Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Melbourne and Ballarat

For one person, living is cheaper in Ballarat: $1,902 a month against $2,821 in Melbourne, rent and utilities included – about $11,000 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
93

Cost of Living Index in Ballarat
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Ballarat Living Index

Jump to prices

Melbourne

🇦🇺 Australia

$2,821

/mo nomad

Ballarat

🇦🇺 Australia

$1,902

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

How much you'll spend in Melbourne and in Ballarat

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

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $2,821 in Melbourne versus $1,902 in Ballarat.

Melbourne $2,821
Ballarat $1,902

Estimated couple costs with rent: $4,235 in Melbourne versus $3,035 in Ballarat.

Melbourne $4,235
Ballarat $3,035

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $5,650 in Melbourne versus $4,168 in Ballarat.

Melbourne $5,650
Ballarat $4,168

Living in Melbourne is roughly 48% more expensive than in Ballarat, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in transport.

Both cities are pricier than the global median: Melbourne 109% above, Ballarat 41% above.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$17.43 A$25.08

$17.70 A$25.47

-1.53%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$84.6 A$122

$69.9 A$101

20.96%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$12.46 A$17.92

$10.27 A$14.78

21.32%

Cappuccino

$4.11 A$5.91

$3.79 A$5.45

8.44%

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

$3.06 A$4.40

$2.95 A$4.24

3.73%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.52 A$3.62

$1.89 A$2.72

33.33%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$9.80 A$14.10

$6.06 A$8.72

61.72%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$8.57 A$12.33

$6.09 A$8.77

40.72%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.48 A$2.14

$1.57 A$2.27

-5.73%

White Bread (500g)

$2.94 A$4.23

$2.65 A$3.82

10.94%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$2.66 A$3.82

$2.32 A$3.35

14.66%

Eggs

$5.54 A$7.97

$4.09 A$5.88

35.45%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$10.51 A$15.13

$10.56 A$15.20

-0.47%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$9.65 A$13.89

$9.96 A$14.33

-3.11%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$15.22 A$21.91

$14.97 A$21.55

1.67%

Apples (1kg)

$3.99 A$5.75

$3.51 A$5.04

13.68%

Banana (1kg)

$3.02 A$4.34

Oranges (1kg)

$3.10 A$4.46

$3.11 A$4.48

-0.32%

Tomato (1kg)

$4.82 A$6.93

$4.68 A$6.73

2.99%

Potato (1kg)

$3.03 A$4.36

$3.07 A$4.42

-1.30%

Onion (1kg)

$2.44 A$3.52

$2.55 A$3.67

-4.31%

Lettuce (1 head)

$2.46 A$3.54

$2.35 A$3.38

4.68%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$1.63 A$2.34

$1.48 A$2.14

10.14%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$44.07 A$63.4

$34.39 A$49.49

28.15%

Wine (Bottle)

$12.70 A$18.28

$12.66 A$18.21

0.32%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$5.54 A$7.97

$2.31 A$3.33

139.83%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$5.23 A$7.52

$3.11 A$4.48

68.17%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$3.74 A$5.38

$2.76 A$3.97

35.51%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$138 A$198

$69.9 A$101

96.88%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$4.51 A$6.50

$2.53 A$3.65

78.26%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.36 A$1.96

$1.34 A$1.93

1.49%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$30.45 A$43.81

$26.64 A$38.33

14.30%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.47 A$2.12

$1.18 A$1.70

24.58%

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

$29.0K A$41.7K

$28.4K A$40.9K

1.99%

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

$26.5K A$38.1K

$26.0K A$37.4K

1.84%

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

$234 A$336

$206 A$296

13.67%

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

$27.93 A$40.19

$27.76 A$39.95

0.61%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$55.7 A$80.2

$57.4 A$82.6

-2.89%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$49.40 A$71.1

$31.36 A$45.13

57.53%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$21.48 A$30.91

$11.18 A$16.09

92.13%

Cinema Ticket

$15.09 A$21.72

$15.38 A$22.14

-1.89%

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

$2,371 A$3,412

$2,144 A$3,085

10.60%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$30.2K A$43.5K

$30.2K A$43.4K

0.01%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$80.0 A$115

$68.7 A$98.8

16.49%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$50.7 A$73.0

$50.1 A$72.2

1.12%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$121 A$174

$99.6 A$143

21.14%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$130 A$188

$134 A$193

-2.54%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,759 A$2,531

$923 A$1,329

90.49%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,390 A$2,000

$671 A$965

107.16%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$3,494 A$5,027

$1,288 A$1,854

171.21%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$2,493 A$3,588

$1,454 A$2,092

71.51%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$6,926 A$9,967

$4,622 A$6,651

49.86%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$6,445 A$9,274

$3,449 A$4,963

86.88%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$4,383 A$6,307

$3,136 A$4,512

39.77%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

5.9

5.55

6.31%

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

Last update for Melbourne: October 10, 2026

Last update for Ballarat: October 11, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Accommodation & Living

Melbourne

$1.4K 49.3%

Ballarat

$671 35.3% 51.7% $719

Groceries & Markets

Melbourne

$384 13.6%

Ballarat

$350 18.4% 8.7% $34

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Melbourne

$317 11.3%

Ballarat

$291 15.3% 8.4% $27

Eating Out

Melbourne

$315 11.2%

Ballarat

$280 14.7% 11.1% $35

Clothing & Footwear

Melbourne

$172 6.1%

Ballarat

$158 8.3% 7.7% $13

Getting Around

Melbourne

$164 5.8%

Ballarat

$90 4.7% 45% $74

Sport & Entertainment

Melbourne

$80 2.8%

Ballarat

$62 3.3% 21.9% $17

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $1,759 in Melbourne and $923 in Ballarat. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Melbourne pays 40% 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 $70.0 in Ballarat for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $384 vs $350 per month, with Ballarat cheaper across the board.

Good to know

🇦🇺 Melbourne

🇦🇺 Ballarat

🕒 Local time

23:53 11:53 PM

Same time as Melbourne

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

5,031,195

105,348

💱 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)

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Digital Nomad Cost of Living Index

Melbourne vs Ballarat: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Ballarat wins on cost – living expenses run 48% lower than in Melbourne. Housing and daily spending are where you'll feel the difference most, making Ballarat the obvious pick if budget is a priority.

Average pay runs 40% 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: $1,759 in Melbourne versus $923 in Ballarat. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Childcare runs $2,371 in Melbourne versus $2,144 in Ballarat. Over years of preschool, even a modest monthly gap compounds into a major financial factor for families.

Supermarket bills run roughly 10% higher in Melbourne. For households that cook at home regularly, that difference adds up over a month.

At $1,902 in Ballarat versus $2,821 in Melbourne, a $2,000 budget is realistic in Ballarat but tight or insufficient in Melbourne. The gap between the two cities makes Ballarat 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 Ballarat 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 Ballarat gentler on the wallet – expenses run 48% less than in Melbourne. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.