Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Gosford and Melbourne

For one person, living costs are similar in Gosford and in Melbourne: $2,772 and $2,821 a month, rent and utilities included.

134

Cost of Living Index in Gosford
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Gosford Living Index
138

Cost of Living Index in Melbourne
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Melbourne Living Index

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Gosford

🇦🇺 Australia

$2,772

/mo nomad

Melbourne

🇦🇺 Australia

$2,821

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

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

A single person spends $2,772 per month in Gosford vs $2,821 in Melbourne, rent included.

Gosford $2,772
Melbourne $2,821

A couple spends around $3,867 per month in Gosford vs $4,235 in Melbourne, rent included.

Gosford $3,867
Melbourne $4,235

A family of three spends $4,961 per month in Gosford vs $5,650 in Melbourne, rent included.

Gosford $4,961
Melbourne $5,650

Gosford is about 2% cheaper than Melbourne, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in eating out.

Both Gosford and Melbourne sit above the global median – Gosford by 105%, Melbourne by 109%.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$17.31 A$24.91

$17.43 A$25.08

-0.69%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$82.3 A$118

$84.6 A$122

-2.71%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$10.46 A$15.05

$12.46 A$17.92

-16.05%

Cappuccino

$3.49 A$5.03

$4.11 A$5.91

-15.09%

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

$3.19 A$4.60

$3.06 A$4.40

4.25%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.17 A$3.12

$2.52 A$3.62

-13.89%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$5.72 A$8.23

$9.80 A$14.10

-41.63%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$6.85 A$9.86

$8.57 A$12.33

-20.07%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.15 A$1.65

$1.48 A$2.14

-22.30%

White Bread (500g)

$3.92 A$5.64

$2.94 A$4.23

33.33%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$2.14 A$3.08

$2.66 A$3.82

-19.55%

Eggs

$3.97 A$5.72

$5.54 A$7.97

-28.34%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$9.29 A$13.37

$10.51 A$15.13

-11.61%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$9.41 A$13.54

$9.65 A$13.89

-2.49%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$11.90 A$17.13

$15.22 A$21.91

-21.81%

Apples (1kg)

$2.94 A$4.23

$3.99 A$5.75

-26.32%

Banana (1kg)

$2.57 A$3.70

$3.02 A$4.34

-14.90%

Oranges (1kg)

$3.37 A$4.85

$3.10 A$4.46

8.71%

Tomato (1kg)

$4.57 A$6.57

$4.82 A$6.93

-5.19%

Potato (1kg)

$2.31 A$3.32

$3.03 A$4.36

-23.76%

Onion (1kg)

$2.08 A$2.99

$2.44 A$3.52

-14.75%

Lettuce (1 head)

$2.01 A$2.90

$2.46 A$3.54

-18.29%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$1.75 A$2.51

$1.63 A$2.34

7.36%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$28.30 A$40.72

$44.07 A$63.4

-35.78%

Wine (Bottle)

