Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Melbourne and Burnie

For one person, living is cheaper in Burnie: $1,646 a month against $2,821 in Melbourne, rent and utilities included – about $14,100 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
80

Cost of Living Index in Burnie
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Burnie Living Index

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Melbourne

🇦🇺 Australia

$2,821

/mo nomad

Burnie

🇦🇺 Australia

$1,646

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

How much you'll spend in Melbourne and in Burnie

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

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $2,821 in Melbourne versus $1,646 in Burnie.

Melbourne $2,821
Burnie $1,646

Estimated couple costs with rent: $4,235 in Melbourne versus $2,474 in Burnie.

Melbourne $4,235
Burnie $2,474

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $5,650 in Melbourne versus $3,301 in Burnie.

Melbourne $5,650
Burnie $3,301

Living in Melbourne is roughly 71% more expensive than in Burnie, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in transport.

Both cities are pricier than the global median: Melbourne 109% above, Burnie 22% above.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$17.43 A$25.08

$18.62 A$26.80

-6.39%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$84.6 A$122

$92.2 A$133

-8.31%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$12.46 A$17.92

$5.60 A$8.06

122.50%

Cappuccino

$4.11 A$5.91

$3.88 A$5.58

5.93%

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

$3.06 A$4.40

$3.39 A$4.87

-9.73%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.52 A$3.62

$1.76 A$2.53

43.18%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$9.80 A$14.10

$4.25 A$6.11

130.59%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$8.57 A$12.33

$5.83 A$8.39

47.00%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.48 A$2.14

$1.85 A$2.66

-20.00%

White Bread (500g)

$2.94 A$4.23

$2.43 A$3.50

20.99%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$2.66 A$3.82

$1.87 A$2.69

42.25%

Eggs

$5.54 A$7.97

$5.04 A$7.25

9.92%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$10.51 A$15.13

$9.90 A$14.24

6.16%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$9.65 A$13.89

$6.17 A$8.87

56.40%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$15.22 A$21.91

$17.30 A$24.89

-12.02%

Apples (1kg)

$3.99 A$5.75

$2.81 A$4.04

41.99%

Banana (1kg)

$3.02 A$4.34

$2.73 A$3.92

10.62%

Oranges (1kg)

$3.10 A$4.46

$2.14 A$3.08

44.86%

Tomato (1kg)

$4.82 A$6.93

$2.84 A$4.08

69.72%

Potato (1kg)

$3.03 A$4.36

$2.52 A$3.63

20.24%

Onion (1kg)

$2.44 A$3.52

$2.11 A$3.03

15.64%

Lettuce (1 head)

$2.46 A$3.54

$2.14 A$3.08

14.95%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$1.63 A$2.34

$1.66 A$2.39

-1.81%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$44.07 A$63.4

$36.64 A$52.7

20.28%

Wine (Bottle)

$12.70 A$18.28

$14.64 A$21.06

-13.25%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$5.54 A$7.97

$3.46 A$4.97

60.12%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$5.23 A$7.52

$5.43 A$7.82

-3.68%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$3.74 A$5.38

$1.89 A$2.72

97.88%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$138 A$198

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$4.51 A$6.50

$2.67 A$3.84

68.91%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.36 A$1.96

$2.05 A$2.96

-33.66%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$30.45 A$43.81

$41.09 A$59.1

-25.89%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.47 A$2.12

$1.29 A$1.86

13.95%

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

$29.0K A$41.7K

$26.9K A$38.7K

7.71%

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

$26.5K A$38.1K

$31.2K A$44.8K

-15.04%

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

$234 A$336

$210 A$302

11.49%

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

$27.93 A$40.19

$21.19 A$30.49

31.81%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$55.7 A$80.2

$48.00 A$69.1

16.13%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$49.40 A$71.1

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$21.48 A$30.91

Cinema Ticket

$15.09 A$21.72

$14.19 A$20.42

6.34%

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

$2,371 A$3,412

$2,007 A$2,888

18.15%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$30.2K A$43.5K

$21.0K A$30.2K

43.74%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$80.0 A$115

$77.3 A$111

3.52%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$50.7 A$73.0

$23.96 A$34.48

111.60%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$121 A$174

$103 A$149

16.86%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$130 A$188

$95.6 A$138

36.44%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,759 A$2,531

$815 A$1,173

115.72%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,390 A$2,000

$584 A$840

138.03%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$3,494 A$5,027

$1,117 A$1,607

212.75%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$2,493 A$3,588

$833 A$1,199

199.19%

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

$4,999 A$7,193

-12.33%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

5.9

5.6

5.36%

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

Last update for Melbourne: October 10, 2026

Last update for Burnie: October 12, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Accommodation & Living

Melbourne

$1.4K 49.3%

Burnie

$584 35.5% 58% $806

Groceries & Markets

Melbourne

$384 13.6%

Burnie

$334 20.3% 13.1% $50

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Melbourne

$317 11.3%

Burnie

$279 16.9% 12.2% $39

Eating Out

Melbourne

$315 11.2%

Burnie

$266 16.2% 15.5% $49

Clothing & Footwear

Melbourne

$172 6.1%

Burnie

$135 8.2% 21.4% $37

Getting Around

Melbourne

$164 5.8%

Burnie

$21 * 1.3% 87.5% $143

Sport & Entertainment

Melbourne

$80 2.8%

Burnie

$28 * 1.7% 64.3% $51

Categories marked with * are only partly priced – their share counts the items that do have prices.

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $1,759 in Melbourne and $815 in Burnie. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Burnie pays 14% 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 $92.0 in Burnie. Groceries flip the comparison at $384 vs $334, with Burnie cheaper for home cooking.

Good to know

🇦🇺 Melbourne

🇦🇺 Burnie

🕒 Local time

02:53 2:53 AM

Same time as Melbourne

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

5,031,195

20,267

💱 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 Burnie: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Burnie is cheaper overall, especially in groceries, eating out, and clothing. The 71% gap adds up to real monthly savings that compound significantly over time.

On paper, salaries run 14% lower in Burnie. 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 $815 in Burnie. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Supermarket bills run roughly 15% higher in Melbourne. For households that cook at home regularly, that difference adds up over a month.

All in, you'll spend $2,821 per month in Melbourne versus $1,646 in Burnie – a 71% gap that adds up to real savings over time for anyone picking the cheaper option.

At $1,646 in Burnie versus $2,821 in Melbourne, a $2,500 budget is realistic in Burnie but tight or insufficient in Melbourne. The gap between the two cities makes Burnie 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 Burnie 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 Burnie gentler on the wallet – expenses run 71% less than in Melbourne. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.