Last update: Nov 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Melbourne and Forster

For one person, living is cheaper in Forster: $2,595 a month against $2,823 in Melbourne, rent and utilities included – about $2,700 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
125

Cost of Living Index in Forster
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Forster Living Index

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Melbourne

🇦🇺 Australia

$2,823

/mo nomad

Forster

🇦🇺 Australia

$2,595

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

How much you'll spend in Melbourne and in Forster

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

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $2,823 in Melbourne versus $2,595 in Forster.

Melbourne $2,823
Forster $2,595

Estimated couple costs with rent: $4,253 in Melbourne versus $3,737 in Forster.

Melbourne $4,253
Forster $3,737

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $5,683 in Melbourne versus $4,879 in Forster.

Melbourne $5,683
Forster $4,879

Living in Melbourne is roughly 9% more expensive than in Forster, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in transport.

Both cities are pricier than the global median: Melbourne 109% above, Forster 92% above.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$17.34 A$24.75

$17.58 A$25.09

-1.37%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$82.7 A$118

$92.1 A$131

-10.22%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$12.63 A$18.03

$10.66 A$15.21

18.48%

Cappuccino

$4.22 A$6.02

$3.90 A$5.57

8.21%

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

$3.12 A$4.45

$2.82 A$4.03

10.64%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.48 A$3.54

$2.22 A$3.18

11.71%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$9.69 A$13.83

$6.87 A$9.81

41.05%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$8.30 A$11.85

$5.45 A$7.78

52.29%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.50 A$2.15

$1.64 A$2.34

-8.54%

White Bread (500g)

$3.08 A$4.39

$2.91 A$4.16

5.84%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$2.64 A$3.77

$2.38 A$3.39

10.92%

Eggs

$5.58 A$7.96

$5.62 A$8.03

-0.71%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$9.78 A$13.97

$12.01 A$17.14

-18.57%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$9.52 A$13.59

$9.38 A$13.39

1.49%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$15.18 A$21.67

$16.88 A$24.09

-10.07%

Apples (1kg)

$4.22 A$6.02

$3.90 A$5.57

8.21%

Banana (1kg)

$3.13 A$4.47

$3.10 A$4.43

0.97%

Oranges (1kg)

$3.24 A$4.63

$3.40 A$4.85

-4.71%

Tomato (1kg)

$4.71 A$6.72

$4.22 A$6.03

11.61%

Potato (1kg)

$3.13 A$4.47

$3.24 A$4.63

-3.40%

Onion (1kg)

$2.46 A$3.51

$2.48 A$3.55

-0.81%

Lettuce (1 head)

$2.40 A$3.43

$2.38 A$3.39

0.84%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$1.47 A$2.10

$1.21 A$1.73

21.49%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$42.76 A$61.0

$44.92 A$64.1

-4.81%

Wine (Bottle)

$12.90 A$18.41

$14.05 A$20.06

-8.19%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$5.53 A$7.89

$3.96 A$5.66

39.65%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$5.16 A$7.36

$4.07 A$5.81

26.78%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$3.79 A$5.42

$2.83 A$4.04

33.92%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$141 A$202

$84.7 A$121

66.78%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$3.75 A$5.36

$3.50 A$4.99

7.14%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.44 A$2.06

$1.65 A$2.35

-12.73%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$28.93 A$41.30

$40.37 A$57.6

-28.34%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.45 A$2.07

$1.51 A$2.15

-3.97%

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

$29.6K A$42.2K

$30.0K A$42.8K

-1.32%

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

$26.3K A$37.5K

$27.9K A$39.8K

-5.89%

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

$229 A$327

$252 A$360

-9.32%

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

$26.76 A$38.19

$27.69 A$39.52

-3.36%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$57.5 A$82.1

$56.6 A$80.7

1.75%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$49.77 A$71.0

$57.0 A$81.3

-12.67%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$21.45 A$30.61

$17.43 A$24.87

23.06%

Cinema Ticket

$17.43 A$24.88

$17.45 A$24.91

-0.11%

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

$2,435 A$3,475

$2,354 A$3,360

3.43%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$33.6K A$48.0K

$27.9K A$39.8K

20.58%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$80.4 A$115

$80.3 A$115

0.11%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$51.5 A$73.5

$71.4 A$102

-27.87%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$121 A$173

$113 A$162

6.98%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$134 A$191

$130 A$186

2.53%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,748 A$2,495

$1,391 A$1,985

25.71%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,386 A$1,978

$1,217 A$1,737

13.88%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$3,468 A$4,950

$2,287 A$3,264

51.65%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$2,520 A$3,596

$1,794 A$2,561

40.44%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$8,274 A$11.8K

$5,826 A$8,316

42.00%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$7,066 A$10.1K

$4,884 A$6,970

44.69%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$4,206 A$6,004

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

5.97

5.92

0.84%

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

Last update for Melbourne: November 1, 2026

Last update for Forster: November 2, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Accommodation & Living

Melbourne

$1.4K 49.1%

Forster

$1.2K 46.9% 12.2% $169

Groceries & Markets

Melbourne

$383 13.6%

Forster

$379 14.6% 1.1% $4.1

Eating Out

Melbourne

$315 11.2%

Forster

$285 11% 9.5% $30

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Melbourne

$313 11.1%

Forster

$337 13% 7.5% $23

Clothing & Footwear

Melbourne

$174 6.2%

Forster

$178 6.9% 2.2% $3.9

Getting Around

Melbourne

$167 5.9%

Forster

$108 4.2% 35.6% $60

Sport & Entertainment

Melbourne

$85 3%

Forster

$92 3.5% 8.6% $7.3

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $1,748 in Melbourne and $1,391 in Forster. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Dining out: $83 in Melbourne vs $92 in Forster. Groceries flip the comparison at $383 vs $379, with Forster cheaper for home cooking.

Good to know

🇦🇺 Melbourne

🇦🇺 Forster

🕒 Local time

06:19 6:19 AM

Same time as Melbourne

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

5,031,195

20,554

💱 Currency

Australian Dollar AUD $

📈 Exchange rate

1 AUD = 0.701 USD

1 AUD = 0.623 EUR

1 AUD = 0.701 USD

1 AUD = 0.623 EUR

Exchange rates and currency converter

On the map

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Highest

Between locations

Melbourne Forster 930 km ≈ 1 h 45 min nonstop flight

From you

Melbourne
Forster

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 Forster: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Total monthly costs including rent come to $2,823 in Melbourne and $2,595 in Forster, so Forster is about 8% cheaper – a gap that matters a lot on a fixed or modest income.

You’d need roughly $4,234 in Melbourne and $3,893 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: $1,748 in Melbourne versus $1,391 in Forster. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

A monthly transit pass in Forster runs roughly 40% less than in Melbourne. The price difference matters if you commute daily and watch your budget.

All in, you’ll spend $2,823 per month in Melbourne versus $2,595 in Forster – Forster is about 8% cheaper, which adds up to real savings over time.

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