Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Gloucester and Ballarat

For one person, living is cheaper in Ballarat: $1,902 a month against $2,401 in Gloucester, rent and utilities included – about $6,000 less a year. Higher rent and utilities in Gloucester outweigh lower spending on other living expenses.

Gloucester
🇬🇧 United Kingdom
$2,401
/mo nomad
Ballarat
🇦🇺 Australia
$1,902
/mo nomad
Monthly Cost of Living

How much you'll spend in Gloucester and in Ballarat

Real prices from locals and on-the-ground checks – rent, groceries, transit and the daily extras. Here's what a month in Gloucester and in Ballarat actually costs, broken down by who's living it.

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $2,401 in Gloucester versus $1,902 in Ballarat.

  • Gloucester $2,401
  • Ballarat $1,902

Estimated couple costs with rent: $3,745 in Gloucester versus $3,035 in Ballarat.

  • Gloucester $3,745
  • Ballarat $3,035

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $5,089 in Gloucester versus $4,168 in Ballarat.

  • Gloucester $5,089
  • Ballarat $4,168

Living in Gloucester is roughly 26% more expensive than in Ballarat, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in transport.

Both cities are pricier than the global median: Gloucester 78% above, Ballarat 41% above.

Currency
🍽 Eating Out
Gloucester
Ballarat
Difference
Meal at Budget Restaurant
$19.98 £14.99
$17.70 A$25.47
12.88%
Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range
$78.4 £58.8
$69.9 A$101
12.12%
Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)
$11.08 £8.31
$10.27 A$14.78
7.89%
Cappuccino
$4.70 £3.53
$3.79 A$5.45
24.01%
Coke/Pepsi/Fanta/Sprite (0.33 liter bottle)
$2.23 £1.68
$2.95 A$4.24
-24.41%
Water (0.33 liter bottle)
$2.48 £1.86
$1.89 A$2.72
31.22%
Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)
$5.33 £4.00
$6.06 A$8.72
-12.05%
Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)
$5.05 £3.79
$6.09 A$8.77
-17.08%
🛒 Groceries & Markets
Gloucester
Ballarat
Difference
Milk (1 liter)
$1.69 £1.27
$1.57 A$2.27
7.64%
White Bread (500g)
$1.94 £1.46
$2.65 A$3.82
-26.79%
Rice (white) (1kg)
$2.11 £1.58
$2.32 A$3.35
-9.05%
Eggs
$4.33 £3.25
$4.09 A$5.88
5.87%
Local Cheese (1kg)
$7.61 £5.71
$10.56 A$15.20
-27.94%
Chicken Fillets (1kg)
$9.38 £7.04
$9.96 A$14.33
-5.82%
Beef Round Steak (1kg)
$19.78 £14.84
$14.97 A$21.55
32.13%
Apples (1kg)
$4.25 £3.19
$3.51 A$5.04
21.08%
Banana (1kg)
$1.43 £1.07
$3.02 A$4.34
-52.65%
Oranges (1kg)
$1.87 £1.41
$3.11 A$4.48
-39.87%
Tomato (1kg)
$3.51 £2.63
$4.68 A$6.73
-25.00%
Potato (1kg)
$1.57 £1.17
$3.07 A$4.42
-48.86%
Onion (1kg)
$1.90 £1.43
$2.55 A$3.67
-25.49%
Lettuce (1 head)
$1.29 £0.97
$2.35 A$3.38
-45.11%
Water (1.5 liter bottle)
$1.48 £1.11
$1.48 A$2.14
-
Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)
$23.03 £17.28
$34.39 A$49.49
-33.03%
Wine (Bottle)
$10.71 £8.03
$12.66 A$18.21
-15.40%
Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)
$2.26 £1.69
$2.31 A$3.33
-2.16%
Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)
$2.94 £2.21
$3.11 A$4.48
-5.47%
🚌 Getting Around
Gloucester
Ballarat
Difference
One-way Ticket (Public Transport)
$3.98 £2.98
$2.76 A$3.97
44.20%
Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)
$109 £81.4
$69.9 A$101
55.36%
Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)
$6.46 £4.85
$2.53 A$3.65
155.34%
Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)
$1.35 £1.01
$1.34 A$1.93
0.75%
Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)
$16.13 £12.10
$26.64 A$38.33
-39.45%
Gasoline (1 liter)
$1.98 £1.48
$1.18 A$1.70
67.80%
Midsize Hatchback 1.4l (Volkswagen Golf, Toyota Prius, Honda Civic, etc)
$37.7K £28.3K
$28.4K A$40.9K
32.59%
Compact Sedan 1.6l (Toyota Corolla, Mazda3, Kia K4, Hyundai Elantra, etc)
$40.4K £30.3K
$26.0K A$37.4K
55.41%
🧾 Monthly Utilities & Internet
Gloucester
Ballarat
Difference
Utilities for 2 People in 2-bedroom Apartment (Heating, Electricity, Gas, Water, Garbage) (85m2)
$375 £281
$206 A$296
82.39%
SIM Card Monthly Plan (Calls and 10GB+ Data)
$23.63 £17.73
$27.76 A$39.95
-14.88%
Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)
$40.80 £30.61
$57.4 A$82.6
-28.92%
🎉 Sport & Entertainment
Gloucester
Ballarat
Difference
Gym Membership (Monthly)
$52.4 £39.29
$31.36 A$45.13
67.03%
Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)
-
$11.18 A$16.09
-
Cinema Ticket
$10.63 £7.97
$15.38 A$22.14
-30.88%
🧸 Childcare & Education
Gloucester
Ballarat
Difference
Preschool or Kindergarten, Full Day, Private, 1 Child (Monthly)
$1,321 £991
$2,144 A$3,085
-38.39%
International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)
-
$30.2K A$43.4K
-
👕👟 Clothing & Footwear
Gloucester
Ballarat
Difference
Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)
$65.1 £48.85
$68.7 A$98.8
-5.16%
Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)
$34.91 £26.19
$50.1 A$72.2
-30.37%
Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)
$74.0 £55.5
$99.6 A$143
-25.69%
Men's Leather Business Shoes
$80.5 £60.4
$134 A$193
-39.83%
🏠 Accommodation & Living
Gloucester
Ballarat
Difference
1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)
$1,113 £835
$923 A$1,329
20.54%
1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)
$1,015 £761
$671 A$965
51.30%
3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)
$3,086 £2,315
$1,288 A$1,854
139.60%
3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)
$2,193 £1,645
$1,454 A$2,092
50.83%
Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)
$4,403 £3,303
$4,622 A$6,651
-4.74%
Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)
$3,937 £2,954
$3,449 A$4,963
14.17%
💵 Salaries & Financials
Gloucester
Ballarat
Difference
Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)
$2,644 £1,983
$3,136 A$4,512
-15.69%
20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)
5.54
5.55
-0.18%

