Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Melbourne and Katoomba

For one person, living is cheaper in Katoomba: $2,409 a month against $2,849 in Melbourne, rent and utilities included – about $5,300 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
122

Cost of Living Index in Katoomba
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Katoomba Living Index

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Melbourne

🇦🇺 Australia

$2,849

/mo nomad

Katoomba

🇦🇺 Australia

$2,409

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

How much you'll spend in Melbourne and in Katoomba

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

A single person spends $2,849 per month in Melbourne vs $2,409 in Katoomba, rent included.

Melbourne $2,849
Katoomba $2,409

A couple spends around $4,274 per month in Melbourne vs $3,467 in Katoomba, rent included.

Melbourne $4,274
Katoomba $3,467

A family of three spends $5,699 per month in Melbourne vs $4,526 in Katoomba, rent included.

Melbourne $5,699
Katoomba $4,526

Melbourne costs about 18% more than Katoomba, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in transport.

Both Melbourne and Katoomba sit above the global median – Melbourne by 109%, Katoomba by 77%.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$17.50 A$24.79

$17.30 A$24.51

1.16%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$84.3 A$119

$85.8 A$121

-1.69%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$12.17 A$17.24

$10.49 A$14.87

16.02%

Cappuccino

$4.07 A$5.77

$3.15 A$4.46

29.21%

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

$3.18 A$4.50

$2.72 A$3.86

16.91%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.50 A$3.54

$2.06 A$2.92

21.36%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$9.57 A$13.56

$6.44 A$9.12

48.60%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$8.25 A$11.69

$8.65 A$12.26

-4.62%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.50 A$2.13

$1.56 A$2.21

-3.85%

White Bread (500g)

$2.97 A$4.21

$3.26 A$4.62

-8.90%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$2.68 A$3.80

$2.54 A$3.59

5.51%

Eggs

$5.45 A$7.73

$5.26 A$7.45

3.61%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$10.71 A$15.18

$13.18 A$18.67

-18.74%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$10.05 A$14.24

$9.65 A$13.67

4.15%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$15.00 A$21.25

$15.42 A$21.85

-2.72%

Apples (1kg)

$4.07 A$5.76

$4.09 A$5.80

-0.49%

Banana (1kg)

$3.14 A$4.44

$3.10 A$4.39

1.29%

Oranges (1kg)

$3.12 A$4.42

$3.53 A$5.01

-11.61%

Tomato (1kg)

$4.73 A$6.70

$5.13 A$7.27

-7.80%

Potato (1kg)

$2.98 A$4.22

$3.21 A$4.54

-7.17%

Onion (1kg)

$2.49 A$3.53

$2.87 A$4.06

-13.24%

Lettuce (1 head)

$2.48 A$3.52

$2.54 A$3.59

-2.36%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$1.60 A$2.27

$1.35 A$1.92

18.52%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$44.65 A$63.3

$45.57 A$64.6

-2.02%

Wine (Bottle)

