Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Lake Macquarie and Melbourne

For one person, living is cheaper in Lake Macquarie: $2,218 a month against $2,849 in Melbourne, rent and utilities included – about $7,600 less a year. Rent and utilities account for most of the difference.

108

Cost of Living Index in Lake Macquarie
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Lake Macquarie Living Index
137

Cost of Living Index in Melbourne
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Melbourne Living Index

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Lake Macquarie

🇦🇺 Australia

$2,218

/mo nomad

Melbourne

🇦🇺 Australia

$2,849

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

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

A single person spends $2,218 per month in Lake Macquarie vs $2,849 in Melbourne, rent included.

Lake Macquarie $2,218
Melbourne $2,849

A couple spends around $3,563 per month in Lake Macquarie vs $4,274 in Melbourne, rent included.

Lake Macquarie $3,563
Melbourne $4,274

A family of three spends $4,907 per month in Lake Macquarie vs $5,699 in Melbourne, rent included.

Lake Macquarie $4,907
Melbourne $5,699

Lake Macquarie is about 22% cheaper than Melbourne, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in groceries.

Both Lake Macquarie and Melbourne sit above the global median – Lake Macquarie by 63%, Melbourne by 109%.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$17.44 A$24.79

$17.50 A$24.86

-0.34%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$84.6 A$120

$84.3 A$120

0.30%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$10.50 A$14.92

$12.17 A$17.29

-13.72%

Cappuccino

$3.52 A$5.00

$4.07 A$5.79

-13.51%

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

$3.15 A$4.47

$3.18 A$4.52

-0.94%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.04 A$2.90

$2.50 A$3.55

-18.40%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$7.20 A$10.23

$9.57 A$13.60

-24.76%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$6.91 A$9.81

$8.25 A$11.72

-16.24%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.15 A$1.64

$1.50 A$2.14

-23.33%

White Bread (500g)

$1.50 A$2.13

$2.97 A$4.22

-49.49%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.59 A$2.26

$2.68 A$3.81

-40.67%

Eggs

$3.26 A$4.64

$5.45 A$7.75

-40.18%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$7.87 A$11.18

$10.71 A$15.22

-26.52%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$7.47 A$10.62

$10.05 A$14.28

-25.67%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$12.54 A$17.82

$15.00 A$21.31

-16.40%

Apples (1kg)

$2.95 A$4.19

$4.07 A$5.78

-27.52%

Banana (1kg)

$2.56 A$3.64

$3.14 A$4.46

-18.47%

Oranges (1kg)

$2.56 A$3.64

$3.12 A$4.43

-17.95%

Tomato (1kg)

$3.76 A$5.34

$4.73 A$6.72

-20.51%

Potato (1kg)

$2.38 A$3.38

$2.98 A$4.23

-20.13%

Onion (1kg)

$2.06 A$2.92

$2.49 A$3.55

-17.27%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.70 A$2.42

$2.48 A$3.53

-31.45%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$1.55 A$2.20

$1.60 A$2.27

-3.13%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$29.27 A$41.59

$44.65 A$63.4

-34.45%

Wine (Bottle)

