Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Melbourne and Koror

For one person, living is cheaper in Koror: $1,772 a month against $2,852 in Melbourne, rent and utilities included – about $13,000 less a year. Higher rent and utilities in Melbourne outweigh lower spending on other living expenses.

137

Cost of Living Index in Melbourne
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Melbourne Living Index
87

Cost of Living Index in Koror
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Koror Living Index

Jump to prices

Melbourne

🇦🇺 Australia

$2,852

/mo nomad

Koror

🇵🇼 Palau

$1,772

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

How much you'll spend in Melbourne and in Koror

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

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $2,852 in Melbourne versus $1,772 in Koror.

Melbourne $2,852
Koror $1,772

Estimated couple costs with rent: $4,297 in Melbourne versus $2,856 in Koror.

Melbourne $4,297
Koror $2,856

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $5,742 in Melbourne versus $3,940 in Koror.

Melbourne $5,742
Koror $3,940

Living in Melbourne is roughly 61% more expensive than in Koror, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in utilities.

Both cities are pricier than the global median: Melbourne 113% above, Koror 32% above.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$17.75 A$25.40

$12.21 $12.21

45.37%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$84.8 A$121

$74.6 $74.6

13.73%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$12.16 A$17.40

$9.94 $9.94

22.33%

Cappuccino

$3.93 A$5.62

$4.11 $4.11

-4.38%

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

$3.14 A$4.49

$1.36 $1.36

130.88%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.43 A$3.47

$1.10 $1.10

120.91%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$9.90 A$14.17

$1.47 $1.47

573.47%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$8.29 A$11.86

$2.25 $2.25

268.44%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.55 A$2.21

$2.70 $2.70

-42.59%

White Bread (500g)

$3.01 A$4.31

$3.50 $3.50

-14.00%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$2.88 A$4.12

$0.26 $0.26

1007.69%

Eggs

$5.44 A$7.79

$6.02 $6.02

-9.63%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$10.59 A$15.16

$9.84 $9.84

7.62%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$9.61 A$13.76

$13.64 $13.64

-29.55%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$14.99 A$21.46

$19.38 $19.38

-22.65%

Apples (1kg)

$4.15 A$5.94

$5.25 $5.25

-20.95%

Banana (1kg)

$3.05 A$4.37

$2.21 $2.21

38.01%

Oranges (1kg)

$3.30 A$4.72

$5.36 $5.36

-38.43%

Tomato (1kg)

$4.76 A$6.81

$16.37 $16.37

-70.92%

Potato (1kg)

$3.04 A$4.34

$4.56 $4.56

-33.33%

Onion (1kg)

$2.55 A$3.65

$3.26 $3.26

-21.78%

Lettuce (1 head)

$2.48 A$3.55

$1.94 $1.94

27.84%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$1.63 A$2.33

$1.64 $1.64

-0.61%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$44.07 A$63.1

$11.30 $11.30

290.00%

Wine (Bottle)

$12.43 A$17.79

$22.13 $22.13

-43.83%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$5.33 A$7.63

$3.38 $3.38

57.69%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$5.16 A$7.38

$3.38 $3.38

52.66%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$3.84 A$5.50

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$142 A$203

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$4.40 A$6.29

$2.44 $2.44

80.33%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.40 A$2.01

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$29.83 A$42.69

$5.87 $5.87

408.18%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.46 A$2.09

$2.00 $2.00

-27.00%

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

$28.1K A$40.3K

$17.7K $17.7K

59.16%

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

$25.9K A$37.1K

$14.8K $14.8K

74.92%

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

$233 A$333

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

$27.28 A$39.04

$51.0 $51.0

-46.53%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$57.0 A$81.6

$202 $202

-71.71%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$52.7 A$75.4

$80.0 $80.0

-34.11%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$22.62 A$32.37

Cinema Ticket

$17.10 A$24.48

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

$2,373 A$3,397

$250 $250

850.14%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$30.5K A$43.6K

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$78.2 A$112

$84.1 $84.1

-6.95%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$50.5 A$72.2

$65.7 $65.7

-23.20%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$121 A$172

$199 $199

-39.38%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$133 A$191

$193 $193

-30.95%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,713 A$2,451

$728 $728

135.15%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,402 A$2,006

$531 $531

163.80%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$3,339 A$4,778

$2,126 $2,126

57.03%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$2,529 A$3,619

$939 $939

169.44%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$7,018 A$10.0K

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$6,767 A$9,685

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$4,228 A$6,051

$790 $790

435.21%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

5.9

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

Last update for Melbourne: October 6, 2026

Last update for Koror: October 4, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Accommodation & Living

Melbourne

$1.4K 49.3%

Koror

$531 29.4% 62.1% $870

Groceries & Markets

Melbourne

$385 13.5%

Koror

$501 27.7% 30.1% $116

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Melbourne

$317 11.1%

Koror

$253 * 14% 20.3% $64

Eating Out

Melbourne

$314 11%

Koror

$198 11% 36.8% $116

Clothing & Footwear

Melbourne

$172 6.1%

Koror

$244 13.5% 41.6% $72

Getting Around

Melbourne

$168 5.9%

Koror

$2.4 * 0.1% 98.6% $166

Sport & Entertainment

Melbourne

$87 3.1%

Koror

$80 * 4.4% 8% $6.9

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 $728 in Koror. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Melbourne pays 435% 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 $75.0 in Koror. Groceries flip the comparison at $385 vs $501, with Melbourne cheaper for home cooking.

Good to know

🇦🇺 Melbourne

🇵🇼 Koror

🕒 Local time

21:25 9:25 PM

19:25 7:25 PM

2 h behind Melbourne

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

5,031,195

14,000

💱 Currency

Australian Dollar AUD $

United States Dollar USD $

📈 Exchange rate

1 AUD = 0.699 USD

1 AUD = 0.624 EUR

1 USD = 0.892 EUR

Exchange rates and currency converter

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 = 1.6 AUD (1 AUD = 0.624 EUR).

United States Dollar exchange rates as of October 10, 2026: 1 EUR = 1.12 USD (1 USD = 0.892 EUR).

USD to AUD in detail →

On the map

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Between locations

Melbourne Koror 5,140 km ≈ 7 h nonstop flight

From you

Melbourne
Koror

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 Koror: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Melbourne and Koror differ by about 61% in total monthly costs ($2,852 vs $1,772 including rent). Koror is meaningfully more affordable – a gap that matters a lot on a fixed or modest income.

Average pay runs 435% 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 $728 in Koror. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Shoppers in Melbourne pay roughly 30% less for everyday groceries. It's an unusual reversal that partly offsets higher costs elsewhere.

All in, you'll spend $2,852 per month in Melbourne versus $1,772 in Koror – a 61% gap that adds up to real savings over time for anyone picking the cheaper option.

At $1,772 in Koror versus $2,852 in Melbourne, a $3,000 budget is realistic in Koror but tight or insufficient in Melbourne. The gap between the two cities makes Koror 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 Koror 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 Koror gentler on the wallet – expenses run 61% less than in Melbourne. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.