Last update: Nov 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Melbourne and Eden NSW

For one person, living is cheaper in Eden NSW: $2,540 a month against $2,823 in Melbourne, rent and utilities included – about $3,400 less a year. Rent and utilities account for most of the difference.

136

Cost of Living Index in Melbourne
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Melbourne Living Index
121

Cost of Living Index in Eden NSW
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Eden NSW Living Index

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Melbourne

🇦🇺 Australia

$2,823

/mo nomad

Eden NSW

🇦🇺 Australia

$2,540

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

How much you'll spend in Melbourne and in Eden NSW

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

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $2,823 in Melbourne versus $2,540 in Eden NSW.

Melbourne $2,823
Eden NSW $2,540

Estimated couple costs with rent: $4,253 in Melbourne versus $3,662 in Eden NSW.

Melbourne $4,253
Eden NSW $3,662

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $5,683 in Melbourne versus $4,785 in Eden NSW.

Melbourne $5,683
Eden NSW $4,785

Living in Melbourne is roughly 11% more expensive than in Eden NSW, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in transport.

Both cities are pricier than the global median: Melbourne 109% above, Eden NSW 88% above.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$17.34 A$24.82

$17.39 A$24.89

-0.29%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$82.7 A$118

$85.6 A$122

-3.35%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$12.63 A$18.08

$10.36 A$14.83

21.91%

Cappuccino

$4.22 A$6.04

$4.07 A$5.82

3.69%

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

$3.12 A$4.46

$2.87 A$4.11

8.71%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.48 A$3.55

$2.26 A$3.23

9.73%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$9.69 A$13.87

$7.87 A$11.26

23.13%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$8.30 A$11.88

$7.61 A$10.89

9.07%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.50 A$2.15

$1.51 A$2.16

-0.66%

White Bread (500g)

$3.08 A$4.40

$2.77 A$3.96

11.19%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$2.64 A$3.78

$2.29 A$3.28

15.28%

Eggs

$5.58 A$7.98

$4.97 A$7.11

12.27%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$9.78 A$14.01

$9.47 A$13.55

3.27%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$9.52 A$13.63

$9.22 A$13.20

3.25%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$15.18 A$21.73

$14.51 A$20.77

4.62%

Apples (1kg)

$4.22 A$6.04

$3.90 A$5.58

8.21%

Banana (1kg)

$3.13 A$4.48

$3.12 A$4.47

0.32%

Oranges (1kg)

$3.24 A$4.64

$3.34 A$4.78

-2.99%

Tomato (1kg)

$4.71 A$6.74

$4.57 A$6.54

3.06%

Potato (1kg)

$3.13 A$4.48

$2.65 A$3.79

18.11%

Onion (1kg)

$2.46 A$3.52

$2.45 A$3.50

0.41%

Lettuce (1 head)

$2.40 A$3.44

$2.41 A$3.45

-0.41%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$1.47 A$2.11

$1.60 A$2.29

-8.13%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$42.76 A$61.2

$41.73 A$59.7

2.47%

Wine (Bottle)

$12.90 A$18.47

$14.07 A$20.14

-8.32%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$5.53 A$7.91

$4.81 A$6.89

14.97%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$5.16 A$7.38

$5.09 A$7.29

1.38%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$3.79 A$5.43

$2.70 A$3.86

40.37%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$141 A$202

$84.8 A$121

66.64%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$3.75 A$5.37

$3.58 A$5.12

4.75%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.44 A$2.07

$1.56 A$2.24

-7.69%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$28.93 A$41.42

$40.63 A$58.2

-28.80%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.45 A$2.07

$1.35 A$1.94

7.41%

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

$29.6K A$42.3K

$29.2K A$41.8K

1.33%

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

$26.3K A$37.6K

$26.0K A$37.2K

1.10%

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

$229 A$328

$207 A$296

10.67%

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

$26.76 A$38.31

$28.14 A$40.28

-4.90%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$57.5 A$82.4

$57.1 A$81.8

0.74%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$49.77 A$71.3

$56.9 A$81.4

-12.48%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$21.45 A$30.70

$17.50 A$25.05

22.57%

Cinema Ticket

$17.43 A$24.96

$14.21 A$20.34

22.66%

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

$2,435 A$3,485

$2,109 A$3,020

15.42%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$33.6K A$48.1K

$20.3K A$29.0K

65.94%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$80.4 A$115

$78.6 A$113

2.25%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$51.5 A$73.7

$55.2 A$79.0

-6.74%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$121 A$174

$107 A$153

13.18%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$134 A$191

$120 A$172

10.83%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,748 A$2,503

$1,409 A$2,017

24.08%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,386 A$1,984

$1,230 A$1,761

12.65%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$3,468 A$4,964

$2,262 A$3,238

53.31%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$2,520 A$3,607

$1,847 A$2,644

36.43%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$8,274 A$11.8K

$5,769 A$8,258

43.41%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$7,066 A$10.1K

$5,013 A$7,175

40.96%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$4,206 A$6,021

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

5.97

5.9

1.19%

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

Last update for Melbourne: November 1, 2026

Last update for Eden NSW: November 2, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Accommodation & Living

Melbourne

$1.4K 49.1%

Eden NSW

$1.2K 48.5% 11.2% $156

Groceries & Markets

Melbourne

$383 13.6%

Eden NSW

$368 14.5% 3.8% $15

Eating Out

Melbourne

$315 11.2%

Eden NSW

$294 11.6% 6.6% $21

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Melbourne

$313 11.1%

Eden NSW

$292 11.5% 6.7% $21

Clothing & Footwear

Melbourne

$174 6.2%

Eden NSW

$163 6.4% 6.5% $11

Getting Around

Melbourne

$167 5.9%

Eden NSW

$107 4.2% 36.1% $60

Sport & Entertainment

Melbourne

$85 3%

Eden NSW

$85 3.4% 0.8% $0.7

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $1,748 in Melbourne and $1,409 in Eden NSW. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Dining out: $83 in Melbourne vs $86 in Eden NSW. Groceries flip the comparison at $383 vs $368, with Eden NSW cheaper for home cooking.

Good to know

🇦🇺 Melbourne

🇦🇺 Eden NSW

🕒 Local time

01:54 1:54 AM

Same time as Melbourne

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

5,031,195

3,118

💱 Currency

Australian Dollar AUD $

📈 Exchange rate

1 AUD = 0.699 USD

1 AUD = 0.624 EUR

1 AUD = 0.699 USD

1 AUD = 0.624 EUR

Exchange rates and currency converter

On the map

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Melbourne Eden NSW 440 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 Eden NSW: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Eden NSW is about 10% cheaper overall, especially in transport, eating out, and groceries. That difference adds up to real monthly savings that compound significantly over time.

You’d need roughly $4,234 in Melbourne and $3,810 in Eden NSW to live well. The gap comes down to housing and overall price levels. Both cities are liveable on less, but these numbers represent actual comfort.

Rent for a central apartment: $1,748 in Melbourne versus $1,409 in Eden NSW. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Dining out is cheaper in Melbourne – a meal for two runs $83 versus $86 in Eden NSW. If you eat out regularly, this makes a real dent in your monthly spending.

All in, you’ll spend $2,823 per month in Melbourne versus $2,540 in Eden NSW – Eden NSW is about 10% cheaper, which adds up to real savings over time.

Both cities are expensive relative to $2,500. Eden NSW is the more realistic option, but even there you’ll need to be disciplined with housing, food, and fun money.

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 Eden NSW are both considered safe, so it’s unlikely to be the deciding factor between them.