$12.68 A$17.96

$13.79 A$19.53

-8.05%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$5.55 A$7.86

$4.65 A$6.59

19.35%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$5.18 A$7.35

$5.63 A$7.98

-7.99%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$3.84 A$5.44

$2.47 A$3.50

55.47%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$139 A$196

$77.8 A$110

78.34%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$4.36 A$6.17

$4.00 A$5.67

9.00%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.37 A$1.94

$1.66 A$2.35

-17.47%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$29.72 A$42.11

$42.48 A$60.2

-30.04%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.49 A$2.10

$1.33 A$1.89

12.03%

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

$29.1K A$41.2K

$28.6K A$40.5K

1.73%

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

$25.7K A$36.4K

$26.4K A$37.3K

-2.64%

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

$236 A$334

$186 A$264

26.48%

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

$28.01 A$39.68

$26.42 A$37.43

6.02%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$57.2 A$81.1

$56.3 A$79.8

1.62%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$48.39 A$68.6

$61.7 A$87.4

-21.53%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$21.46 A$30.41

$17.36 A$24.59

23.62%

Cinema Ticket

$17.67 A$25.03

$15.98 A$22.64

10.58%

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

$2,461 A$3,486

$2,503 A$3,546

-1.69%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$29.7K A$42.1K

$20.3K A$28.8K

46.09%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$81.2 A$115

$76.1 A$108

6.66%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$49.28 A$69.8

$55.8 A$79.0

-11.61%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$120 A$169

$109 A$154

10.02%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$131 A$186

$133 A$188

-1.50%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,703 A$2,412

$1,604 A$2,272

6.18%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,409 A$1,996

$1,106 A$1,566

27.41%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$3,496 A$4,952

$2,208 A$3,127

58.34%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$2,527 A$3,579

$1,560 A$2,209

61.99%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$7,978 A$11.3K

$5,535 A$7,841

44.14%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$6,900 A$9,775

$5,242 A$7,426

31.64%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$4,257 A$6,030

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

5.9

5.95

-0.84%

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

Last update for Melbourne: October 26, 2026

Last update for Katoomba: October 24, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Accommodation & Living

Melbourne

$1.4K 49.4%

Katoomba

$1.1K 45.9% 21.5% $303

Groceries & Markets

Melbourne

$386 13.6%

Katoomba

$396 16.5% 2.5% $9.7

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Melbourne

$321 11.3%

Katoomba

$269 11.2% 16.2% $52

Eating Out

Melbourne

$312 11%

Katoomba

$276 11.5% 11.6% $36

Clothing & Footwear

Melbourne

$171 6%

Katoomba

$168 7% 2% $3.4

Getting Around

Melbourne

$165 5.8%

Katoomba

$100 4.2% 39.5% $65

Sport & Entertainment

Melbourne

$84 2.9%

Katoomba

$94 3.9% 11.8% $9.9

Cost Breakdown

A central one-bedroom costs $1,703 in Melbourne versus $1,604 in Katoomba. Rent is usually the largest line item in a monthly budget, so the gap here sets the tone for the overall comparison.

A mid-range dinner for two costs $84 in Melbourne versus $86 in Katoomba. Monthly groceries follow the same trend: $386 vs $396 – making Melbourne the more affordable choice for daily food spending.

Good to know

🇦🇺 Melbourne

🇦🇺 Katoomba

🕒 Local time

01:54 1:54 AM

Same time as Melbourne

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

5,031,195

8,000

💱 Currency

Australian Dollar AUD $

📈 Exchange rate

1 AUD = 0.706 USD

1 AUD = 0.633 EUR

1 AUD = 0.706 USD

1 AUD = 0.633 EUR

Exchange rates and currency converter

On the map

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Between locations

Melbourne Katoomba 660 km ≈ 1 h 15 min nonstop flight

From you

Melbourne
Katoomba

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 Katoomba: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Monthly costs with rent: $2,849 in Melbourne, $2,409 in Katoomba – Katoomba comes out roughly 15% cheaper. Outside of rent, the biggest gap is in transport.

For a comfortable life, plan on about $4,273 per month in Melbourne and $3,613 in Katoomba. That covers rent, food, utilities, transport, and enough left over to feel settled – not just surviving.

A central 1-bedroom goes for about $1,703 in Melbourne and $1,604 in Katoomba. The gap holds across neighborhoods – outer areas show a similar spread, just at lower price points.

Kindergarten costs $2,461 per month in Melbourne and $2,503 in Katoomba. For families with young kids, this one expense can tip the scales when choosing between the two cities.

Monthly expenses with rent come to $2,849 in Melbourne and $2,409 in Katoomba. That makes Katoomba about 15% cheaper.

It depends on your priorities. Melbourne has an edge in some lifestyle areas, with costs from $2,409 in Katoomba to $2,849 in Melbourne. Climate, culture, job market, and personal taste all factor in.

Both cities have a reputation for safety. In either place, the choice of neighborhood matters more than the choice between the two cities.