Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Melbourne and Gympie

For one person, living is cheaper in Gympie: $1,846 a month against $2,849 in Melbourne, rent and utilities included – about $12,000 less a year. Rent and utilities account for most of the difference.

Melbourne, Australia
Gympie, Australia
Melbourne
🇦🇺 Australia
$2,849
/mo nomad
Gympie
🇦🇺 Australia
$1,846
/mo nomad
Monthly Cost of Living

How much you'll spend in Melbourne and in Gympie

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

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $2,849 in Melbourne versus $1,846 in Gympie.

  • Melbourne $2,849
  • Gympie $1,846

Estimated couple costs with rent: $4,274 in Melbourne versus $2,876 in Gympie.

  • Melbourne $4,274
  • Gympie $2,876

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $5,699 in Melbourne versus $3,906 in Gympie.

  • Melbourne $5,699
  • Gympie $3,906

Living in Melbourne is roughly 54% more expensive than in Gympie, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in transport.

Both cities are pricier than the global median: Melbourne 109% above, Gympie 36% above.

Currency
🍽 Eating Out
Melbourne
Gympie
Difference
Meal at Budget Restaurant
$17.50 A$24.98
$13.95 A$19.91
25.45%
Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range
$84.3 A$120
$105 A$149
-19.46%
Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)
$12.17 A$17.37
$7.51 A$10.72
62.05%
Cappuccino
$4.07 A$5.82
$3.43 A$4.90
18.66%
Coke/Pepsi/Fanta/Sprite (0.33 liter bottle)
$3.18 A$4.54
$2.08 A$2.96
52.88%
Water (0.33 liter bottle)
$2.50 A$3.56
$2.05 A$2.92
21.95%
Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)
$9.57 A$13.66
$7.60 A$10.85
25.92%
Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)
$8.25 A$11.78
$7.77 A$11.09
6.18%
🛒 Groceries & Markets
Melbourne
Gympie
Difference
Milk (1 liter)
$1.50 A$2.15
$1.51 A$2.16
-0.66%
White Bread (500g)
$2.97 A$4.24
$2.12 A$3.03
40.09%
Rice (white) (1kg)
$2.68 A$3.83
$1.71 A$2.44
56.73%
Eggs
$5.45 A$7.78
$3.12 A$4.45
74.68%
Local Cheese (1kg)
$10.71 A$15.29
$9.12 A$13.01
17.43%
Chicken Fillets (1kg)
$10.05 A$14.34
$9.71 A$13.86
3.50%
Beef Round Steak (1kg)
$15.00 A$21.41
$14.94 A$21.33
0.40%
Apples (1kg)
$4.07 A$5.81
$2.76 A$3.94
47.46%
Banana (1kg)
$3.14 A$4.48
$2.15 A$3.07
46.05%
Oranges (1kg)
$3.12 A$4.45
$1.44 A$2.05
116.67%
Tomato (1kg)
$4.73 A$6.75
$3.57 A$5.09
32.49%
Potato (1kg)
$2.98 A$4.25
$2.14 A$3.05
39.25%
Onion (1kg)
$2.49 A$3.56
$2.56 A$3.66
-2.73%
Lettuce (1 head)
$2.48 A$3.54
$2.00 A$2.85
24.00%
Water (1.5 liter bottle)
$1.60 A$2.28
$0.86 A$1.22
86.05%
Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)
$44.65 A$63.7
$30.97 A$44.20
44.17%
Wine (Bottle)
$12.68 A$18.10
$13.94 A$19.90
-9.04%
Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)
$5.55 A$7.91
$3.70 A$5.28
50.00%
Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)
$5.18 A$7.40
$2.86 A$4.09
81.12%
🚌 Getting Around
Melbourne
Gympie
Difference
One-way Ticket (Public Transport)
$3.84 A$5.48
$0.36 A$0.51
966.67%
Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)
$139 A$198
-
-
Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)
$4.36 A$6.22
$2.13 A$3.05
104.69%
Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)
$1.37 A$1.95
$1.63 A$2.33
-15.95%
Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)
$29.72 A$42.43
$35.60 A$50.8
-16.52%
Gasoline (1 liter)
$1.49 A$2.12
$1.36 A$1.95
9.56%
Midsize Hatchback 1.4l (Volkswagen Golf, Toyota Prius, Honda Civic, etc)
$29.1K A$41.5K
$29.5K A$42.0K
-1.26%
Compact Sedan 1.6l (Toyota Corolla, Mazda3, Kia K4, Hyundai Elantra, etc)
$25.7K A$36.6K
$26.4K A$37.6K
-2.63%
🧾 Monthly Utilities & Internet
Melbourne
Gympie
Difference
Utilities for 2 People in 2-bedroom Apartment (Heating, Electricity, Gas, Water, Garbage) (85m2)
$236 A$336
$219 A$313
7.62%
SIM Card Monthly Plan (Calls and 10GB+ Data)
$28.01 A$39.98
$30.67 A$43.77
-8.67%
Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)
$57.2 A$81.7
$52.2 A$74.5
9.72%
🎉 Sport & Entertainment
Melbourne
Gympie
Difference
Gym Membership (Monthly)
$48.39 A$69.1
$92.5 A$132
-47.70%
Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)
$21.46 A$30.64
$13.86 A$19.78
54.83%
Cinema Ticket
$17.67 A$25.22
$10.80 A$15.41
63.61%
🧸 Childcare & Education
Melbourne
Gympie
Difference
Preschool or Kindergarten, Full Day, Private, 1 Child (Monthly)
$2,461 A$3,513
$2,137 A$3,050
15.15%
International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)
$29.7K A$42.4K
$11.8K A$16.8K
152.56%
👕👟 Clothing & Footwear
Melbourne
Gympie
Difference
Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)
$81.2 A$116
$71.4 A$102
13.82%
Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)
$49.28 A$70.3
$55.4 A$79.1
-11.11%
Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)
$120 A$171
$103 A$148
15.49%
Men's Leather Business Shoes
$131 A$187
$122 A$174
7.25%
🏠 Accommodation & Living
Melbourne
Gympie
Difference
1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)
$1,703 A$2,430
$910 A$1,299
87.04%
1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)
$1,409 A$2,011
$706 A$1,007
99.60%
3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)
$3,496 A$4,989
$1,476 A$2,107
136.78%
3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)
$2,527 A$3,606
$1,241 A$1,771
103.58%
Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)
$7,978 A$11.4K
-
-
Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)
$6,900 A$9,849
-
-
💵 Salaries & Financials
Melbourne
Gympie
Difference
Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)
$4,257 A$6,076
-
-
20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)
5.9
5.69
3.69%

