Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Melbourne and Exmouth

For one person, living is cheaper in Exmouth: $2,489 a month against $2,853 in Melbourne, rent and utilities included – about $4,400 less a year. Rent and utilities account for most of the difference.

Melbourne, Australia
Exmouth, Australia
Melbourne
🇦🇺 Australia
$2,853
/mo nomad
Exmouth
🇦🇺 Australia
$2,489
/mo nomad
Monthly Cost of Living

How much you'll spend in Melbourne and in Exmouth

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

A single person spends $2,853 per month in Melbourne vs $2,489 in Exmouth, rent included.

  • Melbourne $2,853
  • Exmouth $2,489

A couple spends around $4,275 per month in Melbourne vs $3,584 in Exmouth, rent included.

  • Melbourne $4,275
  • Exmouth $3,584

A family of three spends $5,697 per month in Melbourne vs $4,678 in Exmouth, rent included.

  • Melbourne $5,697
  • Exmouth $4,678

Melbourne costs about 15% more than Exmouth, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in transport.

Both Melbourne and Exmouth sit above the global median – Melbourne by 111%, Exmouth by 84%.

Currency
🍽 Eating Out
Melbourne
Exmouth
Difference
Meal at Budget Restaurant
$17.20 A$24.44
$17.58 A$24.98
-2.16%
Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range
$83.1 A$118
$84.5 A$120
-1.64%
Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)
$12.43 A$17.66
$10.55 A$14.99
17.82%
Cappuccino
$4.05 A$5.75
$3.86 A$5.49
4.92%
Coke/Pepsi/Fanta/Sprite (0.33 liter bottle)
$3.12 A$4.44
$2.89 A$4.10
7.96%
Water (0.33 liter bottle)
$2.46 A$3.49
$2.30 A$3.26
6.96%
Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)
$9.52 A$13.53
$7.46 A$10.61
27.61%
Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)
$8.16 A$11.59
$7.64 A$10.85
6.81%
🛒 Groceries & Markets
Melbourne
Exmouth
Difference
Milk (1 liter)
$1.56 A$2.22
$1.58 A$2.25
-1.27%
White Bread (500g)
$2.90 A$4.12
$2.64 A$3.76
9.85%
Rice (white) (1kg)
$2.66 A$3.78
$2.20 A$3.13
20.91%
Eggs
$5.37 A$7.63
$4.75 A$6.75
13.05%
Local Cheese (1kg)
$10.67 A$15.16
$9.34 A$13.27
14.24%
Chicken Fillets (1kg)
$9.85 A$13.99
$9.08 A$12.90
8.48%
Beef Round Steak (1kg)
$15.36 A$21.83
$14.90 A$21.17
3.09%
Apples (1kg)
$4.17 A$5.93
$3.78 A$5.37
10.32%
Banana (1kg)
$3.15 A$4.47
$2.97 A$4.22
6.06%
Oranges (1kg)
$3.26 A$4.63
$3.20 A$4.54
1.87%
Tomato (1kg)
$4.76 A$6.77
$4.61 A$6.55
3.25%
Potato (1kg)
$3.06 A$4.35
$2.68 A$3.81
14.18%
Onion (1kg)
$2.47 A$3.50
$2.32 A$3.29
6.47%
Lettuce (1 head)
$2.45 A$3.48
$2.34 A$3.32
4.70%
Water (1.5 liter bottle)
$1.63 A$2.31
$1.54 A$2.19
5.84%
Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)
$45.17 A$64.2
$41.38 A$58.8
9.16%
Wine (Bottle)
$12.68 A$18.02
$13.76 A$19.55
-7.85%
Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)
$5.69 A$8.08
$4.62 A$6.56
23.16%
Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)
$5.23 A$7.44
$5.14 A$7.31
1.75%
🚌 Getting Around
Melbourne
Exmouth
Difference
One-way Ticket (Public Transport)
$3.87 A$5.50
$2.79 A$3.97
38.71%
Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)
$142 A$202
$80.6 A$114
76.19%
Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)
$4.54 A$6.45
$3.45 A$4.90
31.59%
Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)
$1.42 A$2.01
$1.55 A$2.20
-8.39%
Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)
$30.59 A$43.46
$39.53 A$56.2
-22.62%
Gasoline (1 liter)
$1.47 A$2.09
$1.30 A$1.84
13.08%
Midsize Hatchback 1.4l (Volkswagen Golf, Toyota Prius, Honda Civic, etc)
$28.9K A$41.0K
$26.5K A$37.7K
8.88%
Compact Sedan 1.6l (Toyota Corolla, Mazda3, Kia K4, Hyundai Elantra, etc)
$25.9K A$36.8K
$29.9K A$42.5K
-13.35%
🧾 Monthly Utilities & Internet
Melbourne
Exmouth
Difference
Utilities for 2 People in 2-bedroom Apartment (Heating, Electricity, Gas, Water, Garbage) (85m2)
$235 A$334
$204 A$290
15.03%
SIM Card Monthly Plan (Calls and 10GB+ Data)
$27.45 A$39.01
$27.80 A$39.50
-1.26%
Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)
$56.1 A$79.8
$55.8 A$79.3
0.56%
🎉 Sport & Entertainment
Melbourne
Exmouth
Difference
Gym Membership (Monthly)
$50.1 A$71.2
$56.5 A$80.2
-11.26%
Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)
$21.49 A$30.54
$17.56 A$24.95
22.38%
Cinema Ticket
$17.76 A$25.24
$14.56 A$20.69
21.98%
🧸 Childcare & Education
Melbourne
Exmouth
Difference
Preschool or Kindergarten, Full Day, Private, 1 Child (Monthly)
$2,385 A$3,389
$2,165 A$3,077
10.14%
International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)
$29.7K A$42.1K
$20.1K A$28.6K
47.57%
👕👟 Clothing & Footwear
Melbourne
Exmouth
Difference
Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)
$79.2 A$112
$75.9 A$108
4.34%
Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)
$49.49 A$70.3
$53.7 A$76.3
-7.82%
Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)
$118 A$168
$106 A$151
11.33%
Men's Leather Business Shoes
$132 A$188
$122 A$173
8.29%
🏠 Accommodation & Living
Melbourne
Exmouth
Difference
1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)
$1,763 A$2,505
$1,411 A$2,006
24.93%
1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)
$1,411 A$2,005
$1,197 A$1,701
17.86%
3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)
$3,522 A$5,005
$2,161 A$3,070
63.03%
3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)
$2,525 A$3,588
$1,776 A$2,523
42.21%
Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)
$7,136 A$10.1K
$5,789 A$8,226
23.25%
Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)
$6,355 A$9,029
$4,878 A$6,932
30.26%
💵 Salaries & Financials
Melbourne
Exmouth
Difference
Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)
$4,258 A$6,051
-
-
20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)
5.9
5.84
1.03%

