Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Melbourne and Irkutsk

For one person, living is cheaper in Irkutsk: $1,013 a month against $2,852 in Melbourne, rent and utilities included – about $22,100 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
49

Cost of Living Index in Irkutsk
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Irkutsk Living Index

Jump to prices

Melbourne

🇦🇺 Australia

$2,852

/mo nomad

Irkutsk

🇷🇺 Russia

$1,013

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

How much you'll spend in Melbourne and in Irkutsk

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

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $2,852 in Melbourne versus $1,013 in Irkutsk.

Melbourne $2,852
Irkutsk $1,013

Estimated couple costs with rent: $4,297 in Melbourne versus $1,501 in Irkutsk.

Melbourne $4,297
Irkutsk $1,501

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $5,742 in Melbourne versus $1,988 in Irkutsk.

Melbourne $5,742
Irkutsk $1,988

Living in Melbourne is roughly 181% more expensive than in Irkutsk, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in eating out.

The two cities straddle the global median: Melbourne is 113% above, Irkutsk is 24% below.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$17.75 A$25.40

$7.18 ₽611

147.21%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$84.8 A$121

$32.58 ₽2,772

160.37%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$12.16 A$17.40

$5.81 ₽494

109.29%

Cappuccino

$3.93 A$5.62

$3.03 ₽258

29.70%

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

$3.14 A$4.49

$1.60 ₽136

96.25%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.43 A$3.47

$0.65 ₽55.1

273.85%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$9.90 A$14.17

$2.69 ₽229

268.03%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$8.29 A$11.86

$4.04 ₽344

105.20%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.55 A$2.21

$1.20 ₽102

29.17%

White Bread (500g)

$3.01 A$4.31

$0.64 ₽54.5

370.31%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$2.88 A$4.12

$2.22 ₽189

29.73%

Eggs

$5.44 A$7.79

$1.59 ₽135

242.14%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$10.59 A$15.16

$11.69 ₽995

-9.41%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$9.61 A$13.76

$6.04 ₽514

59.11%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$14.99 A$21.46

$11.24 ₽956

33.36%

Apples (1kg)

$4.15 A$5.94

$1.89 ₽161

119.58%

Banana (1kg)

$3.05 A$4.37

$1.99 ₽169

53.27%

Oranges (1kg)

$3.30 A$4.72

$1.75 ₽149

88.57%

Tomato (1kg)

$4.76 A$6.81

$3.47 ₽295

37.18%

Potato (1kg)

$3.04 A$4.34

$0.72 ₽61.4

322.22%

Onion (1kg)

$2.55 A$3.65

$0.69 ₽58.6

269.57%

Lettuce (1 head)

$2.48 A$3.55

$1.79 ₽152

38.55%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$1.63 A$2.33

$0.65 ₽55.6

150.77%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$44.07 A$63.1

$2.70 ₽230

1532.22%

Wine (Bottle)

