Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Melbourne and Geelong

For one person, living is cheaper in Geelong: $2,602 a month against $2,821 in Melbourne, rent and utilities included – about $2,600 less a year. Rent and utilities account for most of the difference.

138

Cost of Living Index in Melbourne
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Melbourne Living Index
127

Cost of Living Index in Geelong
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Geelong Living Index

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Melbourne

🇦🇺 Australia

$2,821

/mo nomad

Geelong

🇦🇺 Australia

$2,602

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

How much you'll spend in Melbourne and in Geelong

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

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $2,821 in Melbourne versus $2,602 in Geelong.

Melbourne $2,821
Geelong $2,602

Estimated couple costs with rent: $4,235 in Melbourne versus $3,495 in Geelong.

Melbourne $4,235
Geelong $3,495

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $5,650 in Melbourne versus $4,387 in Geelong.

Melbourne $5,650
Geelong $4,387

Living in Melbourne is roughly 8% more expensive than in Geelong, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in groceries.

Both cities are pricier than the global median: Melbourne 109% above, Geelong 93% above.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$17.43 A$25.08

$17.56 A$25.27

-0.74%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$84.6 A$122

$82.2 A$118

2.92%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$12.46 A$17.92

$10.29 A$14.80

21.09%

Cappuccino

$4.11 A$5.91

$3.80 A$5.47

8.16%

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

$3.06 A$4.40

$2.80 A$4.03

9.29%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.52 A$3.62

$2.16 A$3.10

16.67%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$9.80 A$14.10

$6.53 A$9.39

50.08%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$8.57 A$12.33

$7.85 A$11.30

9.17%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.48 A$2.14

$1.55 A$2.23

-4.52%

White Bread (500g)

$2.94 A$4.23

$2.54 A$3.65

15.75%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$2.66 A$3.82

$1.87 A$2.70

42.25%

Eggs

$5.54 A$7.97

$4.27 A$6.14

29.74%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$10.51 A$15.13

$7.75 A$11.15

35.61%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$9.65 A$13.89

$9.66 A$13.90

-0.10%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$15.22 A$21.91

$15.35 A$22.08

-0.85%

Apples (1kg)

$3.99 A$5.75

$4.12 A$5.92

-3.16%

Banana (1kg)

$3.02 A$4.34

$2.92 A$4.20

3.42%

Oranges (1kg)

$3.10 A$4.46

$2.90 A$4.18

6.90%

Tomato (1kg)

$4.82 A$6.93

$3.23 A$4.65

49.23%

Potato (1kg)

$3.03 A$4.36

$3.06 A$4.40

-0.98%

Onion (1kg)

$2.44 A$3.52

$2.17 A$3.12

12.44%

Lettuce (1 head)

$2.46 A$3.54

$2.07 A$2.98

18.84%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$1.63 A$2.34

$1.55 A$2.24

5.16%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$44.07 A$63.4

$45.24 A$65.1

-2.59%

Wine (Bottle)

$12.70 A$18.28

$12.64 A$18.19

0.47%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$5.54 A$7.97

$3.78 A$5.45

46.56%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$5.23 A$7.52

$2.96 A$4.27

76.69%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$3.74 A$5.38

$7.45 A$10.72

-49.80%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$138 A$198

$128 A$184

7.48%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$4.51 A$6.50

$4.45 A$6.41

1.35%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.36 A$1.96

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$30.45 A$43.81

$29.97 A$43.12

1.60%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.47 A$2.12

$1.29 A$1.85

13.95%

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

$29.0K A$41.7K

$28.0K A$40.2K

3.73%

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

$26.5K A$38.1K

$26.3K A$37.9K

0.58%

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

$234 A$336

$155 A$222

51.15%

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

$27.93 A$40.19

$25.90 A$37.28

7.84%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$55.7 A$80.2

$56.5 A$81.3

-1.38%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$49.40 A$71.1

$55.7 A$80.1

-11.29%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$21.48 A$30.91

$15.25 A$21.95

40.85%

Cinema Ticket

$15.09 A$21.72

$12.72 A$18.30

18.63%

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

$2,371 A$3,412

$2,138 A$3,076

10.91%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$30.2K A$43.5K

$29.6K A$42.6K

2.02%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$80.0 A$115

$79.5 A$114

0.63%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$50.7 A$73.0

$48.93 A$70.4

3.62%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$121 A$174

$94.0 A$135

28.38%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$130 A$188

$105 A$151

24.66%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,759 A$2,531

$1,264 A$1,818

39.20%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,390 A$2,000

$1,343 A$1,933

3.44%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$3,494 A$5,027

$1,717 A$2,471

103.46%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$2,493 A$3,588

$1,506 A$2,167

65.59%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$6,926 A$9,967

$6,557 A$9,436

5.62%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$6,445 A$9,274

$5,281 A$7,600

22.03%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$4,383 A$6,307

$3,086 A$4,441

42.02%

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 10, 2026

Last update for Geelong: October 11, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Accommodation & Living

Melbourne

$1.4K 49.3%

Geelong

$1.3K 51.6% 3.3% $46

Groceries & Markets

Melbourne

$384 13.6%

Geelong

$340 13.1% 11.6% $44

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Melbourne

$317 11.3%

Geelong

$237 9.1% 25.3% $80

Eating Out

Melbourne

$315 11.2%

Geelong

$285 11% 9.3% $29

Clothing & Footwear

Melbourne

$172 6.1%

Geelong

$147 5.7% 14.3% $25

Getting Around

Melbourne

$164 5.8%

Geelong

$169 6.5% 3.2% $5.2

Sport & Entertainment

Melbourne

$80 2.8%

Geelong

$81 3.1% 1.9% $1.5

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $1,759 in Melbourne and $1,264 in Geelong. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Melbourne pays 42% more on average. The extra income cushions the higher costs, though housing choices and lifestyle decide how much of the gap is truly closed.

Dining out: $85.0 in Melbourne vs $82.0 in Geelong for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $384 vs $340 per month, with Geelong cheaper across the board.

Good to know

🇦🇺 Melbourne

🇦🇺 Geelong

🕒 Local time

05:05 5:05 AM

Same time as Melbourne

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

5,031,195

180,239

💱 Currency

Australian Dollar AUD $

📈 Exchange rate

1 AUD = 0.695 USD

1 AUD = 0.618 EUR

1 AUD = 0.695 USD

1 AUD = 0.618 EUR

Exchange rates and currency converter

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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 Geelong: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Melbourne and Geelong differ by about 8% in total monthly costs ($2,821 vs $2,602 including rent). Geelong is meaningfully more affordable – a gap that matters a lot on a fixed or modest income.

Average pay runs 42% higher in Melbourne, which matters when comparing affordability. Whether that higher income actually nets you more depends on your spending habits and housing choices.

Rent for a central apartment: $1,759 in Melbourne versus $1,264 in Geelong. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

All in, you'll spend $2,821 per month in Melbourne versus $2,602 in Geelong – a 8% gap that adds up to real savings over time for anyone picking the cheaper option.

A monthly transit pass in Geelong runs roughly 7% less than in Melbourne. Both cities have functional networks, but the price difference matters if you're watching your budget.

At $2,602 in Geelong versus $2,821 in Melbourne, a $3,000 budget is realistic in Geelong but tight or insufficient in Melbourne. The gap between the two cities makes Geelong 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 Geelong 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 Geelong gentler on the wallet – expenses run 8% less than in Melbourne. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.