Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Melbourne and Albany

For one person, living is cheaper in Albany: $2,513 a month against $2,853 in Melbourne, rent and utilities included – about $4,100 less a year. Rent and utilities account for most of the difference.

138

Cost of Living Index in Melbourne
Learn more

Melbourne Living Index
121

Cost of Living Index in Albany
Learn more

Albany Living Index

Jump to prices

Melbourne

🇦🇺 Australia

$2,853

/mo nomad

Albany

🇦🇺 Australia

$2,513

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

How much you'll spend in Melbourne and in Albany

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

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $2,853 in Melbourne versus $2,513 in Albany.

Melbourne $2,853
Albany $2,513

Estimated couple costs with rent: $4,275 in Melbourne versus $3,653 in Albany.

Melbourne $4,275
Albany $3,653

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $5,697 in Melbourne versus $4,793 in Albany.

Melbourne $5,697
Albany $4,793

Living in Melbourne is roughly 14% more expensive than in Albany, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in transport.

Both cities are pricier than the global median: Melbourne 111% above, Albany 85% above.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$17.20 A$24.75

$19.35 A$27.84

-11.11%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$83.1 A$120

0.04%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$12.43 A$17.88

$10.24 A$14.73

21.39%

Cappuccino

$4.05 A$5.82

$4.51 A$6.49

-10.20%

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

$3.12 A$4.50

$2.37 A$3.41

31.65%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.46 A$3.54

$2.06 A$2.96

19.42%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$9.52 A$13.71

$8.45 A$12.16

12.66%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$8.16 A$11.74

$7.43 A$10.69

9.83%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.56 A$2.25

$1.50 A$2.16

4.00%

White Bread (500g)

$2.90 A$4.18

$2.65 A$3.81

9.43%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$2.66 A$3.82

$2.26 A$3.26

17.70%

Eggs

$5.37 A$7.72

$5.33 A$7.67

0.75%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$10.67 A$15.36

$9.50 A$13.67

12.32%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$9.85 A$14.17

$9.55 A$13.75

3.14%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$15.36 A$22.11

$14.66 A$21.10

4.77%

Apples (1kg)

$4.17 A$6.00

$4.27 A$6.14

-2.34%

Banana (1kg)

$3.15 A$4.53

$3.08 A$4.44

2.27%

Oranges (1kg)

$3.26 A$4.69

$3.27 A$4.70

-0.31%

Tomato (1kg)

$4.76 A$6.85

$4.50 A$6.48

5.78%

Potato (1kg)

$3.06 A$4.41

$2.81 A$4.05

8.90%

Onion (1kg)

$2.47 A$3.55

$2.40 A$3.46

2.92%

Lettuce (1 head)

$2.45 A$3.52

$2.11 A$3.04

16.11%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$1.63 A$2.34

$1.55 A$2.23

5.16%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$45.17 A$65.0

$41.20 A$59.3

9.64%

Wine (Bottle)

$12.68 A$18.25

$14.83 A$21.34

-14.50%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$5.69 A$8.18

$4.77 A$6.87

19.29%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$5.23 A$7.53

$5.14 A$7.39

1.75%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$3.87 A$5.57

$2.81 A$4.05

37.72%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$142 A$204

$79.2 A$114

79.36%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$4.54 A$6.53

$3.53 A$5.08

28.61%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.42 A$2.04

$1.58 A$2.27

-10.13%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$30.59 A$44.01

$39.48 A$56.8

-22.52%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.47 A$2.11

$1.19 A$1.71

23.53%

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

$28.9K A$41.5K

$27.3K A$39.3K

5.56%

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

$25.9K A$37.3K

$30.1K A$43.3K

-13.88%

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

$235 A$338

$200 A$288

17.55%

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

$27.45 A$39.51

$27.41 A$39.44

0.15%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$56.1 A$80.8

$47.33 A$68.1

18.59%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$50.1 A$72.1

$55.6 A$80.0

-9.91%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$21.49 A$30.93

$17.47 A$25.14

23.01%

Cinema Ticket

$17.76 A$25.56

$14.43 A$20.76

23.08%

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

$2,385 A$3,432

$2,179 A$3,136

9.44%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$29.7K A$42.7K

$20.1K A$28.9K

47.62%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$79.2 A$114

$78.6 A$113

0.71%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$49.49 A$71.2

$53.8 A$77.4

-7.94%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$118 A$170

$109 A$157

8.87%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$132 A$190

$120 A$173

9.79%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,763 A$2,537

$1,374 A$1,977

28.32%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,411 A$2,031

$1,204 A$1,732

17.25%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$3,522 A$5,069

$2,130 A$3,065

65.38%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$2,525 A$3,634

$1,842 A$2,651

37.11%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$7,136 A$10.3K

$5,793 A$8,337

23.17%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$6,355 A$9,144

$4,841 A$6,966

31.26%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$4,258 A$6,128

$2,646 A$3,808

60.91%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

5.9

5.84

1.03%

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

Last update for Melbourne: October 17, 2026

Last update for Albany: October 19, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Accommodation & Living

Melbourne

$1.4K 49.5%

Albany

$1.2K 47.9% 14.7% $208

Groceries & Markets

Melbourne

$388 13.6%

Albany

$372 14.8% 4.3% $17

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Melbourne

$319 11.2%

Albany

$275 10.9% 13.8% $44

Eating Out

Melbourne

$310 10.9%

Albany

$314 12.5% 1.5% $4.8

Clothing & Footwear

Melbourne

$171 6%

Albany

$163 6.5% 4.7% $8

Getting Around

Melbourne

$169 5.9%

Albany

$102 4.1% 39.8% $67

Sport & Entertainment

Melbourne

$86 3%

Albany

$84 3.4% 1.4% $1.2

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $1,763 in Melbourne and $1,374 in Albany. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Melbourne pays 61% 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: $83.0 in Melbourne vs $83.0 in Albany. Groceries flip the comparison at $388 vs $372, with Albany cheaper for home cooking.

Good to know

🇦🇺 Melbourne

🇦🇺 Albany

🕒 Local time

23:29 11:29 PM

20:29 8:29 PM

3 h behind Melbourne

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

5,031,195

31,128

💱 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

On the map

Lowest

Highest

Between locations

Melbourne Albany 2,430 km ≈ 3 h 30 min nonstop flight

From you

Melbourne
Albany

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

Melbourne vs Albany: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Albany wins on cost – living expenses run 14% lower than in Melbourne. Housing and daily spending are where you'll feel the difference most, making Albany the obvious pick if budget is a priority.

Average pay runs 61% 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: $1,763 in Melbourne versus $1,374 in Albany. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

All in, you'll spend $2,853 per month in Melbourne versus $2,513 in Albany – a 14% gap that adds up to real savings over time for anyone picking the cheaper option.

A monthly transit pass in Albany runs roughly 79% less than in Melbourne. Both cities have functional networks, but the price difference matters if you're watching your budget.

At $2,513 in Albany versus $2,853 in Melbourne, a $2,000 budget is realistic in Albany but tight or insufficient in Melbourne. The gap between the two cities makes Albany 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 Albany 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 Albany gentler on the wallet – expenses run 14% less than in Melbourne. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.