Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Melbourne and Dandenong

For one person, living is cheaper in Dandenong: $1,068 a month against $2,849 in Melbourne, rent and utilities included – about $21,400 less a year. Rent and utilities account for most of the difference.

137

Cost of Living Index in Melbourne
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Melbourne Living Index
51

Cost of Living Index in Dandenong
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Dandenong Living Index

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Melbourne

🇦🇺 Australia

$2,849

/mo nomad

Dandenong

🇦🇺 Australia

$1,068

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

How much you'll spend in Melbourne and in Dandenong

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

A single person spends $2,849 per month in Melbourne vs $1,068 in Dandenong, rent included.

Melbourne $2,849
Dandenong $1,068

A couple spends around $4,274 per month in Melbourne vs $2,360 in Dandenong, rent included.

Melbourne $4,274
Dandenong $2,360

A family of three spends $5,699 per month in Melbourne vs $3,651 in Dandenong, rent included.

Melbourne $5,699
Dandenong $3,651

Melbourne costs about 167% more than Dandenong, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in transport.

Melbourne sits 109% above the global median, while Dandenong is 22% below – they fall on opposite sides of the world average.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$17.50 A$24.86

$17.69 A$25.14

-1.07%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$84.3 A$120

$51.7 A$73.5

62.96%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$12.17 A$17.29

$12.18 A$17.31

-0.08%

Cappuccino

$4.07 A$5.79

$4.11 A$5.84

-0.97%

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

$3.18 A$4.52

$2.31 A$3.29

37.66%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.50 A$3.55

$2.32 A$3.29

7.76%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$9.57 A$13.60

$5.64 A$8.02

69.68%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$8.25 A$11.72

$3.53 A$5.02

133.71%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.50 A$2.14

$1.51 A$2.14

-0.66%

White Bread (500g)

$2.97 A$4.22

$2.48 A$3.53

19.76%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$2.68 A$3.81

$2.47 A$3.51

8.50%

Eggs

$5.45 A$7.75

$5.57 A$7.92

-2.15%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$10.71 A$15.22

$8.37 A$11.89

27.96%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$10.05 A$14.28

$7.75 A$11.02

29.68%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$15.00 A$21.31

$11.87 A$16.87

26.37%

Apples (1kg)

$4.07 A$5.78

$3.45 A$4.91

17.97%

Banana (1kg)

$3.14 A$4.46

$2.74 A$3.89

14.60%

Oranges (1kg)

$3.12 A$4.43

$2.14 A$3.05

45.79%

Tomato (1kg)

$4.73 A$6.72

$2.08 A$2.95

127.40%

Potato (1kg)

$2.98 A$4.23

$2.05 A$2.91

45.37%

Onion (1kg)

$2.49 A$3.55

$2.51 A$3.56

-0.80%

Lettuce (1 head)

$2.48 A$3.53

$0.67 A$0.95

270.15%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$1.60 A$2.27

$1.58 A$2.24

1.27%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$44.65 A$63.4

$45.38 A$64.5

-1.61%

Wine (Bottle)

$12.68 A$18.02

$10.43 A$14.81

21.57%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$5.55 A$7.88

$5.76 A$8.19

-3.65%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$5.18 A$7.37

$3.57 A$5.07

45.10%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$3.84 A$5.45

$4.98 A$7.07

-22.89%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$139 A$197

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$4.36 A$6.19

$4.35 A$6.18

0.23%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.37 A$1.94

$1.42 A$2.02

-3.52%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$29.72 A$42.23

$30.49 A$43.32

-2.53%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.49 A$2.11

$1.36 A$1.94

9.56%

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

$29.1K A$41.3K

$29.9K A$42.6K

-2.88%

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

$25.7K A$36.5K

$24.2K A$34.3K

6.27%

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

$236 A$335

$228 A$324

3.24%

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

$28.01 A$39.80

$15.81 A$22.46

77.17%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$57.2 A$81.3

$42.75 A$60.8

33.87%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$48.39 A$68.8

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$21.46 A$30.50

Cinema Ticket

$17.67 A$25.10

$17.48 A$24.84

1.09%

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

$2,461 A$3,497

$2,493 A$3,543

-1.29%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$29.7K A$42.2K

$30.6K A$43.5K

-3.07%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$81.2 A$115

$31.84 A$45.24

155.06%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$49.28 A$70.0

$17.19 A$24.42

186.68%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$120 A$170

$104 A$147

15.19%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$131 A$186

$114 A$162

15.18%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,703 A$2,419

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,409 A$2,002

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$3,496 A$4,967

$2,109 A$2,997

65.74%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$2,527 A$3,590

$1,406 A$1,998

79.66%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$7,978 A$11.3K

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$6,900 A$9,805

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$4,257 A$6,049

$4,124 A$5,860

3.23%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

5.9

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

Last update for Melbourne: October 26, 2026

Last update for Dandenong: October 24, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Accommodation & Living

Melbourne

$1.4K 49.4%

Dandenong

- * 0% 100%

Groceries & Markets

Melbourne

$386 13.6%

Dandenong

$314 29.4% 18.8% $73

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Melbourne

$321 11.3%

Dandenong

$287 26.9% 10.6% $34

Eating Out

Melbourne

$312 11%

Dandenong

$281 26.3% 10% $31

Clothing & Footwear

Melbourne

$171 6%

Dandenong

$120 11.2% 30.1% $52

Getting Around

Melbourne

$165 5.8%

Dandenong

$31 * 2.9% 81% $134

Sport & Entertainment

Melbourne

$84 2.9%

Dandenong

$35 * 3.3% 58.2% $49

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

Cost Breakdown

Salaries run about 3% 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 $84 in Melbourne versus $52 in Dandenong. Monthly groceries follow the same trend: $386 vs $314 – making Dandenong the more affordable choice for daily food spending.

Good to know

🇦🇺 Melbourne

🇦🇺 Dandenong

🕒 Local time

09:07 9:07 AM

Same time as Melbourne

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

5,031,195

30,127

💱 Currency

Australian Dollar AUD $

📈 Exchange rate

1 AUD = 0.704 USD

1 AUD = 0.632 EUR

1 AUD = 0.704 USD

1 AUD = 0.632 EUR

Exchange rates and currency converter

On the map

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Melbourne Dandenong 29 km

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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 Dandenong: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Yes – Melbourne is pricier by about 167%, and outside of rent the gap shows up most in transport.

For a comfortable life, plan on about $4,273 per month in Melbourne and $1,602 in Dandenong. That covers rent, food, utilities, transport, and enough left over to feel settled – not just surviving.

Monthly expenses with rent come to $2,849 in Melbourne and $1,068 in Dandenong. That makes Dandenong about 63% cheaper.

Kindergarten costs $2,461 per month in Melbourne and $2,493 in Dandenong. For families with young kids, this one expense can tip the scales when choosing between the two cities.

A $1,500 monthly budget goes further in Dandenong, where all-in costs run around $1,068, than in Melbourne at $2,849. In Dandenong it covers expenses comfortably, while in Melbourne it requires careful planning or may not stretch far enough.

It depends on your priorities. Melbourne has an edge in some lifestyle areas, with costs from $1,068 in Dandenong to $2,849 in Melbourne. Climate, culture, job market, and personal taste all factor in.

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

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