Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Melbourne and Launceston, Australia

Name: Launceston
Address: Launceston, AU

For one person, living is cheaper in Launceston: $2,039 a month against $2,849 in Melbourne, rent and utilities included – about $9,700 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
98

Cost of Living Index in Launceston
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Launceston Living Index

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Melbourne

🇦🇺 Australia

$2,849

/mo nomad

Launceston

🇦🇺 Australia

$2,039

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

How much you'll spend in Melbourne and in Launceston

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

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $2,849 in Melbourne versus $2,039 in Launceston.

Melbourne $2,849
Launceston $2,039

Estimated couple costs with rent: $4,274 in Melbourne versus $2,913 in Launceston.

Melbourne $4,274
Launceston $2,913

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $5,699 in Melbourne versus $3,786 in Launceston.

Melbourne $5,699
Launceston $3,786

Living in Melbourne is roughly 40% more expensive than in Launceston, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in transport.

Both cities are pricier than the global median: Melbourne 109% above, Launceston 50% above.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$17.50 A$24.99

$17.35 A$24.78

0.86%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$84.3 A$120

$74.2 A$106

13.57%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$12.17 A$17.38

$8.23 A$11.75

47.87%

Cappuccino

$4.07 A$5.82

$3.37 A$4.81

20.77%

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

$3.18 A$4.54

$1.38 A$1.97

130.43%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.50 A$3.57

$2.27 A$3.24

10.13%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$9.57 A$13.67

$6.47 A$9.24

47.91%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$8.25 A$11.78

$7.14 A$10.19

15.55%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.50 A$2.15

$1.88 A$2.69

-20.21%

White Bread (500g)

$2.97 A$4.24

$2.54 A$3.63

16.93%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$2.68 A$3.83

$1.23 A$1.76

117.89%

Eggs

$5.45 A$7.79

$3.70 A$5.29

47.30%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$10.71 A$15.30

$10.02 A$14.31

6.89%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$10.05 A$14.35

$8.33 A$11.90

20.65%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$15.00 A$21.42

$10.31 A$14.72

45.49%

Apples (1kg)

$4.07 A$5.81

$2.86 A$4.09

42.31%

Banana (1kg)

$3.14 A$4.48

$2.87 A$4.10

9.41%

Oranges (1kg)

$3.12 A$4.45

$2.74 A$3.91

13.87%

Tomato (1kg)

$4.73 A$6.76

$4.74 A$6.77

-0.21%

Potato (1kg)

$2.98 A$4.26

$2.04 A$2.91

46.08%

Onion (1kg)

$2.49 A$3.56

$1.39 A$1.98

79.14%

Lettuce (1 head)

$2.48 A$3.54

$2.56 A$3.65

-3.13%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$1.60 A$2.28

$0.54 A$0.77

196.30%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$44.65 A$63.8

$36.28 A$51.8

23.07%

Wine (Bottle)

$12.68 A$18.11

$14.47 A$20.67

-12.37%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$5.55 A$7.92

$5.10 A$7.28

8.82%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$5.18 A$7.40

$5.43 A$7.75

-4.60%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$3.84 A$5.48

$3.52 A$5.03

9.09%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$139 A$198

$55.7 A$79.5

149.12%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$4.36 A$6.22

$4.48 A$6.40

-2.68%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.37 A$1.95

$2.07 A$2.96

-33.82%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$29.72 A$42.45

$41.53 A$59.3

-28.44%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.49 A$2.12

$1.28 A$1.83

16.41%

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

$29.1K A$41.5K

$28.1K A$40.1K

3.58%

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

$25.7K A$36.7K

$33.4K A$47.7K

-23.17%

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

$236 A$337

$226 A$323

4.23%

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

$28.01 A$40.01

$29.09 A$41.55

-3.71%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$57.2 A$81.7

$53.8 A$76.9

6.32%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$48.39 A$69.1

$49.45 A$70.6

-2.14%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$21.46 A$30.65

Cinema Ticket

$17.67 A$25.23

$16.96 A$24.22

4.19%

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

$2,461 A$3,515

$1,996 A$2,851

23.28%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$29.7K A$42.4K

$21.0K A$30.0K

41.46%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$81.2 A$116

$77.1 A$110

5.29%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$49.28 A$70.4

$53.8 A$76.8

-8.37%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$120 A$171

$104 A$149

14.72%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$131 A$187

$125 A$178

4.87%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,703 A$2,432

$1,156 A$1,651

47.26%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,409 A$2,012

$811 A$1,159

73.61%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$3,496 A$4,992

$1,616 A$2,308

116.34%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$2,527 A$3,608

$1,112 A$1,588

127.22%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$7,978 A$11.4K

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$6,900 A$9,854

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$4,257 A$6,079

$6,644 A$9,489

-35.93%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

5.9

-1.67%

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

Last update for Melbourne: October 26, 2026

Last update for Launceston: October 26, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Accommodation & Living

Melbourne

$1.4K 49.4%

Launceston

$811 39.8% 42.4% $597

Groceries & Markets

Melbourne

$386 13.6%

Launceston

$324 15.9% 16.3% $63

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Melbourne

$321 11.3%

Launceston

$309 15.2% 3.7% $12

Eating Out

Melbourne

$312 11%

Launceston

$265 13% 15.1% $47

Clothing & Footwear

Melbourne

$171 6%

Launceston

$162 7.9% 5.5% $9.4

Getting Around

Melbourne

$165 5.8%

Launceston

$85 4.2% 48.8% $81

Sport & Entertainment

Melbourne

$84 2.9%

Launceston

$83 4.1% 0.4% $0.3

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $1,703 in Melbourne and $1,156 in Launceston. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Launceston pays 56% more on average while also being the cheaper of the two. The combined effect is a noticeably stronger local purchasing power.

Dining out: $84 in Melbourne vs $74 in Launceston for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $386 vs $324 per month, with Launceston cheaper across the board.

Good to know

🇦🇺 Melbourne

🇦🇺 Launceston

🕒 Local time

18:15 6:15 PM

Same time as Melbourne

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

5,031,195

80,943

💱 Currency

Australian Dollar AUD $

📈 Exchange rate

1 AUD = 0.7 USD

1 AUD = 0.625 EUR

1 AUD = 0.7 USD

1 AUD = 0.625 EUR

Exchange rates and currency converter

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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 Launceston: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Launceston wins on cost – living expenses run 28% lower than in Melbourne. Housing and daily spending are where you’ll feel the difference most, making Launceston the obvious pick if budget is a priority.

On paper, salaries run 36% lower in Melbourne. That’s worth factoring in alongside costs, though remote workers earning in a stronger currency may not notice the difference at all.

Rent for a central apartment: $1,703 in Melbourne versus $1,156 in Launceston. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Dining out is cheaper in Launceston – a meal for two runs $74 versus $84 in Melbourne. If you eat out regularly, this makes a real dent in your monthly spending.

All in, you’ll spend $2,849 per month in Melbourne versus $2,039 in Launceston – Launceston is about 28% cheaper, which adds up to real savings over time.

Both cities are expensive relative to $2,000. Launceston 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 Launceston are both considered safe, so it’s unlikely to be the deciding factor between them.

Expats usually find Launceston gentler on the wallet – expenses run 28% less than in Melbourne. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.