Cost of Living Comparison Between Melbourne and Gold Coast Cost of Living Comparison Between Melbourne and Gold Coast

๐Ÿ˜ Solo nomad: Melbourne is 8.7% more expensive than Gold Coast without rent, and 2.7% cheaper with rent.
๐Ÿ˜ Family of 3: Melbourne is 4.4% more expensive than Gold Coast without rent, and 0.6% more expensive with rent.
Currency
๐Ÿฝ Eating Out
Melbourne
Gold Coast
Difference
Meal at Budget Restaurant
$19.27 A$29.52
$15.95 A$24.43
20.82%
Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range
$76.8 A$118
$96.2 A$147
-20.23%
Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)
$9.77 A$14.97
$9.63 A$14.76
1.45%
Cappuccino
$3.54 A$5.43
$3.34 A$5.12
5.99%
Coke/Pepsi/Fanta/Sprite (0.33 liter bottle)
$2.53 A$3.87
$2.69 A$4.12
-5.95%
Water (0.33 liter bottle)
$2.38 A$3.64
$2.3 A$3.52
3.48%
Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)
$7.4 A$11.34
$6.69 A$10.25
10.61%
Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)
$7.25 A$11.1
$7.71 A$11.81
-5.97%
๐Ÿ›’ Groceries & Markets
Melbourne
Gold Coast
Difference
Milk (1 liter)
$1.5 A$2.3
$1.48 A$2.27
1.35%
White Bread (500g)
$2.67 A$4.09
$2.64 A$4.04
1.14%
Rice (white) (1kg)
$2.32 A$3.56
$2.26 A$3.47
2.65%
Eggs
$4.89 A$7.5
$4.54 A$6.95
7.71%
Local Cheese (1kg)
$9.11 A$13.96
$7.35 A$11.26
23.95%
Chicken Fillets (1kg)
$9.44 A$14.47
$8.78 A$13.45
7.52%
Beef Round Steak (1kg)
$14.53 A$22.26
$12.58 A$19.28
15.50%
Apples (1kg)
$3.22 A$4.93
$3.58 A$5.48
-10.06%
Banana (1kg)
$2.94 A$4.5
$2.71 A$4.15
8.49%
Oranges (1kg)
$2.87 A$4.4
$3.77 A$5.78
-23.87%
Tomato (1kg)
$4.13 A$6.32
$3.85 A$5.9
7.27%
Potato (1kg)
$2.76 A$4.23
$2.32 A$3.55
18.97%
Onion (1kg)
$2.27 A$3.48
$2.39 A$3.66
-5.02%
Lettuce (1 head)
$2.12 A$3.25
$1.91 A$2.92
10.99%
Water (1.5 liter bottle)
$1.58 A$2.42
$2.39 A$3.67
-33.89%
Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)
$33.05 A$50.6
$32.23 A$49.38
2.54%
Wine (Bottle)
$12.95 A$19.84
$13.21 A$20.24
-1.97%
Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)
$4.68 A$7.17
$6.27 A$9.61
-25.36%
Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)
$5.25 A$8.05
$6.44 A$9.86
-18.48%
๐ŸšŒ Getting Around
Melbourne
Gold Coast
Difference
One-way Ticket (Public Transport)
$3.51 A$5.37
$2.62 A$4.01
33.97%
Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)
$121 A$185
$51.1 A$78.2
136.60%
Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)
$3.66 A$5.61
$2.08 A$3.18
75.96%
Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)
$1.34 A$2.05
$1.4 A$2.14
-4.29%
Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)
$27.57 A$42.23
$33.31 A$51
-17.23%
Gasoline (1 liter)
$1.19 A$1.83
$1.14 A$1.75
4.39%
Midsize Hatchback 1.4l (Volkswagen Golf, Toyota Prius, Honda Civic, etc)
$29.1K A$44.6K
$29K A$44.5K
0.12%
Compact Sedan 1.6l (Toyota Corolla, Mazda3, Kia K4, Hyundai Elantra, etc)
$23.3K A$35.7K
$21.7K A$33.3K
7.43%
๐Ÿงพ Monthly Utilities & Internet
Melbourne
Gold Coast
Difference
Utilities for 2 People in 2-bedroom Apartment (Heating, Electricity, Gas, Water, Garbage) (85m2)
$152 A$233
$220 A$337
-31.03%
SIM Card Monthly Plan (Calls and 10GB+ Data)
$21.01 A$32.19
$32.42 A$49.66
-35.19%
Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)
$51.4 A$78.8
$54.4 A$83.3
-5.42%
๐ŸŽ‰ Sport & Entertainment
Melbourne
Gold Coast
Difference
Gym Membership (Monthly)
$49.8 A$76.3
$45.79 A$70.2
8.76%
Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)
$16.28 A$24.94
$11.28 A$17.28
44.33%
Cinema Ticket
$16.02 A$24.54
$12.96 A$19.86
23.61%
๐Ÿงธ Childcare & Education
Melbourne
Gold Coast
Difference
Preschool or Kindergarten, Full Day, Private, 1 Child (Monthly)
$1,784 A$2,733
$2,148 A$3,291
-16.96%
International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)
$19.6K A$30K
$7,021 A$10.8K
178.60%
๐Ÿ‘•๐Ÿ‘Ÿ Clothing & Footwear
Melbourne
Gold Coast
Difference
Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)
$68.8 A$105
$62.1 A$95.1
10.77%
Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)
$53.2 A$81.6
$47.38 A$72.6
12.37%
Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)
$107 A$163
$89 A$136
19.89%
Men's Leather Business Shoes
$104 A$159
$125 A$191
-16.60%
๐Ÿ  Accommodation & Living
Melbourne
Gold Coast
Difference
1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)
$1,527 A$2,339
$1,833 A$2,809
-16.73%
1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)
$1,188 A$1,821
$1,316 A$2,016
-9.71%
3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)
$3,007 A$4,606
$2,522 A$3,863
19.23%
3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)
$1,965 A$3,011
$2,025 A$3,102
-2.95%
Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)
$7,008 A$10.7K
$6,551 A$10K
6.97%
Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)
$5,816 A$8,910
$4,082 A$6,253
42.49%
๐Ÿ’ต Salaries & Financials
Melbourne
Gold Coast
Difference
Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)
$4,117 A$6,307
$3,169 A$4,856
29.88%
20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)
6.19
6.54
-5.35%

Citycost data is based on AI and user input โ€“ minor inaccuracies may occur.

Last update for Melbourne: November 3, 2025

Last update for Gold Coast: November 4, 2025

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