Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Melbourne and Jayapura

For one person, living is cheaper in Jayapura: $634 a month against $2,852 in Melbourne, rent and utilities included – about $26,600 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
31

Cost of Living Index in Jayapura
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Jayapura Living Index

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Melbourne

🇦🇺 Australia

$2,852

/mo nomad

Jayapura

🇮🇩 Indonesia

$634

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

How much you'll spend in Melbourne and in Jayapura

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

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $2,852 in Melbourne versus $634 in Jayapura.

Melbourne $2,852
Jayapura $634

Estimated couple costs with rent: $4,297 in Melbourne versus $1,002 in Jayapura.

Melbourne $4,297
Jayapura $1,002

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $5,742 in Melbourne versus $1,369 in Jayapura.

Melbourne $5,742
Jayapura $1,369

Living in Melbourne is roughly 349% more expensive than in Jayapura, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in eating out.

The two cities straddle the global median: Melbourne is 113% above, Jayapura is 53% below.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$17.75 A$25.49

$1.64 Rp 29.4K

982.32%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$84.8 A$122

$9.48 Rp 169.5K

794.83%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$12.16 A$17.46

$3.09 Rp 55.2K

293.53%

Cappuccino

$3.93 A$5.64

$2.03 Rp 36.3K

93.60%

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

$3.14 A$4.51

$0.65 Rp 11.7K

383.08%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.43 A$3.49

$0.54 Rp 9,601

350.00%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$9.90 A$14.22

$3.41 Rp 61.0K

190.32%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$8.29 A$11.91

$2.82 Rp 50.5K

193.97%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.55 A$2.22

$1.15 Rp 20.6K

34.78%

White Bread (500g)

$3.01 A$4.32

$1.05 Rp 18.7K

186.67%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$2.88 A$4.14

$0.80 Rp 14.3K

260.00%

Eggs

$5.44 A$7.82

$1.47 Rp 26.3K

270.07%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$10.59 A$15.22

$7.26 Rp 129.9K

45.87%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$9.61 A$13.81

$2.91 Rp 52.1K

230.24%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$14.99 A$21.54

$7.67 Rp 137.2K

95.44%

Apples (1kg)

$4.15 A$5.96

$2.19 Rp 39.3K

89.50%

Banana (1kg)

$3.05 A$4.38

$1.25 Rp 22.4K

144.00%

Oranges (1kg)

$3.30 A$4.74

$1.73 Rp 31.0K

90.75%

Tomato (1kg)

$4.76 A$6.83

$1.27 Rp 22.8K

274.80%

Potato (1kg)

$3.04 A$4.36

$1.23 Rp 22.0K

147.15%

Onion (1kg)

$2.55 A$3.66

$1.97 Rp 35.2K

29.44%

Lettuce (1 head)

$2.48 A$3.56

$0.75 Rp 13.4K

230.67%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$1.63 A$2.34

$0.40 Rp 7,144

307.50%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$44.07 A$63.3

$2.64 Rp 47.2K

1569.32%

Wine (Bottle)

