Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Irkutsk and Melbourne

For one person, living is cheaper in Irkutsk: $1,013 a month against $2,852 in Melbourne, rent and utilities included – about $22,100 less a year. Rent and utilities account for most of the difference.

49

Cost of Living Index in Irkutsk
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Irkutsk Living Index
137

Cost of Living Index in Melbourne
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Melbourne Living Index

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Irkutsk

🇷🇺 Russia

$1,013

/mo nomad

Melbourne

🇦🇺 Australia

$2,852

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

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

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $1,013 in Irkutsk versus $2,852 in Melbourne.

Irkutsk $1,013
Melbourne $2,852

Estimated couple costs with rent: $1,501 in Irkutsk versus $4,297 in Melbourne.

Irkutsk $1,501
Melbourne $4,297

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $1,988 in Irkutsk versus $5,742 in Melbourne.

Irkutsk $1,988
Melbourne $5,742

Living in Irkutsk costs roughly 64% less than in Melbourne, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in eating out.

The two cities straddle the global median: Irkutsk is 24% below, Melbourne is 113% above.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$7.18 ₽611

$17.75 A$25.40

-59.55%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$32.58 ₽2,772

$84.8 A$121

-61.59%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$5.81 ₽494

$12.16 A$17.40

-52.22%

Cappuccino

$3.03 ₽258

$3.93 A$5.62

-22.90%

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

$1.60 ₽136

$3.14 A$4.49

-49.04%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.65 ₽55.1

$2.43 A$3.47

-73.25%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$2.69 ₽229

$9.90 A$14.17

-72.83%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$4.04 ₽344

$8.29 A$11.86

-51.27%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.20 ₽102

$1.55 A$2.21

-22.58%

White Bread (500g)

$0.64 ₽54.5

$3.01 A$4.31

-78.74%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$2.22 ₽189

$2.88 A$4.12

-22.92%

Eggs

$1.59 ₽135

$5.44 A$7.79

-70.77%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$11.69 ₽995

$10.59 A$15.16

10.39%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$6.04 ₽514

$9.61 A$13.76

-37.15%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$11.24 ₽956

$14.99 A$21.46

-25.02%

Apples (1kg)

$1.89 ₽161

$4.15 A$5.94

-54.46%

Banana (1kg)

$1.99 ₽169

$3.05 A$4.37

-34.75%

Oranges (1kg)

$1.75 ₽149

$3.30 A$4.72

-46.97%

Tomato (1kg)

$3.47 ₽295

$4.76 A$6.81

-27.10%

Potato (1kg)

$0.72 ₽61.4

$3.04 A$4.34

-76.32%

Onion (1kg)

$0.69 ₽58.6

$2.55 A$3.65

-72.94%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.79 ₽152

$2.48 A$3.55

-27.82%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.65 ₽55.6

$1.63 A$2.33

-60.12%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$2.70 ₽230

$44.07 A$63.1

-93.87%

Wine (Bottle)

