Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Melbourne and Collie

For one person, living is cheaper in Collie: $2,643 a month against $2,849 in Melbourne, rent and utilities included – about $2,500 less a year. Rent and utilities account for most of the difference.

Melbourne, Australia
Collie, Australia
Melbourne
🇦🇺 Australia
$2,849
/mo nomad
Collie
🇦🇺 Australia
$2,643
/mo nomad
Monthly Cost of Living

How much you'll spend in Melbourne and in Collie

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

A single person spends $2,849 per month in Melbourne vs $2,643 in Collie, rent included.

  • Melbourne $2,849
  • Collie $2,643

A couple spends around $4,274 per month in Melbourne vs $3,790 in Collie, rent included.

  • Melbourne $4,274
  • Collie $3,790

A family of three spends $5,699 per month in Melbourne vs $4,937 in Collie, rent included.

  • Melbourne $5,699
  • Collie $4,937

Melbourne costs about 8% more than Collie, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in transport.

Both Melbourne and Collie sit above the global median – Melbourne by 109%, Collie by 94%.

Currency
🍽 Eating Out
Melbourne
Collie
Difference
Meal at Budget Restaurant
$17.50 A$24.99
$20.87 A$29.80
-16.15%
Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range
$84.3 A$120
$85.7 A$122
-1.66%
Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)
$12.17 A$17.38
$11.01 A$15.72
10.54%
Cappuccino
$4.07 A$5.82
$4.39 A$6.27
-7.29%
Coke/Pepsi/Fanta/Sprite (0.33 liter bottle)
$3.18 A$4.54
$2.86 A$4.08
11.19%
Water (0.33 liter bottle)
$2.50 A$3.57
$2.26 A$3.23
10.62%
Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)
$9.57 A$13.67
$8.52 A$12.17
12.32%
Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)
$8.25 A$11.78
$8.50 A$12.14
-2.94%
🛒 Groceries & Markets
Melbourne
Collie
Difference
Milk (1 liter)
$1.50 A$2.15
$1.69 A$2.41
-11.24%
White Bread (500g)
$2.97 A$4.24
$3.21 A$4.59
-7.48%
Rice (white) (1kg)
$2.68 A$3.83
$2.05 A$2.93
30.73%
Eggs
$5.45 A$7.79
$5.32 A$7.59
2.44%
Local Cheese (1kg)
$10.71 A$15.30
$9.03 A$12.89
18.60%
Chicken Fillets (1kg)
$10.05 A$14.35
$9.51 A$13.57
5.68%
Beef Round Steak (1kg)
$15.00 A$21.42
$14.21 A$20.29
5.56%
Apples (1kg)
$4.07 A$5.81
$4.46 A$6.37
-8.74%
Banana (1kg)
$3.14 A$4.48
$3.11 A$4.45
0.96%
Oranges (1kg)
$3.12 A$4.45
$3.46 A$4.94
-9.83%
Tomato (1kg)
$4.73 A$6.76
$4.90 A$7.00
-3.47%
Potato (1kg)
$2.98 A$4.26
$2.88 A$4.11
3.47%
Onion (1kg)
$2.49 A$3.56
$1.91 A$2.72
30.37%
Lettuce (1 head)
$2.48 A$3.54
$2.21 A$3.15
12.22%
Water (1.5 liter bottle)
$1.60 A$2.28
$1.41 A$2.01
13.48%
Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)
$44.65 A$63.8
$42.49 A$60.7
5.08%
Wine (Bottle)
$12.68 A$18.11
$12.51 A$17.87
1.36%
Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)
$5.55 A$7.92
$4.41 A$6.30
25.85%
Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)
$5.18 A$7.40
$3.37 A$4.82
53.71%
🚌 Getting Around
Melbourne
Collie
Difference
One-way Ticket (Public Transport)
$3.84 A$5.48
$2.98 A$4.26
28.86%
Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)
$139 A$198
$90.8 A$130
52.78%
Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)
$4.36 A$6.22
$3.66 A$5.23
19.13%
Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)
$1.37 A$1.95
$1.45 A$2.08
-5.52%
Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)
$29.72 A$42.45
$40.54 A$57.9
-26.69%
Gasoline (1 liter)
$1.49 A$2.12
$1.40 A$2.00
6.43%
Midsize Hatchback 1.4l (Volkswagen Golf, Toyota Prius, Honda Civic, etc)
$29.1K A$41.5K
$30.5K A$43.6K
-4.68%
Compact Sedan 1.6l (Toyota Corolla, Mazda3, Kia K4, Hyundai Elantra, etc)
$25.7K A$36.7K
$27.3K A$39.0K
-6.00%
🧾 Monthly Utilities & Internet
Melbourne
Collie
Difference
Utilities for 2 People in 2-bedroom Apartment (Heating, Electricity, Gas, Water, Garbage) (85m2)
$236 A$337
$203 A$290
15.95%
SIM Card Monthly Plan (Calls and 10GB+ Data)
$28.01 A$40.01
$32.55 A$46.49
-13.95%
Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)
$57.2 A$81.7
$64.3 A$91.8
-10.94%
🎉 Sport & Entertainment
Melbourne
Collie
Difference
Gym Membership (Monthly)
$48.39 A$69.1
$64.4 A$92.0
-24.85%
Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)
$21.46 A$30.65
$17.30 A$24.71
24.05%
Cinema Ticket
$17.67 A$25.23
$17.19 A$24.55
2.79%
🧸 Childcare & Education
Melbourne
Collie
Difference
Preschool or Kindergarten, Full Day, Private, 1 Child (Monthly)
$2,461 A$3,515
$2,281 A$3,257
7.92%
International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)
$29.7K A$42.4K
$23.2K A$33.1K
28.25%
👕👟 Clothing & Footwear
Melbourne
Collie
Difference
Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)
$81.2 A$116
$76.4 A$109
6.27%
Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)
$49.28 A$70.4
$63.3 A$90.4
-22.15%
Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)
$120 A$171
$125 A$179
-4.43%
Men's Leather Business Shoes
$131 A$187
$163 A$233
-19.75%
🏠 Accommodation & Living
Melbourne
Collie
Difference
1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)
$1,703 A$2,432
$1,417 A$2,023
20.19%
1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)
$1,409 A$2,012
$1,238 A$1,769
13.75%
3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)
$3,496 A$4,992
$2,230 A$3,184
56.78%
3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)
$2,527 A$3,608
$1,791 A$2,557
41.08%
Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)
$7,978 A$11.4K
$5,214 A$7,447
53.00%
Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)
$6,900 A$9,854
$4,540 A$6,484
51.98%
💵 Salaries & Financials
Melbourne
Collie
Difference
Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)
$4,257 A$6,079
-
-
20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)
5.9
5.96
-1.01%

