Last update: Nov 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Melbourne and Margaret River

For one person, living is cheaper in Margaret River: $2,642 a month against $2,823 in Melbourne, rent and utilities included – about $2,200 less a year. Rent and utilities account for most of the difference.

136

Cost of Living Index in Melbourne
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Melbourne Living Index
126

Cost of Living Index in Margaret River
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Margaret River Living Index

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Melbourne

🇦🇺 Australia

$2,823

/mo nomad

Margaret River

🇦🇺 Australia

$2,642

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

How much you'll spend in Melbourne and in Margaret River

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

A single person spends $2,823 per month in Melbourne vs $2,642 in Margaret River, rent included.

Melbourne $2,823
Margaret River $2,642

A couple spends around $4,253 per month in Melbourne vs $3,774 in Margaret River, rent included.

Melbourne $4,253
Margaret River $3,774

A family of three spends $5,683 per month in Melbourne vs $4,907 in Margaret River, rent included.

Melbourne $5,683
Margaret River $4,907

Melbourne costs about 7% more than Margaret River, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in transport.

Both Melbourne and Margaret River sit above the global median – Melbourne by 109%, Margaret River by 95%.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$17.34 A$24.71

$20.91 A$29.80

-17.07%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$82.7 A$118

$84.1 A$120

-1.69%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$12.63 A$18.00

$10.91 A$15.55

15.77%

Cappuccino

$4.22 A$6.01

$4.51 A$6.43

-6.43%

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

$3.12 A$4.44

$2.92 A$4.16

6.85%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.48 A$3.54

$2.22 A$3.17

11.71%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$9.69 A$13.81

$8.27 A$11.79

17.17%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$8.30 A$11.83

$8.36 A$11.92

-0.72%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.50 A$2.14

$1.74 A$2.48

-13.79%

White Bread (500g)

$3.08 A$4.38

$3.10 A$4.41

-0.65%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$2.64 A$3.77

$2.06 A$2.94

28.16%

Eggs

$5.58 A$7.94

$5.17 A$7.37

7.93%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$9.78 A$13.94

$9.34 A$13.31

4.71%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$9.52 A$13.57

$9.30 A$13.26

2.37%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$15.18 A$21.63

$14.12 A$20.12

7.51%

Apples (1kg)

$4.22 A$6.01

$4.67 A$6.66

-9.64%

Banana (1kg)

$3.13 A$4.46

$3.15 A$4.48

-0.63%

Oranges (1kg)

$3.24 A$4.62

$3.43 A$4.89

-5.54%

Tomato (1kg)

$4.71 A$6.71

$4.78 A$6.82

-1.46%

Potato (1kg)

$3.13 A$4.46

$2.83 A$4.03

10.60%

Onion (1kg)

$2.46 A$3.51

$1.91 A$2.72

28.80%

Lettuce (1 head)

$2.40 A$3.42

$2.20 A$3.13

9.09%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$1.47 A$2.10

$1.41 A$2.01

4.26%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$42.76 A$60.9

$42.03 A$59.9

1.74%

Wine (Bottle)

