Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Maroochydore and Melbourne

For one person, living is cheaper in Maroochydore: $2,422 a month against $2,849 in Melbourne, rent and utilities included – about $5,100 less a year. Rent and utilities account for most of the difference.

116

Cost of Living Index in Maroochydore
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Maroochydore Living Index
137

Cost of Living Index in Melbourne
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Melbourne Living Index

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Maroochydore

🇦🇺 Australia

$2,422

/mo nomad

Melbourne

🇦🇺 Australia

$2,849

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

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

A single person spends $2,422 per month in Maroochydore vs $2,849 in Melbourne, rent included.

Maroochydore $2,422
Melbourne $2,849

A couple spends around $3,694 per month in Maroochydore vs $4,274 in Melbourne, rent included.

Maroochydore $3,694
Melbourne $4,274

A family of three spends $4,966 per month in Maroochydore vs $5,699 in Melbourne, rent included.

Maroochydore $4,966
Melbourne $5,699

Maroochydore is about 15% cheaper than Melbourne, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in transport.

Both Maroochydore and Melbourne sit above the global median – Maroochydore by 78%, Melbourne by 109%.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$14.46 A$20.56

$17.50 A$24.87

-17.37%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$96.5 A$137

$84.3 A$120

14.46%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$9.34 A$13.27

$12.17 A$17.30

-23.25%

Cappuccino

$3.84 A$5.46

$4.07 A$5.79

-5.65%

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

$2.62 A$3.72

$3.18 A$4.52

-17.61%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.05 A$2.91

$2.50 A$3.55

-18.00%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$4.10 A$5.83

$9.57 A$13.60

-57.16%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$7.75 A$11.02

$8.25 A$11.73

-6.06%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.56 A$2.21

$1.50 A$2.14

4.00%

White Bread (500g)

$2.74 A$3.90

$2.97 A$4.22

-7.74%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$2.42 A$3.45

$2.68 A$3.81

-9.70%

Eggs

$4.89 A$6.96

$5.45 A$7.75

-10.28%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$9.05 A$12.86

$10.71 A$15.23

-15.50%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$9.53 A$13.55

$10.05 A$14.28

-5.17%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$14.72 A$20.92

$15.00 A$21.32

-1.87%

Apples (1kg)

$3.73 A$5.31

$4.07 A$5.78

-8.35%

Banana (1kg)

$3.13 A$4.45

$3.14 A$4.46

-0.32%

Oranges (1kg)

$2.64 A$3.76

$3.12 A$4.43

-15.38%

Tomato (1kg)

$3.76 A$5.34

$4.73 A$6.73

-20.51%

Potato (1kg)

$2.55 A$3.63

$2.98 A$4.24

-14.43%

Onion (1kg)

$2.16 A$3.07

$2.49 A$3.55

-13.25%

Lettuce (1 head)

$2.55 A$3.63

$2.48 A$3.53

2.82%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$2.42 A$3.44

$1.60 A$2.27

51.25%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$24.23 A$34.44

$44.65 A$63.5

-45.73%

Wine (Bottle)

