Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Melbourne and Lihir Island

138

Cost of Living Index in Melbourne
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Melbourne Living Index

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Melbourne

🇦🇺 Australia

$2,853

/mo nomad

Lihir Island

🇵🇬 Papua New Guinea

/mo nomad

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$17.20 A$24.75

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$83.1 A$120

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$12.43 A$17.88

Cappuccino

$4.05 A$5.82

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

$3.12 A$4.50

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.46 A$3.54

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$9.52 A$13.71

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$8.16 A$11.74

Milk (1 liter)

$1.56 A$2.25

White Bread (500g)

$2.90 A$4.18

Rice (white) (1kg)

$2.66 A$3.82

Eggs

$5.37 A$7.72

Local Cheese (1kg)

$10.67 A$15.36

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$9.85 A$14.17

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$15.36 A$22.11

Apples (1kg)

$4.17 A$6.00

Banana (1kg)

$3.15 A$4.53

Oranges (1kg)

$3.26 A$4.69

Tomato (1kg)

$4.76 A$6.85

Potato (1kg)

$3.06 A$4.41

Onion (1kg)

$2.47 A$3.55

Lettuce (1 head)

$2.45 A$3.52

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$1.63 A$2.34

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$45.17 A$65.0

Wine (Bottle)

$12.68 A$18.25

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$5.69 A$8.18

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$5.23 A$7.53

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$3.87 A$5.57

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$142 A$204

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$4.54 A$6.53

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.42 A$2.04

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$30.59 A$44.01

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.47 A$2.11

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

$28.9K A$41.5K

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

$25.9K A$37.3K

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

$235 A$338

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

$27.45 A$39.51

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$56.1 A$80.8

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$50.1 A$72.1

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$21.49 A$30.93

Cinema Ticket

$17.76 A$25.56

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

$2,385 A$3,432

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$29.7K A$42.7K

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$79.2 A$114

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$49.49 A$71.2

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$118 A$170

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$132 A$190

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,763 A$2,537

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,411 A$2,031

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$3,522 A$5,069

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$2,525 A$3,634

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$7,136 A$10.3K

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$6,355 A$9,144

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$4,258 A$6,128

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 17, 2026

Last update for Lihir Island: October 20, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Accommodation & Living

Melbourne

$1.4K 49.5%

Lihir Island

–

Groceries & Markets

Melbourne

$388 13.6%

Lihir Island

–

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Melbourne

$319 11.2%

Lihir Island

–

Eating Out

Melbourne

$310 10.9%

Lihir Island

–

Clothing & Footwear

Melbourne

$171 6%

Lihir Island

–

Getting Around

Melbourne

$169 5.9%

Lihir Island

–

Sport & Entertainment

Melbourne

$86 3%

Lihir Island

–

Good to know

🇦🇺 Melbourne

🇵🇬 Lihir Island

🕒 Local time

06:34 6:34 AM

05:34 5:34 AM

1 h behind Melbourne

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

5,031,195

💱 Currency

Australian Dollar AUD $

Papua New Guinean Kina PGK K

📈 Exchange rate

1 AUD = 0.695 USD

1 AUD = 0.618 EUR

1 PGK = 0.228 USD

1 PGK = 0.203 EUR

Exchange rates and currency converter

PGK, USD, EUR to AUD – Australian Dollar Converter

🇺🇸 United States Dollar ($)

🇦🇺 Australian Dollar ($)

Australian Dollar exchange rates as of October 20, 2026: 1 USD = 1.44 AUD (1 AUD = 0.695 USD). 1 EUR = 1.62 AUD (1 AUD = 0.618 EUR).

Papua New Guinean Kina exchange rates as of October 20, 2026: 1 USD = 4.38 PGK (1 PGK = 0.228 USD). 1 EUR = 4.92 PGK (1 PGK = 0.203 EUR).

USD to AUD in detail →

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Melbourne Lihir Island 3,930 km ≈ 5 h nonstop flight

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Lihir Island

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 Lihir Island: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Families tend to lean toward Lihir Island – lower housing and cheaper childcare make a real difference, especially on a single income or when paying for private education.

Both have safer and rougher neighborhoods, but overall safety is comparable to other large cities. Neighborhood choice matters more than the city-level comparison – central, well-trafficked areas feel secure in both.

If budget matters most, go with Lihir Island. If higher salaries, better infrastructure, or specific career opportunities are the priority, Melbourne makes more sense. Both are solid long-term options with distinct trade-offs.