Cost of Living Comparison Between Melbourne and Mildura Cost of Living Comparison Between Melbourne and Mildura

Monthly Cost of Living

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $2,416 in Melbourne versus $2,139 in Mildura.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $3,579 in Melbourne versus $3,266 in Mildura.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $4,742 in Melbourne versus $4,392 in Mildura.

Living in Melbourne is roughly 13% more expensive than Mildura, driven mainly by Getting Around.

Both cities are pricier than the global median: Melbourne 80% above, Mildura 60% above.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$19.75 A$27.52

$16.42 A$22.87

20.28%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$78.7 A$110

$76.7 A$107

2.56%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$9.70 A$13.52

$9.69 A$13.50

0.10%

Cappuccino

$3.66 A$5.11

$3.34 A$4.65

9.58%

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

$2.60 A$3.63

$2.58 A$3.60

0.78%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.34 A$3.26

$2.41 A$3.37

-2.90%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$7.17 A$10.00

$6.48 A$9.02

10.65%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$6.99 A$9.73

$6.99 A$9.74

Milk (1 liter)

$1.45 A$2.02

$1.98 A$2.77

-26.77%

White Bread (500g)

$2.66 A$3.71

$2.67 A$3.72

-0.37%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$2.34 A$3.26

$2.00 A$2.79

17.00%

Eggs

$4.80 A$6.69

$7.24 A$10.09

-33.70%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$8.77 A$12.21

$8.51 A$11.85

3.06%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$9.44 A$13.15

$8.37 A$11.66

12.78%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$14.42 A$20.09

$13.59 A$18.94

6.11%

Apples (1kg)

$3.33 A$4.64

$3.34 A$4.66

-0.30%

Banana (1kg)

$2.77 A$3.87

$2.72 A$3.79

1.84%

Oranges (1kg)

$3.00 A$4.18

$2.91 A$4.05

3.09%

Tomato (1kg)

$3.95 A$5.50

$4.09 A$5.70

-3.42%

Potato (1kg)

$2.68 A$3.73

$2.43 A$3.38

10.29%

Onion (1kg)

$2.36 A$3.28

$2.13 A$2.97

10.80%

Lettuce (1 head)

$2.14 A$2.98

$2.12 A$2.95

0.94%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$1.63 A$2.27

$1.53 A$2.13

6.54%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$32.44 A$45.21

$31.30 A$43.62

3.64%

Wine (Bottle)

$14.11 A$19.66

$14.25 A$19.86

-0.98%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$4.64 A$6.47

$4.44 A$6.19

4.50%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$5.04 A$7.02

$5.37 A$7.48

-6.15%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$3.49 A$4.87

$2.54 A$3.54

37.40%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$120 A$167

$63.9 A$89.1

87.61%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$3.50 A$4.88

$3.51 A$4.89

-0.28%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.35 A$1.87

$1.60 A$2.23

-15.63%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$26.94 A$37.55

$33.44 A$46.59

-19.44%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.19 A$1.66

$1.27 A$1.77

-6.30%

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

$29.4K A$41.0K

$29.2K A$40.6K

0.89%

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

$23.6K A$32.9K

$22.1K A$30.8K

6.71%

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

$150 A$209

$183 A$255

-18.21%

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

$21.16 A$29.49

$27.21 A$37.91

-22.23%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$50.3 A$70.1

$40.78 A$56.8

23.32%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$49.14 A$68.5

$48.49 A$67.6

1.34%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$16.37 A$22.82

$15.49 A$21.58

5.68%

Cinema Ticket

$16.43 A$22.90

$12.83 A$17.88

28.06%

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

$1,764 A$2,458

$1,634 A$2,276

7.96%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$19.2K A$26.7K

$11.9K A$16.6K

61.08%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$68.3 A$95.2

$68.1 A$94.9

0.28%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$53.3 A$74.3

$51.5 A$71.7

3.50%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$106 A$148

$97.9 A$136

8.63%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$105 A$146

$106 A$147

-1.09%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,572 A$2,191

$1,318 A$1,836

19.34%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,195 A$1,665

$975 A$1,359

22.48%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$3,048 A$4,247

$2,090 A$2,913

45.79%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,990 A$2,772

$1,694 A$2,360

17.46%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$7,387 A$10.3K

$6,165 A$8,591

19.82%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$6,527 A$9,095

$5,188 A$7,229

25.82%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$4,512 A$6,288

$3,575 A$4,982

26.20%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

6.19

6.34

-2.37%

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

Last update for Melbourne: May 31, 2026

Last update for Mildura: May 31, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $1,572 in Melbourne and $1,318 in Mildura. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Melbourne pays 26% more on average. The extra income cushions the higher costs, though housing choices and lifestyle decide how much of the gap is truly closed.

Dining out: $79.0 in Melbourne vs $77.0 in Mildura. Groceries flip the comparison at $354 vs $357, with Melbourne 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 Mildura: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Melbourne and Mildura differ by about 13% in total monthly costs ($2,416 vs $2,139 including rent). Mildura is meaningfully more affordable – a gap that matters a lot on a fixed or modest income.

Melbourne pays 26% 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 $1,318 in Mildura. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Childcare runs $1,764 in Melbourne versus $1,634 in Mildura. Over years of preschool, even a modest monthly gap compounds into a major financial factor for families.

Shoppers in Melbourne pay roughly 1% less for everyday groceries. It's an unusual reversal that partly offsets higher costs elsewhere.

At $2,139 in Mildura versus $2,416 in Melbourne, a $2,500 budget is realistic in Mildura but tight or insufficient in Melbourne. The gap between the two cities makes Mildura the clear choice for anyone on this budget.

Both cities offer a good standard of living with different trade-offs. Neither is objectively better – the right pick depends on what matters most: affordability, career, cultural scene, or climate.

Safety-wise, Melbourne and Mildura 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 Mildura gentler on the wallet – expenses run 13% less than in Melbourne. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.