Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between the Marshall Islands and Australia

Name: Australia
Address: AU

For one person, living is cheaper in the Marshall Islands: $2,114 a month against $2,537 in Australia, rent and utilities included – about $5,100 less a year. Rent and utilities account for most of the difference.

102

Cost of Living Index in the Marshall Islands
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Marshall Islands Living Index
124

Cost of Living Index in Australia
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Australia Living Index

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🇲🇭 Marshall Islands

$2,114

/mo nomad

🇦🇺 Australia

$2,537

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

How much you'll spend in the Marshall Islands and in Australia

Real prices from locals and on-the-ground checks – rent, groceries, transit and the daily extras. Here's what a month in the Marshall Islands and in Australia actually costs, broken down by who's living it.

A single person spends $2,114 per month in the Marshall Islands vs $2,537 in Australia, rent included.

Marshall Islands $2,114
Australia $2,537

A couple spends around $2,963 per month in the Marshall Islands vs $3,682 in Australia, rent included.

Marshall Islands $2,963
Australia $3,682

A family of three spends $3,812 per month in the Marshall Islands vs $4,828 in Australia, rent included.

Marshall Islands $3,812
Australia $4,828

The regional cost range is wider in the Marshall Islands ($2,127–$2,127) than in Australia ($1,614–$3,182), so city choice matters more there.

The cost of living in the Marshall Islands is roughly 17% lower than in Australia on average.

Both the Marshall Islands and Australia are pricier than the global median – the Marshall Islands by 58%, Australia by 89%.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$7.35 $7.35

$17.66 A$25.27

-58.38%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$29.49 $29.49

$82.8 A$118

-64.37%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$10.39 $10.39

$11.22 A$16.05

-7.40%

Cappuccino

$4.40 $4.40

$3.85 A$5.51

14.29%

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

$1.78 $1.78

$2.85 A$4.08

-37.54%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.92 $2.92

$2.37 A$3.39

23.21%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$4.53 $4.53

$7.85 A$11.23

-42.29%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$4.89 $4.89

$8.49 A$12.16

-42.40%

Milk (1 liter)

$2.20 $2.20

$1.74 A$2.49

26.44%

White Bread (500g)

$3.38 $3.38

$2.78 A$3.98

21.58%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.75 $1.75

$2.21 A$3.16

-20.81%

Eggs

$5.18 $5.18

$5.06 A$7.25

2.37%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$30.56 $30.56

$9.87 A$14.12

209.63%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$11.12 $11.12

$8.95 A$12.80

24.25%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$18.31 $18.31

$14.71 A$21.06

24.47%

Apples (1kg)

$4.32 $4.32

$3.76 A$5.39

14.89%

Banana (1kg)

$7.39 $7.39

$2.99 A$4.28

147.16%

Oranges (1kg)

$8.91 $8.91

$3.10 A$4.43

187.42%

Tomato (1kg)

$13.01 $13.01

$4.62 A$6.61

181.60%

Potato (1kg)

$5.30 $5.30

$2.82 A$4.03

87.94%

Onion (1kg)

$5.55 $5.55

$2.30 A$3.29

141.30%

Lettuce (1 head)

$3.69 $3.69

$2.32 A$3.32

59.05%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$1.90 $1.90

$1.71 A$2.44

11.11%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$5.91 $5.91

$38.17 A$54.6

-84.52%

Wine (Bottle)

