Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Mandurah and Melbourne

For one person, living is cheaper in Mandurah: $2,351 a month against $2,821 in Melbourne, rent and utilities included – about $5,600 less a year. Rent and utilities account for most of the difference.

115

Cost of Living Index in Mandurah
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Mandurah Living Index
138

Cost of Living Index in Melbourne
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Melbourne Living Index

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Mandurah

🇦🇺 Australia

$2,351

/mo nomad

Melbourne

🇦🇺 Australia

$2,821

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

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

A single person spends $2,351 per month in Mandurah vs $2,821 in Melbourne, rent included.

Mandurah $2,351
Melbourne $2,821

A couple spends around $3,455 per month in Mandurah vs $4,235 in Melbourne, rent included.

Mandurah $3,455
Melbourne $4,235

A family of three spends $4,558 per month in Mandurah vs $5,650 in Melbourne, rent included.

Mandurah $4,558
Melbourne $5,650

Mandurah is about 17% cheaper than Melbourne, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in transport.

Both Mandurah and Melbourne sit above the global median – Mandurah by 74%, Melbourne by 109%.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$20.01 A$28.79

$17.43 A$25.08

14.80%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$83.0 A$119

$84.6 A$122

-1.81%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$10.49 A$15.09

$12.46 A$17.92

-15.81%

Cappuccino

$4.34 A$6.25

$4.11 A$5.91

5.60%

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

$2.92 A$4.20

$3.06 A$4.40

-4.58%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.21 A$3.18

$2.52 A$3.62

-12.30%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$6.09 A$8.77

$9.80 A$14.10

-37.86%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$8.54 A$12.28

$8.57 A$12.33

-0.35%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.77 A$2.54

$1.48 A$2.14

19.59%

White Bread (500g)

$2.59 A$3.73

$2.94 A$4.23

-11.90%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.97 A$2.83

$2.66 A$3.82

-25.94%

Eggs

$4.81 A$6.93

$5.54 A$7.97

-13.18%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$9.39 A$13.51

$10.51 A$15.13

-10.66%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$9.42 A$13.56

$9.65 A$13.89

-2.38%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$14.07 A$20.25

$15.22 A$21.91

-7.56%

Apples (1kg)

$3.33 A$4.79

$3.99 A$5.75

-16.54%

Banana (1kg)

$3.07 A$4.41

$3.02 A$4.34

1.66%

Oranges (1kg)

$3.47 A$4.99

$3.10 A$4.46

11.94%

Tomato (1kg)

$4.90 A$7.05

$4.82 A$6.93

1.66%

Potato (1kg)

$1.68 A$2.42

$3.03 A$4.36

-44.55%

Onion (1kg)

$0.82 A$1.18

$2.44 A$3.52

-66.39%

Lettuce (1 head)

$2.01 A$2.89

$2.46 A$3.54

-18.29%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$1.38 A$1.99

$1.63 A$2.34

-15.34%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$42.22 A$60.8

$44.07 A$63.4

-4.20%

Wine (Bottle)

