Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Launceston, Australia and Melbourne

For one person, living is cheaper in Launceston: $2,039 a month against $2,849 in Melbourne, rent and utilities included – about $9,700 less a year. Rent and utilities account for most of the difference.

98

Cost of Living Index in Launceston
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Launceston Living Index
137

Cost of Living Index in Melbourne
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Melbourne Living Index

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Launceston

🇦🇺 Australia

$2,039

/mo nomad

Melbourne

🇦🇺 Australia

$2,849

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

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

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $2,039 in Launceston versus $2,849 in Melbourne.

Launceston $2,039
Melbourne $2,849

Estimated couple costs with rent: $2,913 in Launceston versus $4,274 in Melbourne.

Launceston $2,913
Melbourne $4,274

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $3,786 in Launceston versus $5,699 in Melbourne.

Launceston $3,786
Melbourne $5,699

Living in Launceston costs roughly 28% less than in Melbourne, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in transport.

Both cities are pricier than the global median: Launceston 50% above, Melbourne 109% above.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$17.35 A$24.66

$17.50 A$24.86

-0.86%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$74.2 A$105

$84.3 A$120

-11.95%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$8.23 A$11.70

$12.17 A$17.29

-32.37%

Cappuccino

$3.37 A$4.79

$4.07 A$5.79

-17.20%

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

$1.38 A$1.96

$3.18 A$4.52

-56.60%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.27 A$3.22

$2.50 A$3.55

-9.20%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$6.47 A$9.20

$9.57 A$13.60

-32.39%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$7.14 A$10.14

$8.25 A$11.72

-13.45%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.88 A$2.68

$1.50 A$2.14

25.33%

White Bread (500g)

$2.54 A$3.61

$2.97 A$4.22

-14.48%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.23 A$1.75

$2.68 A$3.81

-54.10%

Eggs

$3.70 A$5.26

$5.45 A$7.75

-32.11%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$10.02 A$14.24

$10.71 A$15.22

-6.44%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$8.33 A$11.84

$10.05 A$14.28

-17.11%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$10.31 A$14.65

$15.00 A$21.31

-31.27%

Apples (1kg)

$2.86 A$4.07

$4.07 A$5.78

-29.73%

Banana (1kg)

$2.87 A$4.08

$3.14 A$4.46

-8.60%

Oranges (1kg)

$2.74 A$3.89

$3.12 A$4.43

-12.18%

Tomato (1kg)

$4.74 A$6.74

$4.73 A$6.72

0.21%

Potato (1kg)

$2.04 A$2.90

$2.98 A$4.23

-31.54%

Onion (1kg)

$1.39 A$1.97

$2.49 A$3.55

-44.18%

Lettuce (1 head)

$2.56 A$3.63

$2.48 A$3.53

3.23%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.54 A$0.76

$1.60 A$2.27

-66.25%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$36.28 A$51.6

$44.65 A$63.4

-18.75%

Wine (Bottle)

$14.47 A$20.56

$12.68 A$18.02

14.12%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$5.10 A$7.24

$5.55 A$7.88

-8.11%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$5.43 A$7.71

$5.18 A$7.37

4.83%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$3.52 A$5.01

$3.84 A$5.45

-8.33%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$55.7 A$79.1

$139 A$197

-59.86%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$4.48 A$6.37

$4.36 A$6.19

2.75%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$2.07 A$2.94

$1.37 A$1.94

51.09%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$41.53 A$59.0

$29.72 A$42.23

39.74%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.28 A$1.82

$1.49 A$2.11

-14.09%

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

$28.1K A$39.9K

$29.1K A$41.3K

-3.46%

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

$33.4K A$47.5K

$25.7K A$36.5K

30.16%

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

$226 A$321

$236 A$335

-4.06%

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

$29.09 A$41.34

$28.01 A$39.80

3.86%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$53.8 A$76.5

$57.2 A$81.3

-5.94%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$49.45 A$70.3

$48.39 A$68.8

2.19%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$21.46 A$30.50

Cinema Ticket

$16.96 A$24.10

$17.67 A$25.10

-4.02%

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

$1,996 A$2,837

$2,461 A$3,497

-18.88%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$21.0K A$29.8K

$29.7K A$42.2K

-29.31%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$77.1 A$110

$81.2 A$115

-5.02%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$53.8 A$76.4

$49.28 A$70.0

9.13%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$104 A$148

$120 A$170

-12.83%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$125 A$177

$131 A$186

-4.64%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,156 A$1,643

$1,703 A$2,419

-32.09%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$811 A$1,153

$1,409 A$2,002

-42.40%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,616 A$2,296

$3,496 A$4,967

-53.78%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,112 A$1,580

$2,527 A$3,590

-55.99%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$7,978 A$11.3K

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$6,900 A$9,805

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$6,644 A$9,441

$4,257 A$6,049

56.08%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

5.9

1.69%

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

Last update for Launceston: 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

Launceston

$811 39.8%

Melbourne

$1.4K 49.4% 73.6% $597

Groceries & Markets

Launceston

$324 15.9%

Melbourne

$386 13.6% 19.4% $63

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Launceston

$309 15.2%

Melbourne

$321 11.3% 3.9% $12

Eating Out

Launceston

$265 13%

Melbourne

$312 11% 17.8% $47

Clothing & Footwear

Launceston

$162 7.9%

Melbourne

$171 6% 5.8% $9.4

Getting Around

Launceston

$85 4.2%

Melbourne

$165 5.8% 95.3% $81

Sport & Entertainment

Launceston

$83 4.1%

Melbourne

$84 2.9% 0.4% $0.3

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $1,156 in Launceston and $1,703 in Melbourne. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Launceston pays 56% more on average while also being the cheaper of the two. The combined effect is a noticeably stronger local purchasing power.

Dining out: $74 in Launceston vs $84 in Melbourne for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $324 vs $386 per month, with Launceston cheaper across the board.

Good to know

🇦🇺 Launceston

🇦🇺 Melbourne

🕒 Local time

09:08 9:08 AM

Same time as Launceston

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

80,943

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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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

Launceston vs Melbourne: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Launceston wins on cost – living expenses run 28% lower than in Melbourne. Housing and daily spending are where you’ll feel the difference most, making Launceston the obvious pick if budget is a priority.

Average pay runs 56% higher in Launceston, which matters when comparing affordability. Whether that higher income actually nets you more depends on your spending habits and housing choices.

Rent for a central apartment: $1,156 in Launceston versus $1,703 in Melbourne. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Dining out is cheaper in Launceston – a meal for two runs $74 versus $84 in Melbourne. If you eat out regularly, this makes a real dent in your monthly spending.

All in, you’ll spend $2,039 per month in Launceston versus $2,849 in Melbourne – Launceston is about 28% cheaper, which adds up to real savings over time.

Both cities are expensive relative to $2,000. Launceston 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, Launceston and Melbourne are both considered safe, so it’s unlikely to be the deciding factor between them.

Expats usually find Launceston gentler on the wallet – expenses run 28% less than in Melbourne. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.