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: $2,416 in Melbourne versus $2,125 in Forster.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $3,579 in Melbourne versus $3,092 in Forster.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $4,742 in Melbourne versus $4,059 in Forster.

Living in Melbourne is roughly 14% more expensive than Forster, driven mainly by Getting Around.

Both cities are pricier than the global median: Melbourne 80% above, Forster 59% above.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$19.75 A$27.52

$16.45 A$22.93

20.06%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$78.7 A$110

$78.5 A$109

0.14%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$9.70 A$13.52

$8.04 A$11.21

20.65%

Cappuccino

$3.66 A$5.11

$3.41 A$4.75

7.33%

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

$2.60 A$3.63

$2.45 A$3.41

6.12%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.34 A$3.26

$2.01 A$2.80

16.42%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$7.17 A$10.00

$6.34 A$8.83

13.09%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$6.99 A$9.73

$5.17 A$7.21

35.20%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.45 A$2.02

$1.03 A$1.43

40.78%

White Bread (500g)

$2.66 A$3.71

$2.69 A$3.75

-1.12%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$2.34 A$3.26

$2.25 A$3.14

4.00%

Eggs

$4.80 A$6.69

$2.86 A$3.98

67.83%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$8.77 A$12.21

$8.63 A$12.03

1.62%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$9.44 A$13.15

$6.66 A$9.28

41.74%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$14.42 A$20.09

$13.80 A$19.23

4.49%

Apples (1kg)

$3.33 A$4.64

$2.96 A$4.13

12.50%

Banana (1kg)

$2.77 A$3.87

$1.91 A$2.66

45.03%

Oranges (1kg)

$3.00 A$4.18

$1.90 A$2.65

57.89%

Tomato (1kg)

$3.95 A$5.50

$4.30 A$6.00

-8.14%

Potato (1kg)

$2.68 A$3.73

$1.61 A$2.25

66.46%

Onion (1kg)

$2.36 A$3.28

$0.96 A$1.34

145.83%

Lettuce (1 head)

$2.14 A$2.98

$1.90 A$2.65

12.63%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$1.63 A$2.27

$1.24 A$1.73

31.45%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$32.44 A$45.21

$32.40 A$45.15

0.12%

Wine (Bottle)

$14.11 A$19.66

$14.59 A$20.33

-3.29%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$4.64 A$6.47

$4.68 A$6.52

-0.85%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$5.04 A$7.02

$5.45 A$7.59

-7.52%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$3.49 A$4.87

$2.67 A$3.72

30.71%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$120 A$167

$65.8 A$91.7

82.30%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$3.50 A$4.88

$3.78 A$5.27

-7.41%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.35 A$1.87

$1.62 A$2.26

-16.67%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$26.94 A$37.55

$52.6 A$73.3

-48.77%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.19 A$1.66

$1.15 A$1.60

3.48%

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

$29.4K A$41.0K

$29.0K A$40.4K

1.37%

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

$23.6K A$32.9K

$22.9K A$31.9K

3.03%

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

$150 A$209

$65.8 A$91.7

127.96%

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

$21.16 A$29.49

$23.59 A$32.88

-10.30%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$50.3 A$70.1

$52.7 A$73.5

-4.65%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$49.14 A$68.5

$49.25 A$68.6

-0.22%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$16.37 A$22.82

$15.78 A$21.99

3.74%

Cinema Ticket

$16.43 A$22.90

$12.22 A$17.03

34.45%

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

$1,764 A$2,458

$328 A$457

437.33%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$19.2K A$26.7K

$3,934 A$5,482

387.84%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$68.3 A$95.2

$64.2 A$89.4

6.40%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$53.3 A$74.3

$58.1 A$81.0

-8.28%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$106 A$148

$98.1 A$137

8.38%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$105 A$146

$132 A$184

-20.80%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,572 A$2,191

$1,275 A$1,777

23.32%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,195 A$1,665

$1,061 A$1,478

12.63%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$3,048 A$4,247

$2,001 A$2,789

52.28%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,990 A$2,772

$1,695 A$2,361

17.40%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$7,387 A$10.3K

$5,198 A$7,243

42.12%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$6,527 A$9,095

$4,863 A$6,777

34.21%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$4,512 A$6,288

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

6.19

6.34

-2.37%

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

Last update for Melbourne: May 31, 2026

Last update for Forster: June 1, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $1,572 in Melbourne and $1,275 in Forster. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Dining out: $79.0 in Melbourne vs $79.0 in Forster. Groceries flip the comparison at $354 vs $306, 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 14% in total monthly costs ($2,416 vs $2,125 including rent). Forster is meaningfully more affordable – a gap that matters a lot on a fixed or modest income.

You'd need roughly $3,624 in Melbourne and $3,188 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: $1,572 in Melbourne versus $1,275 in Forster. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Childcare runs $1,764 in Melbourne versus $328 in Forster. Over years of preschool, even a modest monthly gap compounds into a major financial factor for families.

Supermarket bills run roughly 16% higher in Melbourne. For households that cook at home regularly, that difference adds up over a month.

At $2,125 in Forster versus $2,416 in Melbourne, a $3,000 budget is realistic in Forster but tight or insufficient in Melbourne. The gap between the two cities makes Forster the clear choice for anyone on this budget.

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 14% less than in Melbourne. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.