Cost of Living Comparison Between Melbourne and Adelaide Cost of Living Comparison Between Melbourne and Adelaide

Monthly Cost of Living

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $2,894 in Melbourne versus $2,778 in Adelaide.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $4,377 in Melbourne versus $3,868 in Adelaide.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $5,860 in Melbourne versus $4,958 in Adelaide.

Living in Melbourne is roughly 4% more expensive than in Adelaide, driven mainly by Getting Around.

Both cities are pricier than the global median: Melbourne 111% above, Adelaide 102% above.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$17.95 A$24.91

$17.71 A$24.58

1.36%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$84.6 A$117

$78.6 A$109

7.73%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$12.26 A$17.01

$11.65 A$16.17

5.24%

Cappuccino

$4.22 A$5.86

$4.05 A$5.62

4.20%

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

$3.16 A$4.38

$2.89 A$4.01

9.34%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.66 A$3.70

$2.56 A$3.55

3.91%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$9.98 A$13.86

$8.13 A$11.28

22.76%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$8.83 A$12.25

$8.81 A$12.23

0.23%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.65 A$2.29

$1.96 A$2.72

-15.82%

White Bread (500g)

$3.40 A$4.73

$3.03 A$4.21

12.21%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$2.79 A$3.87

$2.37 A$3.29

17.72%

Eggs

$5.69 A$7.89

$5.93 A$8.23

-4.05%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$11.30 A$15.69

$11.54 A$16.01

-2.08%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$9.67 A$13.42

$9.03 A$12.53

7.09%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$15.78 A$21.90

$17.90 A$24.85

-11.84%

Apples (1kg)

$4.19 A$5.82

$4.12 A$5.72

1.70%

Banana (1kg)

$3.02 A$4.19

$3.00 A$4.17

0.67%

Oranges (1kg)

$3.27 A$4.54

$3.66 A$5.07

-10.66%

Tomato (1kg)

$4.81 A$6.68

$5.18 A$7.19

-7.14%

Potato (1kg)

$3.26 A$4.52

$3.45 A$4.78

-5.51%

Onion (1kg)

$2.60 A$3.61

$2.40 A$3.33

8.33%

Lettuce (1 head)

$2.51 A$3.49

$2.62 A$3.64

-4.20%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$1.64 A$2.28

$2.29 A$3.18

-28.38%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$46.11 A$64.0

$45.50 A$63.2

1.34%

Wine (Bottle)

$12.06 A$16.74

$14.12 A$19.59

-14.59%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$5.48 A$7.60

$5.16 A$7.16

6.20%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$5.15 A$7.15

$6.22 A$8.64

-17.20%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$3.83 A$5.31

$3.19 A$4.42

20.06%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$144 A$201

$86.4 A$120

67.24%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$4.31 A$5.98

$3.57 A$4.95

20.73%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.47 A$2.04

$1.79 A$2.49

-17.88%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$31.02 A$43.05

$31.69 A$43.98

-2.11%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.46 A$2.03

$1.30 A$1.81

12.31%

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

$29.5K A$41.0K

$27.6K A$38.4K

6.81%

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

$27.7K A$38.5K

$28.1K A$39.1K

-1.47%

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

$242 A$336

$187 A$260

29.23%

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

$28.20 A$39.14

$22.20 A$30.81

27.03%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$57.2 A$79.4

$55.3 A$76.8

3.38%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$56.2 A$78.0

$58.7 A$81.5

-4.34%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$21.71 A$30.13

$14.28 A$19.82

52.03%

Cinema Ticket

$17.89 A$24.83

$16.80 A$23.31

6.49%

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

$2,443 A$3,391

$2,107 A$2,925

15.95%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$33.0K A$45.8K

$14.4K A$20.0K

128.64%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$82.1 A$114

$74.3 A$103

10.51%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$50.4 A$70.0

$55.2 A$76.6

-8.58%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$126 A$175

$117 A$163

7.36%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$138 A$192

$138 A$191

0.28%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,774 A$2,462

$1,784 A$2,476

-0.57%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,427 A$1,981

$1,395 A$1,936

2.33%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$3,504 A$4,863

$2,495 A$3,463

40.41%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$2,517 A$3,493

$1,848 A$2,564

36.21%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$7,411 A$10.3K

$10.2K A$14.1K

-27.21%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$6,718 A$9,324

$7,041 A$9,772

-4.58%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$4,478 A$6,215

$3,829 A$5,315

16.93%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

5.85

-2.50%

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

Last update for Melbourne: August 30, 2026

Last update for Adelaide: August 31, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $1,774 in Melbourne and $1,784 in Adelaide. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Melbourne pays 17% more on average. The extra income cushions the higher costs, though housing choices and lifestyle decide how much of the gap is truly closed.

Dining out: $85.0 in Melbourne vs $79.0 in Adelaide. Groceries flip the comparison at $397 vs $415, with Melbourne cheaper for home cooking.

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

Melbourne vs Adelaide: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Melbourne and Adelaide differ by about 4% in total monthly costs ($2,894 vs $2,778 including rent). Adelaide is meaningfully more affordable – a gap that matters a lot on a fixed or modest income.

Average pay runs 17% higher in Melbourne, 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: $1,774 in Melbourne versus $1,784 in Adelaide. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Childcare runs $2,443 in Melbourne versus $2,107 in Adelaide. Over years of preschool, even a modest monthly gap compounds into a major financial factor for families.

Shoppers in Melbourne pay roughly 5% less for everyday groceries. It's an unusual reversal that partly offsets higher costs elsewhere.

Both cities are expensive relative to $3,000. Adelaide 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, Melbourne and Adelaide are on par. Petty crime is typical for cities this size, and most residents feel comfortable going about their daily routines in either place.

Expats usually find Adelaide gentler on the wallet – expenses run 4% less than in Melbourne. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.