$12.43 A$17.85

$20.40 Rp 365.0K

-39.07%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$5.33 A$7.65

$1.89 Rp 33.8K

182.01%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$5.16 A$7.41

$2.90 Rp 51.8K

77.93%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$3.84 A$5.52

$0.29 Rp 5,204

1224.14%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$142 A$203

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$4.40 A$6.32

$0.49 Rp 8,719

797.96%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.40 A$2.01

$0.34 Rp 6,152

311.76%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$29.83 A$42.84

$2.78 Rp 49.8K

973.02%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.46 A$2.09

$0.80 Rp 14.3K

82.50%

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

$28.1K A$40.4K

$22.9K Rp 409.2M

23.06%

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

$25.9K A$37.3K

$29.9K Rp 535.0M

-13.23%

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

$233 A$334

$66.5 Rp 1.2M

249.80%

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

$27.28 A$39.19

$4.21 Rp 75.3K

547.98%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$57.0 A$81.9

$18.92 Rp 338.5K

201.48%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$52.7 A$75.7

$19.76 Rp 353.5K

166.60%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$22.62 A$32.49

$8.45 Rp 151.1K

167.69%

Cinema Ticket

$17.10 A$24.57

$2.84 Rp 50.8K

502.11%

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

$2,373 A$3,409

$95.2 Rp 1.7M

2393.90%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$30.5K A$43.8K

$7,625 Rp 136.4M

299.52%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$78.2 A$112

$42.96 Rp 768.6K

82.05%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$50.5 A$72.5

$29.03 Rp 519.4K

73.85%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$121 A$173

$73.9 Rp 1.3M

63.06%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$133 A$191

$69.3 Rp 1.2M

92.38%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,713 A$2,460

$227 Rp 4.1M

655.75%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,402 A$2,014

$148 Rp 2.7M

845.43%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$3,339 A$4,796

$554 Rp 9.9M

502.52%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$2,529 A$3,632

$364 Rp 6.5M

594.47%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$7,018 A$10.1K

$1,171 Rp 21.0M

499.23%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$6,767 A$9,721

$797 Rp 14.2M

749.62%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$4,228 A$6,074

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

5.9

9.46

-37.63%

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

Last update for Melbourne: October 6, 2026

Last update for Jayapura: October 4, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Accommodation & Living

Melbourne

$1.4K 49.3%

Jayapura

$148 23.5% 89.4% $1.3K

Groceries & Markets

Melbourne

$385 13.5%

Jayapura

$194 30.7% 49.7% $192

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Melbourne

$317 11.1%

Jayapura

$90 14.2% 71.7% $227

Eating Out

Melbourne

$314 11%

Jayapura

$74 11.8% 76.4% $240

Clothing & Footwear

Melbourne

$172 6.1%

Jayapura

$97 15.3% 43.7% $75

Getting Around

Melbourne

$168 5.9%

Jayapura

$3.4 * 0.5% 98% $165

Sport & Entertainment

Melbourne

$87 3.1%

Jayapura

$25 4% 70.7% $61

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 $1,713 in Melbourne and $227 in Jayapura. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Dining out: $85.0 in Melbourne vs $9.00 in Jayapura for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $385 vs $194 per month, with Jayapura cheaper across the board.

Good to know

🇦🇺 Melbourne

🇮🇩 Jayapura

🕒 Local time

18:06 6:06 PM

16:06 4:06 PM

2 h behind Melbourne

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

5,031,195

233,859

💱 Currency

Australian Dollar AUD $

Indonesian Rupiah IDR Rp

📈 Exchange rate

1 AUD = 0.696 USD

1 AUD = 0.621 EUR

100,000 IDR = 5.59 USD

100,000 IDR = 4.98 EUR

Exchange rates and currency converter

IDR, USD, EUR to AUD – Australian Dollar Converter

🇺🇸 United States Dollar ($)

🇦🇺 Australian Dollar ($)

Australian Dollar exchange rates as of October 10, 2026: 1 USD = 1.44 AUD (1 AUD = 0.696 USD). 1 EUR = 1.61 AUD (1 AUD = 0.621 EUR).

Indonesian Rupiah exchange rates as of October 10, 2026: 1 USD = 17,890 IDR (100,000 IDR = 5.59 USD). 1 EUR = 20,065 IDR (100,000 IDR = 4.98 EUR).

USD to AUD in detail →

On the map

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Between locations

Melbourne Jayapura 3,950 km ≈ 5 h nonstop flight

From you

Melbourne
Jayapura

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 Jayapura: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Jayapura is cheaper overall, especially in groceries, eating out, and clothing. The 349% gap adds up to real monthly savings that compound significantly over time.

You'd need roughly $4,277 in Melbourne and $952 in Jayapura 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: $1,713 in Melbourne versus $227 in Jayapura. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Supermarket bills run roughly 99% higher in Melbourne. For households that cook at home regularly, that difference adds up over a month.

All in, you'll spend $2,852 per month in Melbourne versus $634 in Jayapura – a 349% gap that adds up to real savings over time for anyone picking the cheaper option.

At $634 in Jayapura versus $2,852 in Melbourne, a $1,500 budget is realistic in Jayapura but tight or insufficient in Melbourne. The gap between the two cities makes Jayapura 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 Jayapura 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 Jayapura gentler on the wallet – expenses run 349% less than in Melbourne. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.