Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Melbourne and Cheras

For one person, living is cheaper in Cheras: $1,130 a month against $2,821 in Melbourne, rent and utilities included – about $20,300 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
55

Cost of Living Index in Cheras
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Cheras Living Index

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Melbourne

🇦🇺 Australia

$2,821

/mo nomad

Cheras

🇲🇾 Malaysia

$1,130

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

How much you'll spend in Melbourne and in Cheras

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

A single person spends $2,821 per month in Melbourne vs $1,130 in Cheras, rent included.

Melbourne $2,821
Cheras $1,130

A couple spends around $4,235 per month in Melbourne vs $1,541 in Cheras, rent included.

Melbourne $4,235
Cheras $1,541

A family of three spends $5,650 per month in Melbourne vs $1,952 in Cheras, rent included.

Melbourne $5,650
Cheras $1,952

Melbourne costs about 150% more than Cheras, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in eating out.

Melbourne sits 109% above the global median, while Cheras is 16% below – they fall on opposite sides of the world average.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$17.43 A$25.08

$3.58 MYR 14.62

386.87%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$84.6 A$122

$24.28 MYR 99.1

248.23%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$12.46 A$17.92

$4.80 MYR 19.57

159.58%

Cappuccino

$4.11 A$5.91

$3.08 MYR 12.55

33.44%

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

$3.06 A$4.40

$0.93 MYR 3.79

229.03%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.52 A$3.62

$0.60 MYR 2.44

320.00%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$9.80 A$14.10

$4.35 MYR 17.75

125.29%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$8.57 A$12.33

$6.25 MYR 25.50

37.12%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.48 A$2.14

$1.93 MYR 7.88

-23.32%

White Bread (500g)

$2.94 A$4.23

$1.02 MYR 4.18

188.24%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$2.66 A$3.82

$1.44 MYR 5.89

84.72%

Eggs

$5.54 A$7.97

$1.77 MYR 7.23

212.99%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$10.51 A$15.13

$17.85 MYR 72.8

-41.12%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$9.65 A$13.89

$4.56 MYR 18.60

111.62%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$15.22 A$21.91

$10.81 MYR 44.09

40.80%

Apples (1kg)

$3.99 A$5.75

$3.55 MYR 14.50

12.39%

Banana (1kg)

$3.02 A$4.34

$1.94 MYR 7.91

55.67%

Oranges (1kg)

$3.10 A$4.46

$2.63 MYR 10.73

17.87%

Tomato (1kg)

$4.82 A$6.93

$1.67 MYR 6.80

188.62%

Potato (1kg)

$3.03 A$4.36

$2.08 MYR 8.48

45.67%

Onion (1kg)

$2.44 A$3.52

$1.65 MYR 6.72

47.88%

Lettuce (1 head)

$2.46 A$3.54

$1.38 MYR 5.63

78.26%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$1.63 A$2.34

$0.51 MYR 2.07

219.61%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$44.07 A$63.4

$4.24 MYR 17.30

939.39%

Wine (Bottle)

