Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Melbourne and Kununurra

For one person, living is cheaper in Kununurra: $2,371 a month against $2,849 in Melbourne, rent and utilities included – about $5,700 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 Kununurra
Learn more

Kununurra Living Index

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Melbourne

🇦🇺 Australia

$2,849

/mo nomad

Kununurra

🇦🇺 Australia

$2,371

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

How much you'll spend in Melbourne and in Kununurra

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

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $2,849 in Melbourne versus $2,371 in Kununurra.

Melbourne $2,849
Kununurra $2,371

Estimated couple costs with rent: $4,274 in Melbourne versus $3,541 in Kununurra.

Melbourne $4,274
Kununurra $3,541

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $5,699 in Melbourne versus $4,711 in Kununurra.

Melbourne $5,699
Kununurra $4,711

Living in Melbourne is roughly 20% more expensive than in Kununurra, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in transport.

Both cities are pricier than the global median: Melbourne 109% above, Kununurra 74% above.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$17.50 A$24.88

$16.09 A$22.88

8.76%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$84.3 A$120

$82.5 A$117

2.19%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$12.17 A$17.30

$12.02 A$17.09

1.25%

Cappuccino

$4.07 A$5.79

$4.18 A$5.95

-2.63%

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

$3.18 A$4.52

$2.83 A$4.02

12.37%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.50 A$3.55

$1.96 A$2.79

27.55%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$9.57 A$13.61

$6.61 A$9.40

44.78%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$8.25 A$11.73

$7.67 A$10.91

7.56%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.50 A$2.14

$1.52 A$2.16

-1.32%

White Bread (500g)

$2.97 A$4.22

$2.72 A$3.86

9.19%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$2.68 A$3.82

$2.29 A$3.26

17.03%

Eggs

$5.45 A$7.76

$5.49 A$7.81

-0.73%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$10.71 A$15.23

$9.16 A$13.02

16.92%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$10.05 A$14.29

$9.44 A$13.43

6.46%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$15.00 A$21.33

$14.75 A$20.97

1.69%

Apples (1kg)

$4.07 A$5.79

$3.76 A$5.35

8.24%

Banana (1kg)

$3.14 A$4.46

$3.12 A$4.44

0.64%

Oranges (1kg)

$3.12 A$4.43

$3.28 A$4.66

-4.88%

Tomato (1kg)

$4.73 A$6.73

$4.56 A$6.48

3.73%

Potato (1kg)

$2.98 A$4.24

$2.65 A$3.77

12.45%

Onion (1kg)

$2.49 A$3.55

$2.38 A$3.39

4.62%

Lettuce (1 head)

$2.48 A$3.53

$2.41 A$3.42

2.90%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$1.60 A$2.27

$1.53 A$2.17

4.58%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$44.65 A$63.5

$26.81 A$38.12

66.54%

Wine (Bottle)

$12.68 A$18.03

$13.89 A$19.75

-8.71%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$5.55 A$7.89

$4.86 A$6.91

14.20%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$5.18 A$7.37

$5.16 A$7.34

0.39%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$3.84 A$5.46

$2.45 A$3.48

56.73%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$139 A$197

$84.3 A$120

64.58%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$4.36 A$6.20

$3.80 A$5.41

14.74%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.37 A$1.94

$1.78 A$2.53

-23.03%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$29.72 A$42.26

$35.87 A$51.0

-17.15%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.49 A$2.11

$1.36 A$1.94

9.56%

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

$29.1K A$41.4K

$28.5K A$40.5K

2.07%

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

$25.7K A$36.5K

$22.6K A$32.1K

13.74%

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

$236 A$335

$209 A$298

12.61%

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

$28.01 A$39.83

$27.61 A$39.26

1.45%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$57.2 A$81.4

$57.8 A$82.2

-0.93%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$48.39 A$68.8

$56.8 A$80.8

-14.79%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$21.46 A$30.52

$16.06 A$22.83

33.62%

Cinema Ticket

$17.67 A$25.12

$12.94 A$18.40

36.55%

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

$2,461 A$3,499

$2,289 A$3,255

7.52%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$29.7K A$42.2K

$23.0K A$32.7K

29.12%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$81.2 A$115

$75.8 A$108

7.18%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$49.28 A$70.1

$47.66 A$67.8

3.40%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$120 A$170

$107 A$152

11.84%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$131 A$186

$118 A$168

10.92%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,703 A$2,421

$1,407 A$2,001

21.01%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,409 A$2,003

$1,079 A$1,534

30.59%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$3,496 A$4,971

$2,336 A$3,322

49.64%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$2,527 A$3,593

$1,827 A$2,598

38.27%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$7,978 A$11.3K

$5,605 A$7,969

42.35%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$6,900 A$9,812

$5,305 A$7,543

30.08%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$4,257 A$6,053

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 26, 2026

Last update for Kununurra: October 27, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Accommodation & Living

Melbourne

$1.4K 49.4%

Kununurra

$1.1K 45.5% 23.4% $330

Groceries & Markets

Melbourne

$386 13.6%

Kununurra

$369 15.6% 4.5% $18

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Melbourne

$321 11.3%

Kununurra

$295 12.4% 8.2% $26

Eating Out

Melbourne

$312 11%

Kununurra

$283 11.9% 9.6% $30

Clothing & Footwear

Melbourne

$171 6%

Kununurra

$157 6.6% 8.6% $15

Getting Around

Melbourne

$165 5.8%

Kununurra

$107 4.5% 35.4% $58

Sport & Entertainment

Melbourne

$84 2.9%

Kununurra

$83 3.5% 1.2% $1

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $1,703 in Melbourne and $1,407 in Kununurra. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Dining out: $84 in Melbourne vs $82 in Kununurra for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $386 vs $369 per month, with Kununurra cheaper across the board.

Good to know

🇦🇺 Melbourne

🇦🇺 Kununurra

🕒 Local time

04:58 4:58 AM

01:58 1:58 AM

3 h behind Melbourne

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

5,031,195

5,300

💱 Currency

Australian Dollar AUD $

📈 Exchange rate

1 AUD = 0.703 USD

1 AUD = 0.632 EUR

1 AUD = 0.703 USD

1 AUD = 0.632 EUR

Exchange rates and currency converter

On the map

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Between locations

Melbourne Kununurra 2,920 km ≈ 4 h 15 min nonstop flight

From you

Melbourne
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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 Kununurra: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Kununurra wins on cost – living expenses run 17% lower than in Melbourne. Housing and daily spending are where you’ll feel the difference most, making Kununurra the obvious pick if budget is a priority.

You’d need roughly $4,273 in Melbourne and $3,557 in Kununurra 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: $1,703 in Melbourne versus $1,407 in Kununurra. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Childcare runs $2,461 in Melbourne versus $2,289 in Kununurra. Over years of preschool, even a modest monthly gap compounds into a major financial factor for families.

A monthly transit pass in Kununurra runs roughly 39% less than in Melbourne. Both cities have functional networks, but the price difference matters if you’re watching your budget.

Both cities are expensive relative to $2,000. Kununurra is the more realistic option, but even there you’ll need to be disciplined with housing, food, and fun money.

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