Cost of Living Comparison Between Melbourne and Forster Cost of Living Comparison Between Melbourne and Forster

Monthly Cost of Living

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $2,910 in Melbourne versus $2,643 in Forster.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $4,408 in Melbourne versus $3,791 in Forster.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $5,905 in Melbourne versus $4,939 in Forster.

Living in Melbourne is roughly 10% more expensive than in Forster, driven mainly by Getting Around.

Both cities are pricier than the global median: Melbourne 111% above, Forster 92% above.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$18.41 A$25.66

$17.85 A$24.89

3.14%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$86.5 A$121

$91.7 A$128

-5.70%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$12.46 A$17.38

$10.62 A$14.80

17.33%

Cappuccino

$4.17 A$5.81

$4.04 A$5.63

3.22%

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

$3.15 A$4.40

$2.95 A$4.11

6.78%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.65 A$3.70

$2.20 A$3.07

20.45%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$10.05 A$14.01

$7.30 A$10.17

37.67%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$8.51 A$11.86

$5.57 A$7.76

52.78%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.61 A$2.25

$1.82 A$2.54

-11.54%

White Bread (500g)

$3.29 A$4.58

$2.77 A$3.86

18.77%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$3.02 A$4.21

$2.34 A$3.26

29.06%

Eggs

$6.00 A$8.36

$5.78 A$8.05

3.81%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$11.06 A$15.42

$12.66 A$17.64

-12.64%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$9.92 A$13.83

$9.48 A$13.21

4.64%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$15.87 A$22.12

$16.66 A$23.22

-4.74%

Apples (1kg)

$4.41 A$6.15

$3.81 A$5.31

15.75%

Banana (1kg)

$3.22 A$4.49

$3.15 A$4.39

2.22%

Oranges (1kg)

$3.45 A$4.80

$3.43 A$4.78

0.58%

Tomato (1kg)

$4.91 A$6.85

$4.57 A$6.37

7.44%

Potato (1kg)

$3.14 A$4.37

$3.20 A$4.46

-1.88%

Onion (1kg)

$2.66 A$3.71

$2.59 A$3.61

2.70%

Lettuce (1 head)

$2.52 A$3.51

$2.46 A$3.42

2.44%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$1.69 A$2.36

$1.26 A$1.75

34.13%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$46.21 A$64.4

$45.17 A$63.0

2.30%

Wine (Bottle)

$12.58 A$17.54

$14.08 A$19.63

-10.65%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$5.41 A$7.54

$4.11 A$5.73

31.63%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$5.33 A$7.43

$3.95 A$5.51

34.94%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$4.03 A$5.62

$3.15 A$4.40

27.94%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$142 A$198

$84.4 A$118

68.15%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$4.71 A$6.56

$3.52 A$4.91

33.81%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.41 A$1.97

$1.62 A$2.25

-12.96%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$31.32 A$43.67

$41.18 A$57.4

-23.94%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.43 A$1.99

$1.37 A$1.92

4.38%

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

$29.5K A$41.1K

$30.4K A$42.3K

-2.95%

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

$27.0K A$37.6K

$31.1K A$43.4K

-13.33%

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

$239 A$334

$228 A$318

4.74%

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

$28.19 A$39.30

$28.13 A$39.22

0.21%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$57.3 A$79.9

$57.6 A$80.3

-0.45%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$55.9 A$77.9

$58.4 A$81.5

-4.38%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$22.72 A$31.68

$18.36 A$25.60

23.75%

Cinema Ticket

$17.89 A$24.94

$17.70 A$24.68

1.07%

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

$2,456 A$3,424

$2,287 A$3,189

7.38%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$31.5K A$44.0K

$28.7K A$40.1K

9.75%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$82.4 A$115

$81.4 A$113

1.32%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$52.1 A$72.6

$75.1 A$105

-30.67%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$120 A$168

$113 A$158

6.32%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$137 A$191

$135 A$188

1.60%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,777 A$2,477

$1,475 A$2,056

20.51%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,457 A$2,032

$1,272 A$1,773

14.59%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$3,561 A$4,965

$2,301 A$3,208

54.76%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$2,568 A$3,581

$1,849 A$2,578

38.88%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$7,269 A$10.1K

$6,529 A$9,102

11.33%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$6,897 A$9,616

$5,308 A$7,401

29.93%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$4,459 A$6,217

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

5.84

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

Last update for Melbourne: September 6, 2026

Last update for Forster: September 8, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $1,777 in Melbourne and $1,475 in Forster. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Dining out: $86.0 in Melbourne vs $92.0 in Forster. Groceries flip the comparison at $403 vs $385, with Forster cheaper for home cooking.

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 Forster: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Melbourne and Forster differ by about 10% in total monthly costs ($2,910 vs $2,643 including rent). Forster is meaningfully more affordable – a gap that matters a lot on a fixed or modest income.

You'd need roughly $4,366 in Melbourne and $3,964 in Forster 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: $1,777 in Melbourne versus $1,475 in Forster. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Childcare runs $2,456 in Melbourne versus $2,287 in Forster. Over years of preschool, even a modest monthly gap compounds into a major financial factor for families.

Supermarket bills run roughly 5% higher in Melbourne. For households that cook at home regularly, that difference adds up over a month.

Both cities are expensive relative to $3,000. Forster 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 Forster are on par. Petty crime is typical for cities this size, and most residents feel comfortable going about their daily routines in either place.

Expats usually find Forster gentler on the wallet – expenses run 10% less than in Melbourne. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.