$12.70 A$18.28

$13.88 MYR 56.6

-8.50%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$5.54 A$7.97

$2.77 MYR 11.30

100.00%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$5.23 A$7.52

$3.15 MYR 12.83

66.03%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$3.74 A$5.38

$0.70 MYR 2.87

434.29%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$138 A$198

$12.03 MYR 49.08

1043.14%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$4.51 A$6.50

$1.01 MYR 4.13

346.53%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.36 A$1.96

$0.35 MYR 1.44

288.57%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$30.45 A$43.81

$8.96 MYR 36.57

239.84%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.47 A$2.12

$0.88 MYR 3.58

67.05%

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

$29.0K A$41.7K

$40.9K MYR 167.0K

-29.17%

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

$26.5K A$38.1K

$34.0K MYR 138.7K

-22.14%

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

$234 A$336

$49.67 MYR 203

370.47%

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

$27.93 A$40.19

$11.06 MYR 45.10

152.53%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$55.7 A$80.2

$27.31 MYR 111

104.10%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$49.40 A$71.1

$39.42 MYR 161

25.32%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$21.48 A$30.91

$7.14 MYR 29.13

200.84%

Cinema Ticket

$15.09 A$21.72

$4.99 MYR 20.36

202.40%

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

$2,371 A$3,412

$164 MYR 667

1349.95%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$30.2K A$43.5K

$4,451 MYR 18.2K

578.36%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$80.0 A$115

$54.3 MYR 221

47.33%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$50.7 A$73.0

$29.39 MYR 120

72.51%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$121 A$174

$81.5 MYR 332

48.02%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$130 A$188

$98.6 MYR 402

32.26%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,759 A$2,531

$409 MYR 1,669

329.83%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,390 A$2,000

$467 MYR 1,906

197.49%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$3,494 A$5,027

$687 MYR 2,803

408.52%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$2,493 A$3,588

$485 MYR 1,977

414.46%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$6,926 A$9,967

$2,052 MYR 8,372

237.49%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$6,445 A$9,274

$1,103 MYR 4,501

484.18%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$4,383 A$6,307

$1,189 MYR 4,851

268.59%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

5.9

4.06

45.32%

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

Last update for Melbourne: October 10, 2026

Last update for Cheras: October 11, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Accommodation & Living

Melbourne

$1.4K 49.3%

Cheras

$467 41.4% 66.4% $923

Groceries & Markets

Melbourne

$384 13.6%

Cheras

$268 23.8% 30.1% $115

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Melbourne

$317 11.3%

Cheras

$88 7.8% 72.3% $229

Eating Out

Melbourne

$315 11.2%

Cheras

$120 10.7% 61.7% $194

Clothing & Footwear

Melbourne

$172 6.1%

Cheras

$119 10.5% 30.9% $53

Getting Around

Melbourne

$164 5.8%

Cheras

$18 1.6% 89.2% $146

Sport & Entertainment

Melbourne

$80 2.8%

Cheras

$49 4.4% 37.9% $30

Cost Breakdown

A central one-bedroom costs $1,759 in Melbourne versus $409 in Cheras. Rent is usually the largest line item in a monthly budget, so the gap here sets the tone for the overall comparison.

Salaries run about 269% higher in Melbourne, which partly offsets the higher cost of living there. Purchasing power depends on which expenses matter most to you.

A mid-range dinner for two costs $85.0 in Melbourne versus $24.00 in Cheras. Monthly groceries follow the same trend: $384 vs $268 – making Cheras the more affordable choice for daily food spending.

Good to know

🇦🇺 Melbourne

🇲🇾 Cheras

🕒 Local time

14:20 2:20 PM

11:20 11:20 AM

3 h behind Melbourne

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

5,031,195

440,000

💱 Currency

Australian Dollar AUD $

Malaysian Ringgit MYR RM

📈 Exchange rate

1 AUD = 0.695 USD

1 AUD = 0.618 EUR

1 MYR = 0.245 USD

1 MYR = 0.218 EUR

Exchange rates and currency converter

MYR, USD, EUR to AUD – Australian Dollar Converter

🇺🇸 United States Dollar ($)

🇦🇺 Australian Dollar ($)

Australian Dollar exchange rates as of October 18, 2026: 1 USD = 1.44 AUD (1 AUD = 0.695 USD). 1 EUR = 1.62 AUD (1 AUD = 0.618 EUR).

Malaysian Ringgit exchange rates as of October 18, 2026: 1 USD = 4.08 MYR (1 MYR = 0.245 USD). 1 EUR = 4.59 MYR (1 MYR = 0.218 EUR).

USD to AUD in detail →

On the map

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Between locations

Melbourne Cheras 6,360 km ≈ 8 h nonstop flight

From you

Melbourne
Cheras

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 Cheras: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Yes – Melbourne is pricier by about 150%, and outside of rent the gap shows up most in eating out.

For a comfortable life, plan on about $4,231 per month in Melbourne and $1,695 in Cheras. That covers rent, food, utilities, transport, and enough left over to feel settled – not just surviving.

Rent is clearly cheaper in Cheras, especially for central apartments. Housing is actually the single biggest factor behind the overall cost gap between these two cities.

Groceries cost about 43% more in Melbourne, though it depends on what you buy. Local produce may be comparable; imported and premium items show the biggest price gap.

A mid-range dinner for two costs $85.0 in Melbourne and $24.00 in Cheras. That's a good indicator of the overall restaurant and café pricing gap between the two cities.

A $1,500 monthly budget goes further in Cheras, where all-in costs run around $1,130, than in Melbourne at $2,821. In Cheras it covers expenses comfortably, while in Melbourne it requires careful planning or may not stretch far enough.

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

Both have safer and rougher neighborhoods, but overall safety is comparable to other large cities. Neighborhood choice matters more than the city-level comparison – central, well-trafficked areas feel secure in both.

If budget matters most, go with Cheras. If higher salaries, better infrastructure, or specific career opportunities are the priority, Melbourne makes more sense. Both are solid long-term options with distinct trade-offs.