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

Last update for Gloucester: October 11, 2026

Last update for Ballarat: October 11, 2026

Monthly budget structure
Share of the monthly basket for one person, rent included.
Accommodation & Living
Gloucester
$1K
Ballarat
$671 33.9% $344
Monthly Utilities & Internet
Gloucester
$439
Ballarat
$291 33.8% $149
Groceries & Markets
Gloucester
$316
Ballarat
$350 10.9% $34
Eating Out
Gloucester
$305
Ballarat
$280 8.3% $25
Getting Around
Gloucester
$138
Ballarat
$90 34.5% $48
Clothing & Footwear
Gloucester
$115
Ballarat
$158 38.4% $44
Sport & Entertainment
Gloucester
$74
Ballarat
$62 15.6% $12

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $1,113 in Gloucester and $923 in Ballarat. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Ballarat pays 19% more on average while also being the cheaper of the two. The combined effect is a noticeably stronger local purchasing power.

Dining out: $78.0 in Gloucester vs $70.0 in Ballarat. Groceries flip the comparison at $316 vs $350, with Gloucester cheaper for home cooking.

Good to know
🇬🇧 Gloucester
🇦🇺 Ballarat
🕒 Local time
14:41 2:41 PM
00:41 12:41 AM
10 h ahead of Gloucester
🌤 Weather
👥 Population
121,700
105,348
💱 Currency
Exchange rates and currency converter

AUD, USD, EUR to GBP – British Pound Converter

British Pound exchange rates as of October 17, 2026: 1 USD = 0.75 GBP (1 GBP = 1.33 USD). 1 EUR = 0.843 GBP (1 GBP = 1.19 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).

On the map
Between locations
  • Gloucester Ballarat 16,940 km ≈ 22 h nonstop flight
From you
  • Gloucester
  • Ballarat

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
Gloucester vs Ballarat: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions
Which city is more expensive, Gloucester or Ballarat?
Ballarat wins on cost – living expenses run 26% lower than in Gloucester. Housing and daily spending are where you'll feel the difference most, making Ballarat the obvious pick if budget is a priority.
Are salaries higher in Gloucester or in Ballarat?
On paper, salaries run 19% lower in Ballarat. That's worth factoring in alongside costs, though remote workers earning in a stronger currency may not notice the difference at all.
How much does a 1-bedroom apartment cost in Gloucester compared to Ballarat?
Rent for a central apartment: $1,113 in Gloucester versus $923 in Ballarat. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.
How do childcare costs compare in Gloucester and in Ballarat?
Childcare runs $1,321 in Gloucester versus $2,144 in Ballarat. Over years of preschool, even a modest monthly gap compounds into a major financial factor for families.
Are groceries more expensive in Gloucester or in Ballarat?
Shoppers in Gloucester pay roughly 11% less for everyday groceries. It's an unusual reversal that partly offsets higher costs elsewhere.
Can you live on $2,000/month in Gloucester or in Ballarat?
At $1,902 in Ballarat versus $2,401 in Gloucester, a $2,000 budget is realistic in Ballarat but tight or insufficient in Gloucester. The gap between the two cities makes Ballarat the clear choice for anyone on this budget.
Which city offers a better quality of life: Gloucester or Ballarat?
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.
How safe is Gloucester compared to Ballarat?
Safety-wise, Gloucester and Ballarat are on par. Petty crime is typical for cities this size, and most residents feel comfortable going about their daily routines in either place.
Which city is more affordable for expats?
Expats usually find Ballarat gentler on the wallet – expenses run 26% less than in Gloucester. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.

Gloucester vs other spots: cost of living compared

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