Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Melbourne and Modesto, CA

For one person, living is cheaper in Modesto, CA: $2,708 a month against $2,849 in Melbourne, rent and utilities included – about $1,700 less a year. Other living expenses account for most of the difference.

137

Cost of Living Index in Melbourne
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Melbourne Living Index
130

Cost of Living Index in Modesto, CA
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Modesto, CA Living Index

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Melbourne

🇦🇺 Australia

$2,849

/mo nomad

Modesto, CA

🇺🇸 United States

$2,708

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

How much you'll spend in Melbourne and in Modesto, CA

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

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $2,849 in Melbourne versus $2,708 in Modesto, CA.

Melbourne $2,849
Modesto, CA $2,708

Estimated couple costs with rent: $4,274 in Melbourne versus $3,910 in Modesto, CA.

Melbourne $4,274
Modesto, CA $3,910

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $5,699 in Melbourne versus $5,112 in Modesto, CA.

Melbourne $5,699
Modesto, CA $5,112

Living in Melbourne is roughly 5% more expensive than in Modesto, CA, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in transport.

Both cities are pricier than the global median: Melbourne 109% above, Modesto, CA 99% above.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$17.50 A$24.89

$15.19 $15.19

15.21%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$84.3 A$120

$79.2 $79.2

6.43%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$12.17 A$17.31

$8.88 $8.88

37.05%

Cappuccino

$4.07 A$5.79

$5.39 $5.39

-24.49%

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

$3.18 A$4.52

$2.61 $2.61

21.84%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.50 A$3.55

$1.58 $1.58

58.23%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$9.57 A$13.61

$5.07 $5.07

88.76%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$8.25 A$11.73

$7.12 $7.12

15.87%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.50 A$2.14

$1.05 $1.05

42.86%

White Bread (500g)

$2.97 A$4.22

$3.65 $3.65

-18.63%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$2.68 A$3.82

$4.09 $4.09

-34.47%

Eggs

$5.45 A$7.76

$5.54 $5.54

-1.62%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$10.71 A$15.24

$12.89 $12.89

-16.91%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$10.05 A$14.29

$13.35 $13.35

-24.72%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$15.00 A$21.33

$19.65 $19.65

-23.66%

Apples (1kg)

$4.07 A$5.79

$5.38 $5.38

-24.35%

Banana (1kg)

$3.14 A$4.46

$2.01 $2.01

56.22%

Oranges (1kg)

$3.12 A$4.44

$5.54 $5.54

-43.68%

Tomato (1kg)

$4.73 A$6.73

$5.46 $5.46

-13.37%

Potato (1kg)

$2.98 A$4.24

$3.53 $3.53

-15.58%

Onion (1kg)

$2.49 A$3.55

$2.93 $2.93

-15.02%

Lettuce (1 head)

$2.48 A$3.53

$2.43 $2.43

2.06%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$1.60 A$2.28

$2.55 $2.55

-37.25%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$44.65 A$63.5

$11.56 $11.56

286.25%

Wine (Bottle)

$12.68 A$18.04

$15.25 $15.25

-16.85%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$5.55 A$7.89

$1.88 $1.88

195.21%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$5.18 A$7.37

$3.33 $3.33

55.56%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$3.84 A$5.46

$1.96 $1.96

95.92%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$139 A$197

$40.49 $40.49

242.58%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$4.36 A$6.20

$3.43 $3.43

27.11%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.37 A$1.94

$3.05 $3.05

-55.08%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$29.72 A$42.28

$30.56 $30.56

-2.75%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.49 A$2.11

$1.43 $1.43

4.20%

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

$29.1K A$41.4K

$36.9K $36.9K

-21.22%

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

$25.7K A$36.5K

$26.7K $26.7K

-3.72%

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

$236 A$335

$257 $257

-8.30%

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

$28.01 A$39.84

$48.45 $48.45

-42.19%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$57.2 A$81.4

$68.6 $68.6

-16.61%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$48.39 A$68.8

$37.85 $37.85

27.85%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$21.46 A$30.53

$14.77 $14.77

45.29%

Cinema Ticket

$17.67 A$25.13

$11.21 $11.21

57.63%

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

$2,461 A$3,500

$1,836 $1,836

34.07%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$29.7K A$42.2K

$40.6K $40.6K

-26.79%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$81.2 A$116

$47.86 $47.86

69.68%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$49.28 A$70.1

$39.21 $39.21

25.68%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$120 A$170

$95.1 $95.1

25.64%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$131 A$186

$121 $121

8.24%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,703 A$2,422

$1,302 $1,302

30.82%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,409 A$2,004

$1,359 $1,359

3.64%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$3,496 A$4,972

$1,824 $1,824

91.67%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$2,527 A$3,594

$2,155 $2,155

17.25%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$7,978 A$11.3K

$3,619 $3,619

120.47%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$6,900 A$9,814

$2,962 $2,962

132.98%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$4,257 A$6,055

$4,071 $4,071

4.57%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

5.9

6.1

-3.28%

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

Last update for Melbourne: October 26, 2026

Last update for Modesto, CA: October 25, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Accommodation & Living

Melbourne

$1.4K 49.4%

Modesto, CA

$1.4K 50.2% 3.5% $49

Groceries & Markets

Melbourne

$386 13.6%

Modesto, CA

$442 16.3% 14.3% $55

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Melbourne

$321 11.3%

Modesto, CA

$374 13.8% 16.6% $53

Eating Out

Melbourne

$312 11%

Modesto, CA

$269 9.9% 13.8% $43

Clothing & Footwear

Melbourne

$171 6%

Modesto, CA

$136 5% 20.4% $35

Getting Around

Melbourne

$165 5.8%

Modesto, CA

$67 2.5% 59.5% $98

Sport & Entertainment

Melbourne

$84 2.9%

Modesto, CA

$60 2.2% 28% $23

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $1,703 in Melbourne and $1,302 in Modesto, CA. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Melbourne pays 5% 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: $84 in Melbourne vs $79 in Modesto, CA. Groceries flip the comparison at $386 vs $442, with Melbourne cheaper for home cooking.

Good to know

🇦🇺 Melbourne

🇺🇸 Modesto, CA

🕒 Local time

11:06 11:06 AM

16:06 4:06 PM

19 h behind Melbourne

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

5,031,195

211,266

💱 Currency

Australian Dollar AUD $

United States Dollar USD $

📈 Exchange rate

1 AUD = 0.703 USD

1 AUD = 0.63 EUR

1 USD = 0.896 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 2, 2026: 1 USD = 1.42 AUD (1 AUD = 0.703 USD). 1 EUR = 1.59 AUD (1 AUD = 0.63 EUR).

United States Dollar exchange rates as of November 2, 2026: 1 EUR = 1.12 USD (1 USD = 0.896 EUR).

USD to AUD in detail →

On the map

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Between locations

Melbourne Modesto, CA 12,760 km ≈ 16 h nonstop flight

From you

Melbourne
Modesto, CA

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 Modesto, CA: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Total monthly costs including rent come to $2,849 in Melbourne and $2,708 in Modesto, CA, so Modesto, CA is about 5% cheaper – a gap that matters a lot on a fixed or modest income.

Average pay runs 5% 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: $1,703 in Melbourne versus $1,302 in Modesto, CA. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Childcare runs $2,461 in Melbourne versus $1,836 in Modesto, CA. Over years of preschool, even a modest monthly gap compounds into a major financial factor for families.

Shoppers in Melbourne pay roughly 12% less for everyday groceries. It’s an unusual reversal that partly offsets higher costs elsewhere.

Both cities are expensive relative to $2,000. Modesto, CA 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.

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