Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Melbourne and Ipswich

For one person, living is cheaper in Ipswich: $2,043 a month against $2,853 in Melbourne, rent and utilities included – about $9,700 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
108

Cost of Living Index in Ipswich
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Ipswich Living Index

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Melbourne

🇦🇺 Australia

$2,853

/mo nomad

Ipswich

🇦🇺 Australia

$2,043

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

How much you'll spend in Melbourne and in Ipswich

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

A single person spends $2,853 per month in Melbourne vs $2,043 in Ipswich, rent included.

Melbourne $2,853
Ipswich $2,043

A couple spends around $4,275 per month in Melbourne vs $2,917 in Ipswich, rent included.

Melbourne $4,275
Ipswich $2,917

A family of three spends $5,697 per month in Melbourne vs $3,791 in Ipswich, rent included.

Melbourne $5,697
Ipswich $3,791

Melbourne costs about 40% more than Ipswich, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in clothing.

Both Melbourne and Ipswich sit above the global median – Melbourne by 111%, Ipswich by 51%.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$17.20 A$24.75

$31.32 A$45.07

-45.08%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$83.1 A$120

$76.5 A$110

8.67%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$12.43 A$17.88

$9.76 A$14.04

27.36%

Cappuccino

$4.05 A$5.82

$4.56 A$6.56

-11.18%

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

$3.12 A$4.50

$3.90 A$5.62

-20.00%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.46 A$3.54

$2.51 A$3.61

-1.99%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$9.52 A$13.71

$9.24 A$13.30

3.03%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$8.16 A$11.74

$8.00 A$11.51

2.00%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.56 A$2.25

$2.48 A$3.57

-37.10%

White Bread (500g)

$2.90 A$4.18

$2.41 A$3.47

20.33%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$2.66 A$3.82

$2.20 A$3.17

20.91%

Eggs

$5.37 A$7.72

$7.21 A$10.37

-25.52%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$10.67 A$15.36

$7.40 A$10.65

44.19%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$9.85 A$14.17

$8.42 A$12.11

16.98%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$15.36 A$22.11

$13.88 A$19.97

10.66%

Apples (1kg)

$4.17 A$6.00

$3.45 A$4.96

20.87%

Banana (1kg)

$3.15 A$4.53

$2.60 A$3.74

21.15%

Oranges (1kg)

$3.26 A$4.69

$2.86 A$4.12

13.99%

Tomato (1kg)

$4.76 A$6.85

$3.74 A$5.38

27.27%

Potato (1kg)

$3.06 A$4.41

$1.90 A$2.73

61.05%

Onion (1kg)

$2.47 A$3.55

$2.04 A$2.94

21.08%

Lettuce (1 head)

$2.45 A$3.52

$2.48 A$3.57

-1.21%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$1.63 A$2.34

$1.79 A$2.58

-8.94%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$45.17 A$65.0

$44.82 A$64.5

0.78%

Wine (Bottle)

$12.68 A$18.25

$22.12 A$31.84

-42.68%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$5.69 A$8.18

$6.32 A$9.10

-9.97%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$5.23 A$7.53

$7.41 A$10.66

-29.42%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$3.87 A$5.57

$0.34 A$0.49

1038.24%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$142 A$204

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$4.54 A$6.53

$2.22 A$3.20

104.50%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.42 A$2.04

$1.55 A$2.24

-8.39%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$30.59 A$44.01

$35.29 A$50.8

-13.32%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.47 A$2.11

$1.43 A$2.06

2.80%

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

$28.9K A$41.5K

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

$25.9K A$37.3K

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

$235 A$338

$92.0 A$132

155.50%

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

$27.45 A$39.51

$31.28 A$45.01

-12.24%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$56.1 A$80.8

$64.1 A$92.2

-12.37%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$50.1 A$72.1

$17.50 A$25.18

186.29%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$21.49 A$30.93

Cinema Ticket

$17.76 A$25.56

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

$2,385 A$3,432

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$29.7K A$42.7K

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$79.2 A$114

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$49.49 A$71.2

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$118 A$170

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$132 A$190

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,763 A$2,537

$1,032 A$1,485

70.87%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,411 A$2,031

$1,017 A$1,463

38.81%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$3,522 A$5,069

$1,419 A$2,042

148.23%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$2,525 A$3,634

$1,406 A$2,024

79.60%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$7,136 A$10.3K

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$6,355 A$9,144

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$4,258 A$6,128

$4,265 A$6,137

-0.15%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

5.9

5.98

-1.34%

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

Last update for Melbourne: October 17, 2026

Last update for Ipswich: October 19, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Accommodation & Living

Melbourne

$1.4K 49.5%

Ipswich

$1K 49.8% 28% $395

Groceries & Markets

Melbourne

$388 13.6%

Ipswich

$387 19% 0.3% $1.1

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Melbourne

$319 11.2%

Ipswich

$187 9.2% 41.2% $131

Eating Out

Melbourne

$310 10.9%

Ipswich

$422 20.7% 36.4% $113

Clothing & Footwear

Melbourne

$171 6%

Ipswich

- * 0% 100%

Getting Around

Melbourne

$169 5.9%

Ipswich

$11 * 0.6% 93.3% $158

Sport & Entertainment

Melbourne

$86 3%

Ipswich

$18 * 0.9% 79.6% $68

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

Cost Breakdown

A central one-bedroom costs $1,763 in Melbourne versus $1,032 in Ipswich. 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 0% higher in Ipswich, which reinforces the cost advantage – you earn more and spend less. Purchasing power leans clearly in its favor.

A mid-range dinner for two costs $83.0 in Melbourne versus $76.0 in Ipswich. Monthly groceries follow the same trend: $388 vs $387 – making Ipswich the more affordable choice for daily food spending.

Good to know

🇦🇺 Melbourne

🇦🇺 Ipswich

🕒 Local time

20:59 8:59 PM

19:59 7:59 PM

1 h behind Melbourne

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

5,031,195

229,208

💱 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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Between locations

Melbourne Ipswich 1,350 km ≈ 2 h 15 min nonstop flight

From you

Melbourne
Ipswich

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 Ipswich: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Yes – Melbourne is pricier by about 40%, and outside of rent the gap shows up most in clothing.

For a comfortable life, plan on about $4,280 per month in Melbourne and $3,064 in Ipswich. That covers rent, food, utilities, transport, and enough left over to feel settled – not just surviving.

Rent is clearly cheaper in Ipswich, especially for central apartments. Housing is actually the single biggest factor behind the overall cost gap between these two cities.

Groceries cost about 0% more in Melbourne, though it depends on what you buy. Local produce may be comparable; imported and premium items show the biggest price gap.

A mid-range dinner for two costs $83.0 in Melbourne and $76.0 in Ipswich. That's a good indicator of the overall restaurant and café pricing gap between the two cities.

A $2,500 monthly budget goes further in Ipswich, where all-in costs run around $2,043, than in Melbourne at $2,853. In Ipswich it covers expenses comfortably, while in Melbourne it requires careful planning or may not stretch far enough.

Families tend to lean toward Ipswich – lower housing and cheaper childcare make a real difference, especially on a single income or when paying for private education.

Both have safer and rougher neighborhoods, but overall safety is comparable to other large cities. Neighborhood choice matters more than the city-level comparison – central, well-trafficked areas feel secure in both.

If budget matters most, go with Ipswich. If higher salaries, better infrastructure, or specific career opportunities are the priority, Melbourne makes more sense. Both are solid long-term options with distinct trade-offs.