Last update: Nov 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Melbourne and Epping

For one person, living is cheaper in Epping: $2,637 a month against $2,823 in Melbourne, rent and utilities included – about $2,200 less a year. The total is higher in Melbourne despite lower rent and utilities.

136

Cost of Living Index in Melbourne
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Melbourne Living Index
127

Cost of Living Index in Epping
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Epping Living Index

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Melbourne

🇦🇺 Australia

$2,823

/mo nomad

Epping

🇦🇺 Australia

$2,637

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

How much you'll spend in Melbourne and in Epping

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

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $2,823 in Melbourne versus $2,637 in Epping.

Melbourne $2,823
Epping $2,637

Estimated couple costs with rent: $4,253 in Melbourne versus $3,717 in Epping.

Melbourne $4,253
Epping $3,717

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $5,683 in Melbourne versus $4,798 in Epping.

Melbourne $5,683
Epping $4,798

Living in Melbourne is roughly 7% more expensive than in Epping, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in eating out.

Both cities are pricier than the global median: Melbourne 109% above, Epping 95% above.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$17.34 A$24.82

$12.53 A$17.94

38.39%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$82.7 A$118

$64.3 A$92.1

28.56%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$12.63 A$18.08

$11.66 A$16.69

8.32%

Cappuccino

$4.22 A$6.04

$3.12 A$4.47

35.26%

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

$3.12 A$4.46

$2.46 A$3.53

26.83%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.48 A$3.55

$2.55 A$3.65

-2.75%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$9.69 A$13.87

$8.16 A$11.68

18.75%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$8.30 A$11.88

$8.56 A$12.25

-3.04%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.50 A$2.15

$1.52 A$2.18

-1.32%

White Bread (500g)

$3.08 A$4.40

$2.15 A$3.08

43.26%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$2.64 A$3.78

$1.87 A$2.68

41.18%

Eggs

$5.58 A$7.98

$5.28 A$7.56

5.68%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$9.78 A$14.01

$10.12 A$14.49

-3.36%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$9.52 A$13.63

$8.49 A$12.15

12.13%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$15.18 A$21.73

$15.02 A$21.50

1.07%

Apples (1kg)

$4.22 A$6.04

$3.46 A$4.95

21.97%

Banana (1kg)

$3.13 A$4.48

$2.80 A$4.01

11.79%

Oranges (1kg)

$3.24 A$4.64

$2.46 A$3.52

31.71%

Tomato (1kg)

$4.71 A$6.74

$3.47 A$4.97

35.73%

Potato (1kg)

$3.13 A$4.48

$2.40 A$3.44

30.42%

Onion (1kg)

$2.46 A$3.52

$2.21 A$3.16

11.31%

Lettuce (1 head)

$2.40 A$3.44

$2.11 A$3.02

13.74%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$1.47 A$2.11

$1.56 A$2.23

-5.77%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$42.76 A$61.2

$27.46 A$39.30

55.72%

Wine (Bottle)

$12.90 A$18.47

$10.59 A$15.16

21.81%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$5.53 A$7.91

$4.44 A$6.35

24.55%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$5.16 A$7.38

$4.73 A$6.78

9.09%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$3.79 A$5.43

$3.20 A$4.58

18.44%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$141 A$202

$83.3 A$119

69.66%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$3.75 A$5.37

$3.59 A$5.14

4.46%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.44 A$2.07

$1.36 A$1.95

5.88%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$28.93 A$41.42

$27.60 A$39.51

4.82%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.45 A$2.07

$1.26 A$1.81

15.08%

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

$29.6K A$42.3K

$17.4K A$24.9K

70.30%

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

$26.3K A$37.6K

$18.9K A$27.0K

39.22%

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

$229 A$328

$139 A$199

64.60%

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

$26.76 A$38.31

$28.02 A$40.11

-4.50%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$57.5 A$82.4

$44.70 A$64.0

28.72%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$49.77 A$71.3

$56.4 A$80.7

-11.76%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$21.45 A$30.70

$17.89 A$25.61

19.90%

Cinema Ticket

$17.43 A$24.96

$14.25 A$20.40

22.32%

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

$2,435 A$3,485

$1,669 A$2,389

45.86%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$33.6K A$48.1K

$21.7K A$31.1K

54.65%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$80.4 A$115

$70.3 A$101

14.26%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$51.5 A$73.7

$48.67 A$69.7

5.77%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$121 A$174

$119 A$171

1.69%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$134 A$191

$107 A$152

25.34%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,748 A$2,503

$1,490 A$2,134

17.30%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,386 A$1,984

$1,491 A$2,135

-7.06%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$3,468 A$4,964

$2,359 A$3,377

47.01%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$2,520 A$3,607

$2,227 A$3,188

13.15%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$8,274 A$11.8K

$5,850 A$8,375

41.42%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$7,066 A$10.1K

$4,978 A$7,126

41.94%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$4,206 A$6,021

$4,256 A$6,093

-1.17%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

5.97

5.5

8.55%

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

Last update for Melbourne: November 1, 2026

Last update for Epping: November 2, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Accommodation & Living

Melbourne

$1.4K 49.1%

Epping

$1.5K 56.6% 7.6% $105

Groceries & Markets

Melbourne

$383 13.6%

Epping

$336 12.8% 12.2% $47

Eating Out

Melbourne

$315 11.2%

Epping

$251 9.5% 20.4% $64

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Melbourne

$313 11.1%

Epping

$212 8% 32.4% $101

Clothing & Footwear

Melbourne

$174 6.2%

Epping

$155 5.9% 10.8% $19

Getting Around

Melbourne

$167 5.9%

Epping

$106 4% 36.4% $61

Sport & Entertainment

Melbourne

$85 3%

Epping

$85 3.2% 0.3% $0.3

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $1,748 in Melbourne and $1,490 in Epping. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Dining out: $83 in Melbourne vs $64 in Epping for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $383 vs $336 per month, with Epping cheaper across the board.

Good to know

🇦🇺 Melbourne

🇦🇺 Epping

🕒 Local time

10:55 10:55 AM

Same time as Melbourne

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

5,031,195

23,435

💱 Currency

Australian Dollar AUD $

📈 Exchange rate

1 AUD = 0.699 USD

1 AUD = 0.625 EUR

1 AUD = 0.699 USD

1 AUD = 0.625 EUR

Exchange rates and currency converter

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Between locations

Melbourne Epping 710 km ≈ 1 h 30 min nonstop flight

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 Epping: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Epping wins on cost – living expenses run 7% lower than in Melbourne. Housing and daily spending are where you’ll feel the difference most, making Epping the obvious pick if budget is a priority.

You’d need roughly $4,234 in Melbourne and $3,955 in Epping 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 $1,490 in Epping. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Dining out is cheaper in Epping – a meal for two runs $64 versus $83 in Melbourne. 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 $2,637 in Epping – Epping is about 7% cheaper, which adds up to real savings over time.

Both cities are expensive relative to $2,000. Epping 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 Epping are both considered safe, so it’s unlikely to be the deciding factor between them.

Expats usually find Epping gentler on the wallet – expenses run 7% less than in Melbourne. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.