$12.30 A$17.70

$12.70 A$18.28

-3.15%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$4.35 A$6.27

$5.54 A$7.97

-21.48%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.52 A$5.07

$5.23 A$7.52

-32.70%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$3.75 A$5.40

$3.74 A$5.38

0.27%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$90.6 A$130

$138 A$198

-34.09%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$3.55 A$5.11

$4.51 A$6.50

-21.29%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.44 A$2.07

$1.36 A$1.96

5.88%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$40.41 A$58.1

$30.45 A$43.81

32.71%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.28 A$1.85

$1.47 A$2.12

-12.93%

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

$27.5K A$39.5K

$29.0K A$41.7K

-5.26%

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

$29.9K A$43.0K

$26.5K A$38.1K

12.76%

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

$195 A$280

$234 A$336

-16.69%

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

$20.91 A$30.09

$27.93 A$40.19

-25.13%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$61.0 A$87.8

$55.7 A$80.2

9.42%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$33.81 A$48.66

$49.40 A$71.1

-31.56%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$10.60 A$15.25

$21.48 A$30.91

-50.65%

Cinema Ticket

$8.56 A$12.32

$15.09 A$21.72

-43.27%

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

$386 A$555

$2,371 A$3,412

-83.74%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$22.8K A$32.9K

$30.2K A$43.5K

-24.37%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$77.5 A$112

$80.0 A$115

-3.06%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$44.43 A$63.9

$50.7 A$73.0

-12.37%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$120 A$173

$121 A$174

-0.36%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$75.3 A$108

$130 A$188

-42.25%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,418 A$2,041

$1,759 A$2,531

-19.37%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,107 A$1,592

$1,390 A$2,000

-20.37%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$2,395 A$3,446

$3,494 A$5,027

-31.45%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,756 A$2,527

$2,493 A$3,588

-29.57%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$6,926 A$9,967

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$6,445 A$9,274

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$4,177 A$6,011

$4,383 A$6,307

-4.69%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

5.7

5.9

-3.39%

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

Last update for Mandurah: October 13, 2026

Last update for Melbourne: October 10, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Accommodation & Living

Mandurah

$1.1K 47.1%

Melbourne

$1.4K 49.3% 25.6% $283

Groceries & Markets

Mandurah

$346 14.7%

Melbourne

$384 13.6% 10.9% $38

Eating Out

Mandurah

$312 13.3%

Melbourne

$315 11.2% 0.9% $2.8

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Mandurah

$277 11.8%

Melbourne

$317 11.3% 14.7% $41

Clothing & Footwear

Mandurah

$143 6.1%

Melbourne

$172 6.1% 20.2% $29

Getting Around

Mandurah

$116 5%

Melbourne

$164 5.8% 40.7% $47

Sport & Entertainment

Mandurah

$51 2.2%

Melbourne

$80 2.8% 56.3% $29

Cost Breakdown

A central one-bedroom costs $1,418 in Mandurah versus $1,759 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 5% higher in Melbourne, which partly offsets the higher cost of living there. Purchasing power depends on which expenses matter most to you.

A mid-range dinner for two costs $83.0 in Mandurah versus $85.0 in Melbourne. Monthly groceries follow the same trend: $346 vs $384 – making Mandurah the more affordable choice for daily food spending.

Good to know

🇦🇺 Mandurah

🇦🇺 Melbourne

🕒 Local time

13:51 1:51 PM

16:51 4:51 PM

3 h ahead of Mandurah

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

107,643

5,031,195

💱 Currency

Australian Dollar AUD $

📈 Exchange rate

1 AUD = 0.695 USD

1 AUD = 0.618 EUR

1 AUD = 0.695 USD

1 AUD = 0.618 EUR

Exchange rates and currency converter

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Between locations

Mandurah Melbourne 2,710 km ≈ 4 h nonstop flight

From you

Mandurah
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

Mandurah vs Melbourne: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Melbourne costs about 20% more than Mandurah, and outside of rent the gap comes mainly from transport. That's enough to noticeably affect everyday spending and lifestyle for anyone choosing between the two.

For a comfortable life, plan on about $3,527 per month in Mandurah and $4,231 in Melbourne. That covers rent, food, utilities, transport, and enough left over to feel settled – not just surviving.

Rent is clearly cheaper in Mandurah, especially for central apartments. Housing is actually the single biggest factor behind the overall cost gap between these two cities.

Kindergarten costs $386 per month in Mandurah and $2,371 in Melbourne. For families with young kids, this one expense can tip the scales when choosing between the two cities.

Groceries cost about 11% more in Melbourne, though it depends on what you buy. Local produce may be comparable; imported and premium items show the biggest price gap.

A $2,000 monthly budget goes further in Mandurah, where all-in costs run around $2,351, than in Melbourne at $2,821. In Mandurah it covers expenses comfortably, while in Melbourne it requires careful planning or may not stretch far enough.

Families tend to lean toward Mandurah – 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.

If budget matters most, go with Mandurah. If higher salaries, better infrastructure, or specific career opportunities are the priority, Melbourne makes more sense. Both are solid long-term options with distinct trade-offs.