Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Melbourne and Denver

For one person, living is cheaper in Denver: $2,433 a month against $2,849 in Melbourne, rent and utilities included – about $5,000 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
122

Cost of Living Index in Denver
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Denver Living Index

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Melbourne

🇦🇺 Australia

$2,849

/mo nomad

Denver

🇦🇺 Australia

$2,433

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

How much you'll spend in Melbourne and in Denver

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

A single person spends $2,849 per month in Melbourne vs $2,433 in Denver, rent included.

Melbourne $2,849
Denver $2,433

A couple spends around $4,274 per month in Melbourne vs $3,666 in Denver, rent included.

Melbourne $4,274
Denver $3,666

A family of three spends $5,699 per month in Melbourne vs $4,899 in Denver, rent included.

Melbourne $5,699
Denver $4,899

Melbourne costs about 17% more than Denver, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in transport.

Both Melbourne and Denver sit above the global median – Melbourne by 109%, Denver by 79%.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$17.50 A$24.99

$15.29 A$21.83

14.45%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$84.3 A$120

$82.3 A$117

2.49%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$12.17 A$17.38

$10.81 A$15.44

12.58%

Cappuccino

$4.07 A$5.82

$3.62 A$5.17

12.43%

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

$3.18 A$4.54

$2.76 A$3.93

15.22%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.50 A$3.57

$2.45 A$3.50

2.04%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$9.57 A$13.67

$8.34 A$11.91

14.75%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$8.25 A$11.78

$7.17 A$10.24

15.06%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.50 A$2.15

$1.63 A$2.33

-7.98%

White Bread (500g)

$2.97 A$4.24

$2.71 A$3.88

9.59%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$2.68 A$3.83

$2.51 A$3.58

6.77%

Eggs

$5.45 A$7.79

$5.38 A$7.68

1.30%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$10.71 A$15.30

$8.54 A$12.20

25.41%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$10.05 A$14.35

$8.64 A$12.33

16.32%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$15.00 A$21.42

$14.43 A$20.61

3.95%

Apples (1kg)

$4.07 A$5.81

$3.31 A$4.73

22.96%

Banana (1kg)

$3.14 A$4.48

$2.93 A$4.19

7.17%

Oranges (1kg)

$3.12 A$4.45

$2.80 A$4.00

11.43%

Tomato (1kg)

$4.73 A$6.76

$5.21 A$7.44

-9.21%

Potato (1kg)

$2.98 A$4.26

$2.52 A$3.60

18.25%

Onion (1kg)

$2.49 A$3.56

$2.22 A$3.17

12.16%

Lettuce (1 head)

$2.48 A$3.54

$2.48 A$3.55

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$1.60 A$2.28

$1.75 A$2.49

-8.57%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$44.65 A$63.8

$46.36 A$66.2

-3.69%

Wine (Bottle)

$12.68 A$18.11

$12.82 A$18.31

-1.09%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$5.55 A$7.92

$4.68 A$6.68

18.59%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$5.18 A$7.40

$5.25 A$7.49

-1.33%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$3.84 A$5.48

$2.94 A$4.20

30.61%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$139 A$198

$78.2 A$112

77.40%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$4.36 A$6.22

$3.16 A$4.51

37.97%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.37 A$1.95

$1.41 A$2.02

-2.84%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$29.72 A$42.45

$43.23 A$61.7

-31.25%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.49 A$2.12

$1.28 A$1.82

16.41%

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

$29.1K A$41.5K

$27.1K A$38.7K

7.35%

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

$25.7K A$36.7K

$24.8K A$35.4K

3.57%

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

$236 A$337

$198 A$283

19.07%

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

$28.01 A$40.01

$25.50 A$36.42

9.84%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$57.2 A$81.7

$52.3 A$74.7

9.34%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$48.39 A$69.1

$51.9 A$74.0

-6.67%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$21.46 A$30.65

$19.82 A$28.30

8.27%

Cinema Ticket

$17.67 A$25.23

$15.49 A$22.12

14.07%

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

$2,461 A$3,515

$1,868 A$2,668

31.76%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$29.7K A$42.4K

$23.2K A$33.2K

27.80%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$81.2 A$116

$84.9 A$121

-4.34%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$49.28 A$70.4

$60.4 A$86.3

-18.44%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$120 A$171

$119 A$170

0.24%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$131 A$187

$112 A$159

17.30%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,703 A$2,432

$1,312 A$1,874

29.76%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,409 A$2,012

$1,169 A$1,669

20.53%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$3,496 A$4,992

$2,082 A$2,974

67.87%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$2,527 A$3,608

$2,058 A$2,938

22.79%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$7,978 A$11.4K

$6,557 A$9,364

21.68%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$6,900 A$9,854

$4,330 A$6,184

59.35%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$4,257 A$6,079

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 Denver: October 26, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Accommodation & Living

Melbourne

$1.4K 49.4%

Denver

$1.2K 48% 17% $240

Groceries & Markets

Melbourne

$386 13.6%

Denver

$361 14.8% 6.6% $26

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Melbourne

$321 11.3%

Denver

$276 11.3% 14.1% $45

Eating Out

Melbourne

$312 11%

Denver

$275 11.3% 12% $37

Clothing & Footwear

Melbourne

$171 6%

Denver

$169 7% 1.3% $2.2

Getting Around

Melbourne

$165 5.8%

Denver

$100 4.1% 39.4% $65

Sport & Entertainment

Melbourne

$84 2.9%

Denver

$83 3.4% 1.1% $0.9

Cost Breakdown

A central one-bedroom costs $1,703 in Melbourne versus $1,312 in Denver. 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 $82 in Denver. Monthly groceries follow the same trend: $386 vs $361 – making Denver the more affordable choice for daily food spending.

Good to know

🇦🇺 Melbourne

🇦🇺 Denver

🕒 Local time

16:59 4:59 PM

Same time as Melbourne

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

5,031,195

149

💱 Currency

Australian Dollar AUD $

📈 Exchange rate

1 AUD = 0.7 USD

1 AUD = 0.625 EUR

1 AUD = 0.7 USD

1 AUD = 0.625 EUR

Exchange rates and currency converter

On the map

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Melbourne Denver 83 km

From you

Melbourne
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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 Denver: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Monthly costs with rent: $2,849 in Melbourne, $2,433 in Denver – Denver comes out roughly 15% cheaper. Outside of rent, the biggest gap is in transport.

For a comfortable life, plan on about $4,273 per month in Melbourne and $3,649 in Denver. That covers rent, food, utilities, transport, and enough left over to feel settled – not just surviving.

Rent is clearly cheaper in Denver, especially for central apartments: a one-bedroom in the center costs $1,312 there versus $1,703 in Melbourne.

Public transport costs about 44% less in Denver. For daily commuters, that gap adds up to noticeable savings over a year.

Groceries cost about 7% more in Melbourne, though the gap depends on what you buy.

Families tend to lean toward Denver – 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.