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

Last update for Melbourne: October 26, 2026

Last update for Collie: October 26, 2026

Monthly budget structure
Share of the monthly basket for one person, rent included.
Accommodation & Living
Melbourne
$1.4K
Collie
$1.2K 12.1% $170
Groceries & Markets
Melbourne
$386
Collie
$367 5.1% $20
Monthly Utilities & Internet
Melbourne
$321
Collie
$300 6.5% $21
Eating Out
Melbourne
$312
Collie
$333 6.5% $20
Clothing & Footwear
Melbourne
$171
Collie
$193 12.3% $21
Getting Around
Melbourne
$165
Collie
$114 31.2% $52
Sport & Entertainment
Melbourne
$84
Collie
$99 18% $15

Cost Breakdown

A central one-bedroom costs $1,703 in Melbourne versus $1,417 in Collie. 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 $84 in Melbourne versus $86 in Collie. Groceries tell a different story – $386 in Melbourne vs $367 in Collie – so Collie wins on supermarket bills even if dining out costs more.

Good to know
🇦🇺 Melbourne
🇦🇺 Collie
🕒 Local time
20:30 8:30 PM
17:30 5:30 PM
3 h behind Melbourne
🌤 Weather
👥 Population
5,031,195
7,000
Exchange rates and currency converter

USD, EUR to AUD – Australian Dollar Converter

Australian Dollar exchange rates as of November 3, 2026: 1 USD = 1.43 AUD (1 AUD = 0.7 USD). 1 EUR = 1.6 AUD (1 AUD = 0.625 EUR).

On the map
Between locations
  • Melbourne Collie 2,640 km ≈ 3 h 45 min nonstop flight
From you
  • Melbourne
  • Collie

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 Collie: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions
How do living costs in Melbourne and in Collie compare overall?
Monthly costs with rent: $2,849 in Melbourne, $2,643 in Collie – Collie comes out roughly 7% cheaper. Outside of rent, the biggest gap is in transport.
What salary covers living expenses in Melbourne compared to Collie?
For a comfortable life, plan on about $4,273 per month in Melbourne and $3,965 in Collie. That covers rent, food, utilities, transport, and enough left over to feel settled – not just surviving.
How do rents compare between Melbourne and Collie?
Rent is clearly cheaper in Collie, especially for central apartments: a one-bedroom in the center costs $1,417 there versus $1,703 in Melbourne.
Which city is more expensive overall: Melbourne or Collie?
Monthly expenses with rent come to $2,849 in Melbourne and $2,643 in Collie. That makes Collie about 7% cheaper.
What is the difference in childcare costs between Melbourne and Collie?
Kindergarten costs $2,461 per month in Melbourne and $2,281 in Collie. For families with young kids, this one expense can tip the scales when choosing between the two cities.
Where should families live: Melbourne or Collie?
Families tend to lean toward Collie – lower housing and cheaper childcare make a real difference, especially on a single income or when paying for private education.
Is Melbourne or Collie safer for residents?
Both cities have a reputation for safety. In either place, the choice of neighborhood matters more than the choice between the two cities.

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