Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Horsham, Australia and Melbourne

For one person, living is cheaper in Horsham: $2,575 a month against $2,823 in Melbourne, rent and utilities included – about $3,000 less a year. Rent and utilities account for most of the difference.

123

Cost of Living Index in Horsham
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Horsham Living Index
136

Cost of Living Index in Melbourne
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Melbourne Living Index

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Horsham

🇦🇺 Australia

$2,575

/mo nomad

Melbourne

🇦🇺 Australia

$2,823

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

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

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $2,575 in Horsham versus $2,823 in Melbourne.

Horsham $2,575
Melbourne $2,823

Estimated couple costs with rent: $3,652 in Horsham versus $4,253 in Melbourne.

Horsham $3,652
Melbourne $4,253

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $4,729 in Horsham versus $5,683 in Melbourne.

Horsham $4,729
Melbourne $5,683

Living in Horsham costs roughly 9% less than in Melbourne, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in transport.

Both cities are pricier than the global median: Horsham 90% above, Melbourne 109% above.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$13.98 A$19.97

$17.34 A$24.76

-19.38%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$71.2 A$102

$82.7 A$118

-13.97%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$12.05 A$17.21

$12.63 A$18.04

-4.59%

Cappuccino

$3.52 A$5.03

$4.22 A$6.03

-16.59%

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

$3.20 A$4.57

$3.12 A$4.45

2.56%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.12 A$3.02

$2.48 A$3.54

-14.52%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$9.96 A$14.22

$9.69 A$13.84

2.79%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$8.47 A$12.10

$8.30 A$11.86

2.05%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.51 A$2.15

$1.50 A$2.15

0.67%

White Bread (500g)

$2.91 A$4.15

$3.08 A$4.39

-5.52%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$2.66 A$3.81

$2.64 A$3.77

0.76%

Eggs

$5.56 A$7.94

$5.58 A$7.96

-0.36%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$10.45 A$14.93

$9.78 A$13.97

6.85%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$10.00 A$14.28

$9.52 A$13.60

5.04%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$15.19 A$21.70

$15.18 A$21.68

0.07%

Apples (1kg)

$4.04 A$5.77

$4.22 A$6.03

-4.27%

Banana (1kg)

$3.01 A$4.30

$3.13 A$4.47

-3.83%

Oranges (1kg)

$3.13 A$4.47

$3.24 A$4.63

-3.40%

Tomato (1kg)

$4.81 A$6.87

$4.71 A$6.72

2.12%

Potato (1kg)

$2.96 A$4.23

$3.13 A$4.47

-5.43%

Onion (1kg)

$2.48 A$3.54

$2.46 A$3.51

0.81%

Lettuce (1 head)

$2.39 A$3.42

$2.40 A$3.43

-0.42%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$1.63 A$2.32

$1.47 A$2.10

10.88%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$45.10 A$64.4

$42.76 A$61.1

5.47%

Wine (Bottle)

$10.60 A$15.14

$12.90 A$18.42

-17.83%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$5.68 A$8.11

$5.53 A$7.90

2.71%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$5.33 A$7.62

$5.16 A$7.36

3.29%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$2.73 A$3.90

$3.79 A$5.42

-27.97%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$82.8 A$118

$141 A$202

-41.36%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$4.57 A$6.52

$3.75 A$5.36

21.87%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.42 A$2.03

$1.44 A$2.06

-1.39%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$29.69 A$42.40

$28.93 A$41.32

2.63%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.43 A$2.04

$1.45 A$2.07

-1.38%

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

$29.4K A$41.9K

$29.6K A$42.2K

-0.76%

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

$25.7K A$36.7K

$26.3K A$37.5K

-2.01%

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

$233 A$333

$229 A$327

1.94%

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

$14.26 A$20.36

$26.76 A$38.22

-46.71%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$52.8 A$75.3

$57.5 A$82.2

-8.32%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$55.7 A$79.5

$49.77 A$71.1

11.85%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$17.63 A$25.18

$21.45 A$30.63

-17.81%

Cinema Ticket

$17.26 A$24.65

$17.43 A$24.90

-0.98%

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

$2,511 A$3,586

$2,435 A$3,477

3.14%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$30.4K A$43.4K

$33.6K A$48.0K

-9.50%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$79.5 A$114

$80.4 A$115

-1.06%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$49.53 A$70.7

$51.5 A$73.5

-3.79%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$121 A$173

0.12%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$136 A$194

$134 A$191

1.80%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,416 A$2,022

$1,748 A$2,497

-18.99%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,245 A$1,777

$1,386 A$1,979

-10.21%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$2,216 A$3,165

$3,468 A$4,952

-36.09%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,846 A$2,637

$2,520 A$3,598

-26.72%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$5,896 A$8,420

$8,274 A$11.8K

-28.73%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$4,975 A$7,105

$7,066 A$10.1K

-29.59%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$4,206 A$6,007

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

5.5

5.97

-7.87%

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

Last update for Horsham: October 31, 2026

Last update for Melbourne: November 1, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Accommodation & Living

Horsham

$1.2K 48.4%

Melbourne

$1.4K 49.1% 11.4% $142

Groceries & Markets

Horsham

$382 14.8%

Melbourne

$383 13.6% 0.2% $0.9

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Horsham

$300 11.7%

Melbourne

$313 11.1% 4.3% $13

Eating Out

Horsham

$278 10.8%

Melbourne

$315 11.2% 13.1% $36

Clothing & Footwear

Horsham

$174 6.8%

Melbourne

$174 6.2% 0.1% $0.1

Getting Around

Horsham

$105 4.1%

Melbourne

$167 5.9% 58.8% $62

Sport & Entertainment

Horsham

$90 3.5%

Melbourne

$85 3% 6.2% $5.6

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $1,416 in Horsham and $1,748 in Melbourne. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Dining out: $71 in Horsham vs $83 in Melbourne for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $382 vs $383 per month, with Horsham cheaper across the board.

Good to know

🇦🇺 Horsham

🇦🇺 Melbourne

🕒 Local time

22:17 10:17 PM

Same time as Horsham

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

14,543

5,031,195

💱 Currency

Australian Dollar AUD $

📈 Exchange rate

1 AUD = 0.7 USD

1 AUD = 0.625 EUR

1 AUD = 0.7 USD

1 AUD = 0.625 EUR

Exchange rates and currency converter

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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

Horsham vs Melbourne: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Horsham is about 9% cheaper overall, especially in transport, eating out, and utilities. That difference adds up to real monthly savings that compound significantly over time.

You’d need roughly $3,862 in Horsham and $4,234 in Melbourne to live well. The gap comes down to housing and overall price levels. Both cities are liveable on less, but these numbers represent actual comfort.

Rent for a central apartment: $1,416 in Horsham versus $1,748 in Melbourne. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

A monthly transit pass in Horsham runs roughly 41% less than in Melbourne. The price difference matters if you commute daily and watch your budget.

All in, you’ll spend $2,575 per month in Horsham versus $2,823 in Melbourne – Horsham is about 9% cheaper, which adds up to real savings over time.

Both cities are expensive relative to $2,500. Horsham is the more realistic option, but even there you’ll need to be disciplined with housing, food, and fun money.

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, Horsham and Melbourne are both considered safe, so it’s unlikely to be the deciding factor between them.