$10.70 A$15.21

$12.68 A$18.02

-15.62%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$5.74 A$8.15

$5.55 A$7.88

3.42%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$5.77 A$8.20

$5.18 A$7.37

11.39%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.71 A$1.01

$3.84 A$5.45

-81.51%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$78.7 A$112

$139 A$197

-43.26%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$2.05 A$2.91

$4.36 A$6.19

-52.98%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.53 A$2.18

$1.37 A$1.94

11.68%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$35.95 A$51.1

$29.72 A$42.25

20.96%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.31 A$1.86

$1.49 A$2.11

-12.08%

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

$29.2K A$41.5K

$29.1K A$41.3K

0.29%

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

$23.5K A$33.4K

$25.7K A$36.5K

-8.46%

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

$222 A$315

$236 A$335

-5.85%

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

$31.08 A$44.18

$28.01 A$39.82

10.96%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$53.5 A$76.1

$57.2 A$81.4

-6.47%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$57.3 A$81.5

$48.39 A$68.8

18.50%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$17.65 A$25.09

$21.46 A$30.51

-17.75%

Cinema Ticket

$13.16 A$18.70

$17.67 A$25.11

-25.52%

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

$2,150 A$3,056

$2,461 A$3,498

-12.63%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$11.8K A$16.7K

$29.7K A$42.2K

-60.35%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$77.0 A$109

$81.2 A$115

-5.25%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$54.5 A$77.4

$49.28 A$70.0

10.51%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$102 A$146

$120 A$170

-14.33%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$125 A$178

$131 A$186

-4.66%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,187 A$1,688

$1,703 A$2,420

-30.28%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,164 A$1,654

$1,409 A$2,002

-17.39%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$2,067 A$2,937

$3,496 A$4,969

-40.88%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$2,093 A$2,975

$2,527 A$3,591

-17.15%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$6,072 A$8,631

$7,978 A$11.3K

-23.89%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$6,217 A$8,838

$6,900 A$9,808

-9.90%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$2,778 A$3,949

$4,257 A$6,051

-34.74%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

5.69

5.9

-3.56%

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

Last update for Maroochydore: October 24, 2026

Last update for Melbourne: October 26, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Accommodation & Living

Maroochydore

$1.2K 48.1%

Melbourne

$1.4K 49.4% 21.1% $245

Groceries & Markets

Maroochydore

$371 15.3%

Melbourne

$386 13.6% 4.2% $16

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Maroochydore

$306 12.7%

Melbourne

$321 11.3% 4.7% $14

Eating Out

Maroochydore

$244 10.1%

Melbourne

$312 11% 27.8% $68

Clothing & Footwear

Maroochydore

$161 6.7%

Melbourne

$171 6% 6.2% $10

Getting Around

Maroochydore

$91 3.8%

Melbourne

$165 5.8% 81% $74

Sport & Entertainment

Maroochydore

$84 3.5%

Melbourne

$84 2.9% 0.1% $0.1

Cost Breakdown

A central one-bedroom costs $1,187 in Maroochydore 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 53% higher in Melbourne. Purchasing power depends on which expenses matter most to you.

A mid-range dinner for two costs $96 in Maroochydore versus $84 in Melbourne. Groceries tell a different story – $371 in Maroochydore vs $386 in Melbourne – so Maroochydore wins on supermarket bills even if dining out costs more.

Good to know

🇦🇺 Maroochydore

🇦🇺 Melbourne

🕒 Local time

01:33 1:33 AM

02:33 2:33 AM

1 h ahead of Maroochydore

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

18,342

5,031,195

💱 Currency

Australian Dollar AUD $

📈 Exchange rate

1 AUD = 0.704 USD

1 AUD = 0.63 EUR

1 AUD = 0.704 USD

1 AUD = 0.63 EUR

Exchange rates and currency converter

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Between locations

Maroochydore Melbourne 1,460 km ≈ 2 h 15 min nonstop flight

From you

Maroochydore
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

Maroochydore vs Melbourne: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Monthly costs with rent: $2,422 in Maroochydore, $2,849 in Melbourne – Maroochydore comes out roughly 15% cheaper. Outside of rent, the biggest gap is in transport.

For a comfortable life, plan on about $3,633 per month in Maroochydore 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 Maroochydore, especially for central apartments: a one-bedroom in the center costs $1,187 there versus $1,703 in Melbourne.

Public transport costs about 43% less in Maroochydore. For daily commuters, that gap adds up to noticeable savings over a year.

Kindergarten costs $2,150 per month in Maroochydore and $2,461 in Melbourne. For families with young kids, this one expense can tip the scales when choosing between the two cities.

Families tend to lean toward Maroochydore – 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.

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