$11.61 A$16.70

$12.70 A$18.28

-8.58%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$7.38 A$10.62

$5.54 A$7.97

33.21%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$4.80 A$6.91

$5.23 A$7.52

-8.22%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$3.54 A$5.09

$3.74 A$5.38

-5.35%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$150 A$216

$138 A$198

9.30%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$4.51 A$6.50

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.36 A$1.96

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$30.45 A$43.81

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.37 A$1.98

$1.47 A$2.12

-6.80%

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

$21.0K A$30.3K

$29.0K A$41.7K

-27.42%

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

$24.1K A$34.6K

$26.5K A$38.1K

-9.06%

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

$235 A$338

$234 A$336

0.53%

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

$27.73 A$39.90

$27.93 A$40.19

-0.72%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$50.1 A$72.2

$55.7 A$80.2

-10.05%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$66.8 A$96.1

$49.40 A$71.1

35.12%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$20.91 A$30.10

$21.48 A$30.91

-2.65%

Cinema Ticket

$11.78 A$16.95

$15.09 A$21.72

-21.94%

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

$842 A$1,211

$2,371 A$3,412

-64.50%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$30.2K A$43.5K

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$70.2 A$101

$80.0 A$115

-12.24%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$62.6 A$90.1

$50.7 A$73.0

23.53%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$103 A$149

$121 A$174

-14.24%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$107 A$154

$130 A$188

-17.73%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,984 A$2,855

$1,759 A$2,531

12.78%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,412 A$2,032

$1,390 A$2,000

1.63%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$2,245 A$3,230

$3,494 A$5,027

-35.75%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,975 A$2,842

$2,493 A$3,588

-20.79%

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)

$2,974 A$4,280

$4,383 A$6,307

-32.14%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

5.23

5.9

-11.36%

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

Last update for Gosford: 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

Gosford

$1.4K 51%

Melbourne

$1.4K 49.3% 1.6% $23

Groceries & Markets

Gosford

$362 13.1%

Melbourne

$384 13.6% 6.1% $22

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Gosford

$313 11.3%

Melbourne

$317 11.3% 1.5% $4.6

Eating Out

Gosford

$276 9.9%

Melbourne

$315 11.2% 14.1% $39

Getting Around

Gosford

$164 * 5.9%

Melbourne

$164 5.8% 0.4% $0.7

Clothing & Footwear

Gosford

$155 5.6%

Melbourne

$172 6.1% 11.1% $17

Sport & Entertainment

Gosford

$90 3.3%

Melbourne

$80 2.8% 11.9% $11

Categories marked with * are only partly priced – their share counts the items that do have prices.

Cost Breakdown

A central one-bedroom costs $1,984 in Gosford versus $1,759 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 47% 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 $82.0 in Gosford versus $85.0 in Melbourne. Monthly groceries follow the same trend: $362 vs $384 – making Gosford the more affordable choice for daily food spending.

Good to know

🇦🇺 Gosford

🇦🇺 Melbourne

🕒 Local time

01:04 1:04 AM

Same time as Gosford

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

4,873

5,031,195

💱 Currency

Australian Dollar AUD $

📈 Exchange rate

1 AUD = 0.695 USD

1 AUD = 0.618 EUR

1 AUD = 0.695 USD

1 AUD = 0.618 EUR

Exchange rates and currency converter

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Between locations

Gosford Melbourne 760 km ≈ 1 h 30 min nonstop flight

From you

Gosford
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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

Gosford vs Melbourne: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Monthly costs with rent: $2,772 in Gosford, $2,821 in Melbourne – roughly 2% apart. Outside of rent, the biggest gap is in eating out.

For a comfortable life, plan on about $4,158 per month in Gosford and $4,231 in Melbourne. That covers rent, food, utilities, transport, and enough left over to feel settled – not just surviving.

Rent is clearly cheaper in Gosford, especially for central apartments. Housing is actually the single biggest factor behind the overall cost gap between these two cities.

Kindergarten costs $842 per month in Gosford and $2,371 in Melbourne. For families with young kids, this one expense can tip the scales when choosing between the two cities.

Groceries cost about 6% more in Melbourne, though it depends on what you buy. Local produce may be comparable; imported and premium items show the biggest price gap.

$3,000 is a stretch for both – monthly costs hit $2,772 in Gosford and $2,821 in Melbourne. You'll need shared housing and careful budgeting no matter which city you pick.

Families tend to lean toward Gosford – lower housing and cheaper childcare make a real difference, especially on a single income or when paying for private education.

Both have safer and rougher neighborhoods, but overall safety is comparable to other large cities. Neighborhood choice matters more than the city-level comparison – central, well-trafficked areas feel secure in both.

If budget matters most, go with Gosford. If higher salaries, better infrastructure, or specific career opportunities are the priority, Melbourne makes more sense. Both are solid long-term options with distinct trade-offs.