Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Melbourne and Johor Bahru

For one person, living is cheaper in Johor Bahru: $1,056 a month against $2,821 in Melbourne, rent and utilities included – about $21,200 less a year. Rent and utilities account for most of the difference.

138

Cost of Living Index in Melbourne
Learn more

Melbourne Living Index
51

Cost of Living Index in Johor Bahru
Learn more

Johor Bahru Living Index

Jump to prices

Melbourne

🇦🇺 Australia

$2,821

/mo nomad

Johor Bahru

🇲🇾 Malaysia

$1,056

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

How much you'll spend in Melbourne and in Johor Bahru

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

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $2,821 in Melbourne versus $1,056 in Johor Bahru.

Melbourne $2,821
Johor Bahru $1,056

Estimated couple costs with rent: $4,235 in Melbourne versus $1,551 in Johor Bahru.

Melbourne $4,235
Johor Bahru $1,551

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $5,650 in Melbourne versus $2,046 in Johor Bahru.

Melbourne $5,650
Johor Bahru $2,046

Living in Melbourne is roughly 167% more expensive than in Johor Bahru, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in eating out.

The two cities straddle the global median: Melbourne is 109% above, Johor Bahru is 22% below.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$17.43 A$25.08

$3.56 MYR 14.53

389.61%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$84.6 A$122

$18.68 MYR 76.2

352.62%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$12.46 A$17.92

$4.93 MYR 20.11

152.74%

Cappuccino

$4.11 A$5.91

$2.86 MYR 11.67

43.71%

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

$3.06 A$4.40

$0.84 MYR 3.45

264.29%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.52 A$3.62

$0.55 MYR 2.25

358.18%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$9.80 A$14.10

$4.54 MYR 18.52

115.86%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$8.57 A$12.33

$6.20 MYR 25.31

38.23%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.48 A$2.14

$1.66 MYR 6.79

-10.84%

White Bread (500g)

$2.94 A$4.23

$1.11 MYR 4.52

164.86%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$2.66 A$3.82

$1.50 MYR 6.13

77.33%

Eggs

$5.54 A$7.97

$1.72 MYR 7.00

222.09%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$10.51 A$15.13

$17.86 MYR 72.9

-41.15%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$9.65 A$13.89

$4.56 MYR 18.58

111.62%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$15.22 A$21.91

$10.49 MYR 42.80

45.09%

Apples (1kg)

$3.99 A$5.75

$3.26 MYR 13.28

22.39%

Banana (1kg)

$3.02 A$4.34

$1.70 MYR 6.94

77.65%

Oranges (1kg)

$3.10 A$4.46

$3.91 MYR 15.96

-20.72%

Tomato (1kg)

$4.82 A$6.93

$1.68 MYR 6.86

186.90%

Potato (1kg)

$3.03 A$4.36

$1.47 MYR 6.00

106.12%

Onion (1kg)

$2.44 A$3.52

$1.65 MYR 6.74

47.88%

Lettuce (1 head)

$2.46 A$3.54

$1.32 MYR 5.37

86.36%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$1.63 A$2.34

$0.55 MYR 2.24

196.36%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$44.07 A$63.4

$4.17 MYR 17.01

956.83%

Wine (Bottle)

