Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Melbourne and Fremantle

For one person, living is cheaper in Fremantle: $2,509 a month against $2,849 in Melbourne, rent and utilities included – about $4,100 less a year. Rent and utilities account for most of the difference.

137

Cost of Living Index in Melbourne
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Melbourne Living Index
121

Cost of Living Index in Fremantle
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Fremantle Living Index

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Melbourne

🇦🇺 Australia

$2,849

/mo nomad

Fremantle

🇦🇺 Australia

$2,509

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

How much you'll spend in Melbourne and in Fremantle

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

A single person spends $2,849 per month in Melbourne vs $2,509 in Fremantle, rent included.

Melbourne $2,849
Fremantle $2,509

A couple spends around $4,274 per month in Melbourne vs $3,301 in Fremantle, rent included.

Melbourne $4,274
Fremantle $3,301

A family of three spends $5,699 per month in Melbourne vs $4,094 in Fremantle, rent included.

Melbourne $5,699
Fremantle $4,094

Melbourne costs about 14% more than Fremantle, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in transport.

Both Melbourne and Fremantle sit above the global median – Melbourne by 109%, Fremantle by 84%.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$17.50 A$24.86

$18.98 A$26.97

-7.80%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$84.3 A$120

$82.2 A$117

2.50%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$12.17 A$17.29

$10.97 A$15.59

10.94%

Cappuccino

$4.07 A$5.79

$3.60 A$5.12

13.06%

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

$3.18 A$4.52

$2.86 A$4.06

11.19%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.50 A$3.55

$1.88 A$2.67

32.98%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$9.57 A$13.60

$7.91 A$11.25

20.99%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$8.25 A$11.72

$8.36 A$11.87

-1.32%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.50 A$2.14

$1.64 A$2.33

-8.54%

White Bread (500g)

$2.97 A$4.22

$3.22 A$4.57

-7.76%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$2.68 A$3.81

$1.99 A$2.82

34.67%

Eggs

$5.45 A$7.75

$5.16 A$7.33

5.62%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$10.71 A$15.22

$9.41 A$13.38

13.82%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$10.05 A$14.28

$8.20 A$11.65

22.56%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$15.00 A$21.31

$12.06 A$17.13

24.38%

Apples (1kg)

$4.07 A$5.78

$3.81 A$5.42

6.82%

Banana (1kg)

$3.14 A$4.46

$3.22 A$4.57

-2.48%

Oranges (1kg)

$3.12 A$4.43

$3.48 A$4.94

-10.34%

Tomato (1kg)

$4.73 A$6.72

$3.41 A$4.85

38.71%

Potato (1kg)

$2.98 A$4.23

$2.77 A$3.93

7.58%

Onion (1kg)

$2.49 A$3.55

$1.90 A$2.70

31.05%

Lettuce (1 head)

$2.48 A$3.53

$2.05 A$2.92

20.98%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$1.60 A$2.27

$1.41 A$2.00

13.48%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$44.65 A$63.4

$35.75 A$50.8

24.90%

Wine (Bottle)

