Cost of Living Comparison Between Gloucester and Ballarat Cost of Living Comparison Between Gloucester and Ballarat

Monthly Cost of Living

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $2,444 in Gloucester versus $1,926 in Ballarat.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $3,804 in Gloucester versus $3,081 in Ballarat.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $5,165 in Gloucester versus $4,235 in Ballarat.

Living in Gloucester is roughly 27% more expensive than in Ballarat, driven mainly by Groceries & Markets.

Both cities are pricier than the global median: Gloucester 78% above, Ballarat 40% above.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$20.77 £15.37

$17.68 A$24.74

17.48%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$80.5 £59.6

$72.7 A$102

10.81%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$9.72 £7.19

$10.73 A$15.01

-9.41%

Cappuccino

$4.78 £3.53

$3.83 A$5.36

24.80%

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

$2.62 £1.94

$3.10 A$4.33

-15.48%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.99 £1.47

$2.01 A$2.81

-1.00%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$6.70 £4.96

$6.24 A$8.73

7.37%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$6.23 £4.61

$6.55 A$9.16

-4.89%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.73 £1.28

$1.71 A$2.39

1.17%

White Bread (500g)

$1.86 £1.38

$2.86 A$4.00

-34.97%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$2.09 £1.55

$2.41 A$3.37

-13.28%

Eggs

$3.85 £2.85

$4.36 A$6.10

-11.70%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$9.08 £6.72

$11.57 A$16.19

-21.52%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$9.16 £6.78

$9.48 A$13.27

-3.38%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$15.16 £11.22

$15.78 A$22.08

-3.93%

Apples (1kg)

$2.52 £1.86

$3.68 A$5.15

-31.52%

Banana (1kg)

$1.50 £1.11

$3.16 A$4.42

-52.53%

Oranges (1kg)

$1.89 £1.40

$3.19 A$4.46

-40.75%

Tomato (1kg)

$3.40 £2.52

$4.82 A$6.74

-29.46%

Potato (1kg)

$1.63 £1.21

$3.30 A$4.62

-50.61%

Onion (1kg)

$1.81 £1.34

$2.63 A$3.68

-31.18%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.40 £1.03

$2.41 A$3.37

-41.91%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$1.52 £1.13

$1.52 A$2.13

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$22.51 £16.66

$35.19 A$49.22

-36.03%

Wine (Bottle)

$11.54 £8.54

$12.09 A$16.91

-4.55%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$3.25 £2.41

$2.35 A$3.29

38.30%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.08 £2.28

$3.21 A$4.49

-4.05%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$3.96 £2.93

$2.76 A$3.86

43.48%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$113 £83.7

$73.0 A$102

54.86%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$5.28 £3.91

$2.65 A$3.71

99.25%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$2.46 £1.82

$1.40 A$1.96

75.71%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$23.94 £17.72

$27.81 A$38.90

-13.92%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.95 £1.44

$1.24 A$1.74

57.26%

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

$39.5K £29.2K

$29.1K A$40.7K

35.70%

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

$41.5K £30.7K

$25.8K A$36.1K

60.55%

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

$334 £247

$216 A$302

54.90%

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

$21.28 £15.75

$27.96 A$39.11

-23.89%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$49.69 £36.77

$57.7 A$80.8

-13.94%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$54.6 £40.37

$32.61 A$45.62

67.31%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$11.33 A$15.85

Cinema Ticket

$16.53 £12.23

$15.86 A$22.19

4.22%

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

$1,334 £987

$2,207 A$3,087

-39.54%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$24.2K £17.9K

$33.2K A$46.4K

-26.86%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$69.0 £51.1

$72.2 A$101

-4.38%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$48.23 £35.69

$52.1 A$72.9

-7.48%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$73.1 £54.1

$104 A$145

-29.69%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$81.5 £60.3

$138 A$193

-40.82%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,144 £846

$936 A$1,309

22.20%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,051 £778

$689 A$963

52.68%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$3,206 £2,372

$1,289 A$1,803

148.64%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$2,307 £1,707

$1,527 A$2,135

51.14%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$4,407 £3,261

$4,901 A$6,855

-10.09%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$4,039 £2,989

$3,601 A$5,037

12.18%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$2,698 £1,996

$3,339 A$4,671

-19.21%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

5.09

5.55

-8.29%

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

Last update for Gloucester: August 30, 2026

Last update for Ballarat: August 30, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $1,144 in Gloucester and $936 in Ballarat. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Ballarat pays 24% more on average while also being the cheaper of the two. The combined effect is a noticeably stronger local purchasing power.

Dining out: $81.0 in Gloucester vs $73.0 in Ballarat. Groceries flip the comparison at $302 vs $362, with Gloucester cheaper for home cooking.

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

Ballarat wins on cost – living expenses run 27% 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.

On paper, salaries run 24% 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.

Rent for a central apartment: $1,144 in Gloucester versus $936 in Ballarat. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Childcare runs $1,334 in Gloucester versus $2,207 in Ballarat. Over years of preschool, even a modest monthly gap compounds into a major financial factor for families.

Shoppers in Gloucester pay roughly 20% less for everyday groceries. It's an unusual reversal that partly offsets higher costs elsewhere.

At $1,926 in Ballarat versus $2,444 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.

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, 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.

Expats usually find Ballarat gentler on the wallet – expenses run 27% less than in Gloucester. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.