Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Karratha and Melbourne

For one person, living is cheaper in Karratha: $2,473 a month against $2,853 in Melbourne, rent and utilities included – about $4,600 less a year. Rent and utilities account for most of the difference.

120

Cost of Living Index in Karratha
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Karratha Living Index
138

Cost of Living Index in Melbourne
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Melbourne Living Index

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Karratha

🇦🇺 Australia

$2,473

/mo nomad

Melbourne

🇦🇺 Australia

$2,853

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

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

A single person spends $2,473 per month in Karratha vs $2,853 in Melbourne, rent included.

Karratha $2,473
Melbourne $2,853

A couple spends around $3,581 per month in Karratha vs $4,275 in Melbourne, rent included.

Karratha $3,581
Melbourne $4,275

A family of three spends $4,690 per month in Karratha vs $5,697 in Melbourne, rent included.

Karratha $4,690
Melbourne $5,697

Karratha is about 13% cheaper than Melbourne, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in transport.

Both Karratha and Melbourne sit above the global median – Karratha by 83%, Melbourne by 111%.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$17.59 A$24.99

$17.20 A$24.44

2.27%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$82.6 A$117

$83.1 A$118

-0.64%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$10.31 A$14.66

$12.43 A$17.66

-17.06%

Cappuccino

$3.88 A$5.52

$4.05 A$5.75

-4.20%

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

$2.83 A$4.02

$3.12 A$4.44

-9.29%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.19 A$3.11

$2.46 A$3.49

-10.98%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$7.54 A$10.72

$9.52 A$13.53

-20.80%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$7.58 A$10.77

$8.16 A$11.59

-7.11%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.52 A$2.16

$1.56 A$2.22

-2.56%

White Bread (500g)

$2.72 A$3.86

$2.90 A$4.12

-6.21%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$2.26 A$3.21

$2.66 A$3.78

-15.04%

Eggs

$4.83 A$6.86

$5.37 A$7.63

-10.06%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$9.42 A$13.39

$10.67 A$15.16

-11.72%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$9.43 A$13.39

$9.85 A$13.99

-4.26%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$14.89 A$21.15

$15.36 A$21.83

-3.06%

Apples (1kg)

$3.97 A$5.65

$4.17 A$5.93

-4.80%

Banana (1kg)

$3.11 A$4.42

$3.15 A$4.47

-1.27%

Oranges (1kg)

$3.29 A$4.68

$3.26 A$4.63

0.92%

Tomato (1kg)

$4.75 A$6.75

$4.76 A$6.77

-0.21%

Potato (1kg)

$2.81 A$3.99

$3.06 A$4.35

-8.17%

Onion (1kg)

$2.39 A$3.40

$2.47 A$3.50

-3.24%

Lettuce (1 head)

$2.33 A$3.31

$2.45 A$3.48

-4.90%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$1.47 A$2.09

$1.63 A$2.31

-9.82%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$41.46 A$58.9

$45.17 A$64.2

-8.21%

Wine (Bottle)

$13.65 A$19.39

$12.68 A$18.02

7.65%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$4.76 A$6.76

$5.69 A$8.08

-16.34%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$5.35 A$7.60

$5.23 A$7.44

2.29%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$2.89 A$4.11

$3.87 A$5.50

-25.32%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$82.2 A$117

$142 A$202

-42.10%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$3.38 A$4.81

$4.54 A$6.45

-25.55%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.58 A$2.24

$1.42 A$2.01

11.27%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$39.46 A$56.1

$30.59 A$43.46

29.00%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.36 A$1.94

$1.47 A$2.09

-7.48%

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

$27.0K A$38.3K

$28.9K A$41.0K

-6.54%

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

$29.6K A$42.1K

$25.9K A$36.8K

14.27%

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

$202 A$286

$235 A$334

-14.27%

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

$27.87 A$39.60

$27.45 A$39.01

1.53%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$55.4 A$78.7

$56.1 A$79.8

-1.34%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$56.7 A$80.6

$50.1 A$71.2

13.15%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$17.66 A$25.10

$21.49 A$30.54

-17.82%

Cinema Ticket

$14.78 A$21.00

$17.76 A$25.24

-16.78%

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

$2,176 A$3,091

$2,385 A$3,389

-8.78%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$20.4K A$29.0K

$29.7K A$42.1K

-31.25%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$77.6 A$110

$79.2 A$112

-1.95%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$54.7 A$77.7

$49.49 A$70.3

10.43%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$108 A$153

$118 A$168

-8.97%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$120 A$171

$132 A$188

-9.00%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,391 A$1,976

$1,763 A$2,505

-21.12%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,176 A$1,671

$1,411 A$2,005

-16.69%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$2,113 A$3,003

$3,522 A$5,005

-40.01%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,779 A$2,527

$2,525 A$3,588

-29.57%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$5,861 A$8,328

$7,136 A$10.1K

-17.86%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$4,940 A$7,020

$6,355 A$9,029

-22.26%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$4,258 A$6,051

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

5.84

5.9

-1.02%

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

Last update for Karratha: October 17, 2026

Last update for Melbourne: October 17, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Accommodation & Living

Karratha

$1.2K 47.5%

Melbourne

$1.4K 49.5% 20% $236

Groceries & Markets

Karratha

$368 14.9%

Melbourne

$388 13.6% 5.5% $20

Eating Out

Karratha

$291 11.8%

Melbourne

$310 10.9% 6.4% $19

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Karratha

$285 11.5%

Melbourne

$319 11.2% 11.9% $34

Clothing & Footwear

Karratha

$162 6.6%

Melbourne

$171 6% 5.2% $8.5

Getting Around

Karratha

$105 4.3%

Melbourne

$169 5.9% 60.9% $64

Sport & Entertainment

Karratha

$86 3.5%

Melbourne

$86 3% 0.7% $0.6

Cost Breakdown

A central one-bedroom costs $1,391 in Karratha 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.

A mid-range dinner for two costs $83 in Karratha versus $83 in Melbourne. Monthly groceries follow the same trend: $368 vs $388 – making Karratha the more affordable choice for daily food spending.

Good to know

🇦🇺 Karratha

🇦🇺 Melbourne

🕒 Local time

05:35 5:35 AM

08:35 8:35 AM

3 h ahead of Karratha

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

17,013

5,031,195

💱 Currency

Australian Dollar AUD $

📈 Exchange rate

1 AUD = 0.704 USD

1 AUD = 0.628 EUR

1 AUD = 0.704 USD

1 AUD = 0.628 EUR

Exchange rates and currency converter

On the map

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Between locations

Karratha Melbourne 3,300 km ≈ 4 h 45 min nonstop flight

From you

Karratha
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

Karratha vs Melbourne: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Monthly costs with rent: $2,473 in Karratha, $2,853 in Melbourne – roughly 15% apart. Outside of rent, the biggest gap is in transport.

For a comfortable life, plan on about $3,710 per month in Karratha 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 Karratha, especially for central apartments: a one-bedroom in the center costs $1,391 there versus $1,763 in Melbourne.

Public transport costs about 42% less in Karratha. For daily commuters, that gap adds up to noticeable savings over a year.

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.

Families tend to lean toward Karratha – 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.