$12.70 A$18.28

$13.98 MYR 57.1

-9.16%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$5.54 A$7.97

$2.84 MYR 11.59

95.07%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$5.23 A$7.52

$3.11 MYR 12.68

68.17%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$3.74 A$5.38

$0.71 MYR 2.90

426.76%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$138 A$198

$12.11 MYR 49.42

1035.59%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$4.51 A$6.50

$0.96 MYR 3.90

369.79%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.36 A$1.96

$0.70 MYR 2.85

94.29%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$30.45 A$43.81

$9.50 MYR 38.75

220.53%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.47 A$2.12

$0.83 MYR 3.40

77.11%

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

$29.0K A$41.7K

$41.1K MYR 167.8K

-29.47%

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

$26.5K A$38.1K

$36.1K MYR 147.2K

-26.64%

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

$234 A$336

$53.0 MYR 216

340.66%

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

$27.93 A$40.19

$10.99 MYR 44.84

154.14%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$55.7 A$80.2

$28.42 MYR 116

96.13%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$49.40 A$71.1

$39.45 MYR 161

25.22%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$21.48 A$30.91

$5.63 MYR 22.97

281.53%

Cinema Ticket

$15.09 A$21.72

$4.92 MYR 20.08

206.71%

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

$2,371 A$3,412

$161 MYR 658

1369.08%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$30.2K A$43.5K

$4,478 MYR 18.3K

574.27%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$80.0 A$115

$54.2 MYR 221

47.44%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$50.7 A$73.0

$16.54 MYR 67.5

206.53%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$121 A$174

$81.5 MYR 332

48.02%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$130 A$188

$97.3 MYR 397

33.98%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,759 A$2,531

$517 MYR 2,109

240.28%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,390 A$2,000

$397 MYR 1,620

249.86%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$3,494 A$5,027

$900 MYR 3,673

288.03%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$2,493 A$3,588

$624 MYR 2,548

299.24%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$6,926 A$9,967

$2,019 MYR 8,238

243.00%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$6,445 A$9,274

$1,167 MYR 4,759

452.49%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$4,383 A$6,307

$1,060 MYR 4,325

313.43%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

5.9

4.06

45.32%

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

Last update for Melbourne: October 10, 2026

Last update for Johor Bahru: October 13, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Accommodation & Living

Melbourne

$1.4K 49.3%

Johor Bahru

$397 37.6% 71.4% $992

Groceries & Markets

Melbourne

$384 13.6%

Johor Bahru

$267 25.3% 30.5% $117

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Melbourne

$317 11.3%

Johor Bahru

$92 8.8% 70.9% $225

Eating Out

Melbourne

$315 11.2%

Johor Bahru

$118 11.2% 62.4% $196

Clothing & Footwear

Melbourne

$172 6.1%

Johor Bahru

$112 10.6% 34.6% $59

Getting Around

Melbourne

$164 5.8%

Johor Bahru

$19 1.8% 88.2% $144

Sport & Entertainment

Melbourne

$80 2.8%

Johor Bahru

$49 4.7% 38.1% $30

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $1,759 in Melbourne and $517 in Johor Bahru. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Melbourne pays 313% 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 $19.00 in Johor Bahru for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $384 vs $267 per month, with Johor Bahru cheaper across the board.

Good to know

🇦🇺 Melbourne

🇲🇾 Johor Bahru

🕒 Local time

15:45 3:45 PM

12:45 12:45 PM

3 h behind Melbourne

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

5,031,195

858,118

💱 Currency

Australian Dollar AUD $

Malaysian Ringgit MYR RM

📈 Exchange rate

1 AUD = 0.695 USD

1 AUD = 0.618 EUR

1 MYR = 0.245 USD

1 MYR = 0.218 EUR

Exchange rates and currency converter

MYR, USD, EUR to AUD – Australian Dollar Converter

🇺🇸 United States Dollar ($)

🇦🇺 Australian Dollar ($)

Australian Dollar exchange rates as of October 19, 2026: 1 USD = 1.44 AUD (1 AUD = 0.695 USD). 1 EUR = 1.62 AUD (1 AUD = 0.618 EUR).

Malaysian Ringgit exchange rates as of October 19, 2026: 1 USD = 4.08 MYR (1 MYR = 0.245 USD). 1 EUR = 4.59 MYR (1 MYR = 0.218 EUR).

USD to AUD in detail →

On the map

Lowest

Highest

Between locations

Melbourne Johor Bahru 6,080 km ≈ 8 h nonstop flight

From you

Melbourne
Johor Bahru

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 Johor Bahru: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Melbourne and Johor Bahru differ by about 167% in total monthly costs ($2,821 vs $1,056 including rent). Johor Bahru is meaningfully more affordable – a gap that matters a lot on a fixed or modest income.

Average pay runs 313% 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: $1,759 in Melbourne versus $517 in Johor Bahru. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Dining out is cheaper in Johor Bahru – a meal for two runs $19.00 versus $85.0 in Melbourne. If you eat out regularly, this makes a real dent in your monthly spending.

All in, you'll spend $2,821 per month in Melbourne versus $1,056 in Johor Bahru – a 167% gap that adds up to real savings over time for anyone picking the cheaper option.

At $1,056 in Johor Bahru versus $2,821 in Melbourne, a $2,000 budget is realistic in Johor Bahru but tight or insufficient in Melbourne. The gap between the two cities makes Johor Bahru 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 Johor Bahru 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 Johor Bahru gentler on the wallet – expenses run 167% less than in Melbourne. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.