Last update: Nov 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Melbourne and Mildura

For one person, living is cheaper in Mildura: $2,360 a month against $2,823 in Melbourne, rent and utilities included – about $5,600 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
112

Cost of Living Index in Mildura
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Mildura Living Index

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Melbourne

🇦🇺 Australia

$2,823

/mo nomad

Mildura

🇦🇺 Australia

$2,360

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

How much you'll spend in Melbourne and in Mildura

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

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $2,823 in Melbourne versus $2,360 in Mildura.

Melbourne $2,823
Mildura $2,360

Estimated couple costs with rent: $4,253 in Melbourne versus $3,616 in Mildura.

Melbourne $4,253
Mildura $3,616

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $5,683 in Melbourne versus $4,873 in Mildura.

Melbourne $5,683
Mildura $4,873

Living in Melbourne is roughly 20% more expensive than in Mildura, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in transport.

Both cities are pricier than the global median: Melbourne 109% above, Mildura 75% above.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$17.34 A$24.76

$15.56 A$22.22

11.44%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$82.7 A$118

$106 A$151

-21.89%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$12.63 A$18.04

$11.45 A$16.35

10.31%

Cappuccino

$4.22 A$6.03

$3.47 A$4.95

21.61%

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

$3.12 A$4.45

$2.77 A$3.95

12.64%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.48 A$3.54

$2.75 A$3.92

-9.82%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$9.69 A$13.84

$6.35 A$9.07

52.60%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$8.30 A$11.86

$6.83 A$9.75

21.52%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.50 A$2.15

$2.06 A$2.94

-27.18%

White Bread (500g)

$3.08 A$4.39

$2.77 A$3.96

11.19%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$2.64 A$3.77

$2.22 A$3.17

18.92%

Eggs

$5.58 A$7.96

$8.17 A$11.67

-31.70%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$9.78 A$13.97

$9.15 A$13.07

6.89%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$9.52 A$13.60

$9.17 A$13.10

3.82%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$15.18 A$21.68

$14.79 A$21.12

2.64%

Apples (1kg)

$4.22 A$6.03

$3.69 A$5.27

14.36%

Banana (1kg)

$3.13 A$4.47

$3.09 A$4.41

1.29%

Oranges (1kg)

$3.24 A$4.63

$3.33 A$4.76

-2.70%

Tomato (1kg)

$4.71 A$6.72

$4.56 A$6.51

3.29%

Potato (1kg)

$3.13 A$4.47

$2.45 A$3.50

27.76%

Onion (1kg)

$2.46 A$3.51

$2.49 A$3.56

-1.20%

Lettuce (1 head)

$2.40 A$3.43

$2.43 A$3.47

-1.23%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$1.47 A$2.10

$1.60 A$2.28

-8.13%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$42.76 A$61.1

$41.74 A$59.6

2.44%

Wine (Bottle)

$12.90 A$18.42

$14.14 A$20.20

-8.77%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$5.53 A$7.90

$4.60 A$6.57

20.22%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$5.16 A$7.36

$5.12 A$7.31

0.78%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$3.79 A$5.42

$2.80 A$4.00

35.36%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$141 A$202

$83.4 A$119

69.44%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$3.75 A$5.36

$3.55 A$5.07

5.63%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.44 A$2.06

$1.62 A$2.32

-11.11%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$28.93 A$41.32

$40.94 A$58.5

-29.34%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.45 A$2.07

$1.36 A$1.95

6.62%

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

$29.6K A$42.2K

$29.5K A$42.2K

0.11%

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

$26.3K A$37.5K

$26.8K A$38.3K

-2.15%

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

$229 A$327

$206 A$294

11.34%

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

$26.76 A$38.22

$28.26 A$40.36

-5.31%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$57.5 A$82.2

$56.2 A$80.2

2.46%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$49.77 A$71.1

$55.8 A$79.7

-10.79%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$21.45 A$30.63

$17.43 A$24.90

23.06%

Cinema Ticket

$17.43 A$24.90

$14.01 A$20.00

24.41%

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

$2,435 A$3,477

$2,141 A$3,057

13.72%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$33.6K A$48.0K

$20.0K A$28.6K

67.74%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$80.4 A$115

$77.4 A$111

3.84%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$51.5 A$73.5

$53.6 A$76.6

-4.03%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$121 A$173

$108 A$155

12.11%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$134 A$191

$122 A$174

9.49%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,748 A$2,497

$1,401 A$2,001

24.79%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,386 A$1,979

$1,066 A$1,522

30.04%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$3,468 A$4,952

$2,247 A$3,209

54.35%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$2,520 A$3,598

$1,848 A$2,639

36.35%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$8,274 A$11.8K

$5,923 A$8,459

39.68%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$7,066 A$10.1K

$4,914 A$7,018

43.79%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$4,206 A$6,007

$3,472 A$4,959

21.14%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

5.97

5.9

1.19%

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

Last update for Melbourne: November 1, 2026

Last update for Mildura: November 2, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Accommodation & Living

Melbourne

$1.4K 49.1%

Mildura

$1.1K 45.2% 23.1% $320

Groceries & Markets

Melbourne

$383 13.6%

Mildura

$383 16.3% 0.1% $0.5

Eating Out

Melbourne

$315 11.2%

Mildura

$268 11.4% 14.9% $47

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Melbourne

$313 11.1%

Mildura

$290 12.3% 7.4% $23

Clothing & Footwear

Melbourne

$174 6.2%

Mildura

$163 6.9% 6.6% $11

Getting Around

Melbourne

$167 5.9%

Mildura

$106 4.5% 36.5% $61

Sport & Entertainment

Melbourne

$85 3%

Mildura

$84 3.6% 1% $0.8

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $1,748 in Melbourne and $1,401 in Mildura. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Melbourne pays 21% more on average. How far that income stretches comes down to housing choices and lifestyle.

Dining out: $83 in Melbourne vs $106 in Mildura for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $383 vs $383 per month, with Melbourne cheaper across the board.

Good to know

🇦🇺 Melbourne

🇦🇺 Mildura

🕒 Local time

22:18 10:18 PM

Same time as Melbourne

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

5,031,195

34,565

💱 Currency

Australian Dollar AUD $

📈 Exchange rate

1 AUD = 0.7 USD

1 AUD = 0.625 EUR

1 AUD = 0.7 USD

1 AUD = 0.625 EUR

Exchange rates and currency converter

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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

Total monthly costs including rent come to $2,823 in Melbourne and $2,360 in Mildura, so Mildura is about 16% cheaper – a gap that matters a lot on a fixed or modest income.

Average pay runs 21% higher in Melbourne, 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: $1,748 in Melbourne versus $1,401 in Mildura. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

A monthly transit pass in Mildura runs roughly 41% less than in Melbourne. The price difference matters if you commute daily and watch your budget.

All in, you’ll spend $2,823 per month in Melbourne versus $2,360 in Mildura – Mildura is about 16% cheaper, which adds up to real savings over time.

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 both considered safe, so it’s unlikely to be the deciding factor between them.

It comes down to priorities – Mildura wins on affordability, Melbourne on earning potential. Factor in climate, language, visa rules, and proximity to places that matter to you before deciding.