Last update: Nov 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Melbourne and Horsham, Australia

Name: Horsham
Address: Horsham, AU

For one person, living is cheaper in Horsham: $2,575 a month against $2,823 in Melbourne, rent and utilities included – about $3,000 less a year. Rent and utilities account for most of the difference.

136

Cost of Living Index in Melbourne
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Melbourne Living Index
123

Cost of Living Index in Horsham
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Horsham Living Index

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Melbourne

🇦🇺 Australia

$2,823

/mo nomad

Horsham

🇦🇺 Australia

$2,575

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

How much you'll spend in Melbourne and in Horsham

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

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $2,823 in Melbourne versus $2,575 in Horsham.

Melbourne $2,823
Horsham $2,575

Estimated couple costs with rent: $4,253 in Melbourne versus $3,652 in Horsham.

Melbourne $4,253
Horsham $3,652

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $5,683 in Melbourne versus $4,729 in Horsham.

Melbourne $5,683
Horsham $4,729

Living in Melbourne is roughly 10% more expensive than in Horsham, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in transport.

Both cities are pricier than the global median: Melbourne 109% above, Horsham 90% above.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$17.34 A$24.76

$13.98 A$19.97

24.03%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$82.7 A$118

$71.2 A$102

16.23%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$12.63 A$18.04

$12.05 A$17.21

4.81%

Cappuccino

$4.22 A$6.03

$3.52 A$5.03

19.89%

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

$3.12 A$4.45

$3.20 A$4.57

-2.50%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.48 A$3.54

$2.12 A$3.02

16.98%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$9.69 A$13.84

$9.96 A$14.22

-2.71%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$8.30 A$11.86

$8.47 A$12.10

-2.01%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.50 A$2.15

$1.51 A$2.15

-0.66%

White Bread (500g)

$3.08 A$4.39

$2.91 A$4.15

5.84%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$2.64 A$3.77

$2.66 A$3.81

-0.75%

Eggs

$5.58 A$7.96

$5.56 A$7.94

0.36%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$9.78 A$13.97

$10.45 A$14.93

-6.41%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$9.52 A$13.60

$10.00 A$14.28

-4.80%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$15.18 A$21.68

$15.19 A$21.70

-0.07%

Apples (1kg)

$4.22 A$6.03

$4.04 A$5.77

4.46%

Banana (1kg)

$3.13 A$4.47

$3.01 A$4.30

3.99%

Oranges (1kg)

$3.24 A$4.63

$3.13 A$4.47

3.51%

Tomato (1kg)

$4.71 A$6.72

$4.81 A$6.87

-2.08%

Potato (1kg)

$3.13 A$4.47

$2.96 A$4.23

5.74%

Onion (1kg)

$2.46 A$3.51

$2.48 A$3.54

-0.81%

Lettuce (1 head)

$2.40 A$3.43

$2.39 A$3.42

0.42%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$1.47 A$2.10

$1.63 A$2.32

-9.82%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$42.76 A$61.1

$45.10 A$64.4

-5.19%

Wine (Bottle)

$12.90 A$18.42

$10.60 A$15.14

21.70%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$5.53 A$7.90

$5.68 A$8.11

-2.64%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$5.16 A$7.36

$5.33 A$7.62

-3.19%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$3.79 A$5.42

$2.73 A$3.90

38.83%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$141 A$202

$82.8 A$118

70.54%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$3.75 A$5.36

$4.57 A$6.52

-17.94%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.44 A$2.06

$1.42 A$2.03

1.41%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$28.93 A$41.32

$29.69 A$42.40

-2.56%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.45 A$2.07

$1.43 A$2.04

1.40%

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

$29.6K A$42.2K

$29.4K A$41.9K

0.77%

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

$26.3K A$37.5K

$25.7K A$36.7K

2.05%

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

$229 A$327

$233 A$333

-1.90%

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

$26.76 A$38.22

$14.26 A$20.36

87.66%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$57.5 A$82.2

$52.8 A$75.3

9.08%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$49.77 A$71.1

$55.7 A$79.5

-10.60%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$21.45 A$30.63

$17.63 A$25.18

21.67%

Cinema Ticket

$17.43 A$24.90

$17.26 A$24.65

0.98%

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

$2,435 A$3,477

$2,511 A$3,586

-3.05%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$33.6K A$48.0K

$30.4K A$43.4K

10.50%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$80.4 A$115

$79.5 A$114

1.07%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$51.5 A$73.5

$49.53 A$70.7

3.94%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$121 A$173

-0.12%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$134 A$191

$136 A$194

-1.77%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,748 A$2,497

$1,416 A$2,022

23.45%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,386 A$1,979

$1,245 A$1,777

11.37%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$3,468 A$4,952

$2,216 A$3,165

56.47%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$2,520 A$3,598

$1,846 A$2,637

36.46%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$8,274 A$11.8K

$5,896 A$8,420

40.32%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$7,066 A$10.1K

$4,975 A$7,105

42.03%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$4,206 A$6,007

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

5.97

5.5

8.55%

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

Last update for Melbourne: November 1, 2026

Last update for Horsham: October 31, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Accommodation & Living

Melbourne

$1.4K 49.1%

Horsham

$1.2K 48.4% 10.2% $142

Groceries & Markets

Melbourne

$383 13.6%

Horsham

$382 14.8% 0.2% $0.9

Eating Out

Melbourne

$315 11.2%

Horsham

$278 10.8% 11.6% $36

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Melbourne

$313 11.1%

Horsham

$300 11.7% 4.1% $13

Clothing & Footwear

Melbourne

$174 6.2%

Horsham

$174 6.8% 0.1% $0.1

Getting Around

Melbourne

$167 5.9%

Horsham

$105 4.1% 37% $62

Sport & Entertainment

Melbourne

$85 3%

Horsham

$90 3.5% 6.6% $5.6

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $1,748 in Melbourne and $1,416 in Horsham. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Dining out: $83 in Melbourne vs $71 in Horsham for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $383 vs $382 per month, with Horsham cheaper across the board.

Good to know

🇦🇺 Melbourne

🇦🇺 Horsham

🕒 Local time

22:30 10:30 PM

Same time as Melbourne

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

5,031,195

14,543

💱 Currency

Australian Dollar AUD $

📈 Exchange rate

1 AUD = 0.7 USD

1 AUD = 0.625 EUR

1 AUD = 0.7 USD

1 AUD = 0.625 EUR

Exchange rates and currency converter

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Melbourne Horsham 270 km

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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 Horsham: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Horsham is about 9% cheaper overall, especially in transport, eating out, and utilities. That difference adds up to real monthly savings that compound significantly over time.

You’d need roughly $4,234 in Melbourne and $3,862 in Horsham 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.

Rent for a central apartment: $1,748 in Melbourne versus $1,416 in Horsham. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

A monthly transit pass in Horsham runs roughly 41% less than in Melbourne. The price difference matters if you commute daily and watch your budget.

All in, you’ll spend $2,823 per month in Melbourne versus $2,575 in Horsham – Horsham is about 9% cheaper, which adds up to real savings over time.

Both cities are expensive relative to $2,500. Horsham is the more realistic option, but even there you’ll need to be disciplined with housing, food, and fun money.

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 Horsham are both considered safe, so it’s unlikely to be the deciding factor between them.