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

Last update for Melbourne: October 26, 2026

Last update for Gympie: October 25, 2026

Monthly budget structure
Share of the monthly basket for one person, rent included.
Accommodation & Living
Melbourne
$1.4K
Gympie
$706 49.9% $703
Groceries & Markets
Melbourne
$386
Gympie
$309 20.1% $78
Monthly Utilities & Internet
Melbourne
$321
Gympie
$302 6% $19
Eating Out
Melbourne
$312
Gympie
$245 21.5% $67
Clothing & Footwear
Melbourne
$171
Gympie
$159 7.5% $13
Getting Around
Melbourne
$165
Gympie
$12 * 92.9% $154
Sport & Entertainment
Melbourne
$84
Gympie
$114 36.3% $30

Categories marked with * are only partly priced – their share counts the items that do have prices.

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $1,703 in Melbourne and $910 in Gympie. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Dining out: $84 in Melbourne vs $105 in Gympie. Groceries flip the comparison at $386 vs $309, with Gympie cheaper for home cooking.

Good to know
🇦🇺 Melbourne
🇦🇺 Gympie
🕒 Local time
19:15 7:15 PM
18:15 6:15 PM
1 h behind Melbourne
🌤 Weather
👥 Population
5,031,195
19,435
Exchange rates and currency converter

USD, EUR to AUD – Australian Dollar Converter

Australian Dollar exchange rates as of November 3, 2026: 1 USD = 1.43 AUD (1 AUD = 0.701 USD). 1 EUR = 1.6 AUD (1 AUD = 0.626 EUR).

On the map
Between locations
  • Melbourne Gympie 1,480 km ≈ 2 h 15 min nonstop flight
From you
  • Melbourne
  • Gympie

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 Gympie: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions
Is Gympie cheaper than Melbourne?
Gympie is about 35% cheaper overall, especially in transport, groceries, and eating out. That difference adds up to real monthly savings that compound significantly over time.
What income do you need for each city?
You’d need roughly $4,273 in Melbourne and $2,769 in Gympie to live well. The gap comes down to housing and overall price levels. Both cities are liveable on less, but these numbers represent actual comfort.
What is the rent difference between Melbourne and Gympie?
Rent for a central apartment: $1,703 in Melbourne versus $910 in Gympie. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.
Which city has cheaper kindergarten?
Childcare runs $2,461 in Melbourne versus $2,137 in Gympie. Over years of preschool, even a modest monthly gap compounds into a major financial factor for families.
Is eating out cheaper in Melbourne or in Gympie?
Dining out is cheaper in Melbourne – a meal for two runs $84 versus $105 in Gympie. If you eat out regularly, this makes a real dent in your monthly spending.
Is $2,500 a realistic budget for living in Melbourne or in Gympie?
At $1,846 in Gympie versus $2,849 in Melbourne, a $2,500 budget is realistic in Gympie but tight or insufficient in Melbourne. The gap between the two cities makes Gympie the clear choice for anyone on this budget.
Is it better to live in Melbourne or in Gympie?
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.
Which city is safer, Melbourne or Gympie?
Safety-wise, Melbourne and Gympie are both considered safe, so it’s unlikely to be the deciding factor between them.

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