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: $2,420 in Melbourne versus $2,344 in Adelaide.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $3,592 in Melbourne versus $3,408 in Adelaide.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $4,765 in Melbourne versus $4,472 in Adelaide.

Living in Melbourne is roughly 3% more expensive than in Adelaide, driven mainly by Getting Around.

Both cities are pricier than the global median: Melbourne 81% above, Adelaide 75% above.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$19.36 A$27.64

$16.61 A$23.72

16.56%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$77.5 A$111

$82.0 A$117

-5.54%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$9.85 A$14.07

$9.80 A$14.00

0.51%

Cappuccino

$3.73 A$5.32

$3.33 A$4.76

12.01%

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

$2.62 A$3.74

$2.56 A$3.65

2.34%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.28 A$3.26

$2.30 A$3.28

-0.87%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$7.36 A$10.50

$6.56 A$9.37

12.20%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$6.94 A$9.91

$7.90 A$11.29

-12.15%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.50 A$2.14

$1.48 A$2.12

1.35%

White Bread (500g)

$2.58 A$3.68

$2.67 A$3.81

-3.37%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$2.34 A$3.34

$2.01 A$2.87

16.42%

Eggs

$4.85 A$6.93

$4.51 A$6.44

7.54%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$8.72 A$12.46

$9.88 A$14.10

-11.74%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$9.26 A$13.22

$8.44 A$12.05

9.72%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$14.58 A$20.82

$14.33 A$20.46

1.74%

Apples (1kg)

$3.32 A$4.74

$2.82 A$4.03

17.73%

Banana (1kg)

$2.81 A$4.01

$2.64 A$3.76

6.44%

Oranges (1kg)

$3.00 A$4.29

$3.00 A$4.28

Tomato (1kg)

$3.98 A$5.68

$3.92 A$5.60

1.53%

Potato (1kg)

$2.67 A$3.81

$2.65 A$3.79

0.75%

Onion (1kg)

$2.23 A$3.19

$2.13 A$3.05

4.69%

Lettuce (1 head)

$2.19 A$3.13

$2.18 A$3.11

0.46%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$1.64 A$2.34

$1.59 A$2.27

3.14%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$31.95 A$45.62

$29.05 A$41.48

9.98%

Wine (Bottle)

$13.92 A$19.88

$13.96 A$19.94

-0.29%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$4.67 A$6.67

$4.38 A$6.26

6.62%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$5.04 A$7.20

$5.28 A$7.54

-4.55%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$3.50 A$5.00

$2.82 A$4.03

24.11%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$121 A$172

$74.5 A$106

61.90%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$3.56 A$5.09

$4.33 A$6.19

-17.78%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.40 A$2.01

$1.88 A$2.68

-25.53%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$27.50 A$39.26

$42.82 A$61.1

-35.78%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.15 A$1.64

$1.19 A$1.69

-3.36%

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

$29.2K A$41.7K

$29.3K A$41.8K

-0.41%

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

$23.0K A$32.8K

$25.7K A$36.7K

-10.80%

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

$154 A$220

$211 A$301

-26.94%

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

$20.93 A$29.89

$25.72 A$36.73

-18.62%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$51.4 A$73.5

$51.3 A$73.3

0.29%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$48.89 A$69.8

$36.92 A$52.7

32.42%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$16.24 A$23.19

$8.07 A$11.52

101.24%

Cinema Ticket

$15.97 A$22.81

$14.07 A$20.09

13.50%

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

$1,765 A$2,520

$1,038 A$1,483

69.98%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$19.5K A$27.9K

$7,486 A$10.7K

160.72%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$67.0 A$95.7

$70.3 A$100

-4.69%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$54.5 A$77.8

$53.6 A$76.6

1.51%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$106 A$151

$108 A$154

-1.68%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$104 A$148

$103 A$147

1.00%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,575 A$2,249

$1,309 A$1,869

20.37%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,206 A$1,722

$1,085 A$1,550

11.12%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$3,041 A$4,342

$2,038 A$2,911

49.18%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$2,022 A$2,887

$1,725 A$2,463

17.20%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$7,077 A$10.1K

$8,989 A$12.8K

-21.28%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$6,420 A$9,168

$6,127 A$8,750

4.78%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$4,398 A$6,280

$3,807 A$5,437

15.51%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

6.19

6.41

-3.43%

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

Last update for Melbourne: July 14, 2026

Last update for Adelaide: July 12, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $1,575 in Melbourne and $1,309 in Adelaide. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Melbourne pays 16% 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: $77.0 in Melbourne vs $82.0 in Adelaide. Groceries flip the comparison at $353 vs $344, with Adelaide 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 3% in total monthly costs ($2,420 vs $2,344 including rent). Adelaide is meaningfully more affordable – a gap that matters a lot on a fixed or modest income.

Average pay runs 16% 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: $1,575 in Melbourne versus $1,309 in Adelaide. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Childcare runs $1,765 in Melbourne versus $1,038 in Adelaide. Over years of preschool, even a modest monthly gap compounds into a major financial factor for families.

Supermarket bills run roughly 3% higher in Melbourne. For households that cook at home regularly, that difference adds up over a month.

At $2,344 in Adelaide versus $2,420 in Melbourne, a $3,000 budget is realistic in Adelaide but tight or insufficient in Melbourne. The gap between the two cities makes Adelaide the clear choice for anyone on this budget.

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 3% less than in Melbourne. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.