Bread (500g)

$1.05 MYR 4.28

$2.94 A$4.23

-64.29%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.68 MYR 6.85

$2.66 A$3.82

-36.84%

Eggs

$2.21 MYR 9.03

$5.54 A$7.97

-60.11%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$13.65 MYR 55.7

$10.51 A$15.13

29.88%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$4.51 MYR 18.38

$9.65 A$13.89

-53.26%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$8.49 MYR 34.62

$15.22 A$21.91

-44.22%

Apples (1kg)

$2.43 MYR 9.89

$3.99 A$5.75

-39.10%

Banana (1kg)

$1.43 MYR 5.84

$3.02 A$4.34

-52.65%

Oranges (1kg)

$2.23 MYR 9.12

$3.10 A$4.46

-28.06%

Tomato (1kg)

$1.19 MYR 4.86

$4.82 A$6.93

-75.31%

Potato (1kg)

$0.93 MYR 3.77

$3.03 A$4.36

-69.31%

Onion (1kg)

$0.85 MYR 3.45

$2.44 A$3.52

-65.16%

Lettuce (1 head)

$0.70 MYR 2.87

$2.46 A$3.54

-71.54%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.57 MYR 2.31

$1.63 A$2.34

-65.03%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$4.42 MYR 18.03

$44.07 A$63.4

-89.97%

Wine (Bottle)

$18.74 MYR 76.5

$12.70 A$18.28

47.56%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$2.42 MYR 9.89

$5.54 A$7.97

-56.32%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.59 MYR 14.65

$5.23 A$7.52

-31.36%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.47 MYR 1.91

$3.74 A$5.38

-87.43%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$10.84 MYR 44.24

$138 A$198

-92.12%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$1.24 MYR 5.08

$4.51 A$6.50

-72.51%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$0.51 MYR 2.09

$1.36 A$1.96

-62.50%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$6.87 MYR 28.03

$30.45 A$43.81

-77.44%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$0.84 MYR 3.43

$1.47 A$2.12

-42.86%

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

$42.3K MYR 172.6K

$29.0K A$41.7K

45.92%

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

$28.7K MYR 117.0K

$26.5K A$38.1K

8.36%

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

$36.87 MYR 150

$234 A$336

-84.22%

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

$8.21 MYR 33.51

$27.93 A$40.19

-70.61%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$28.51 MYR 116

$55.7 A$80.2

-48.85%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$40.21 MYR 164

$49.40 A$71.1

-18.60%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$5.04 MYR 20.55

$21.48 A$30.91

-76.54%

Cinema Ticket

$4.76 MYR 19.43

$15.09 A$21.72

-68.46%

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

$173 MYR 705

$2,371 A$3,412

-92.72%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$4,848 MYR 19.8K

$30.2K A$43.5K

-83.95%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$53.1 MYR 216

$80.0 A$115

-33.65%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$34.45 MYR 141

$50.7 A$73.0

-32.05%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$74.5 MYR 304

$121 A$174

-38.27%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$69.8 MYR 285

$130 A$188

-46.47%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$505 MYR 2,059

$1,759 A$2,531

-71.30%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$374 MYR 1,524

$1,390 A$2,000

-73.12%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$932 MYR 3,804

$3,494 A$5,027

-73.31%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$992 MYR 4,046

$2,493 A$3,588

-60.22%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$6,926 A$9,967

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$6,445 A$9,274

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$1,094 MYR 4,462

$4,383 A$6,307

-75.04%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

4.04

5.9

-31.53%

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

Last update for George Town: October 12, 2026

Last update for Melbourne: October 10, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Accommodation & Living

George Town

$374 39.1%

Melbourne

$1.4K 49.3% 272% $1K

Groceries & Markets

George Town

$240 25.1%

Melbourne

$384 13.6% 60% $144

Clothing & Footwear

George Town

$104 10.9%

Melbourne

$172 6.1% 64.7% $67

Eating Out

George Town

$98 10.2%

Melbourne

$315 11.2% 221% $217

Monthly Utilities & Internet

George Town

$74 7.7%

Melbourne

$317 11.3% 331% $244

Sport & Entertainment

George Town

$50 5.2%

Melbourne

$80 2.8% 60% $30

Getting Around

George Town

$17 1.7%

Melbourne

$164 5.8% 891% $147

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $505 in George Town and $1,759 in Melbourne. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Melbourne pays 301% 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: $15.00 in George Town vs $85.0 in Melbourne for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $240 vs $384 per month, with George Town cheaper across the board.

Good to know

🇲🇾 George Town

🇦🇺 Melbourne

🕒 Local time

01:33 1:33 AM

04:33 4:33 AM

3 h ahead of George Town

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

794,313

5,031,195

💱 Currency

Malaysian Ringgit MYR RM

Australian Dollar AUD $

📈 Exchange rate

1 MYR = 0.245 USD

1 MYR = 0.218 EUR

1 AUD = 0.695 USD

1 AUD = 0.618 EUR

Exchange rates and currency converter

AUD, USD, EUR to MYR – Malaysian Ringgit Converter

🇺🇸 United States Dollar ($)

🇲🇾 Malaysian Ringgit (RM)

Malaysian Ringgit exchange rates as of October 17, 2026: 1 USD = 4.08 MYR (1 MYR = 0.245 USD). 1 EUR = 4.59 MYR (1 MYR = 0.218 EUR).

Australian Dollar exchange rates as of October 17, 2026: 1 USD = 1.44 AUD (1 AUD = 0.695 USD). 1 EUR = 1.62 AUD (1 AUD = 0.618 EUR).

USD to MYR in detail →

On the map

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Between locations

George Town Melbourne 6,660 km ≈ 9 h nonstop flight

From you

George Town
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

George Town vs Melbourne: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

George Town is cheaper overall, especially in groceries, clothing, and eating out. The 195% gap adds up to real monthly savings that compound significantly over time.

On paper, salaries run 301% lower in Melbourne. That's worth factoring in alongside costs, though remote workers earning in a stronger currency may not notice the difference at all.

Rent for a central apartment: $505 in George Town versus $1,759 in Melbourne. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

A monthly transit pass in George Town runs roughly 1169% less than in Melbourne. Both cities have functional networks, but the price difference matters if you're watching your budget.

Childcare runs $173 in George Town versus $2,371 in Melbourne. Over years of preschool, even a modest monthly gap compounds into a major financial factor for families.

At $956 in George Town versus $2,821 in Melbourne, a $1,500 budget is realistic in George Town but tight or insufficient in Melbourne. The gap between the two cities makes George Town the clear choice for anyone on this budget.

For families, George Town is more practical. Housing and childcare are both notably cheaper than in Melbourne, and the savings on those two alone free up budget for education, activities, and family trips.

Safety-wise, George Town 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 George Town gentler on the wallet – expenses run 195% less than in Melbourne. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.