Last update: Nov 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Melbourne and Ballina, Australia

Name: Ballina
Address: Ballina, AU

For one person, living is cheaper in Ballina: $2,525 a month against $2,823 in Melbourne, rent and utilities included – about $3,600 less a year. Rent and utilities account for most of the difference.

136

Cost of Living Index in Melbourne
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Melbourne Living Index
122

Cost of Living Index in Ballina
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Ballina Living Index

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Melbourne

🇦🇺 Australia

$2,823

/mo nomad

Ballina

🇦🇺 Australia

$2,525

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

How much you'll spend in Melbourne and in Ballina

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

A single person spends $2,823 per month in Melbourne vs $2,525 in Ballina, rent included.

Melbourne $2,823
Ballina $2,525

A couple spends around $4,253 per month in Melbourne vs $3,645 in Ballina, rent included.

Melbourne $4,253
Ballina $3,645

A family of three spends $5,683 per month in Melbourne vs $4,766 in Ballina, rent included.

Melbourne $5,683
Ballina $4,766

Melbourne costs about 12% more than Ballina, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in transport.

Both Melbourne and Ballina sit above the global median – Melbourne by 109%, Ballina by 87%.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$17.34 A$24.75

$17.32 A$24.72

0.12%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$82.7 A$118

$83.4 A$119

-0.89%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$12.63 A$18.03

$10.54 A$15.04

19.83%

Cappuccino

$4.22 A$6.02

$4.05 A$5.79

4.20%

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

$3.12 A$4.45

$2.87 A$4.10

8.71%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.48 A$3.54

$2.28 A$3.26

8.77%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$9.69 A$13.83

$7.68 A$10.96

26.17%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$8.30 A$11.85

$7.50 A$10.70

10.67%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.50 A$2.15

$2.68 A$3.82

-44.03%

White Bread (500g)

$3.08 A$4.39

$3.43 A$4.89

-10.20%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$2.64 A$3.77

$2.21 A$3.15

19.46%

Eggs

$5.58 A$7.96

$5.58 A$7.97

Local Cheese (1kg)

$9.78 A$13.97

$6.16 A$8.80

58.77%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$9.52 A$13.59

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$15.18 A$21.67

$14.50 A$20.69

4.69%

Apples (1kg)

$4.22 A$6.02

$3.60 A$5.14

17.22%

Banana (1kg)

$3.13 A$4.47

$3.05 A$4.36

2.62%

Oranges (1kg)

$3.24 A$4.63

$3.27 A$4.66

-0.92%

Tomato (1kg)

$4.71 A$6.72

$3.47 A$4.95

35.73%

Potato (1kg)

$3.13 A$4.47

$2.73 A$3.89

14.65%

Onion (1kg)

$2.46 A$3.51

$2.50 A$3.56

-1.60%

Lettuce (1 head)

$2.40 A$3.43

$3.46 A$4.93

-30.64%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$1.47 A$2.10

$1.55 A$2.21

-5.16%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$42.76 A$61.0

$42.40 A$60.5

0.85%

Wine (Bottle)