$7.17 ₽610

$12.43 A$17.79

-42.32%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.02 ₽86.7

$5.33 A$7.63

-80.86%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.90 ₽162

$5.16 A$7.38

-63.18%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.57 ₽48.62

$3.84 A$5.50

-85.16%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$15.79 ₽1,344

$142 A$203

-88.84%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$1.19 ₽102

$4.40 A$6.29

-72.95%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$0.18 ₽14.94

$1.40 A$2.01

-87.14%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$8.91 ₽758

$29.83 A$42.69

-70.13%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$0.79 ₽66.8

$1.46 A$2.09

-45.89%

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

$29.0K ₽2.5M

$28.1K A$40.3K

3.05%

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

$36.8K ₽3.1M

$25.9K A$37.1K

41.86%

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

$118 ₽10.0K

$233 A$333

-49.45%

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

$5.84 ₽497

$27.28 A$39.04

-78.59%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$11.41 ₽971

$57.0 A$81.6

-80.00%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$34.35 ₽2,923

$52.7 A$75.4

-34.79%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$21.13 ₽1,798

$22.62 A$32.37

-6.59%

Cinema Ticket

$6.64 ₽565

$17.10 A$24.48

-61.17%

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

$294 ₽25.0K

$2,373 A$3,397

-87.62%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$3,121 ₽265.6K

$30.5K A$43.6K

-89.75%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$58.7 ₽4,992

$78.2 A$112

-25.00%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$23.42 ₽1,993

$50.5 A$72.2

-53.60%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$100 ₽8,516

$121 A$172

-16.95%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$113 ₽9,642

$133 A$191

-14.94%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$438 ₽37.2K

$1,713 A$2,451

-74.44%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$309 ₽26.3K

$1,402 A$2,006

-77.93%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$750 ₽63.8K

$3,339 A$4,778

-77.54%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$432 ₽36.8K

$2,529 A$3,619

-82.91%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$2,712 ₽230.8K

$7,018 A$10.0K

-61.36%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$1,807 ₽153.7K

$6,767 A$9,685

-73.31%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$752 ₽64.0K

$4,228 A$6,051

-82.22%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

24.57

5.9

316.44%

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

Last update for Irkutsk: October 5, 2026

Last update for Melbourne: October 6, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Accommodation & Living

Irkutsk

$309 30.7%

Melbourne

$1.4K 49.3% 353% $1.1K

Groceries & Markets

Irkutsk

$220 21.9%

Melbourne

$385 13.5% 75% $165

Eating Out

Irkutsk

$142 14.1%

Melbourne

$314 11% 121% $172

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Irkutsk

$135 13.4%

Melbourne

$317 11.1% 135% $182

Clothing & Footwear

Irkutsk

$133 13.2%

Melbourne

$172 6.1% 29.4% $39

Sport & Entertainment

Irkutsk

$48 4.7%

Melbourne

$87 3.1% 82.4% $39

Getting Around

Irkutsk

$20 2%

Melbourne

$168 5.9% 735% $148

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $438 in Irkutsk and $1,713 in Melbourne. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Melbourne pays 462% more on average. The extra income cushions the higher costs, though housing choices and lifestyle decide how much of the gap is truly closed.

Dining out: $33.00 in Irkutsk vs $85.0 in Melbourne for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $220 vs $385 per month, with Irkutsk cheaper across the board.

Good to know

🇷🇺 Irkutsk

🇦🇺 Melbourne

🕒 Local time

14:14 2:14 PM

17:14 5:14 PM

3 h ahead of Irkutsk

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

617,515

5,031,195

💱 Currency

Russian Ruble RUB ₽

Australian Dollar AUD $

📈 Exchange rate

100 RUB = 1.18 USD

100 RUB = 1.05 EUR

1 AUD = 0.699 USD

1 AUD = 0.623 EUR

Exchange rates and currency converter

AUD, USD, EUR to RUB – Russian Ruble Converter

🇺🇸 United States Dollar ($)

🇷🇺 Russian Ruble (₽)

Russian Ruble exchange rates as of October 10, 2026: 1 USD = 85.09 RUB (100 RUB = 1.18 USD). 1 EUR = 95.44 RUB (100 RUB = 1.05 EUR).

Australian Dollar exchange rates as of October 10, 2026: 1 USD = 1.43 AUD (1 AUD = 0.699 USD). 1 EUR = 1.61 AUD (1 AUD = 0.623 EUR).

USD to RUB in detail →

On the map

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Between locations

Irkutsk Melbourne 10,760 km ≈ 14 h nonstop flight

From you

Irkutsk
Melbourne

Distances are measured in a straight line. Your location is detected approximately.

City Median Internet Speeds Comparison (Updated March 2026)

The chart highlights the Precision Threshold for mobile and fixed broadband internet speeds, updated quarterly.

Digital Nomad Cost of Living Index

Irkutsk vs Melbourne: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Irkutsk wins on cost – living expenses run 181% lower than in Melbourne. Housing and daily spending are where you'll feel the difference most, making Irkutsk the obvious pick if budget is a priority.

On paper, salaries run 462% lower in Melbourne. 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: $438 in Irkutsk versus $1,713 in Melbourne. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Childcare runs $294 in Irkutsk versus $2,373 in Melbourne. Over years of preschool, even a modest monthly gap compounds into a major financial factor for families.

Supermarket bills run roughly 75% higher in Melbourne. For households that cook at home regularly, that difference adds up over a month.

At $1,013 in Irkutsk versus $2,852 in Melbourne, a $1,000 budget is realistic in Irkutsk but tight or insufficient in Melbourne. The gap between the two cities makes Irkutsk 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, Irkutsk and Melbourne 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 Irkutsk gentler on the wallet – expenses run 181% less than in Melbourne. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.