Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Hobart and Melbourne

For one person, living costs are similar in Hobart and in Melbourne: $2,733 and $2,853 a month, rent and utilities included.

132

Cost of Living Index in Hobart
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Hobart Living Index
138

Cost of Living Index in Melbourne
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Melbourne Living Index

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Hobart

🇦🇺 Australia

$2,733

/mo nomad

Melbourne

🇦🇺 Australia

$2,853

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

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

A single person spends $2,733 per month in Hobart vs $2,853 in Melbourne, rent included.

Hobart $2,733
Melbourne $2,853

A couple spends around $3,695 per month in Hobart vs $4,275 in Melbourne, rent included.

Hobart $3,695
Melbourne $4,275

A family of three spends $4,657 per month in Hobart vs $5,697 in Melbourne, rent included.

Hobart $4,657
Melbourne $5,697

Hobart is about 4% cheaper than Melbourne, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in transport.

Both Hobart and Melbourne sit above the global median – Hobart by 102%, Melbourne by 111%.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$18.35 A$26.41

$17.20 A$24.75

6.69%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$92.5 A$133

$83.1 A$120

11.29%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$10.44 A$15.02

$12.43 A$17.88

-16.01%

Cappuccino

$3.94 A$5.67

$4.05 A$5.82

-2.72%

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

$3.42 A$4.92

$3.12 A$4.50

9.62%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.17 A$3.12

$2.46 A$3.54

-11.79%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$8.18 A$11.77

$9.52 A$13.71

-14.08%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$9.29 A$13.37

$8.16 A$11.74

13.85%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.79 A$2.57

$1.56 A$2.25

14.74%

White Bread (500g)

$2.43 A$3.50

$2.90 A$4.18

-16.21%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.88 A$2.71

$2.66 A$3.82

-29.32%

Eggs

$5.39 A$7.75

$5.37 A$7.72

0.37%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$9.53 A$13.71

$10.67 A$15.36

-10.68%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$8.84 A$12.71

$9.85 A$14.17

-10.25%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$17.77 A$25.57

$15.36 A$22.11

15.69%

Apples (1kg)

$3.18 A$4.58

$4.17 A$6.00

-23.74%

Banana (1kg)

$3.34 A$4.80

$3.15 A$4.53

6.03%

Oranges (1kg)

$2.96 A$4.26

$3.26 A$4.69

-9.20%

Tomato (1kg)

$4.66 A$6.71

$4.76 A$6.85

-2.10%

Potato (1kg)

$2.59 A$3.73

$3.06 A$4.41

-15.36%

Onion (1kg)

$2.14 A$3.08

$2.47 A$3.55

-13.36%

Lettuce (1 head)

$2.65 A$3.82

$2.45 A$3.52

8.16%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$1.69 A$2.44

$1.63 A$2.34

3.68%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$36.85 A$53.0

$45.17 A$65.0

-18.42%

Wine (Bottle)

$14.72 A$21.19

$12.68 A$18.25

16.09%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$4.98 A$7.16

$5.69 A$8.18

-12.48%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$5.36 A$7.72

$5.23 A$7.53

2.49%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$3.05 A$4.39

$3.87 A$5.57

-21.19%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$97.9 A$141

$142 A$204

-31.07%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$4.64 A$6.67

$4.54 A$6.53

2.20%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$2.08 A$2.99

$1.42 A$2.04

46.48%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$41.36 A$59.5

$30.59 A$44.01

35.21%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.36 A$1.95

$1.47 A$2.11

-7.48%

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

$28.4K A$40.8K

$28.9K A$41.5K

-1.75%

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

$33.8K A$48.6K

$25.9K A$37.3K

30.40%

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

$223 A$321

$235 A$338

-5.21%

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

$28.52 A$41.04

$27.45 A$39.51

3.90%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$59.8 A$86.1

$56.1 A$80.8

6.57%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$36.82 A$53.0

$50.1 A$72.1

-26.51%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$13.00 A$18.70

$21.49 A$30.93

-39.51%

Cinema Ticket

$16.63 A$23.93

$17.76 A$25.56

-6.36%

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

$1,976 A$2,843

$2,385 A$3,432

-17.15%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$20.6K A$29.6K

$29.7K A$42.7K

-30.56%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$76.1 A$110

$79.2 A$114

-3.82%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$54.3 A$78.1

$49.49 A$71.2

9.62%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$104 A$149

$118 A$170

-12.37%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$126 A$181

$132 A$190

-4.80%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,836 A$2,642

$1,763 A$2,537

4.11%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,382 A$1,988

$1,411 A$2,031

-2.11%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$2,156 A$3,103

$3,522 A$5,069

-38.78%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,617 A$2,326

$2,525 A$3,634

-35.99%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$9,379 A$13.5K

$7,136 A$10.3K

31.44%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$6,772 A$9,744

$6,355 A$9,144

6.56%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$4,024 A$5,790

$4,258 A$6,128

-5.51%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

6.2

5.9

5.08%

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

Last update for Hobart: October 19, 2026

Last update for Melbourne: October 17, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Accommodation & Living

Hobart

$1.4K 50.5%

Melbourne

$1.4K 49.5% 2.1% $30

Groceries & Markets

Hobart

$376 13.8%

Melbourne

$388 13.6% 3.2% $12

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Hobart

$311 11.4%

Melbourne

$319 11.2% 2.4% $7.5

Eating Out

Hobart

$307 11.2%

Melbourne

$310 10.9% 0.8% $2.5

Clothing & Footwear

Hobart

$162 5.9%

Melbourne

$171 6% 5.4% $8.7

Getting Around

Hobart

$125 4.6%

Melbourne

$169 5.9% 35.1% $44

Sport & Entertainment

Hobart

$70 2.6%

Melbourne

$86 3% 22.2% $16

Cost Breakdown

A central one-bedroom costs $1,836 in Hobart versus $1,763 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 6% 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 $92.0 in Hobart versus $83.0 in Melbourne. Groceries tell a different story – $376 in Hobart vs $388 in Melbourne – so Hobart wins on supermarket bills even if dining out costs more.

Good to know

🇦🇺 Hobart

🇦🇺 Melbourne

🕒 Local time

06:07 6:07 AM

Same time as Hobart

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

197,451

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

On the map

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Between locations

Hobart Melbourne 600 km ≈ 1 h 15 min nonstop flight

From you

Hobart
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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

Hobart vs Melbourne: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Melbourne costs about 4% more than Hobart, and outside of rent the gap comes mainly from transport. That's enough to noticeably affect everyday spending and lifestyle for anyone choosing between the two.

For a comfortable life, plan on about $4,100 per month in Hobart and $4,280 in Melbourne. That covers rent, food, utilities, transport, and enough left over to feel settled – not just surviving.

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

Groceries cost about 3% 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 $92.0 in Hobart and $83.0 in Melbourne. That's a good indicator of the overall restaurant and café pricing gap between the two cities.

$2,000 is a stretch for both – monthly costs hit $2,733 in Hobart and $2,853 in Melbourne. You'll need shared housing and careful budgeting no matter which city you pick.

Families tend to lean toward Hobart – 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 Hobart. 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.