Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Melbourne and Frankston

For one person, living is cheaper in Frankston: $2,438 a month against $2,849 in Melbourne, rent and utilities included – about $4,900 less a year. Other living expenses account for most of the difference.

137

Cost of Living Index in Melbourne
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Melbourne Living Index
117

Cost of Living Index in Frankston
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Frankston Living Index

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Melbourne

🇦🇺 Australia

$2,849

/mo nomad

Frankston

🇦🇺 Australia

$2,438

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

How much you'll spend in Melbourne and in Frankston

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

A single person spends $2,849 per month in Melbourne vs $2,438 in Frankston, rent included.

Melbourne $2,849
Frankston $2,438

A couple spends around $4,274 per month in Melbourne vs $3,403 in Frankston, rent included.

Melbourne $4,274
Frankston $3,403

A family of three spends $5,699 per month in Melbourne vs $4,369 in Frankston, rent included.

Melbourne $5,699
Frankston $4,369

Melbourne costs about 17% more than Frankston, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in groceries.

Both Melbourne and Frankston sit above the global median – Melbourne by 109%, Frankston by 79%.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$17.50 A$24.98

$15.24 A$21.75

14.83%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$84.3 A$120

$59.8 A$85.4

40.88%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$12.17 A$17.37

$10.72 A$15.31

13.53%

Cappuccino

$4.07 A$5.82

$2.74 A$3.92

48.54%

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

$3.18 A$4.54

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.50 A$3.56

$2.08 A$2.97

20.19%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$9.57 A$13.66

$10.03 A$14.31

-4.59%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$8.25 A$11.78

$6.81 A$9.72

21.15%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.50 A$2.15

$1.51 A$2.16

-0.66%

White Bread (500g)

$2.97 A$4.24

$2.62 A$3.74

13.36%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$2.68 A$3.83

$2.06 A$2.93

30.10%

Eggs

$5.45 A$7.78

$3.78 A$5.39

44.18%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$10.71 A$15.29

$10.62 A$15.16

0.85%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$10.05 A$14.34

$9.57 A$13.66

5.02%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$15.00 A$21.41

$7.80 A$11.13

92.31%

Apples (1kg)

$4.07 A$5.81

$2.67 A$3.82

52.43%

Banana (1kg)

$3.14 A$4.48

$3.16 A$4.51

-0.63%

Oranges (1kg)

$3.12 A$4.45

$2.76 A$3.94

13.04%

Tomato (1kg)

$4.73 A$6.75

$2.72 A$3.88

73.90%

Potato (1kg)

$2.98 A$4.25

$3.04 A$4.34

-1.97%

Onion (1kg)

$2.49 A$3.56

$2.60 A$3.70

-4.23%

Lettuce (1 head)

$2.48 A$3.54

$2.41 A$3.45

2.90%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$1.60 A$2.28

$1.38 A$1.96

15.94%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$44.65 A$63.7

$42.80 A$61.1

4.32%

Wine (Bottle)

$12.68 A$18.10

$6.28 A$8.96

101.91%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$5.55 A$7.91

$3.25 A$4.64

70.77%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$5.18 A$7.40

$4.22 A$6.02

22.75%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$3.84 A$5.48

$3.61 A$5.16

6.37%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$139 A$198

$83.1 A$119

66.86%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$4.36 A$6.22

$4.44 A$6.33

-1.80%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.37 A$1.95

$1.44 A$2.05

-4.86%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$29.72 A$42.43

$30.55 A$43.60

-2.72%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.49 A$2.12

$1.15 A$1.65

29.57%

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

$29.1K A$41.5K

$29.7K A$42.4K

-2.02%

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

$25.7K A$36.6K

$26.3K A$37.6K

-2.48%

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

$236 A$336

$228 A$326

3.21%

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

$28.01 A$39.98

$10.68 A$15.25

162.27%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$57.2 A$81.7

$56.8 A$81.0

0.85%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$48.39 A$69.1

$57.0 A$81.4

-15.12%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$21.46 A$30.64

$17.67 A$25.22

21.45%

Cinema Ticket

$17.67 A$25.22

$17.47 A$24.93

1.14%

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

$2,461 A$3,513

$2,450 A$3,497

0.46%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$29.7K A$42.4K

$30.4K A$43.3K

-2.16%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$81.2 A$116

$79.9 A$114

1.59%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$49.28 A$70.3

$51.2 A$73.1

-3.81%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$120 A$171

$87.9 A$126

35.89%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$131 A$187

$48.59 A$69.4

169.58%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,703 A$2,430

$1,405 A$2,006

21.16%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,409 A$2,011

$1,247 A$1,779

12.99%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$3,496 A$4,989

$2,219 A$3,167

57.52%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$2,527 A$3,606

$1,841 A$2,628

37.23%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$7,978 A$11.4K

$5,812 A$8,295

37.28%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$6,900 A$9,849

$5,351 A$7,637

28.96%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$4,257 A$6,076

$4,360 A$6,224

-2.37%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

5.9

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

Last update for Melbourne: October 26, 2026

Last update for Frankston: October 27, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Accommodation & Living

Melbourne

$1.4K 49.4%

Frankston

$1.2K 51.1% 11.5% $162

Groceries & Markets

Melbourne

$386 13.6%

Frankston

$302 12.4% 21.7% $84

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Melbourne

$321 11.3%

Frankston

$296 12.1% 7.8% $25

Eating Out

Melbourne

$312 11%

Frankston

$272 11.2% 13% $41

Clothing & Footwear

Melbourne

$171 6%

Frankston

$120 4.9% 29.7% $51

Getting Around

Melbourne

$165 5.8%

Frankston

$109 4.5% 33.9% $56

Sport & Entertainment

Melbourne

$84 2.9%

Frankston

$92 3.8% 9.8% $8.2

Cost Breakdown

A central one-bedroom costs $1,703 in Melbourne versus $1,405 in Frankston. 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 $84 in Melbourne versus $60 in Frankston. Monthly groceries follow the same trend: $386 vs $302 – making Frankston the more affordable choice for daily food spending.

Good to know

🇦🇺 Melbourne

🇦🇺 Frankston

🕒 Local time

19:49 7:49 PM

Same time as Melbourne

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

5,031,195

37,331

💱 Currency

Australian Dollar AUD $

📈 Exchange rate

1 AUD = 0.701 USD

1 AUD = 0.626 EUR

1 AUD = 0.701 USD

1 AUD = 0.626 EUR

Exchange rates and currency converter

On the map

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Between locations

Melbourne Frankston 41 km

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 Frankston: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Yes – Melbourne is pricier by about 17%, and outside of rent the gap shows up most in groceries.

For a comfortable life, plan on about $4,273 per month in Melbourne and $3,658 in Frankston. That covers rent, food, utilities, transport, and enough left over to feel settled – not just surviving.

Rent is clearly cheaper in Frankston, especially for central apartments: a one-bedroom in the center costs $1,405 there versus $1,703 in Melbourne.

Groceries cost about 28% more in Melbourne, though the gap depends on what you buy.

A mid-range dinner for two costs $84 in Melbourne and $60 in Frankston. That’s a good indicator of the overall restaurant and café pricing gap between the two cities.

It depends on your priorities. Melbourne has an edge in some lifestyle areas, with costs from $2,438 in Frankston to $2,849 in Melbourne. Climate, culture, job market, and personal taste all factor in.

Both cities have a reputation for safety. In either place, the choice of neighborhood matters more than the choice between the two cities.

For expats, Frankston is the easier option financially – housing and daily costs are lower, and overall it costs about 14% less, which matters a lot on a fixed budget or early-career salary.