Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Melbourne and Goulburn

For one person, living is cheaper in Goulburn: $2,369 a month against $2,849 in Melbourne, rent and utilities included – about $5,800 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
114

Cost of Living Index in Goulburn
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Goulburn Living Index

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Melbourne

🇦🇺 Australia

$2,849

/mo nomad

Goulburn

🇦🇺 Australia

$2,369

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

How much you'll spend in Melbourne and in Goulburn

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

A single person spends $2,849 per month in Melbourne vs $2,369 in Goulburn, rent included.

Melbourne $2,849
Goulburn $2,369

A couple spends around $4,274 per month in Melbourne vs $3,337 in Goulburn, rent included.

Melbourne $4,274
Goulburn $3,337

A family of three spends $5,699 per month in Melbourne vs $4,306 in Goulburn, rent included.

Melbourne $5,699
Goulburn $4,306

Melbourne costs about 20% more than Goulburn, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in groceries.

Both Melbourne and Goulburn sit above the global median – Melbourne by 109%, Goulburn by 74%.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$17.50 A$24.89

$17.52 A$24.92

-0.11%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$84.3 A$120

$89.7 A$128

-5.98%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$12.17 A$17.31

$8.61 A$12.25

41.35%

Cappuccino

$4.07 A$5.79

$3.20 A$4.56

27.19%

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

$3.18 A$4.52

$2.86 A$4.07

11.19%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.50 A$3.55

$2.22 A$3.15

12.61%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$9.57 A$13.61

$8.03 A$11.42

19.18%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$8.25 A$11.73

$7.46 A$10.62

10.59%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.50 A$2.14

$0.95 A$1.35

57.89%

White Bread (500g)

$2.97 A$4.22

$1.74 A$2.47

70.69%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$2.68 A$3.82

$2.30 A$3.28

16.52%

Eggs

$5.45 A$7.76

$4.99 A$7.09

9.22%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$10.71 A$15.24

$12.11 A$17.22

-11.56%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$10.05 A$14.29

$9.42 A$13.39

6.69%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$15.00 A$21.33

$16.76 A$23.84

-10.50%

Apples (1kg)

$4.07 A$5.79

$3.18 A$4.53

27.99%

Banana (1kg)

$3.14 A$4.46

$1.79 A$2.54

75.42%

Oranges (1kg)

$3.12 A$4.44

$1.78 A$2.52

75.28%

Tomato (1kg)

$4.73 A$6.73

$3.54 A$5.04

33.62%

Potato (1kg)

$2.98 A$4.24

$2.42 A$3.44

23.14%

Onion (1kg)

$2.49 A$3.55

$1.35 A$1.92

84.44%

Lettuce (1 head)

$2.48 A$3.53

$1.39 A$1.98

78.42%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$1.60 A$2.28

$1.04 A$1.47

53.85%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$44.65 A$63.5

$45.00 A$64.0

-0.78%

Wine (Bottle)

$12.68 A$18.04

$8.20 A$11.67

54.63%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$5.55 A$7.89

$4.11 A$5.84

35.04%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$5.18 A$7.37

$4.21 A$5.99

23.04%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$3.84 A$5.46

$2.85 A$4.05

34.74%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$139 A$197

$82.9 A$118

67.24%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$4.36 A$6.20

$2.85 A$4.06

52.98%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.37 A$1.94

$1.64 A$2.34

-16.46%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$29.72 A$42.28

$39.71 A$56.5

-25.16%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.49 A$2.11

$1.49 A$2.12

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

$29.1K A$41.4K

$29.8K A$42.3K

-2.28%

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

$25.7K A$36.5K

$27.6K A$39.3K

-7.00%

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

$236 A$335

$105 A$149

124.35%

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

$28.01 A$39.84

$27.97 A$39.79

0.14%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$57.2 A$81.4

$56.8 A$80.8

0.72%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$48.39 A$68.8

$60.9 A$86.6

-20.50%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$21.46 A$30.53

$17.12 A$24.34

25.35%

Cinema Ticket

$17.67 A$25.13

$8.35 A$11.87

111.62%

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

$2,461 A$3,500

$2,393 A$3,404

2.83%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$29.7K A$42.2K

$27.8K A$39.5K

6.92%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$81.2 A$116

$80.0 A$114

1.49%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$49.28 A$70.1

$70.0 A$99.5

-29.55%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$120 A$170

$112 A$160

6.29%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$131 A$186

$129 A$183

1.74%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,703 A$2,422

$1,398 A$1,988

21.84%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,409 A$2,004

$1,226 A$1,744

14.89%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$3,496 A$4,972

$2,339 A$3,326

49.47%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$2,527 A$3,594

$1,575 A$2,240

60.43%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$7,978 A$11.3K

$6,008 A$8,545

32.80%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$6,900 A$9,814

$5,683 A$8,084

21.41%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$4,257 A$6,055

$4,079 A$5,802

4.36%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

5.9

5.92

-0.34%

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

Last update for Melbourne: October 26, 2026

Last update for Goulburn: October 25, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Accommodation & Living

Melbourne

$1.4K 49.4%

Goulburn

$1.2K 51.8% 13% $183

Groceries & Markets

Melbourne

$386 13.6%

Goulburn

$314 13.3% 18.6% $72

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Melbourne

$321 11.3%

Goulburn

$190 8% 40.8% $131

Eating Out

Melbourne

$312 11%

Goulburn

$280 11.8% 10.4% $33

Clothing & Footwear

Melbourne

$171 6%

Goulburn

$176 7.4% 2.7% $4.6

Getting Around

Melbourne

$165 5.8%

Goulburn

$105 4.5% 36.2% $60

Sport & Entertainment

Melbourne

$84 2.9%

Goulburn

$78 3.3% 7.3% $6.2

Cost Breakdown

A central one-bedroom costs $1,703 in Melbourne versus $1,398 in Goulburn. 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 4% 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 $90 in Goulburn. Groceries tell a different story – $386 in Melbourne vs $314 in Goulburn – so Goulburn wins on supermarket bills even if dining out costs more.

Good to know

🇦🇺 Melbourne

🇦🇺 Goulburn

🕒 Local time

18:22 6:22 PM

Same time as Melbourne

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

5,031,195

23,963

💱 Currency

Australian Dollar AUD $

📈 Exchange rate

1 AUD = 0.703 USD

1 AUD = 0.63 EUR

1 AUD = 0.703 USD

1 AUD = 0.63 EUR

Exchange rates and currency converter

On the map

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Between locations

Melbourne Goulburn 550 km ≈ 1 h 15 min nonstop flight

From you

Melbourne
Goulburn

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 Goulburn: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Yes – Melbourne is pricier by about 20%, 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 $3,554 in Goulburn. That covers rent, food, utilities, transport, and enough left over to feel settled – not just surviving.

Rent is clearly cheaper in Goulburn, especially for central apartments: a one-bedroom in the center costs $1,398 there versus $1,703 in Melbourne.

Groceries cost about 23% more in Melbourne, though the gap depends on what you buy.

A mid-range dinner for two costs $84 in Melbourne and $90 in Goulburn. That’s a good indicator of the overall restaurant and café pricing gap between the two cities.

Families tend to lean toward Goulburn – 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 Goulburn. If higher salaries or specific career opportunities are the priority, Melbourne makes more sense. Both are solid long-term options with distinct trade-offs.