Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Melbourne and Albury

For one person, living is cheaper in Albury: $2,246 a month against $2,821 in Melbourne, rent and utilities included – about $6,900 less a year. Rent and utilities account for most of the difference.

138

Cost of Living Index in Melbourne
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Melbourne Living Index
109

Cost of Living Index in Albury
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Albury Living Index

Jump to prices

Melbourne

🇦🇺 Australia

$2,821

/mo nomad

Albury

🇦🇺 Australia

$2,246

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

How much you'll spend in Melbourne and in Albury

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 Albury actually costs, broken down by who's living it.

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $2,821 in Melbourne versus $2,246 in Albury.

Melbourne $2,821
Albury $2,246

Estimated couple costs with rent: $4,235 in Melbourne versus $3,352 in Albury.

Melbourne $4,235
Albury $3,352

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $5,650 in Melbourne versus $4,458 in Albury.

Melbourne $5,650
Albury $4,458

Living in Melbourne is roughly 26% more expensive than in Albury, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in leisure.

Both cities are pricier than the global median: Melbourne 109% above, Albury 66% above.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$17.43 A$25.08

$20.83 A$29.97

-16.32%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$84.6 A$122

$88.2 A$127

-4.16%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$12.46 A$17.92

$10.52 A$15.14

18.44%

Cappuccino

$4.11 A$5.91

$4.13 A$5.94

-0.48%

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

$3.06 A$4.40

$3.05 A$4.39

0.33%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.52 A$3.62

$2.49 A$3.59

1.20%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$9.80 A$14.10

$7.05 A$10.15

39.01%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$8.57 A$12.33

$7.02 A$10.10

22.08%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.48 A$2.14

$1.53 A$2.20

-3.27%

White Bread (500g)

$2.94 A$4.23

$3.19 A$4.59

-7.84%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$2.66 A$3.82

$2.52 A$3.63

5.56%

Eggs

$5.54 A$7.97

$5.16 A$7.42

7.36%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$10.51 A$15.13

$8.59 A$12.36

22.35%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$9.65 A$13.89

$9.73 A$14.01

-0.82%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$15.22 A$21.91

$12.75 A$18.34

19.37%

Apples (1kg)

$3.99 A$5.75

$3.28 A$4.72

21.65%

Banana (1kg)

$3.02 A$4.34

$3.18 A$4.57

-5.03%

Oranges (1kg)

$3.10 A$4.46

$3.41 A$4.90

-9.09%

Tomato (1kg)

$4.82 A$6.93

$5.28 A$7.60

-8.71%

Potato (1kg)

$3.03 A$4.36

$3.05 A$4.39

-0.66%

Onion (1kg)

$2.44 A$3.52

$2.12 A$3.04

15.09%

Lettuce (1 head)

$2.46 A$3.54

$2.27 A$3.27

8.37%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$1.63 A$2.34

$1.38 A$1.99

18.12%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$44.07 A$63.4

$27.71 A$39.88

59.04%

Wine (Bottle)

$12.70 A$18.28

$13.68 A$19.69

-7.16%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$5.54 A$7.97

$4.27 A$6.15

29.74%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$5.23 A$7.52

$5.39 A$7.75

-2.97%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$3.74 A$5.38

$3.86 A$5.55

-3.11%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$138 A$198

$71.5 A$103

92.25%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$4.51 A$6.50

$3.44 A$4.94

31.10%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.36 A$1.96

$1.60 A$2.31

-15.00%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$30.45 A$43.81

$41.17 A$59.3

-26.04%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.47 A$2.12

$1.30 A$1.87

13.08%

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

$29.0K A$41.7K

$26.6K A$38.2K

9.16%

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

$26.5K A$38.1K

$27.9K A$40.1K

-4.96%

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

$234 A$336

$184 A$264

27.27%

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

$27.93 A$40.19

$26.90 A$38.70

3.83%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$55.7 A$80.2

$55.0 A$79.2

1.29%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$49.40 A$71.1

$138 A$198

-64.13%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$21.48 A$30.91

$22.37 A$32.19

-3.98%

Cinema Ticket

$15.09 A$21.72

$12.91 A$18.57

16.89%

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

$2,371 A$3,412

$2,164 A$3,114

9.58%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$30.2K A$43.5K

$20.5K A$29.6K

47.01%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$80.0 A$115

$62.7 A$90.2

27.52%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$50.7 A$73.0

$42.39 A$61.0

19.60%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$121 A$174

$97.0 A$140

24.38%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$130 A$188

$107 A$154

21.69%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,759 A$2,531

$1,102 A$1,586

59.58%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,390 A$2,000

$895 A$1,288

55.26%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$3,494 A$5,027

$1,898 A$2,731

84.07%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$2,493 A$3,588

$1,388 A$1,998

79.60%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$6,926 A$9,967

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$6,445 A$9,274

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$4,383 A$6,307

$4,706 A$6,772

-6.87%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

5.9

5.95

-0.84%

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

Last update for Melbourne: October 10, 2026

Last update for Albury: October 11, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Accommodation & Living

Melbourne

$1.4K 49.3%

Albury

$895 39.9% 35.6% $495

Groceries & Markets

Melbourne

$384 13.6%

Albury

$365 16.2% 5% $19

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Melbourne

$317 11.3%

Albury

$266 11.8% 16.3% $52

Eating Out

Melbourne

$315 11.2%

Albury

$319 14.2% 1.5% $4.7

Clothing & Footwear

Melbourne

$172 6.1%

Albury

$139 6.2% 19% $33

Getting Around

Melbourne

$164 5.8%

Albury

$98 4.4% 39.9% $65

Sport & Entertainment

Melbourne

$80 2.8%

Albury

$164 7.3% 106% $84

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $1,759 in Melbourne and $1,102 in Albury. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Albury pays 7% more on average while also being the cheaper of the two. The combined effect is a noticeably stronger local purchasing power.

Dining out: $85.0 in Melbourne vs $88.0 in Albury. Groceries flip the comparison at $384 vs $365, with Albury cheaper for home cooking.

Good to know

🇦🇺 Melbourne

🇦🇺 Albury

🕒 Local time

21:50 9:50 PM

Same time as Melbourne

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

5,031,195

5,323

💱 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

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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 Albury: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Albury wins on cost – living expenses run 26% lower than in Melbourne. Housing and daily spending are where you'll feel the difference most, making Albury the obvious pick if budget is a priority.

On paper, salaries run 7% lower in Albury. That's worth factoring in alongside costs, though remote workers earning in a stronger currency may not notice the difference at all.

Rent for a central apartment: $1,759 in Melbourne versus $1,102 in Albury. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Supermarket bills run roughly 5% higher in Melbourne. For households that cook at home regularly, that difference adds up over a month.

Dining out is cheaper in Albury – a meal for two runs $88.0 versus $85.0 in Melbourne. If you eat out regularly, this makes a real dent in your monthly spending.

At $2,246 in Albury versus $2,821 in Melbourne, a $2,000 budget is realistic in Albury but tight or insufficient in Melbourne. The gap between the two cities makes Albury 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 Albury 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 Albury gentler on the wallet – expenses run 26% less than in Melbourne. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.