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: $2,416 in Melbourne versus $2,734 in Leiden.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $3,579 in Melbourne versus $3,894 in Leiden.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $4,742 in Melbourne versus $5,053 in Leiden.

Living in Melbourne costs roughly 12% less than in Leiden, driven mainly by Clothing & Footwear.

Both cities are pricier than the global median: Melbourne 80% above, Leiden 104% above.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$19.75 A$27.67

$17.06 €14.69

15.77%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$78.7 A$110

$88.3 €76.0

-10.93%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$9.70 A$13.60

$14.13 €12.17

-31.35%

Cappuccino

$3.66 A$5.13

$3.95 €3.40

-7.34%

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

$2.60 A$3.65

$3.73 €3.21

-30.29%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.34 A$3.28

$2.89 €2.49

-19.03%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$7.17 A$10.05

$7.03 €6.06

1.99%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$6.99 A$9.79

$5.76 €4.96

21.35%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.45 A$2.03

$1.26 €1.08

15.08%

White Bread (500g)

$2.66 A$3.73

$2.24 €1.93

18.75%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$2.34 A$3.27

$3.31 €2.85

-29.31%

Eggs

$4.80 A$6.73

$4.78 €4.12

0.42%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$8.77 A$12.28

$14.54 €12.52

-39.68%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$9.44 A$13.22

$16.81 €14.48

-43.84%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$14.42 A$20.21

$17.33 €14.92

-16.79%

Apples (1kg)

$3.33 A$4.67

$2.24 €1.93

48.66%

Banana (1kg)

$2.77 A$3.89

$2.58 €2.22

7.36%

Oranges (1kg)

$3.00 A$4.20

$1.96 €1.69

53.06%

Tomato (1kg)

$3.95 A$5.53

$3.88 €3.34

1.80%

Potato (1kg)

$2.68 A$3.75

$2.07 €1.78

29.47%

Onion (1kg)

$2.36 A$3.30

$2.00 €1.72

18.00%

Lettuce (1 head)

$2.14 A$2.99

$1.20 €1.04

78.33%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$1.63 A$2.29

$0.74 €0.63

120.27%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$32.44 A$45.46

$12.82 €11.04

153.04%

Wine (Bottle)

$14.11 A$19.76

$7.48 €6.44

88.64%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$4.64 A$6.51

$1.55 €1.33

199.35%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$5.04 A$7.06

$2.64 €2.27

90.91%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$3.49 A$4.89

$3.02 €2.60

15.56%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$120 A$168

$87.7 €75.5

36.82%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$3.50 A$4.90

$5.76 €4.96

-39.24%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.35 A$1.88

$2.04 €1.76

-33.82%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$26.94 A$37.75

$34.44 €29.65

-21.78%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.19 A$1.67

$2.29 €1.97

-48.03%

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

$29.4K A$41.2K

$29.4K €25.4K

-0.05%

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

$23.6K A$33.0K

$28.9K €24.9K

-18.40%

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

$150 A$210

$289 €248

-48.03%

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

$21.16 A$29.65

$21.66 €18.65

-2.31%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$50.3 A$70.5

$50.8 €43.76

-1.04%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$49.14 A$68.9

$43.07 €37.09

14.09%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$16.37 A$22.94

$20.40 €17.56

-19.75%

Cinema Ticket

$16.43 A$23.03

$14.11 €12.15

16.44%

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

$1,764 A$2,471

$2,050 €1,765

-13.96%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$19.2K A$26.9K

$16.2K €14.0K

18.18%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$68.3 A$95.7

$114 €98.2

-40.09%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$53.3 A$74.7

$45.59 €39.26

16.87%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$106 A$149

$115 €99.1

-7.63%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$105 A$147

$153 €132

-31.77%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,572 A$2,203

$1,520 €1,309

3.46%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,195 A$1,674

$1,306 €1,125

-8.53%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$3,048 A$4,270

$2,389 €2,057

27.59%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,990 A$2,788

$2,013 €1,734

-1.17%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$7,387 A$10.4K

$8,052 €6,934

-8.26%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$6,527 A$9,146

$6,214 €5,351

5.04%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$4,512 A$6,323

$4,018 €3,460

12.30%

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: May 31, 2026

Last update for Leiden: May 31, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $1,572 in Melbourne and $1,520 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: $79.0 in Melbourne vs $88.0 in Leiden. Groceries flip the comparison at $354 vs $353, with Leiden cheaper for home cooking.

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 13% 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.

Melbourne pays 12% more on average, 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: $1,572 in Melbourne versus $1,520 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 $79.0 versus $88.0 in Leiden. If you eat out regularly, this makes a real dent in your monthly spending.

At $2,416 in Melbourne versus $2,734 in Leiden, a $3,000 budget is realistic in Melbourne but tight or insufficient in Leiden. The gap between the two cities makes Melbourne the clear choice for anyone on this budget.

Both work as nomad bases, but Melbourne delivers better value – similar infrastructure at $2,416 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 13% less than in Leiden. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.