Cost of Living Comparison Between Melbourne and Leiden Cost of Living Comparison Between Melbourne and Leiden

Monthly Cost of Living

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $2,420 in Melbourne versus $2,654 in Leiden.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $3,592 in Melbourne versus $3,897 in Leiden.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $4,765 in Melbourne versus $5,140 in Leiden.

Living in Melbourne costs roughly 9% less than in Leiden, driven mainly by Clothing & Footwear.

Both cities are pricier than the global median: Melbourne 81% above, Leiden 99% above.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$19.36 A$27.71

$17.32 €15.13

11.78%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$77.5 A$111

$85.8 €75.0

-9.75%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$9.85 A$14.10

$13.73 €12.00

-28.26%

Cappuccino

$3.73 A$5.33

$3.76 €3.28

-0.80%

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

$2.62 A$3.75

$3.87 €3.38

-32.30%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.28 A$3.27

$2.85 €2.49

-20.00%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$7.36 A$10.53

$6.92 €6.05

6.36%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$6.94 A$9.93

$5.84 €5.10

18.84%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.50 A$2.14

$1.27 €1.11

18.11%

White Bread (500g)

$2.58 A$3.69

$2.25 €1.97

14.67%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$2.34 A$3.35

$3.16 €2.76

-25.95%

Eggs

$4.85 A$6.95

$4.72 €4.13

2.75%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$8.72 A$12.49

$15.10 €13.19

-42.25%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$9.26 A$13.26

$16.45 €14.37

-43.71%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$14.58 A$20.88

$17.43 €15.23

-16.35%

Apples (1kg)

$3.32 A$4.75

$2.35 €2.05

41.28%

Banana (1kg)

$2.81 A$4.03

$2.59 €2.26

8.49%

Oranges (1kg)

$3.00 A$4.30

$1.92 €1.67

56.25%

Tomato (1kg)

$3.98 A$5.70

$4.01 €3.50

-0.75%

Potato (1kg)

$2.67 A$3.82

$2.09 €1.83

27.75%

Onion (1kg)

$2.23 A$3.20

$1.99 €1.74

12.06%

Lettuce (1 head)

$2.19 A$3.14

$1.24 €1.08

76.61%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$1.64 A$2.35

$0.73 €0.64

124.66%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$31.95 A$45.74

$13.19 €11.53

142.23%

Wine (Bottle)

$13.92 A$19.93

$7.13 €6.23

95.23%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$4.67 A$6.69

$1.47 €1.28

217.69%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$5.04 A$7.21

$2.65 €2.31

90.19%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$3.50 A$5.01

$3.00 €2.62

16.67%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$121 A$173

$87.3 €76.3

38.11%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$3.56 A$5.10

$5.75 €5.03

-38.09%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.40 A$2.01

$2.13 €1.86

-34.27%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$27.50 A$39.37

$34.09 €29.78

-19.33%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.15 A$1.64

$2.23 €1.95

-48.43%

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

$29.2K A$41.8K

$29.6K €25.8K

-1.31%

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

$23.0K A$32.9K

$28.3K €24.7K

-18.96%

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

$154 A$220

$286 €250

-46.22%

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

$20.93 A$29.97

$21.72 €18.97

-3.64%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$51.4 A$73.7

$51.7 €45.20

-0.56%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$48.89 A$70.0

$42.42 €37.07

15.25%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$16.24 A$23.25

$19.86 €17.35

-18.23%

Cinema Ticket

$15.97 A$22.87

$14.03 €12.26

13.83%

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

$1,765 A$2,527

$2,118 €1,850

-16.66%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$19.5K A$27.9K

$16.4K €14.3K

19.32%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$67.0 A$96.0

$111 €97.3

-39.83%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$54.5 A$78.0

$47.08 €41.14

15.65%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$106 A$151

$116 €101

-8.49%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$104 A$148

$150 €131

-30.75%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,575 A$2,255

$1,550 €1,355

1.59%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,206 A$1,726

$1,307 €1,142

-7.71%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$3,041 A$4,354

$2,368 €2,069

28.41%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$2,022 A$2,895

$1,994 €1,742

1.38%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$7,077 A$10.1K

$7,792 €6,808

-9.19%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$6,420 A$9,192

$5,931 €5,182

8.26%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$4,398 A$6,297

$3,916 €3,421

12.31%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

6.19

3.99

55.14%

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

Last update for Melbourne: July 14, 2026

Last update for Leiden: July 13, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $1,575 in Melbourne and $1,550 in Leiden. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Melbourne pays 12% more on average while also being the cheaper of the two. The combined effect is a noticeably stronger local purchasing power.

Dining out: $77.0 in Melbourne vs $86.0 in Leiden for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $353 vs $353 per month, with Melbourne cheaper across the board.

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 Leiden: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Melbourne wins on cost – living expenses run 10% lower than in Leiden. Housing and daily spending are where you'll feel the difference most, making Melbourne the obvious pick if budget is a priority.

Average pay runs 12% 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: $1,575 in Melbourne versus $1,550 in Leiden. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Shoppers in Leiden pay roughly 0% less for everyday groceries. It's an unusual reversal that partly offsets higher costs elsewhere.

Dining out is cheaper in Melbourne – a meal for two runs $77.0 versus $86.0 in Leiden. If you eat out regularly, this makes a real dent in your monthly spending.

Both cities are expensive relative to $3,000. Melbourne is the more realistic option, but even there you'll need to be disciplined with housing, food, and fun money.

Both work as nomad bases, but Melbourne delivers better value – similar infrastructure at $2,420 monthly. If stretching your runway or maximizing savings is the goal, the price difference makes Melbourne hard to pass up.

Safety-wise, Melbourne and Leiden 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 Melbourne gentler on the wallet – expenses run 10% less than in Leiden. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.