$12.90 A$18.38

$12.83 A$18.29

0.55%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$5.53 A$7.88

$4.36 A$6.21

26.83%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$5.16 A$7.35

$3.53 A$5.03

46.18%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$3.79 A$5.41

$2.72 A$3.87

39.34%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$141 A$201

$84.9 A$121

66.44%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$3.75 A$5.35

$3.54 A$5.04

5.93%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.44 A$2.06

$1.41 A$2.01

2.13%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$28.93 A$41.23

$40.36 A$57.5

-28.32%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.45 A$2.06

$1.43 A$2.04

1.40%

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

$29.6K A$42.1K

$30.6K A$43.6K

-3.40%

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

$26.3K A$37.4K

$28.1K A$40.1K

-6.61%

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

$229 A$326

$202 A$287

13.51%

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

$26.76 A$38.13

$32.62 A$46.48

-17.96%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$57.5 A$82.0

$64.3 A$91.6

-10.46%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$49.77 A$70.9

$56.9 A$81.1

-12.52%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$21.45 A$30.57

$17.68 A$25.19

21.32%

Cinema Ticket

$17.43 A$24.84

$17.47 A$24.90

-0.23%

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

$2,435 A$3,469

$2,300 A$3,277

5.87%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$33.6K A$47.9K

$23.4K A$33.3K

43.72%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$80.4 A$115

$78.6 A$112

2.23%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$51.5 A$73.4

$63.2 A$90.0

-18.48%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$121 A$173

$124 A$176

-1.92%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$134 A$190

$164 A$233

-18.52%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,748 A$2,491

$1,387 A$1,976

26.06%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,386 A$1,975

$1,253 A$1,785

10.66%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$3,468 A$4,942

$2,279 A$3,247

52.17%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$2,520 A$3,590

$1,798 A$2,562

40.16%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$8,274 A$11.8K

$5,747 A$8,190

43.96%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$7,066 A$10.1K

$4,919 A$7,010

43.64%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$4,206 A$5,994

$2,984 A$4,252

40.95%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

5.97

5.96

0.17%

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

Last update for Melbourne: November 1, 2026

Last update for Margaret River: November 2, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Accommodation & Living

Melbourne

$1.4K 49.1%

Margaret River

$1.3K 47.4% 9.6% $133

Groceries & Markets

Melbourne

$383 13.6%

Margaret River

$367 13.9% 4.3% $16

Eating Out

Melbourne

$315 11.2%

Margaret River

$333 12.6% 5.8% $18

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Melbourne

$313 11.1%

Margaret River

$299 11.3% 4.7% $15

Clothing & Footwear

Melbourne

$174 6.2%

Margaret River

$193 7.3% 11% $19

Getting Around

Melbourne

$167 5.9%

Margaret River

$106 4% 36.5% $61

Sport & Entertainment

Melbourne

$85 3%

Margaret River

$92 3.5% 8.5% $7.2

Cost Breakdown

A central one-bedroom costs $1,748 in Melbourne versus $1,387 in Margaret River. Rent is usually the largest line item in a monthly budget, so the gap here sets the tone for the overall comparison.

Salaries run about 41% higher in Melbourne. Purchasing power depends on which expenses matter most to you.

A mid-range dinner for two costs $83 in Melbourne versus $84 in Margaret River. Groceries tell a different story – $383 in Melbourne vs $367 in Margaret River – so Margaret River wins on supermarket bills even if dining out costs more.

Good to know

🇦🇺 Melbourne

🇦🇺 Margaret River

🕒 Local time

02:47 2:47 AM

23:47 11:47 PM

3 h behind Melbourne

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

5,031,195

8,000

💱 Currency

Australian Dollar AUD $

📈 Exchange rate

1 AUD = 0.702 USD

1 AUD = 0.624 EUR

1 AUD = 0.702 USD

1 AUD = 0.624 EUR

Exchange rates and currency converter

On the map

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Between locations

Melbourne Margaret River 2,710 km ≈ 4 h nonstop flight

From you

Melbourne
Margaret River

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 Margaret River: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Yes – Melbourne is pricier by about 7%, and outside of rent the gap shows up most in transport.

For a comfortable life, plan on about $4,234 per month in Melbourne and $3,963 in Margaret River. That covers rent, food, utilities, transport, and enough left over to feel settled – not just surviving.

Rent is clearly cheaper in Margaret River, especially for central apartments: a one-bedroom in the center costs $1,387 there versus $1,748 in Melbourne.

Monthly expenses with rent come to $2,823 in Melbourne and $2,642 in Margaret River. That makes Margaret River about 6% cheaper.

Kindergarten costs $2,435 per month in Melbourne and $2,300 in Margaret River. For families with young kids, this one expense can tip the scales when choosing between the two cities.

$2,500 is a stretch for both – monthly costs hit $2,823 in Melbourne and $2,642 in Margaret River. You’ll need shared housing and careful budgeting no matter which city you pick.

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

Both cities have a reputation for safety. In either place, the choice of neighborhood matters more than the choice between the two cities.

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