Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Melbourne and Apia

For one person, living is cheaper in Apia: $851 a month against $2,852 in Melbourne, rent and utilities included – about $24,000 less a year. Rent and utilities account for most of the difference.

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Cost of Living Index in Melbourne
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Melbourne Living Index

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Melbourne

🇦🇺 Australia

$2,852

/mo nomad

Apia

🇼🇸 Samoa

$851

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

How much you'll spend in Melbourne and in Apia

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

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $2,852 in Melbourne versus $851 in Apia.

Melbourne $2,852
Apia $851

Estimated couple costs with rent: $4,297 in Melbourne versus $2,281 in Apia.

Melbourne $4,297
Apia $2,281

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $5,742 in Melbourne versus $3,711 in Apia.

Melbourne $5,742
Apia $3,711

Living in Melbourne is roughly 235% more expensive than in Apia, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in eating out.

The two cities straddle the global median: Melbourne is 113% above, Apia is 36% below.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$17.75 A$25.40

$47.76 WST 133

-62.84%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$84.8 A$121

$36.89 WST 103

129.95%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$12.16 A$17.40

$14.51 WST 40.39

-16.20%

Cappuccino

$3.93 A$5.62

$2.93 WST 8.15

34.13%

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

$3.14 A$4.49

$1.80 WST 5.01

74.44%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.43 A$3.47

$1.39 WST 3.88

74.82%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$9.90 A$14.17

$3.51 WST 9.78

182.05%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$8.29 A$11.86

$3.67 WST 10.20

125.89%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.55 A$2.21

$1.83 WST 5.09

-15.30%

White Bread (500g)

$3.01 A$4.31

$0.84 WST 2.34

258.33%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$2.88 A$4.12

$1.86 WST 5.17

54.84%

Eggs

$5.44 A$7.79

$4.15 WST 11.55

31.08%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$10.59 A$15.16

$0.94 WST 2.62

1026.60%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$9.61 A$13.76

$3.67 WST 10.21

161.85%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$14.99 A$21.46

$8.60 WST 23.92

74.30%

Apples (1kg)

$4.15 A$5.94

$5.22 WST 14.54

-20.50%

Banana (1kg)

$3.05 A$4.37

$1.79 WST 4.99

70.39%

Oranges (1kg)

$3.30 A$4.72

$1.87 WST 5.21

76.47%

Tomato (1kg)

$4.76 A$6.81

$4.34 WST 12.07

9.68%

Potato (1kg)

$3.04 A$4.34

$3.70 WST 10.29

-17.84%

Onion (1kg)

$2.55 A$3.65

$1.11 WST 3.10

129.73%

Lettuce (1 head)

$2.48 A$3.55

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$1.63 A$2.33

$1.22 WST 3.40

33.61%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$44.07 A$63.1

$6.31 WST 17.55

598.42%

Wine (Bottle)

$12.43 A$17.79

$16.32 WST 45.41

-23.84%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$5.33 A$7.63

$1.87 WST 5.19

185.03%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$5.16 A$7.38

$3.68 WST 10.24

40.22%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$3.84 A$5.50

$3.57 WST 9.94

7.56%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$142 A$203

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$4.40 A$6.29

$5.33 WST 14.84

-17.45%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.40 A$2.01

$5.42 WST 15.08

-74.17%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$29.83 A$42.69

$21.64 WST 60.2

37.85%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.46 A$2.09

$1.06 WST 2.95

37.74%

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

$28.1K A$40.3K

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

$25.9K A$37.1K

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

$233 A$333

$18.16 WST 50.6

1181.11%

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

$27.28 A$39.04

$18.40 WST 51.2

48.26%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$57.0 A$81.6

$36.53 WST 102

56.15%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$52.7 A$75.4

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$22.62 A$32.37

Cinema Ticket

$17.10 A$24.48

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

$2,373 A$3,397

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$30.5K A$43.6K

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$78.2 A$112

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$50.5 A$72.2

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$121 A$172

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$133 A$191

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,713 A$2,451

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,402 A$2,006

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$3,339 A$4,778

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$2,529 A$3,619

$1,790 WST 4,982

41.25%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$7,018 A$10.0K

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$6,767 A$9,685

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$4,228 A$6,051

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

5.9

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

Last update for Melbourne: October 6, 2026

Last update for Apia: October 6, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Accommodation & Living

Melbourne

$1.4K 49.3%

Apia

–

Groceries & Markets

Melbourne

$385 13.5%

Apia

–

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Melbourne

$317 11.1%

Apia

–

Eating Out

Melbourne

$314 11%

Apia

–

Clothing & Footwear

Melbourne

$172 6.1%

Apia

–

Getting Around

Melbourne

$168 5.9%

Apia

–

Sport & Entertainment

Melbourne

$87 3.1%

Apia

–

Cost Breakdown

Dining out: $85.0 in Melbourne vs $37.00 in Apia for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $385 vs $241 per month, with Apia cheaper across the board.

Good to know

🇦🇺 Melbourne

🇼🇸 Apia

🕒 Local time

23:58 11:58 PM

01:58 1:58 AM

2 h ahead of Melbourne

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

5,031,195

36,000 Capital

💱 Currency

Australian Dollar AUD $

Samoan Tala WST T

📈 Exchange rate

1 AUD = 0.699 USD

1 AUD = 0.624 EUR

1 WST = 0.359 USD

1 WST = 0.321 EUR

Exchange rates and currency converter

WST, USD, EUR to AUD – Australian Dollar Converter

🇺🇸 United States Dollar ($)

🇦🇺 Australian Dollar ($)

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).

Samoan Tala exchange rates as of October 10, 2026: 1 USD = 2.78 WST (1 WST = 0.359 USD). 1 EUR = 3.12 WST (1 WST = 0.321 EUR).

USD to AUD in detail →

On the map

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Between locations

Melbourne Apia 5,020 km ≈ 7 h nonstop flight

From you

Melbourne
Apia

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 Apia: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Apia wins on cost – living expenses run 235% lower than in Melbourne. Housing and daily spending are where you'll feel the difference most, making Apia the obvious pick if budget is a priority.

You'd need roughly $4,277 in Melbourne and $1,277 in Apia to live well. The gap comes down to housing and overall price levels. Both cities are liveable on less, but these numbers represent actual comfort.

All in, you'll spend $2,852 per month in Melbourne versus $851 in Apia – a 235% gap that adds up to real savings over time for anyone picking the cheaper option.

Supermarket bills run roughly 60% higher in Melbourne. For households that cook at home regularly, that difference adds up over a month.

At $851 in Apia versus $2,852 in Melbourne, a $1,000 budget is realistic in Apia but tight or insufficient in Melbourne. The gap between the two cities makes Apia 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 Apia 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 Apia gentler on the wallet – expenses run 235% less than in Melbourne. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.