Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Goulburn and Melbourne

For one person, living is cheaper in Goulburn: $2,369 a month against $2,849 in Melbourne, rent and utilities included – about $5,800 less a year. Rent and utilities account for most of the difference.

114

Cost of Living Index in Goulburn
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Goulburn Living Index
137

Cost of Living Index in Melbourne
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Melbourne Living Index

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Goulburn

🇦🇺 Australia

$2,369

/mo nomad

Melbourne

🇦🇺 Australia

$2,849

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

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

A single person spends $2,369 per month in Goulburn vs $2,849 in Melbourne, rent included.

Goulburn $2,369
Melbourne $2,849

A couple spends around $3,337 per month in Goulburn vs $4,274 in Melbourne, rent included.

Goulburn $3,337
Melbourne $4,274

A family of three spends $4,306 per month in Goulburn vs $5,699 in Melbourne, rent included.

Goulburn $4,306
Melbourne $5,699

Goulburn is about 17% cheaper than Melbourne, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in groceries.

Both Goulburn and Melbourne sit above the global median – Goulburn by 74%, Melbourne by 109%.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$17.52 A$24.91

$17.50 A$24.88

0.11%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$89.7 A$127

$84.3 A$120

6.36%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$8.61 A$12.25

$12.17 A$17.30

-29.25%

Cappuccino

$3.20 A$4.56

$4.07 A$5.79

-21.38%

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

$2.86 A$4.07

$3.18 A$4.52

-10.06%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.22 A$3.15

$2.50 A$3.55

-11.20%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$8.03 A$11.42

$9.57 A$13.61

-16.09%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$7.46 A$10.61

$8.25 A$11.73

-9.58%

Milk (1 liter)

$0.95 A$1.35

$1.50 A$2.14

-36.67%

White Bread (500g)

$1.74 A$2.47

$2.97 A$4.22

-41.41%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$2.30 A$3.27

$2.68 A$3.82

-14.18%

Eggs

$4.99 A$7.09

$5.45 A$7.76

-8.44%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$12.11 A$17.22

$10.71 A$15.23

13.07%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$9.42 A$13.39

$10.05 A$14.29

-6.27%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$16.76 A$23.83

$15.00 A$21.33

11.73%

Apples (1kg)

$3.18 A$4.53

$4.07 A$5.79

-21.87%

Banana (1kg)

$1.79 A$2.54

$3.14 A$4.46

-42.99%

Oranges (1kg)

$1.78 A$2.52

$3.12 A$4.43

-42.95%

Tomato (1kg)

$3.54 A$5.04

$4.73 A$6.73

-25.16%

Potato (1kg)

$2.42 A$3.43

$2.98 A$4.24

-18.79%

Onion (1kg)

$1.35 A$1.92

$2.49 A$3.55

-45.78%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.39 A$1.97

$2.48 A$3.53

-43.95%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$1.04 A$1.47

$1.60 A$2.27

-35.00%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$45.00 A$64.0

$44.65 A$63.5

0.78%

Wine (Bottle)

$8.20 A$11.66

$12.68 A$18.03

-35.33%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$4.11 A$5.84

$5.55 A$7.89

-25.95%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$4.21 A$5.99

$5.18 A$7.37

-18.73%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$2.85 A$4.05

$3.84 A$5.46

-25.78%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$82.9 A$118

$139 A$197

-40.21%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$2.85 A$4.05

$4.36 A$6.20

-34.63%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.64 A$2.34

$1.37 A$1.94

19.71%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$39.71 A$56.5

$29.72 A$42.26

33.61%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.49 A$2.12

$1.49 A$2.11

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

$29.8K A$42.3K

$29.1K A$41.4K

2.34%

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

$27.6K A$39.2K

$25.7K A$36.5K

7.53%

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

$105 A$149

$236 A$335

-55.43%

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

$27.97 A$39.78

$28.01 A$39.83

-0.14%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$56.8 A$80.8

$57.2 A$81.4

-0.72%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$60.9 A$86.6

$48.39 A$68.8

25.79%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$17.12 A$24.34

$21.46 A$30.52

-20.22%

Cinema Ticket

$8.35 A$11.87

$17.67 A$25.12

-52.74%

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

$2,393 A$3,403

$2,461 A$3,499

-2.75%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$27.8K A$39.5K

$29.7K A$42.2K

-6.47%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$80.0 A$114

$81.2 A$115

-1.47%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$70.0 A$99.5

$49.28 A$70.1

41.94%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$112 A$160

$120 A$170

-5.92%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$129 A$183

$131 A$186

-1.71%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,398 A$1,987

$1,703 A$2,421

-17.92%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,226 A$1,743

$1,409 A$2,003

-12.96%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$2,339 A$3,325

$3,496 A$4,971

-33.10%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,575 A$2,239

$2,527 A$3,593

-37.67%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$6,008 A$8,542

$7,978 A$11.3K

-24.70%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$5,683 A$8,081

$6,900 A$9,812

-17.63%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$4,079 A$5,800

$4,257 A$6,053

-4.18%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

5.92

5.9

0.34%

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

Last update for Goulburn: October 25, 2026

Last update for Melbourne: October 26, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Accommodation & Living

Goulburn

$1.2K 51.8%

Melbourne

$1.4K 49.4% 14.9% $183

Groceries & Markets

Goulburn

$314 13.3%

Melbourne

$386 13.6% 22.9% $72

Eating Out

Goulburn

$280 11.8%

Melbourne

$312 11% 11.7% $33

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Goulburn

$190 8%

Melbourne

$321 11.3% 69% $131

Clothing & Footwear

Goulburn

$176 7.4%

Melbourne

$171 6% 2.6% $4.6

Getting Around

Goulburn

$105 4.5%

Melbourne

$165 5.8% 56.8% $60

Sport & Entertainment

Goulburn

$78 3.3%

Melbourne

$84 2.9% 7.9% $6.2

Cost Breakdown

A central one-bedroom costs $1,398 in Goulburn 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 4% 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 $90 in Goulburn versus $84 in Melbourne. Groceries tell a different story – $314 in Goulburn vs $386 in Melbourne – so Goulburn wins on supermarket bills even if dining out costs more.

Good to know

🇦🇺 Goulburn

🇦🇺 Melbourne

🕒 Local time

04:45 4:45 AM

Same time as Goulburn

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

23,963

5,031,195

💱 Currency

Australian Dollar AUD $

📈 Exchange rate

1 AUD = 0.703 USD

1 AUD = 0.632 EUR

1 AUD = 0.703 USD

1 AUD = 0.632 EUR

Exchange rates and currency converter

On the map

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Between locations

Goulburn Melbourne 550 km ≈ 1 h 15 min nonstop flight

From you

Goulburn
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

Goulburn vs Melbourne: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Yes – Melbourne is pricier by about 20%, and outside of rent the gap shows up most in groceries.

For a comfortable life, plan on about $3,554 per month in Goulburn 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 Goulburn, especially for central apartments: a one-bedroom in the center costs $1,398 there versus $1,703 in Melbourne.

Groceries cost about 23% more in Melbourne, though it depends on what you buy. Local produce may be comparable; imported and premium items show the biggest price gap.

A mid-range dinner for two costs $90 in Goulburn and $84 in Melbourne. That’s a good indicator of the overall restaurant and café pricing gap between the two cities.

Families tend to lean toward Goulburn – 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 Goulburn. 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.