Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Melbourne and Labuan

For one person, living is cheaper in Labuan: $1,020 a month against $2,821 in Melbourne, rent and utilities included – about $21,600 less a year. Rent and utilities account for most of the difference.

138

Cost of Living Index in Melbourne
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Melbourne Living Index
48

Cost of Living Index in Labuan
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Labuan Living Index

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Melbourne

🇦🇺 Australia

$2,821

/mo nomad

Labuan

🇲🇾 Malaysia

$1,020

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

How much you'll spend in Melbourne and in Labuan

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

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $2,821 in Melbourne versus $1,020 in Labuan.

Melbourne $2,821
Labuan $1,020

Estimated couple costs with rent: $4,235 in Melbourne versus $1,487 in Labuan.

Melbourne $4,235
Labuan $1,487

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $5,650 in Melbourne versus $1,953 in Labuan.

Melbourne $5,650
Labuan $1,953

Living in Melbourne is roughly 176% more expensive than in Labuan, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in eating out.

The two cities straddle the global median: Melbourne is 109% above, Labuan is 24% below.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$17.43 A$25.08

$5.52 MYR 22.53

215.76%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$84.6 A$122

$24.16 MYR 98.6

249.96%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$12.46 A$17.92

$6.66 MYR 27.19

87.09%

Cappuccino

$4.11 A$5.91

$3.93 MYR 16.05

4.58%

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

$3.06 A$4.40

$1.06 MYR 4.34

188.68%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.52 A$3.62

$0.45 MYR 1.83

460.00%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$9.80 A$14.10

$3.72 MYR 15.19

163.44%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$8.57 A$12.33

$4.53 MYR 18.48

89.18%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.48 A$2.14

$1.82 MYR 7.43

-18.68%

White Bread (500g)

$2.94 A$4.23

$1.04 MYR 4.26

182.69%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$2.66 A$3.82

$1.49 MYR 6.07

78.52%

Eggs

$5.54 A$7.97

$2.10 MYR 8.58

163.81%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$10.51 A$15.13

$16.82 MYR 68.6

-37.51%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$9.65 A$13.89

$4.42 MYR 18.03

118.33%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$15.22 A$21.91

$9.50 MYR 38.76

60.21%

Apples (1kg)

$3.99 A$5.75

$3.17 MYR 12.95

25.87%

Banana (1kg)

$3.02 A$4.34

$1.83 MYR 7.46

65.03%

Oranges (1kg)

$3.10 A$4.46

$2.39 MYR 9.75

29.71%

Tomato (1kg)

$4.82 A$6.93

$1.76 MYR 7.17

173.86%

Potato (1kg)

$3.03 A$4.36

$1.39 MYR 5.68

117.99%

Onion (1kg)

$2.44 A$3.52

$1.03 MYR 4.20

136.89%

Lettuce (1 head)

$2.46 A$3.54

$1.18 MYR 4.81

108.47%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$1.63 A$2.34

$0.54 MYR 2.20

201.85%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$44.07 A$63.4

$5.04 MYR 20.57

774.40%

Wine (Bottle)

$12.70 A$18.28

$16.29 MYR 66.5

-22.04%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$5.54 A$7.97

$3.21 MYR 13.11

72.59%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$5.23 A$7.52

$4.39 MYR 17.90

19.13%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$3.74 A$5.38

$0.78 MYR 3.17

379.49%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$138 A$198

$10.66 MYR 43.48

1190.06%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$4.51 A$6.50

$1.34 MYR 5.47

236.57%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.36 A$1.96

$0.48 MYR 1.97

183.33%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$30.45 A$43.81

$6.48 MYR 26.43

369.91%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.47 A$2.12

$0.88 MYR 3.58

67.05%

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

$29.0K A$41.7K

$44.0K MYR 179.5K

-34.09%

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

$26.5K A$38.1K

$32.5K MYR 132.7K

-18.62%

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

$234 A$336

$48.90 MYR 199

377.87%

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

$27.93 A$40.19

$9.68 MYR 39.49

188.53%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$55.7 A$80.2

$27.69 MYR 113

101.30%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$49.40 A$71.1

$41.60 MYR 170

18.75%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$21.48 A$30.91

$7.68 MYR 31.32

179.69%

Cinema Ticket

$15.09 A$21.72

$4.29 MYR 17.51

251.75%

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

$2,371 A$3,412

$208 MYR 849

1039.97%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$30.2K A$43.5K

$7,011 MYR 28.6K

330.73%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$80.0 A$115

$55.8 MYR 228

43.26%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$50.7 A$73.0

$30.07 MYR 123

68.61%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$121 A$174

$87.0 MYR 355

38.60%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$130 A$188

$81.8 MYR 334

59.50%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,759 A$2,531

$433 MYR 1,768

305.80%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,390 A$2,000

$342 MYR 1,397

305.82%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$3,494 A$5,027

$641 MYR 2,614

445.17%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$2,493 A$3,588

$464 MYR 1,892

437.50%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$6,926 A$9,967

$2,282 MYR 9,308

203.57%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$6,445 A$9,274

$1,136 MYR 4,636

467.13%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$4,383 A$6,307

$374 MYR 1,525

1072.29%

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 Labuan: October 12, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Accommodation & Living

Melbourne

$1.4K 49.3%

Labuan

$342 33.6% 75.4% $1K

Groceries & Markets

Melbourne

$384 13.6%

Labuan

$264 25.9% 31.2% $120

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Melbourne

$317 11.3%

Labuan

$86 8.5% 72.8% $231

Eating Out

Melbourne

$315 11.2%

Labuan

$145 14.2% 53.9% $169

Clothing & Footwear

Melbourne

$172 6.1%

Labuan

$115 11.2% 33.3% $57

Getting Around

Melbourne

$164 5.8%

Labuan

$18 1.7% 89.3% $146

Sport & Entertainment

Melbourne

$80 2.8%

Labuan

$50 4.9% 36.9% $29

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $1,759 in Melbourne and $433 in Labuan. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Melbourne pays 1072% 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 $24.00 in Labuan for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $384 vs $264 per month, with Labuan cheaper across the board.

Good to know

🇦🇺 Melbourne

🇲🇾 Labuan

🕒 Local time

14:57 2:57 PM

11:57 11:57 AM

3 h behind Melbourne

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

5,031,195

95,120

💱 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 →

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City Median Internet Speeds Comparison (Updated April 2026)

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Digital Nomad Cost of Living Index

Melbourne vs Labuan: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Labuan is cheaper overall, especially in groceries, eating out, and clothing. The 176% gap adds up to real monthly savings that compound significantly over time.

Average pay runs 1072% 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 $433 in Labuan. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Childcare runs $2,371 in Melbourne versus $208 in Labuan. Over years of preschool, even a modest monthly gap compounds into a major financial factor for families.

Supermarket bills run roughly 45% higher in Melbourne. For households that cook at home regularly, that difference adds up over a month.

At $1,020 in Labuan versus $2,821 in Melbourne, a $1,500 budget is realistic in Labuan but tight or insufficient in Melbourne. The gap between the two cities makes Labuan 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 Labuan 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 Labuan gentler on the wallet – expenses run 176% less than in Melbourne. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.