$12.68 A$18.02

$10.36 A$14.72

22.39%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$5.55 A$7.88

$3.55 A$5.04

56.34%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$5.18 A$7.37

$3.47 A$4.94

49.28%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$3.84 A$5.45

$2.75 A$3.91

39.64%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$139 A$197

$85.2 A$121

62.73%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$4.36 A$6.19

$3.74 A$5.31

16.58%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.37 A$1.94

$1.42 A$2.01

-3.52%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$29.72 A$42.23

$41.29 A$58.7

-28.02%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.49 A$2.11

$1.22 A$1.73

22.13%

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

$29.1K A$41.3K

$30.7K A$43.6K

-5.20%

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

$25.7K A$36.5K

$26.6K A$37.8K

-3.55%

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

$236 A$335

$207 A$294

13.88%

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

$28.01 A$39.80

$24.83 A$35.28

12.81%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$57.2 A$81.3

$63.6 A$90.4

-10.02%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$48.39 A$68.8

$44.79 A$63.6

8.04%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$21.46 A$30.50

$17.55 A$24.94

22.28%

Cinema Ticket

$17.67 A$25.10

$15.79 A$22.44

11.91%

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

$2,461 A$3,497

$2,265 A$3,218

8.67%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$29.7K A$42.2K

$23.2K A$33.0K

27.78%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$81.2 A$115

$35.56 A$50.5

128.37%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$49.28 A$70.0

$55.3 A$78.5

-10.82%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$120 A$170

$125 A$177

-4.11%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$131 A$186

$160 A$227

-18.03%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,703 A$2,419

$1,378 A$1,958

23.57%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,409 A$2,002

$1,224 A$1,739

15.13%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$3,496 A$4,967

$2,245 A$3,190

55.71%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$2,527 A$3,590

$1,219 A$1,733

107.19%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$7,978 A$11.3K

$5,606 A$7,966

42.31%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$6,900 A$9,805

$5,480 A$7,787

25.92%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$4,257 A$6,049

$3,936 A$5,592

8.16%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

5.9

5.96

-1.01%

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

Last update for Melbourne: October 26, 2026

Last update for Fremantle: October 26, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Accommodation & Living

Melbourne

$1.4K 49.4%

Fremantle

$1.2K 48.8% 13.1% $185

Groceries & Markets

Melbourne

$386 13.6%

Fremantle

$335 13.3% 13.5% $52

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Melbourne

$321 11.3%

Fremantle

$295 11.8% 8% $26

Eating Out

Melbourne

$312 11%

Fremantle

$303 12.1% 2.9% $9.2

Clothing & Footwear

Melbourne

$171 6%

Fremantle

$169 6.7% 1.5% $2.6

Getting Around

Melbourne

$165 5.8%

Fremantle

$107 4.3% 35.2% $58

Sport & Entertainment

Melbourne

$84 2.9%

Fremantle

$76 3% 8.8% $7.3

Cost Breakdown

A central one-bedroom costs $1,703 in Melbourne versus $1,378 in Fremantle. Rent is usually the largest line item in a monthly budget, so the gap here sets the tone for the overall comparison.

Salaries run about 8% higher in Melbourne, which partly offsets the higher cost of living there. Purchasing power depends on which expenses matter most to you.

A mid-range dinner for two costs $84 in Melbourne versus $82 in Fremantle. Monthly groceries follow the same trend: $386 vs $335 – making Fremantle the more affordable choice for daily food spending.

Good to know

🇦🇺 Melbourne

🇦🇺 Fremantle

🕒 Local time

11:29 11:29 AM

08:29 8:29 AM

3 h behind Melbourne

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

5,031,195

8,616

💱 Currency

Australian Dollar AUD $

📈 Exchange rate

1 AUD = 0.704 USD

1 AUD = 0.632 EUR

1 AUD = 0.704 USD

1 AUD = 0.632 EUR

Exchange rates and currency converter

On the map

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Between locations

Melbourne Fremantle 2,730 km ≈ 4 h nonstop flight

From you

Melbourne
Fremantle

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 Fremantle: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Melbourne costs about 14% more than Fremantle, 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.

For a comfortable life, plan on about $4,273 per month in Melbourne and $3,764 in Fremantle. That covers rent, food, utilities, transport, and enough left over to feel settled – not just surviving.

Rent is clearly cheaper in Fremantle, especially for central apartments: a one-bedroom in the center costs $1,378 there versus $1,703 in Melbourne.

Monthly expenses with rent come to $2,849 in Melbourne and $2,509 in Fremantle. That makes Fremantle about 12% cheaper.

Kindergarten costs $2,461 per month in Melbourne and $2,265 in Fremantle. For families with young kids, this one expense can tip the scales when choosing between the two cities.

$2,000 is a stretch for both – monthly costs hit $2,849 in Melbourne and $2,509 in Fremantle. You’ll need shared housing and careful budgeting no matter which city you pick.

Families tend to lean toward Fremantle – lower housing and cheaper childcare make a real difference, especially on a single income or when paying for private education.

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

If budget matters most, go with Fremantle. If higher salaries or specific career opportunities are the priority, Melbourne makes more sense. Both are solid long-term options with distinct trade-offs.