$12.90 A$18.41

$14.17 A$20.23

-8.96%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$5.53 A$7.89

$4.60 A$6.56

20.22%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$5.16 A$7.36

$5.11 A$7.29

0.98%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$3.79 A$5.42

$2.68 A$3.82

41.42%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$141 A$202

$82.9 A$118

70.42%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$3.75 A$5.36

$3.41 A$4.87

9.97%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.44 A$2.06

$1.60 A$2.28

-10.00%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$28.93 A$41.30

$39.99 A$57.1

-27.66%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.45 A$2.07

$1.32 A$1.88

9.85%

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

$29.6K A$42.2K

$29.3K A$41.8K

0.94%

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

$26.3K A$37.5K

-0.10%

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

$229 A$327

$212 A$303

7.88%

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

$26.76 A$38.19

$27.41 A$39.13

-2.37%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$57.5 A$82.1

$58.0 A$82.8

-0.76%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$49.77 A$71.0

$55.5 A$79.2

-10.26%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$21.45 A$30.61

$18.00 A$25.68

19.17%

Cinema Ticket

$17.43 A$24.88

$14.11 A$20.14

23.53%

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

$2,435 A$3,475

$2,118 A$3,023

14.93%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$33.6K A$48.0K

$20.6K A$29.4K

63.31%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$80.4 A$115

$77.1 A$110

4.21%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$51.5 A$73.5

$53.8 A$76.8

-4.37%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$121 A$173

$108 A$154

12.37%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$134 A$191

$122 A$175

9.01%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,748 A$2,495

$1,395 A$1,991

25.30%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,386 A$1,978

$1,207 A$1,723

14.81%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$3,468 A$4,950

$2,275 A$3,247

52.43%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$2,520 A$3,596

$1,824 A$2,603

38.13%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$8,274 A$11.8K

$5,839 A$8,334

41.69%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$7,066 A$10.1K

$5,029 A$7,177

40.51%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$4,206 A$6,004

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

5.97

5.9

1.19%

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

Last update for Melbourne: November 1, 2026

Last update for Ballina: November 1, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Accommodation & Living

Melbourne

$1.4K 49.1%

Ballina

$1.2K 47.8% 12.9% $179

Groceries & Markets

Melbourne

$383 13.6%

Ballina

$376 14.9% 1.9% $7.2

Eating Out

Melbourne

$315 11.2%

Ballina

$293 11.6% 7% $22

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Melbourne

$313 11.1%

Ballina

$298 11.8% 5% $16

Clothing & Footwear

Melbourne

$174 6.2%

Ballina

$163 6.4% 6.5% $11

Getting Around

Melbourne

$167 5.9%

Ballina

$105 4.2% 37.3% $62

Sport & Entertainment

Melbourne

$85 3%

Ballina

$84 3.3% 1.1% $1

Cost Breakdown

A central one-bedroom costs $1,748 in Melbourne versus $1,395 in Ballina. Rent is usually the largest line item in a monthly budget, so the gap here sets the tone for the overall comparison.

A mid-range dinner for two costs $83 in Melbourne versus $83 in Ballina. Groceries tell a different story – $383 in Melbourne vs $376 in Ballina – so Ballina wins on supermarket bills even if dining out costs more.

Good to know

🇦🇺 Melbourne

🇦🇺 Ballina

🕒 Local time

12:43 12:43 PM

Same time as Melbourne

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

5,031,195

8,911

💱 Currency

Australian Dollar AUD $

📈 Exchange rate

1 AUD = 0.701 USD

1 AUD = 0.622 EUR

1 AUD = 0.701 USD

1 AUD = 0.622 EUR

Exchange rates and currency converter

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Between locations

Melbourne Ballina 1,270 km ≈ 2 h nonstop flight

From you

Melbourne
Ballina

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 Ballina: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Yes – Melbourne is pricier by about 12%, and outside of rent the gap shows up most in transport.

For a comfortable life, plan on about $4,234 per month in Melbourne and $3,787 in Ballina. That covers rent, food, utilities, transport, and enough left over to feel settled – not just surviving.

Rent is clearly cheaper in Ballina, especially for central apartments: a one-bedroom in the center costs $1,395 there versus $1,748 in Melbourne.

Public transport costs about 41% less in Ballina. For daily commuters, that gap adds up to noticeable savings over a year.

Kindergarten costs $2,435 per month in Melbourne and $2,118 in Ballina. For families with young kids, this one expense can tip the scales when choosing between the two cities.

$2,500 is a stretch for both – monthly costs hit $2,823 in Melbourne and $2,525 in Ballina. You’ll need shared housing and careful budgeting no matter which city you pick.

Families tend to lean toward Ballina – lower housing and cheaper childcare make a real difference, especially on a single income or when paying for private education.

Both cities have a reputation for safety. In either place, the choice of neighborhood matters more than the choice between the two cities.