Last update: Nov 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Melbourne and Missoula, MT

For one person, living is cheaper in Missoula, MT: $2,609 a month against $2,823 in Melbourne, rent and utilities included – about $2,600 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
124

Cost of Living Index in Missoula, MT
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Missoula, MT Living Index

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Melbourne

🇦🇺 Australia

$2,823

/mo nomad

Missoula, MT

🇺🇸 United States

$2,609

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

How much you'll spend in Melbourne and in Missoula, MT

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

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $2,823 in Melbourne versus $2,609 in Missoula, MT.

Melbourne $2,823
Missoula, MT $2,609

Estimated couple costs with rent: $4,253 in Melbourne versus $4,087 in Missoula, MT.

Melbourne $4,253
Missoula, MT $4,087

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $5,683 in Melbourne versus $5,565 in Missoula, MT.

Melbourne $5,683
Missoula, MT $5,565

Living in Melbourne is roughly 8% more expensive than in Missoula, MT, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in transport.

Both cities are pricier than the global median: Melbourne 109% above, Missoula, MT 93% above.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$17.34 A$24.72

$16.73 $16.73

3.65%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$82.7 A$118

$75.3 $75.3

9.87%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$12.63 A$18.01

$9.27 $9.27

36.25%

Cappuccino

$4.22 A$6.02

$4.37 $4.37

-3.43%

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

$3.12 A$4.44

$3.10 $3.10

0.65%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.48 A$3.54

$2.34 $2.34

5.98%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$9.69 A$13.82

$5.86 $5.86

65.36%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$8.30 A$11.83

$5.93 $5.93

39.97%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.50 A$2.14

$1.12 $1.12

33.93%

White Bread (500g)

$3.08 A$4.39

$3.44 $3.44

-10.47%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$2.64 A$3.77

$4.98 $4.98

-46.99%

Eggs

$5.58 A$7.95

$4.27 $4.27

30.68%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$9.78 A$13.95

$24.81 $24.81

-60.58%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$9.52 A$13.57

$9.67 $9.67

-1.55%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$15.18 A$21.64

$18.98 $18.98

-20.02%

Apples (1kg)

$4.22 A$6.02

$4.81 $4.81

-12.27%

Banana (1kg)

$3.13 A$4.47

$1.46 $1.46

114.38%

Oranges (1kg)

$3.24 A$4.62

$6.51 $6.51

-50.23%

Tomato (1kg)

$4.71 A$6.71

$3.73 $3.73

26.27%

Potato (1kg)

$3.13 A$4.46

$2.33 $2.33

34.33%

Onion (1kg)

$2.46 A$3.51

$2.96 $2.96

-16.89%

Lettuce (1 head)

$2.40 A$3.42

$2.41 $2.41

-0.41%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$1.47 A$2.10

$3.90 $3.90

-62.31%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$42.76 A$61.0

$10.50 $10.50

307.24%

Wine (Bottle)

