Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Melbourne and Maroochydore

For one person, living is cheaper in Maroochydore: $2,422 a month against $2,849 in Melbourne, rent and utilities included – about $5,100 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
116

Cost of Living Index in Maroochydore
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Maroochydore Living Index

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Melbourne

🇦🇺 Australia

$2,849

/mo nomad

Maroochydore

🇦🇺 Australia

$2,422

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

How much you'll spend in Melbourne and in Maroochydore

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

A single person spends $2,849 per month in Melbourne vs $2,422 in Maroochydore, rent included.

Melbourne $2,849
Maroochydore $2,422

A couple spends around $4,274 per month in Melbourne vs $3,694 in Maroochydore, rent included.

Melbourne $4,274
Maroochydore $3,694

A family of three spends $5,699 per month in Melbourne vs $4,966 in Maroochydore, rent included.

Melbourne $5,699
Maroochydore $4,966

Melbourne costs about 18% more than Maroochydore, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in transport.

Both Melbourne and Maroochydore sit above the global median – Melbourne by 109%, Maroochydore by 78%.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$17.50 A$24.87

$14.46 A$20.56

21.02%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$84.3 A$120

$96.5 A$137

-12.63%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$12.17 A$17.30

$9.34 A$13.27

30.30%

Cappuccino

$4.07 A$5.79

$3.84 A$5.46

5.99%

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

$3.18 A$4.52

$2.62 A$3.72

21.37%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.50 A$3.55

$2.05 A$2.91

21.95%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$9.57 A$13.60

$4.10 A$5.83

133.41%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$8.25 A$11.73

$7.75 A$11.02

6.45%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.50 A$2.14

$1.56 A$2.21

-3.85%

White Bread (500g)

$2.97 A$4.22

$2.74 A$3.90

8.39%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$2.68 A$3.81

$2.42 A$3.45

10.74%

Eggs

$5.45 A$7.75

$4.89 A$6.96

11.45%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$10.71 A$15.23

$9.05 A$12.86

18.34%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$10.05 A$14.28

$9.53 A$13.55

5.46%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$15.00 A$21.32

$14.72 A$20.92

1.90%

Apples (1kg)

$4.07 A$5.78

$3.73 A$5.31

9.12%

Banana (1kg)

$3.14 A$4.46

$3.13 A$4.45

0.32%

Oranges (1kg)

$3.12 A$4.43

$2.64 A$3.76

18.18%

Tomato (1kg)

$4.73 A$6.73

$3.76 A$5.34

25.80%

Potato (1kg)

$2.98 A$4.24

$2.55 A$3.63

16.86%

Onion (1kg)

$2.49 A$3.55

$2.16 A$3.07

15.28%

Lettuce (1 head)

$2.48 A$3.53

$2.55 A$3.63

-2.75%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$1.60 A$2.27

$2.42 A$3.44

-33.88%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$44.65 A$63.5

$24.23 A$34.44

84.28%

Wine (Bottle)