$8.38 A$11.90

$12.68 A$18.02

-33.91%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$2.89 A$4.11

$5.55 A$7.88

-47.93%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.28 A$3.25

$5.18 A$7.37

-55.98%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$2.68 A$3.81

$3.84 A$5.45

-30.21%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$82.9 A$118

$139 A$197

-40.26%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$2.02 A$2.87

$4.36 A$6.19

-53.67%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$3.18 A$4.52

$1.37 A$1.94

132.12%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$58.4 A$83.0

$29.72 A$42.23

96.47%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.34 A$1.90

$1.49 A$2.11

-10.07%

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

$28.4K A$40.3K

$29.1K A$41.3K

-2.48%

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

$24.3K A$34.5K

$25.7K A$36.5K

-5.40%

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

$236 A$335

0.15%

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

$11.39 A$16.19

$28.01 A$39.80

-59.34%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$41.79 A$59.4

$57.2 A$81.3

-26.98%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$55.7 A$79.1

$48.39 A$68.8

15.02%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$18.12 A$25.75

$21.46 A$30.50

-15.56%

Cinema Ticket

$9.57 A$13.59

$17.67 A$25.10

-45.84%

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

$1,489 A$2,115

$2,461 A$3,497

-39.52%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$18.6K A$26.4K

$29.7K A$42.2K

-37.33%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$70.3 A$99.9

$81.2 A$115

-13.47%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$37.06 A$52.7

$49.28 A$70.0

-24.80%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$98.5 A$140

$120 A$170

-17.60%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$111 A$158

$131 A$186

-14.96%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,380 A$1,961

$1,703 A$2,419

-18.94%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,040 A$1,478

$1,409 A$2,002

-26.18%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$2,288 A$3,251

$3,496 A$4,967

-34.55%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$2,267 A$3,222

$2,527 A$3,590

-10.26%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$5,477 A$7,782

$7,978 A$11.3K

-31.35%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$5,415 A$7,694

$6,900 A$9,805

-21.53%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$5,072 A$7,207

$4,257 A$6,049

19.15%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

4.35

5.9

-26.27%

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

Last update for Lake Macquarie: October 26, 2026

Last update for Melbourne: October 26, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Accommodation & Living

Lake Macquarie

$1K 46.9%

Melbourne

$1.4K 49.4% 35.5% $369

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Lake Macquarie

$289 13%

Melbourne

$321 11.3% 11% $32

Eating Out

Lake Macquarie

$284 12.8%

Melbourne

$312 11% 10.1% $29

Groceries & Markets

Lake Macquarie

$276 12.5%

Melbourne

$386 13.6% 40% $110

Clothing & Footwear

Lake Macquarie

$143 6.4%

Melbourne

$171 6% 20.1% $29

Getting Around

Lake Macquarie

$112 5%

Melbourne

$165 5.8% 48.2% $54

Sport & Entertainment

Lake Macquarie

$75 3.4%

Melbourne

$84 2.9% 11.9% $8.9

Cost Breakdown

A central one-bedroom costs $1,380 in Lake Macquarie 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 19% higher in Lake Macquarie, which reinforces the cost advantage – you earn more and spend less. Purchasing power leans clearly in its favor.

A mid-range dinner for two costs $85 in Lake Macquarie versus $84 in Melbourne. Groceries tell a different story – $276 in Lake Macquarie vs $386 in Melbourne – so Lake Macquarie wins on supermarket bills even if dining out costs more.

Good to know

🇦🇺 Lake Macquarie

🇦🇺 Melbourne

🕒 Local time

07:36 7:36 AM

Same time as Lake Macquarie

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

1,059

5,031,195

💱 Currency

Australian Dollar AUD $

📈 Exchange rate

1 AUD = 0.704 USD

1 AUD = 0.632 EUR

1 AUD = 0.704 USD

1 AUD = 0.632 EUR

Exchange rates and currency converter

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Between locations

Lake Macquarie Melbourne 800 km ≈ 1 h 30 min nonstop flight

From you

Lake Macquarie
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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

Lake Macquarie vs Melbourne: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Yes – Melbourne is pricier by about 28%, and outside of rent the gap shows up most in groceries.

For a comfortable life, plan on about $3,327 per month in Lake Macquarie 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 Lake Macquarie, especially for central apartments: a one-bedroom in the center costs $1,380 there versus $1,703 in Melbourne.

Public transport costs about 40% less in Lake Macquarie. For daily commuters, that gap adds up to noticeable savings over a year.

Groceries cost about 40% more in Melbourne, though the gap depends on what you buy.

A $2,500 monthly budget goes further in Lake Macquarie, where all-in costs run around $2,218, than in Melbourne at $2,849. In Lake Macquarie it covers expenses comfortably, while in Melbourne it requires careful planning or may not stretch far enough.

Families tend to lean toward Lake Macquarie – lower housing and cheaper childcare make a real difference, especially on a single income or when paying for private education.

Both cities have a reputation for safety. In either place, the choice of neighborhood matters more than the choice between the two cities.