$12.90 A$18.39

$24.82 $24.82

-48.03%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$5.53 A$7.88

$1.98 $1.98

179.29%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$5.16 A$7.35

$4.38 $4.38

17.81%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$3.79 A$5.41

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$141 A$201

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$3.75 A$5.35

$5.13 $5.13

-26.90%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.44 A$2.06

$4.99 $4.99

-71.14%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$28.93 A$41.25

$39.29 $39.29

-26.37%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.45 A$2.07

$1.09 $1.09

33.03%

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

$29.6K A$42.2K

$32.3K $32.3K

-8.45%

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

$26.3K A$37.4K

$24.5K $24.5K

6.97%

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

$229 A$326

$139 $139

64.88%

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

$26.76 A$38.15

$52.7 $52.7

-49.17%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$57.5 A$82.0

$69.2 $69.2

-16.79%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$49.77 A$71.0

$49.22 $49.22

1.12%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$21.45 A$30.58

$22.25 $22.25

-3.60%

Cinema Ticket

$17.43 A$24.85

$13.75 $13.75

26.76%

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

$2,435 A$3,471

$2,009 $2,009

21.19%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$33.6K A$47.9K

$17.7K $17.7K

89.48%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$80.4 A$115

$66.4 $66.4

20.99%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$51.5 A$73.4

$44.46 $44.46

15.79%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$121 A$173

$104 $104

16.16%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$134 A$190

$149 $149

-10.45%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,748 A$2,492

$1,522 $1,522

14.83%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,386 A$1,976

$1,324 $1,324

4.73%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$3,468 A$4,944

$2,992 $2,992

15.92%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$2,520 A$3,592

$2,649 $2,649

-4.89%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$8,274 A$11.8K

$4,211 $4,211

96.47%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$7,066 A$10.1K

$3,475 $3,475

103.35%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$4,206 A$5,996

$3,666 $3,666

14.75%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

5.97

6.84

-12.72%

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

Last update for Melbourne: November 1, 2026

Last update for Missoula, MT: November 1, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Accommodation & Living

Melbourne

$1.4K 49.1%

Missoula, MT

$1.3K 50.7% 4.5% $63

Groceries & Markets

Melbourne

$383 13.6%

Missoula, MT

$477 18.3% 24.7% $95

Eating Out

Melbourne

$315 11.2%

Missoula, MT

$277 10.6% 12% $38

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Melbourne

$313 11.1%

Missoula, MT

$261 10% 16.8% $53

Clothing & Footwear

Melbourne

$174 6.2%

Missoula, MT

$164 6.3% 5.8% $10

Getting Around

Melbourne

$167 5.9%

Missoula, MT

$30 * 1.2% 82% $137

Sport & Entertainment

Melbourne

$85 3%

Missoula, MT

$77 2.9% 9.4% $7.9

Categories marked with * are only partly priced – their share counts the items that do have prices.

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $1,748 in Melbourne and $1,522 in Missoula, MT. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Melbourne pays 15% more on average. How far that income stretches comes down to housing choices and lifestyle.

Dining out: $83 in Melbourne vs $75 in Missoula, MT. Groceries flip the comparison at $383 vs $477, with Melbourne cheaper for home cooking.

Good to know

🇦🇺 Melbourne

🇺🇸 Missoula, MT

🕒 Local time

07:03 7:03 AM

13:03 1:03 PM

18 h behind Melbourne

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

5,031,195

73,489

💱 Currency

Australian Dollar AUD $

United States Dollar USD $

📈 Exchange rate

1 AUD = 0.701 USD

1 AUD = 0.623 EUR

1 USD = 0.888 EUR

Exchange rates and currency converter

USD, EUR to AUD – Australian Dollar Converter

🇺🇸 United States Dollar ($)

🇦🇺 Australian Dollar ($)

Australian Dollar exchange rates as of November 4, 2026: 1 USD = 1.43 AUD (1 AUD = 0.701 USD). 1 EUR = 1.6 AUD (1 AUD = 0.623 EUR).

United States Dollar exchange rates as of November 4, 2026: 1 EUR = 1.13 USD (1 USD = 0.888 EUR).

USD to AUD in detail →

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Between locations

Melbourne Missoula, MT 13,720 km ≈ 18 h nonstop flight

From you

Melbourne
Missoula, MT

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 Missoula, MT: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Total monthly costs including rent come to $2,823 in Melbourne and $2,609 in Missoula, MT, so Missoula, MT is about 8% cheaper – a gap that matters a lot on a fixed or modest income.

Average pay runs 15% 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 $1,522 in Missoula, MT. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Shoppers in Melbourne pay roughly 20% less for everyday groceries. It’s an unusual reversal that partly offsets higher costs elsewhere.

All in, you’ll spend $2,823 per month in Melbourne versus $2,609 in Missoula, MT – Missoula, MT is about 8% cheaper, which adds up to real savings over time.

Both cities are expensive relative to $2,500. Missoula, MT is the more realistic option, but even there you’ll need to be disciplined with housing, food, and fun money.

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

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