$12.68 A$18.02

$10.70 A$15.21

18.50%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$5.55 A$7.88

$5.74 A$8.15

-3.31%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$5.18 A$7.37

$5.77 A$8.20

-10.23%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$3.84 A$5.45

$0.71 A$1.01

440.85%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$139 A$197

$78.7 A$112

76.23%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$4.36 A$6.19

$2.05 A$2.91

112.68%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.37 A$1.94

$1.53 A$2.18

-10.46%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$29.72 A$42.25

$35.95 A$51.1

-17.33%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.49 A$2.11

$1.31 A$1.86

13.74%

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

$29.1K A$41.3K

$29.2K A$41.5K

-0.28%

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

$25.7K A$36.5K

$23.5K A$33.4K

9.24%

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

$236 A$335

$222 A$315

6.21%

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

$28.01 A$39.82

$31.08 A$44.18

-9.88%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$57.2 A$81.4

$53.5 A$76.1

6.91%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$48.39 A$68.8

$57.3 A$81.5

-15.61%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$21.46 A$30.51

$17.65 A$25.09

21.59%

Cinema Ticket

$17.67 A$25.11

$13.16 A$18.70

34.27%

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

$2,461 A$3,498

$2,150 A$3,056

14.46%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$29.7K A$42.2K

$11.8K A$16.7K

152.23%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$81.2 A$115

$77.0 A$109

5.54%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$49.28 A$70.0

$54.5 A$77.4

-9.51%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$120 A$170

$102 A$146

16.73%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$131 A$186

$125 A$178

4.88%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,703 A$2,420

$1,187 A$1,688

43.42%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,409 A$2,002

$1,164 A$1,654

21.06%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$3,496 A$4,969

$2,067 A$2,937

69.15%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$2,527 A$3,591

$2,093 A$2,975

20.70%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$7,978 A$11.3K

$6,072 A$8,631

31.39%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$6,900 A$9,808

$6,217 A$8,838

10.98%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$4,257 A$6,051

$2,778 A$3,949

53.22%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

5.9

5.69

3.69%

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

Last update for Melbourne: October 26, 2026

Last update for Maroochydore: October 24, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Accommodation & Living

Melbourne

$1.4K 49.4%

Maroochydore

$1.2K 48.1% 17.4% $245

Groceries & Markets

Melbourne

$386 13.6%

Maroochydore

$371 15.3% 4% $16

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Melbourne

$321 11.3%

Maroochydore

$306 12.7% 4.5% $14

Eating Out

Melbourne

$312 11%

Maroochydore

$244 10.1% 21.8% $68

Clothing & Footwear

Melbourne

$171 6%

Maroochydore

$161 6.7% 5.9% $10

Getting Around

Melbourne

$165 5.8%

Maroochydore

$91 3.8% 44.8% $74

Sport & Entertainment

Melbourne

$84 2.9%

Maroochydore

$84 3.5% 0.1% $0.1

Cost Breakdown

A central one-bedroom costs $1,703 in Melbourne versus $1,187 in Maroochydore. 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 53% higher in Melbourne. Purchasing power depends on which expenses matter most to you.

A mid-range dinner for two costs $84 in Melbourne versus $96 in Maroochydore. Groceries tell a different story – $386 in Melbourne vs $371 in Maroochydore – so Maroochydore wins on supermarket bills even if dining out costs more.

Good to know

🇦🇺 Melbourne

🇦🇺 Maroochydore

🕒 Local time

10:53 10:53 AM

09:53 9:53 AM

1 h behind Melbourne

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

5,031,195

18,342

💱 Currency

Australian Dollar AUD $

📈 Exchange rate

1 AUD = 0.704 USD

1 AUD = 0.63 EUR

1 AUD = 0.704 USD

1 AUD = 0.63 EUR

Exchange rates and currency converter

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Between locations

Melbourne Maroochydore 1,460 km ≈ 2 h 15 min nonstop flight

From you

Melbourne
Maroochydore

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 Maroochydore: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Monthly costs with rent: $2,849 in Melbourne, $2,422 in Maroochydore – Maroochydore comes out roughly 15% cheaper. Outside of rent, the biggest gap is in transport.

For a comfortable life, plan on about $4,273 per month in Melbourne and $3,633 in Maroochydore. That covers rent, food, utilities, transport, and enough left over to feel settled – not just surviving.

Rent is clearly cheaper in Maroochydore, especially for central apartments: a one-bedroom in the center costs $1,187 there versus $1,703 in Melbourne.

Public transport costs about 43% less in Maroochydore. For daily commuters, that gap adds up to noticeable savings over a year.

Kindergarten costs $2,461 per month in Melbourne and $2,150 in Maroochydore. For families with young kids, this one expense can tip the scales when choosing between the two cities.

Families tend to lean toward Maroochydore – 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 Maroochydore. If higher salaries or specific career opportunities are the priority, Melbourne makes more sense. Both are solid long-term options with distinct trade-offs.