$9.90 $9.90

$13.77 A$19.70

-28.10%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$4.91 A$7.02

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.41 $2.41

$5.02 A$7.19

-51.99%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$3.01 $3.01

$2.84 A$4.07

5.99%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$94.3 A$135

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$2.79 $2.79

$3.44 A$4.92

-18.90%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.59 A$2.28

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$5.12 $5.12

$39.37 A$56.3

-87.00%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.85 $1.85

$1.31 A$1.88

41.22%

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

$24.6K $24.6K

$27.7K A$39.7K

-11.17%

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

$35.2K $35.2K

$28.1K A$40.2K

25.49%

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

$251 $251

$201 A$288

24.79%

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

$37.63 $37.63

$28.45 A$40.72

32.27%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$71.8 $71.8

$57.4 A$82.2

25.16%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$36.77 $36.77

$56.7 A$81.1

-35.09%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$19.28 A$27.60

Cinema Ticket

$15.07 A$21.56

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

$148 $148

$2,116 A$3,028

-92.99%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$2,588 $2,588

$18.3K A$26.1K

-85.83%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$69.2 $69.2

$79.5 A$114

-13.04%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$39.61 $39.61

$54.9 A$78.5

-27.80%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$29.91 $29.91

$113 A$161

-73.42%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$49.52 $49.52

$122 A$175

-59.40%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$770 $770

$1,582 A$2,264

-51.33%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$867 $867

$1,225 A$1,753

-29.18%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,344 $1,344

$2,409 A$3,447

-44.21%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,268 $1,268

$1,911 A$2,734

-33.62%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$7,995 A$11.4K

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$5,968 A$8,541

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$1,014 $1,014

$3,926 A$5,619

-74.18%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

5.92

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

Last update for the Marshall Islands: October 4, 2026

Last update for Australia: October 4, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Accommodation & Living

Marshall Islands

$867 41.3%

Australia

$1.2K 48% 41.2% $357

Groceries & Markets

Marshall Islands

$541 * 25.8%

Australia

$370 14.5% 31.7% $172

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Marshall Islands

$360 17.2%

Australia

$287 11.3% 20.4% $73

Eating Out

Marshall Islands

$194 9.2%

Australia

$298 11.7% 53.7% $104

Clothing & Footwear

Marshall Islands

$85 4%

Australia

$166 6.5% 96% $81

Sport & Entertainment

Marshall Islands

$37 * 1.8%

Australia

$87 3.4% 136% $50

Getting Around

Marshall Islands

$15 * 0.7%

Australia

$117 4.6% 689% $102

Categories marked with * are only partly priced – their share counts the items that do have prices.

Cost Breakdown

Average rent: $790 in the Marshall Islands vs $1,371 in Australia. For reference, capital cities sit at $790 in Majuro and $1,711 in Canberra.

Average salary: $1,007 in the Marshall Islands vs $3,856 in Australia. The income gap affects purchasing power and how far your budget stretches in each country.

Cost Highlights

Rent is 74% higher in Australia.

Dining out costs 177% more in Australia.

Salaries are 283% higher in Australia, and purchasing power comes out stronger in Australia.

Good to know

🇲🇭 Marshall Islands

🇦🇺 Australia

🕒 Local time

22:32 10:32 PM

21:32 9:32 PM

1 h behind the Marshall Islands

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

53,127

26,473,055

💱 Currency

United States Dollar USD $

Australian Dollar AUD $

📈 Exchange rate

1 USD = 0.892 EUR

1 AUD = 0.699 USD

1 AUD = 0.624 EUR

Exchange rates and currency converter

AUD, EUR to USD – United States Dollar Converter

🇦🇺 Australian Dollar ($)

🇺🇸 United States Dollar ($)

United States Dollar exchange rates as of October 10, 2026: 1 EUR = 1.12 USD (1 USD = 0.892 EUR).

Australian Dollar exchange rates as of October 10, 2026: 1 USD = 1.43 AUD (1 AUD = 0.699 USD). 1 EUR = 1.6 AUD (1 AUD = 0.624 EUR).

AUD to USD in detail →

On the map

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Between locations

Marshall Islands Australia 5,260 km ≈ 7 h nonstop flight

From you

Marshall Islands
Australia

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

Marshall Islands vs Australia: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

The Marshall Islands is the cheaper option – living costs run roughly 20% lower on average.

Housing costs more in Australia: a central one-bedroom averages $1,371 versus $790 in the Marshall Islands.

$2,500 buys a comfortable lifestyle in the Marshall Islands, but in Australia it only works with careful planning outside the capital. Same money, very different lives.

The Marshall Islands is the budget-friendly choice for expats – lower housing and daily costs. But cost isn't everything: visa policies, language, healthcare quality, and job markets all weigh in too.