$12.43 A$17.79

$7.17 ₽610

73.36%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$5.33 A$7.63

$1.02 ₽86.7

422.55%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$5.16 A$7.38

$1.90 ₽162

171.58%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$3.84 A$5.50

$0.57 ₽48.62

573.68%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$142 A$203

$15.79 ₽1,344

796.14%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$4.40 A$6.29

$1.19 ₽102

269.75%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.40 A$2.01

$0.18 ₽14.94

677.78%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$29.83 A$42.69

$8.91 ₽758

234.79%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.46 A$2.09

$0.79 ₽66.8

84.81%

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

$28.1K A$40.3K

$29.0K ₽2.5M

-2.96%

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

$25.9K A$37.1K

$36.8K ₽3.1M

-29.51%

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

$233 A$333

$118 ₽10.0K

97.81%

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

$27.28 A$39.04

$5.84 ₽497

367.12%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$57.0 A$81.6

$11.41 ₽971

399.91%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$52.7 A$75.4

$34.35 ₽2,923

53.36%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$22.62 A$32.37

$21.13 ₽1,798

7.05%

Cinema Ticket

$17.10 A$24.48

$6.64 ₽565

157.53%

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

$2,373 A$3,397

$294 ₽25.0K

707.98%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$30.5K A$43.6K

$3,121 ₽265.6K

875.97%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$78.2 A$112

$58.7 ₽4,992

33.33%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$50.5 A$72.2

$23.42 ₽1,993

115.50%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$121 A$172

$100 ₽8,516

20.41%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$133 A$191

$113 ₽9,642

17.56%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,713 A$2,451

$438 ₽37.2K

291.29%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,402 A$2,006

$309 ₽26.3K

353.16%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$3,339 A$4,778

$750 ₽63.8K

345.14%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$2,529 A$3,619

$432 ₽36.8K

485.09%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$7,018 A$10.0K

$2,712 ₽230.8K

158.77%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$6,767 A$9,685

$1,807 ₽153.7K

274.60%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$4,228 A$6,051

$752 ₽64.0K

462.31%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

5.9

24.57

-75.99%

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

Last update for Melbourne: October 6, 2026

Last update for Irkutsk: October 5, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Accommodation & Living

Melbourne

$1.4K 49.3%

Irkutsk

$309 30.7% 77.9% $1.1K

Groceries & Markets

Melbourne

$385 13.5%

Irkutsk

$220 21.9% 42.9% $165

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Melbourne

$317 11.1%

Irkutsk

$135 13.4% 57.5% $182

Eating Out

Melbourne

$314 11%

Irkutsk

$142 14.1% 54.8% $172

Clothing & Footwear

Melbourne

$172 6.1%

Irkutsk

$133 13.2% 22.7% $39

Getting Around

Melbourne

$168 5.9%

Irkutsk

$20 2% 88% $148

Sport & Entertainment

Melbourne

$87 3.1%

Irkutsk

$48 4.7% 45.2% $39

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $1,713 in Melbourne and $438 in Irkutsk. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Melbourne pays 462% more on average. The extra income cushions the higher costs, though housing choices and lifestyle decide how much of the gap is truly closed.

Dining out: $85.0 in Melbourne vs $33.00 in Irkutsk for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $385 vs $220 per month, with Irkutsk cheaper across the board.

Good to know

🇦🇺 Melbourne

🇷🇺 Irkutsk

🕒 Local time

17:13 5:13 PM

14:13 2:13 PM

3 h behind Melbourne

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

5,031,195

617,515

💱 Currency

Australian Dollar AUD $

Russian Ruble RUB ₽

📈 Exchange rate

1 AUD = 0.699 USD

1 AUD = 0.623 EUR

100 RUB = 1.18 USD

100 RUB = 1.05 EUR

Exchange rates and currency converter

RUB, USD, EUR to AUD – Australian Dollar Converter

🇺🇸 United States Dollar ($)

🇦🇺 Australian Dollar ($)

Australian Dollar exchange rates as of October 10, 2026: 1 USD = 1.43 AUD (1 AUD = 0.699 USD). 1 EUR = 1.61 AUD (1 AUD = 0.623 EUR).

Russian Ruble exchange rates as of October 10, 2026: 1 USD = 85.09 RUB (100 RUB = 1.18 USD). 1 EUR = 95.44 RUB (100 RUB = 1.05 EUR).

USD to AUD in detail →

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Melbourne Irkutsk 10,760 km ≈ 14 h nonstop flight

From you

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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 Irkutsk: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Irkutsk wins on cost – living expenses run 181% lower than in Melbourne. Housing and daily spending are where you'll feel the difference most, making Irkutsk the obvious pick if budget is a priority.

Average pay runs 462% higher in Melbourne, which matters when comparing affordability. Whether that higher income actually nets you more depends on your spending habits and housing choices.

Rent for a central apartment: $1,713 in Melbourne versus $438 in Irkutsk. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Childcare runs $2,373 in Melbourne versus $294 in Irkutsk. Over years of preschool, even a modest monthly gap compounds into a major financial factor for families.

Supermarket bills run roughly 75% higher in Melbourne. For households that cook at home regularly, that difference adds up over a month.

At $1,013 in Irkutsk versus $2,852 in Melbourne, a $1,000 budget is realistic in Irkutsk but tight or insufficient in Melbourne. The gap between the two cities makes Irkutsk the clear choice for anyone on this budget.

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 Irkutsk are on par. Petty crime is typical for cities this size, and most residents feel comfortable going about their daily routines in either place.

Expats usually find Irkutsk gentler on the wallet – expenses run 181% less than in Melbourne. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.