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

Last update for Melbourne: October 17, 2026

Last update for Exmouth: October 17, 2026

Monthly budget structure
Share of the monthly basket for one person, rent included.
Accommodation & Living
Melbourne
$1.4K
Exmouth
$1.2K 15.2% $214
Groceries & Markets
Melbourne
$388
Exmouth
$362 6.8% $26
Monthly Utilities & Internet
Melbourne
$319
Exmouth
$288 9.6% $31
Eating Out
Melbourne
$310
Exmouth
$292 5.7% $18
Clothing & Footwear
Melbourne
$171
Exmouth
$161 5.6% $9.6
Getting Around
Melbourne
$169
Exmouth
$103 39.1% $66
Sport & Entertainment
Melbourne
$86
Exmouth
$86 0% $0

Cost Breakdown

A central one-bedroom costs $1,763 in Melbourne versus $1,411 in Exmouth. 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 $83 in Melbourne versus $84 in Exmouth. Groceries tell a different story – $388 in Melbourne vs $362 in Exmouth – so Exmouth wins on supermarket bills even if dining out costs more.

Good to know
🇦🇺 Melbourne
🇦🇺 Exmouth
🕒 Local time
07:47 7:47 AM
04:47 4:47 AM
3 h behind Melbourne
🌤 Weather
👥 Population
5,031,195
3,500
Exchange rates and currency converter

USD, EUR to AUD – Australian Dollar Converter

Australian Dollar exchange rates as of October 25, 2026: 1 USD = 1.42 AUD (1 AUD = 0.704 USD). 1 EUR = 1.59 AUD (1 AUD = 0.628 EUR).

On the map
Between locations
  • Melbourne Exmouth 3,430 km ≈ 4 h 45 min nonstop flight
From you
  • Melbourne
  • Exmouth

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 Exmouth: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions
Which city is more expensive, Melbourne or Exmouth?
Melbourne costs about 15% more than Exmouth, and outside of rent the gap comes mainly from transport. That’s enough to noticeably affect everyday spending and lifestyle for anyone choosing between the two.
How much do you need to earn to live comfortably in Melbourne and in Exmouth?
For a comfortable life, plan on about $4,280 per month in Melbourne and $3,734 in Exmouth. That covers rent, food, utilities, transport, and enough left over to feel settled – not just surviving.
Where is rent cheaper, Melbourne or Exmouth?
Rent is clearly cheaper in Exmouth, especially for central apartments: a one-bedroom in the center costs $1,411 there versus $1,763 in Melbourne.
How much does it cost to live in Melbourne compared to Exmouth?
Monthly expenses with rent come to $2,853 in Melbourne and $2,489 in Exmouth. That’s a gap of about 15%.
How do childcare costs compare in Melbourne and in Exmouth?
Kindergarten costs $2,385 per month in Melbourne and $2,165 in Exmouth. For families with young kids, this one expense can tip the scales when choosing between the two cities.
Can you live on $2,000/month in Melbourne or in Exmouth?
$2,000 is a stretch for both – monthly costs hit $2,853 in Melbourne and $2,489 in Exmouth. You’ll need shared housing and careful budgeting no matter which city you pick.
Which city is better for families?
Families tend to lean toward Exmouth – lower housing and cheaper childcare make a real difference, especially on a single income or when paying for private education.
How safe is Melbourne compared to Exmouth?
Both have safer and rougher neighborhoods, but overall safety is comparable to other large cities. Neighborhood choice matters more than the city-level comparison – central, well-trafficked areas feel secure in both.

Melbourne vs other spots: cost of living compared

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